Ban the entertainer?

The 'Ban'

Guys , this might ruffle a few feathers, but I for one, sincerely feel that we need to ban the 'match referee' if anyone at all, reason : We are watching a very natural game played in an unnatural way.
I have this memory of watching a certain Dennis Lillee charging in to bowl in a  test match to a certain Roy Fredricks , wearing the 'Maroon' baggy on a hard Waca/Gabba/Sabina park wicket ,He lets go a quick mid pitcher, Fredricks hooks over long leg for six ............Lillee almost kissing distance from Fredricks, frothing in the mouth letting go mouthfuls a plenty and Fredricks not valuing his life at all, or of the batsmen to follow, giving him the 'two finger salute' and such similar 'friendly gestures' all this after the first ball of a test match is bowled........game on. Consider the slippers then Ian and Greg Chappell, Doug Walters and of course the keeper Rodney Marsh not the quietest lot ever,have you started expecting the drama to follow,the trend that is being set here, just the excitement of a heated battle between two very talented,proud and competitive sides. The thing I do not like to do is compare eras but if you compare today's proceedings an equally quick bowler lets it rip ,a batsman cuts or pulls for a boundary and the fast bowler glares , smiles even occasionally taps him on the back or shoulder in appreciation just because someone is monitoring the class , give me a break guys and these magnificent players too, just let them be.

I, as a spectator, watch the game because of the massive entertainment factor it provides via the talent and temperament of the players and I would not want to subdue it one bit.I do not believe in the old cliche that its just a game , no one would tear a intercostal or something that sounds equally bad were it 'just a game'.
This is entertainment and so it should be , a no holds barred contest, complete freedom to win.
Then, in more ways than one ,we have a 'WINNER'. Just a  thought.

The way a leader is taught

The way a leader is taught

I , Have had the opportunity to captain /lead many a team in various formats and levels.
The experience I would like to share here is of leading a side which includes my friends,contemporaries and well wishers, but the description goes on as these people are also directors ,officers,clerks and workmen in their own professional lives. The Team , then has a very interesting mix of personalities for e.g here is a guy who works on the shop floor of a engine making multinational sharing the pitch with a director of a software company,now the challenge for me (as captain) is to keep them pursuing the same goal or we have a rudderless ship . The difference gets more evident as we field , here I want you to visualise the picture its usually sunny and hot so that is a factor we have to bear in mind,the shop floor guy is the wicket keeper and the director is say at third man or fine leg and I am the opening bowler so here is what i hear after i bowled the first ball ,WK: Ranjya , lai bhari ball ,tu ani me khelu ya bas (this is a response to a ball which pitched close to the stumps and swung away ,beating the batsman and ended in the keepers gloves ) this also is an encouragement for the bowler,on the other hand the Fine leg says remember Hadlee(in this case Richard or so I feel), I take this also as an compliment but he also means that,for the next ball I should plan and execute as Hadlee did.....what are the odds on that happening ?
The LESSON here is to understand where the two schools of thought are coming from, the WK is a shop floor guy has to do tough,physical work on his own and do a creative job (assembling an engine) while as the director has to do smart ,responsible work on his own while making his team do the complete job(whatever he does may GOD bless him and his team).
In between these two extremes, are nine more personalities , ideas and tactics in multiples of nine and players who all want the same result.......a win.
...................the reason for me not to dwell on it anymore is that I want to save some for my 'BOOK'....and the lord save you then...

The ' Essential ' joy

The 'Essential' joy

Hi Guys,

This is my first blog of sorts after being convinced by a friend that I could write one , so here goes.....

The most basic of 'joys', as the name goes the 'joy' of cricket to me is more a passive one,

Don't get me wrong when I say this, having played the game at different levels and in different environments, conditions its given me enormous pleasure and enjoyment but I consider myself extremely fortunate to have played the game but there are a lot more people who could not play it due to various reasons ,My point: joys of cricket are not limited only players, certainly not the most basic and as I like to call it the 'Essential' joy , The sheer enjoyment of a heated discussion or a potent mixture of extreme views of how the last match could have been won or handled better by the captain or even better if their personal favourite was the captain or included in the XI is what the most common 'joy' of cricket is and it is this passion and cauldron of extremes that make it the game that it is .

To me, if there weren't people at every nook and corner talking about cricket,how it could be bettered and how they themselves could serve the purpose better in the 'being discussed capacity' people who run the Paanachi tapri,Chai /Amrutulya stalls and Wada Pav stalls, would be out of business in a jiffy.So people , in these most recessed of times and of cautious spending please understand the need to keep the 'Essentials' going. Just a old thought....