You’ve already met my friend Buffy. Of course that is not his real name. I don’t think parents can do this to their children. It was us friends who nicknamed him so. But he doesn’t mind because it reminds him of Beefy – Sir Ian Botham. And, Sir Botham is quite a legend. He was a genuine all-rounder who maintained an intimidating reputation with his bowling throughout his career. Infact there were quite a few gentlemen in his league, some even better than him. I’ve to begin the non-comprehensive list with fast bowlers from West Indies. Do you remember or have you heard of the era when names like Malcolm Marshall and Courtney Ambrose used to inspire fear? They were giants who could make the batsmen look like pygmies.

Then there were charismatic heroes like Imran Khan. On this side of the border we had Kapil Dev who could counter him. The next crop also had its stars. There was Shaun Pollock who inherited brilliance in cricket. Recently there was news that he was being considered for the role of India’s bowling coach. I was hoping that it was true and would materialize. Then, there were Shane Warne and Brett Lee at the helm of Australia’s formidable bowling attack. Shane Warne still exhibits his stuff in IPL and Brett Lee is still around but there is something amiss. They are not the same terror they were once. After Imran Khan there were few more Pundits from Pakistan, of which I’ve watched Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. I wonder if there would be another bowler from Pakistan who would recreate the terror that these two could. Shoaib Akhtar did seem to fit the bill before his career went over the fence.

In India the last precise killer was Anil Kumble. No other bowler in the current lot has been able to maintain such consistency. There are impressive bowlers but there is no one who is consistently fearsome. All of them have had their records punched by free flowing hits. There are bowlers who started off their career with bangs. But be it Muttiah Muralidharan or Ajantha Mendis, they have all been undone.

The breed of fearsome bowlers seems to be nearing its extinction. This decade has been declared as the decade of runs. They say that fans like it when lots of runs are scored. But do people enjoy one-sided games? Doesn’t the contest between bat and ball becoming one such game? In such a scenario how long will cricket boast of glorious uncertainties? If cricket is a batsmen’s game then why are bowlers still playing?

This post was published on my blog HOOKed! at Cricket Aakash

UPDATE 12th Jan, 2010: Ian Chappell said on Cricinfo’s talk show that India will need a couple of champion bowlers to stay as Test #1

A naughty Sikh boy goes on wrooming… through the house with his Maruti 800 toy car. To everyone’s annoyance he just doesn’t give up. Finally his father asks him to stop. Innocently, the boy explains his compulsion – “Ki karaan! Petrol khatam hi nahin honda!” viz. – “Can’t help it! It just doesn’t run out of petrol!”

This popular ad of the Indian small car was brought to my memory during the recently concluded India – Australia series. Akin to the mileage efficiency of the vehicle the Australian team didn’t seem to run out of replacement players. Ten key players of the touring squad were injured at different times, and were replaced by younger players who took up positions with ease and performed well. The extra mileage gave Maruti a monopoly in the small car market that has been unmatched so far. And, the Australian team still maintains its number one ranking despite close competitions.

How do they do it?

Australia’s bench strength was the most discussed topic during the radio talk-shows for this series. I questioned several cricket experts about what goes into making Australia’s legion. What follows is the outcome of insights shared by the analysts whom I interviewed.

Almost everyone attributed it to the strength of Australian domestic competitions. These matches are played under conditions and expectations that are at par with international cricket. Their interstate premier tournaments Sheffield Shield, Ford Ranger Cup, and KFC Twenty20 Big Bash are expected to be as challenging as playing for their country. The Australian summer that lasts for about six months produces a huge pool of players competing for baggy greens. The federal organization that manages cricket in Australia focuses as much at the territory and community levels as it does at the elite level. Contrast this to the Indian scenario where first-class cricket is considered second-grade. I find this ironic considering that playing cricket is a part of growing up in India more than it is in any other country.

Another factor that gives Australia its consistent run is the balance of old guns and young blood in the team. They have been able to maintain such an optimum team composition over the years. Now the injuries during the India tour have proved to be a blessing in disguise for them. Five additional players have been introduced to the playing conditions in the subcontinent. Thereby giving Australia an even bigger pool of players who wouldn’t find it difficult to acclimatize when they come to India for the world cup in 2011.

For now the Australians have gone back home to tend to continuous wins and injuries. And in the closing shot of the Maruti ad, the proud father smiles at his lad, fondly shakes his head and exclaims “Champion!”
This post was published on my blog HOOKed! at Cricket Aakash

Today after a very long time I thoroughly enjoyed a One Day International match. It isn’t that I am loosing interest in Cricket, but there better be good Cricket happening to keep me hooked. While the influencers of the game i.e. the big people are wondering what to do to keep the one-day format alive and kicking, I asked myself – what do I, or any other fan would need to keep us interested in the game? Do we need 40 over matches or do we need two innings of 25 overs each? Do we need cheer leaders or do we really need one dayers?

While watching today’s match I tried to observe the experience the on ground action gave me so that I could consciously know what I was enjoying and what was boring. Luckily, there was lots of action to give me sufficient data. Our team batted first, the match opened with a strong and stable partnership. The opposing bowling was intense and fielding was inspired. Both the bowlers and batsmen were continuously at it – the bowler always applying himself to contain and fox the batsman while the batsman was respecting each ball for its worth. At least four bowls per over held some suspense – Who will win the race, the fielder or the bowl? Will their attempt to squeeze in an extra run cost them? – What kind of a tricky bowl was that! What a masterful stroke! – I realized that I didn’t really need six boundaries in an over to keep me thrilled. One or two big shots are better than some fluke shots. Some good stands, a few brilliant knocks, some challenging wickets, and the score went beyond 300. After all, it’s the gentlemanly charm and not boyish antics that get us interested in the game.

I could have lost interest in the next innings if the opposition was to bow down under the pressure of chasing such a massive total. Thankfully they didn’t. Thier run rate was always ahead of the asking rate. Neither were they crumbling under anxiety, nor hiding behind defenses. The balance kept fluctuating throughout the game. The body language of the players was inspiring. It was visible that all of them were being pushed and they were living up to it. The icing on the cake was to see a gentleman chat with the opposition during drink breaks. That makes for the sports spirit package that keeps me hooked to the game of cricket.

It is the sheer challenge and spirit that draws us to sports. No rocket science there and no out of the box ideas needed. Just stick to the basics. Now isn’t that something that a cricket coach would have said too?

(A voice somewhere from the back benches: Bah! Who listens to coaches! If they know it all then why don’t they play themselves.)

Eh! Pay attention!

The thrust should be upon increasing the quality of the cricket. Increase the challenge and train cricketers accordingly. Build better pitches, formulate rigorous and focused training programmes, and provide advanced facilities not just to the professionals but also for those who aspire to represent their country.

The focus has to be on the quality of the sport, not just in one nation but across all cricket playing nations. I believe concentrated efforts on enhancing the quality of the sport will give it longevity. Any format would survive if you can make a match of it.

This post was published on my blog HOOKed! at Cricket Aakash

Another season of Cricket shows for radio has begun with the arrival of Aussies. Four matches have been played already and my diary is fast filling with notes. I’ll be publishing some of the experiences and observations on Cricketer Aakash Chopra’s recently launched website Cricket Aakash. This website is a pioneer attempt to provide professional guidance to aspiring cricketers. The articles on the site cover the wide spectrum of cricketing knowledge including techniques, fitness, nutrition, sports injuries, and psychology. It’s a matter of pride for me that I’ll be contributing to this site along with some of the elite of Cricket.

I’ve named my blog on this site as HOOKed! and following is my official description for it:

Hooked to the sport, Priyanka likes to hook the bouncers that life around Cricket regularly throws. She has been working on the precincts of the sport as a radio show host and interacting with the gentlemen, players and commentators of the sport. Like most in the subcontinent she has a congenital affinity to Cricket that flows with the sport’s glorious uncertainties and amusing peculiarities. An all weather, long-drawn innings has turned her into an observer ever ready with a wide-brimmed sun hat and an umbrella.

Having said that, I now face a challenge to create value for site’s users and to be in sync with “Cricket Aakash’s” tag line – “Grow with the game.”