CSK fixing

There have been news reports on CNN-IBN that 2009 auctions for IPL were fixed. Now foes, then friends N Srinivasan and Lalit Modi fixed Flintoff for CSK. The news reports also suggest that Srini actually tried convincing MI this season not to go for Keiron Pollard but unfortunately Ambanis did not heed to him when the tiebreak was broken (MI tied with CSK for Pollard).

It seems that Srinivasan is a true manipulator besides the screen and no wonder this reports lend some credibility to the earlier report of sacking of Pravin Amre as coach of India A. Now this two things are unrelated to each other, but this for sure indicates how strong CSK owner is.

More dirt comes out of the IPL closet and this also indicates how the corporate relationships are fragile. There have been some email leaks from IBN which indicate Srini saying “you are sweet” to Modi. What does that indicate.

Lalit Modi is tweeting videos exposing Srinivasan in this scenario but is not saying a tweet on his role in fixing Freddie for CSK. He was all powerful man in 2009 edition of IPL and if this fixing happened, it sure had (must have) Modi’s blessings.

Aftermath

So India as expectedly is out of the T20 World cup just like they did in 2009. So its safe to conclude that they are not good enough in the format despite boasting of so called successful sporting league that’s none but one man show thus far. The worst effect it has had over the national team is that they forgot the intensity needed to display in the team as playing together. Dhoni famously said for the need to be in the semis for an IPL when the owners pay them so much money. What about the national team when more than billions watch the team play and put their hopes and expectations on the players to do well, if not win everything they play. At least they expect the best players could put in every game and then they lose, nobody would complaint.

We are not a good T20 team and we should accept the fact with the pinch of salt. IPL is not cricket and it can be watched for fun and excitement, but never it can replace the pride and honour to play for the country. Few players have felt that playing in IPL would get them the booty securing their lives and playing for India is an added bonus that gets them the additional money. So performance goes for a toss. Such players are:

·         Yusuf Pathan

·         Yuvraj Singh

·         Zaheer Khan

·         Rohit Sharma

·         Dinesh KArthik

·         Murali Vijay

·         Harbhajan Singh

The intensity this players shown in the IPL was amazing and sadly that intensity on the field in Indian colors was missing.  How many wickets did Zaheer and Harbhajan take in the games they played ? 0. They have 235, 208 wkts in ODIs respectively, 245 and 355 (approx) wickets in Tests respectively and are the leftovers of the side that Ganguly made in early 2000s. Sadly Lalit Modi has spoiled this cricketers.

The captaincy was baffling, he made same mistakes every now and then. Preferring over Jadeja even after his class was exposed time and over, ignoring Chawla (though he did not deserve to be here at first place) playing 2 spinners on a fast bouncy tracks, having pedestals as bowlers (Zaheer, Nehra, Vinay LKUmar can never bowl short balls the way Indians faced from mediocre West Indies team) and repeatedly coming down the order despite the fact he is well known player for short and spin bowling than the likes of JAdeja, Pathan and so forth.  Bowling first was good option when they had the form of 2006 in ODIs when they won everything chasing. But then they had Dravid and Tendulkar in the team who can face short bowling with aplomb.  It was pathetic to see Gambhir jumping to the likes of Dwayne Bravo, Kemar Roach in the T20s when he has had dominated better bowling attacks home and away.  

So what are the factors that led to Indian exit in the World T20s when the weaker and pathetic teams Lanka and Pak got through to the semis:

·         Poor team selection : Everybody said so, I say the same. Srikanth erred in his Chennai prem and ignored the better in form players of IPL – Manish Pandey, Robin UThappa and Virat Kohli who’s had wonderful ODI season this year. In the bowlers he preffered Nehra, Zaheer, Praveen Kumar and Vinay Kumar who never form a quartret to frighten the opposition. Dinesh Karthik was opener and Vijay was replacement to Sehwag, whose absence in both T20 editions was felt. Needless to say he is one of the 2 batsmen successful in ODIs and Tests for India over a year now.  What can you expect of team that has Vijay and Karthik as openers in comparison to Watson, Warner (Aus), Jaywardhene(SL),  Keiswetter, Lumb (England) and even bugger Akamal (Pakistan). Not to forget Gayle for Windies.

·         Sehwag’s absence was hugely felt. He cannot be replaced by duds like Karthik or Vijay, even they hail from CSK.

·         Dhoni’s fascination for PAthan and Jadeja. He is turning the mules to horses when they do not qualify even as Asses.

·         Its time to call curtains for Jadeja and Pathan in the LoIs. They are not just good enough for the highest level of cricket. Not good ethically and not good physically.

·         Dhoni erred in tactics. He kept taking on bowling first and then opted for part timers.  When the track was bouncy, he opted for spinners.  Many times he came lower down the order than Pathan and Jadeja.

·         Selectors chose the team on reputation and not on the form and fitness. Regional favoritism was shamelessly displayed.

So who are those bakras who should be axed but wont be:

·         Harbhajan Singh from T20Is. He is best bowler for Tests but no more for ODIs and T20Is.

·         Yuvraj Singh from all three till he comes back leaner, meaner and fitter.

·         Vijay

·         Karthik

·         Pathan

·         Zaheer Khan from T20s and possibly ODIs too. He is not that effective in LoIs now.

We have had enough of IPL ruining our chances in international formats. None of the cricketing fraternity is gonna remember IPL winners years on from now, but yes the world cup winners would be. I don’t find anything wrong in Dhoni’s statement that IPL parties played a big role in the exit. Likes of Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Raina, Rohit, Zaheer, Pathan were regulars in IPL nights.  They were exhausted and by the time real test came, they were croppers.

IPL should be scheduled far away from the ICC events. Next year India hosts its biggest sports event in CWC ( way bigger than C’wealth games). So if IPL is scheduled before it, we should kiss the dreams of a world cup win good bye.

If a large responsibility lies on coach, skipper for this debacle, a lot of it lies with selectors too and Kris Srikanth at the max for the continuous dubious teams he is selecting.  The replacements for Yuvraj, Pathan and Jadeja are right here.

Kohli  for Yuvraj

Uthappa for Pathan with an added bonus of wicket keeping. That’d keep DK away

Pandey for Jadeja.

Yuvraj Singh is more on reputation than the form now.  He deserves rest to sort out his off the field problems whatsoever. Jadeja and Pathan are not over franchisee class, perhaps they should stick to the franchisee cricket. Dinesh Karthik, Vijay and other lesser TN players would keep coming and harming the chances of Indian team as long Srikanth, the worst selectors chief ever in memory, is around.  Sacking Dhoni and Kirsten for T20  failure would be a unfair thing to do as they have done commendable tasks in Tests and ODIs, the formats that really matter.

After all lets accept that T20 is not India’s cup of tea despite boasting of a chicken tandoori item called IPL.

What am I missing of IPL on TV

Cricket is back on the prime time slot, this time its good old international cricket. Between 2 countries. That gets you involved emotionally, feeling the tension, attaching every drop of feeling to the country you support (India of course).

Its quite different from 45 days of pathetic coverage of IPL on Sony Max.

There are no glimpses of Lalit Modi in suave attires rubbing shoulders and cheeks with Bollywood beauties(??).

There are no cliches of DLF Maximums, Time out from Mini Mobiles or heck no Citibank momemt of failures for anybody.

There are no city based loyalties anymore.

There is a national anthem played for every country. We see national flags being hoisted rather than club flags which do not involve us emotionally.

There are no tweets from Modi, Shashi Tharoor and of course Shilpa Shetty on the World T20 because they dont understand what international cricket is all about. May be if Sreesanth was playing Tharoor had displayed “Kerala Pride” in his tweets, which he so cheaply used in statements in Parliament while defending his bribery act.  He did not feel Kerala’s pride was at stake when he got a female friend do the work and get him some money to get dollars to pay his staff (he feels Rs 14k are not good enough to pay his staff, so he volunteers).

There are no mad musical jings in between every over or no ads between balls.

There are no Bollywood folks in the dressing rooms, dugouts and TV shamelessly laughing and giggling all over for no reason.

In short the crapiness of IPL telecast has given way to more sobre and decent World T20 coverage, something we have watched all over years (we have watched international cricket with the game at center stage, not the croonies and jokers taking center stage).

Last but not the least Lalit Modi is clinging to his baby IPL on Twitter so much that he has turned to a quizmaster who does not get answers from anybody.  He poses trivia, does not find any takers and then answers themselves. He’s following Tharror but Tharoor like a small kid has unfollowed Modi on Twitter.

Laugh out loud~!!!~~

IPL Cleanup begins

Lalit Modi being disbanded out of IPL is just a first step to clean the alleged mess thats gripped IPL.  Another step probably could be to terminate the telecast rights which has a set of rumors of felicitation fees being paid to WSG from MSM (or vice versa).  80 million dollars of bribe or commission. How much pie was distributed to the middlemen including Mr Modi himself needs to be find out.

Whats more the IPL parties could be terminated too alongside kicking out the Bollywood and glamour quotient including the likes of Mandira Bedi.  Its being said that MTv forced players to participate in IPL Nights to ensure high glam quotient. So if thats shown the door too, the  game of cricket would be in focus rather than the sundry models and useless DJs making fun of player fitness.

The ongoing tax probe is not much optimistic as its being used by the government settle terms with the opposition and NCP. (Sharad Pawar is NCP chief, most influential in cricket in the country). Modi is alleged to be linked with Vasundhra Raje, ex Rajasthan CM (from BJP). So if taxmen find something in the probe, Cong managers wont leave any stone unturned to malign or unsettle the cricket in the country.

Later on Twiteroor would be restored, thats also a possibility.

Manohar has questioned if Shilpa Shetty and her mister are real stakeholders of RR. If he is true then its even more good. We would be spared her fake smile and her presence on the dugouts.

The IPL on field action might have ended but the off field action is far from being over. Political vendettas from madam and Pranab babu aided by quiet support from MMS,  ICC president elect being cornered and murkier details being leaked out are going to be order of the day.

Bollywood hosts a cricket awards function.

Shahrukh Khan and his gay friend hosting IPL awards function with some Bollywood croonies performing is another low in the cricket – Bollywood nexus. 

Have a look at this. Award category called “Dramatic Performance”. Whats that supposed to mean ? Another Bollywood term coined in. And it went to Harbhajan Singh. For what ? Lifting Neeta Ambani or scoring 49 off 18 balls or for bullying Symonds ?

Cringing to see Bollywood hogging the limelight in cricket and I hate Modi for that.  Modi has got Indian cricket in a zombie state. Muck man that he is.

A hope

The first semi final is through and the MI is in the finals. I am a bit dischanted for this development.  We all are too deep in the ongoing IPL mess and the on field action. I sometimes feel we have forgotten that there is an entity called Indian cricket team and in little over a week’s time we are going to watch the team in action in West Indies for the World T20.

Its not even worthy to diagnose the game and highlight the highs and lows of the match, as it was all too futile and irrelevant.  The ongoing mess has thrown a disinterest in anything that’s going on in the name of IPL.  Lalit Modi, the man in the center of storm is audacious enough to walk to the center and have the cameras focus on him.  How powerful he is, is evident with the murkier details tumbling out every hour. He must have been a power within the power center and must have had a very strong backing deep within the government that he was able to do what he did on the name of creating a IPL brand value.

Now the IPL stands tarnished.

The IPL must go on albeit with a clean image. We expect the taxmen to act in good faith and not in the act of vengeance as a minister was claimed in the scandal.  We hope that the wrong doings are exposed, the mess is cleaned up and a brighter side of IPL is exposed to the world.

Too big to hope ?

What IPL scandal means to the end user

The IPL has taken a huge blow in its credibility and the trustworthiness.  There are some murkier details coming out every hour in the media, many of which could be true or many of them just could be the word in the mouth in the media.  This is a huge story for the publicity hungry media and they are leaving no stone unturned in the coverage of the IPL scandal.   The scandal claimed Shashi Tharoor and now it threatens to claim Lalit Modi too. There have been reports of betting and match fixing in the Times of India where in its being said that Modi is the face behind it. It also mentions that Modi has few of his friends and family members invested in the 3 franchisees and the company that hosts the mobile rights for the tournament.

The government is also behind the BCCI and IPL for the so called tax evasion and there have been noises from the political leaders to overtake the cricket administration and ban the IPL.   

There have been already some noises made in the Australian, English and Kiwi player associations over the blasts in Bangalore and there are many who dislike Modi. This controversy is a god gift to those entities who allege that BCCI is the root of all evils in the subcontinent.

What beckons for the end user who watches cricket in any form and format ? Will he be turned off from the iPL as it did from cricket in 2000 match fixing scandal ? Or would it wait for the dirt to settle out and then come back to the IPL with zeal same as last 3 seasons. A lot of it depends on how things turn up in next few days. The build up to the World T20, more significant than the IPL , is not very ideal for Indian team.  Its not playing any warmup game in the carribean. The same place where it lost 2007 world cup.

I would not bother much about the iPL right now since this version is almost at the end and anyways I am not a big fan of intrusion of Bollywood and other irritating factors in the good ol game of cricket. If the ongoing investigation gets to the root of the evil and cleanses the entire system thus shunting out the objectionable stakeholders, then the IPL-4 could be a new beginning for the BCCI and it could go well in the history of the board that would mark the start of much needed transparency and accountability in the system.

The answer  to this well could be the ouster of Lalit Modi and Shashank Manohar taking over his place. 

Ugly spat bw Modi and Twiterrooor

The ongoing tussle between Modi and Twiterroor just indicates how fragile the egos of top managers are. Twiteroor is scared that his nexus with a socialite would be exposed to the world. Modi is scared that his supremacy in IPL biz would be grabbed by the minister.

Minister mentored few biz people to form an unholy and unethical group to bid for IPL team for a state whose best known cricketer is Sreesanth. And in lieu of that mentorment Twiterror is asking for a free equity for supposedly soon to be wife or smbody else socialite from Dubai.

He also asked Modi not to ask stakeholders of Rondavu sports.

Twiterror is not new to controversy. He is at max a cattle class minister who has no regard or sensitivity for the damn post he holds. He now wants to be getting into cricket biz in a bid to stamp his authority over game of cricket in Kerala. Not surprising if he becomes chief of KCA or whatever cricket association state has.  The UN under secretary is finding tough to cope with the work atmosphere of country and is an open embarrasment to Indian government and its people.

Its all bloody ugly game of money and corrupted power. As long as he has Madam’s support and Modi has Pawar support this ugly game in public domain is going to get longer. Its also an excuse for Cong to flex muscles over ICC president to be Mr Sharad Pawar. Not long ago PC had flexed his power over SP by kicking out IPL to SA….

Lalit Modi openly denounces Test cricket

Modi says it. He has been the man to have promoted IPL beyond sane limits and now he says to save Test cricket it must go day night. 

BCCI is taming a man who is openly out to kill Test cricket. He is trying to make IPL a so called world class event at the cost of Test cricket. 

Time he is cut down to task soon!!

Soul of cricket battered with the closing ceremony of IPL

The closing ceremony of IPL proves that the cricket is dead for Modi , for him all is money power, cricket is just nothing for him. After every final, we see the man of the match, man of the series and of course the players sharing the trophy on the dias. But for Modi, this is all irrelevant. He has got some pop singers from US (Akon), a 4 wife President and old age singer of apartheid days. Question is do we need it ? Do we need to see Ms Bollywood here ? Is Bollywood the center stage here or is it the cricket?

I hope this all doesnt happen in World T20. And I also fear that some of the Indian cricketers now (read RP, Pathan junior, Yuvraj) would prefer playing T20 than Tests or ODIs.

Ms Bollywood, IPL ka jalwa, Akon smack are all fuck.

Gimme back the cricket I know. I dont want all this. No no no. No Bollywood or Lolly or Polly or watever wood. I just need the wooden bat and leather ball. Good bye IPL. Thank God, its over to international cricket now. The World T20 should be preponed a week to get rid of this shit. The Modi shit. The Bollywood shit. The money minting shit.

I was happy with big players putting their best part into the game. Symo, Gilly, Gibbs, RP, Kallis and of course Anil. But with the game being ended, the soul of cricket flew away. And nude show of commercialization of game took over. I feel cheated.

With this Kaif dance, the Wanderers has been littered with the shit of Bollywood which goes and pees everywhere. The hugs, kisses, the parties, the wines, the lap shows and of course the behind the scenes. I feel cricket’s soul has been raped brutally and hurt beyond repair by Modi. If he has his ways then there would be 2 IPLs every year. No. Not at the expense of international cricket or to prove that BCCI is powerful and ICL is weak.

I would still prefer the old fashioned whites cricket and the colored cricket in ODIs. Cannot wait for the Windies tour and then the Sri Lankan home Test series. Cricket needs resuccrection(spell mistake) right now. From Moditva. From IPL. From Money.