Tigers earn their srtipes

Thanks to the people who control the West Indies Board and their outstanding way of selecting a team for a series, Bangladesh are enjoying their most memorable tour. This has resulted in the emergence of a cricket team which we know formerly as a pygmy called Bangladesh.

The tigers have created history in the islands. Not only have the small bunch of players from Bangladesh have shown that they can now play test cricket up to a certain extent but rather shown the world just how a new era has begun. After winning their only overseas test victory, the tigers have shown us just that tags don't mean anything.

Despite being helped by the West Indies selection panel, the Bangladeshis have shown great skill on the field by bowling out their opponents five times out of the six innings. Their fielding has improved vastly but the gem of the improvement is their batting. The batsman have been able to score the runs - most important aspect in a match, and with runs on the board the bowlers have done their task well.

Even in the ODI's the young team have done miracles by winning the first two matches. As I write this the Bangladeshi boys have restricted the Windies to 248 in the third ODI. True the Bangladesh team has been helped by the West Indies' selection panel, still credit has to be given to them.

Despite losing their skipper, Mortaza, his experiences and bowling, the team has moulded well under Shakib Al Hasan. I am truly amazed and stand awed by his great leadership skills. Here is a just a lad of twenty two years leading his national team, and leading from the front. With his slow left-arm orthodox he becomes a bowler to reckon with especially in the in the company of the experienced Abdur Razzaq. His batting is also world class now and is quite a treat to watch.

Shakib has done all things right so far and has impressed me far more than any youngster in the last 4 years. His ability to get the best from his bowlers, batsmen, and his team just shows his impeccable brilliance in the art of leadership. Truly, we have a child prodigy here.

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Strauss finally gets behind me.

Australia have lost aura says the English skipper.

Isn't this what I have been saying for the last 8 months or so ??? Rome is falling.

Here is one of my analysis on the Aussie team that I did a few months ago titled 'End of an era?'

I found few funny pictures in SP's post.

So the Aussie team before [link] . And now after [link] .

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Is Mahi Evading Taxes?

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is still the highest earning cricketer if last years income taxes paid by cricketers are taken into account. Sachin paid Rupees 8.1 crores as income tax, while the Indian skipper, M.S. Dhoni just paid Rupees 4.7 crores. Sehwag came a close third paying Rupees 3.1 crores.


If these numbers are anything to go by, it probably just means two things.
A.) Sachin Tendulkar still is a huge brand in India......and still larger than Dhoni.....(Which I believe is true)....

or

B.) Dhoni is evading taxes.

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They got the ashes...What have we got: border gavaskar trophy...?

If tests are to be saved then we must have more series such as the Ashes. This is a continuation of my previous post.

I was reading a post by Straight Point and it pretty much answered the way to arrest the demise of test cricket.

Instead of ICC's brilliant idea of having a four day test match, having more series like the Ashes will definately help.

Soon to follow another article to save test cricket.

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English Camp in Turmoils

As the title suggests the English Camp in Turmoils.

After Flintoff aggravating his injury, more worser news appears. The modern star of the English team, Kevin Pietersen has undergone an Achilles tendon surgery. In other words Pietersen, who played a vital role in the 2005 Ashes is ruled out of the series.

Pietersen said, "As an England cricketer the Ashes are the pinnacle of the game so I'm absolutely devastated to be missing the rest of this series." Aren't we all?

But more sader and worser news follows. The man said to replace the egoistic star is none other than Ian Bell. A batsman low on confidence, who struggles in deciding whether to play or leave a ball in the corridor of uncertainity is said to make a come back to the team. Lets just hope his current form for Warwickshire this season, with 640 runs at 80.00 will be carried over.

"I am desperate to play," said Bell. "Having faced the Aussies before I know what to expect from them, and once you have appeared at Test level you want to carry on playing against the best players in the world." Lets just hope that Bell knows what he is talking about......

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Bangladesh Comes to Gayle and Co's Rescue

After Bangladesh scripting their first test win overseas and also their first test series win overseas have dismantled the West Indies. The West Indies Board seeing their foolishness have called back the original players of West Indies and have offered to work something out.

Thank God the Board has finally woken up.


After the West Indies picked the original 13-man squad for the Bangladesh Tests the players boycotted the series due to a disagreement over contractual issues. The strike forced the selectors to pick a second-string side which lost both Tests, handing Bangladesh their first overseas series victory.


Now after the embarrassing loss the board has decided to contract Gayle and Co to save their pride.

Thank God they're back. Hello Jerome Taylor. Good Bye Tino Best.

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Flintoff Sparks in Ending a 75 year Curse.

12.45pm - What a victory for England, who have gone 1-0 up and are now in a wonderful position in the series. Flintoff grabs one of the stumps and acknowledges the crowd, gets hugs from all his team-mates after what can only be described as a match winning spell this morning, in his last Lord's Test. Fittingly, it's Flintoff who leads England off the field, clapping a stump and the ball together and he gets a standing ovation.

That is the online commentary found in Cricinfo.

Yes, England are one up in the Ashes.....Is this the beginning of an new era? Go Flinty......Go England.......Finally after 75 years a win in Lord's.

In his last Test at the home of cricket, Andrew Flintoff broke England's 75-year Lord's Drought with his first five-wicket haul since the Ashes-clinching Oval Test of 2005. It was, unquestionably, a performance that will enhance his already mythical and legendary status within English cricket and world cricket. What a farewell ending on a high.

Thank God my friend Raj was wrong in this funny article about England.

Punter, "is this 2005 all over again?"

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We'll miss you Vassy

Chaminda Vaas, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, shocked the world after he announced that he will retire from Tests after the third match against Pakistan in Colombo starting Monday. This is the second earthquake this month after Flintoff's announcement.

"I am officially retiring from Test cricket after the third Test against Pakistan, but will continue playing one-day and Twenty20 matches till the 2011 World Cup," he told.

The above words uttered by Vass ends an illustrious career by one of Sri Lanka's most persevering and successful fast bowlers. In 110 Tests he has amassed 354 wickets at an average of 29.40. Vaas also has 3085 Test runs at 24.48, including a century under his belt.

Being one off the few super stars in the Lankan Lions team, this will be a huge blow. Lankan skipper Kumara Sangakara said that Vaas' achievements were the benchmark quick bowlers in his country will strive for. Surely the lefty has made a huge contribution in world cricket. "Vaas is a true champion and probably the only Sri Lankan fast bowler who can be called a true legend of the game," Sangakara said.

"No matter who replaces Vaasy in the bowling attack they will take years and years to reach the standards he has set - and maybe they never will." How true the lines by Sangakara are!! Just looking at the Aussies after Mc.Grath's retirement, Sri Lanka have a long way to go.

I just wish the best for the Sri Lankan legend and hope to see him in the ODI's and T20 alongside Jayasuria.

Cheers Vass. I'll Surely miss your brilliance in tests. I wish you all the Good Luck in the world.

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Jimmy and Monty to the rescue

Finally the English lower order has started to bat. I mean they have to do that if the English batsman bat like the way they did in the first test.



At least the English have started playing cricket.

Thank God for that.

Just hope the 'Home of Cricket' helps the hosts take the lead.

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Excuses to Watch Cricket on a Weekday

These are the best excuses ever found to bunk a day of school/college/work. It’s even easier if you work from home or attend online universities. A wise man once told that a good excuse is an excuse that can be used over and over again. The following excuses fall in that category where they can be used over and over again.


11.) "Argh.....My back.......Argh....."
10.) "Sir, The Australians have invaded England".
9) "I need to get my........wife shot".

8.) "My tummy is having a head ache". (Don't try it if you don't have a tummy)
7.) "Sir, I need to book a ticket to......uh......because the ashes are being......uh.......I believe they are taken back to Australia".

6) "Oh My God. Sir, the Pakistan government is fighting against terrorists".

5.) "Sir, I am just going to relieve myself in the restroom".

4.) "Sorry Boss (cough cough), I seem to have woken up with the beef flu....damn it......I mean the swine flu".

3.) "Sorry to disappoint you (cough cough) sir, but it seems that I have contracted (cough cough) a very dangerous virus strain......(sputter)...of an unknown disease. Highly Contagious. What? I can leave already?".

2.) "Sir, I need to fly to America today. Obama has invited me over for dinner so that we can discuss....uh.....the various issues....of......uh......our generation.

1.) "Sir, can I skip today to go see the match ???? Sir? Sir? Where is he? Where is everyone? Cricket? Bloody slackers!!".

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The sad demise of test cricket

Test cricket is probably going to die out soon if things aren't done soon about it. Test cricket is in a pathetic form right now with only a handful of test playing nations, little viewership, and losing interest by the youngsters due to the big bang action of T20.


Even though Test cricket is losing viewership it is still widely followed all over the world and it does live in the hearts of many. Hailing from Chennai, this is not a hard thing to say as Chennai is still one of the few cities in the world that still loves Test cricket over the limited over formats.
Many might still deny that test cricket is dying but truly and rapidly it is dying a fast death.


Chris Gayle the captain of the West Indies team stunned the world by arriving late to his team just before the test series versus the English choosing to play for the Kolkatta Knight Riders. I always feel that a captain must be the first to arrive and the last to leave - a principle of Micheal Vaughan that he enforced when he was the skipper but sadly that wasn't the case with Gayle. And to make matters worse he bashed out saying that he wouldn't care if test cricket died. This just shows the condition of the West Indies cricket in current times. With the players rebelling, the Wes Indies Cricket Board becoming selfish, cricket is not something they are interested in. And definitely not test cricket. Is this because of Standford? Maybe. The Texan billionaire spent millions on the West Indies team as a way of business and the West Indies board happy with money rolling in resorted to other practices than promote cricket. West Indies have not won a test series in a long time underlying the fact showing the condition of the team.


No wonder the West Indian legend, Micheal Holding has stated that he won't be a commentator in any of the matches which West Indies play in. Is this because he is disgusted ? I think so. Just imagine his predicament, He being part of the glorious West Indies team that used to dominate world cricket to the extent that their names would bring shivers down opponent's spine now has to see his beloved team struggle to win and show no sense of appreciation and seriousness to the game he loves so much.


Even John Buchanan's new book titled 'The Future of Cricket: The Rise of Twenty20' seems to convey something. Buchanan is truly a master at strategies. I don't mean cricket strategies but marketing strategy.

It's good to see the ICC take some steps to preserve test cricket. But as usual ICC's new plans are too theoretical and definitely cannot be imposed. I'll soon write about the ICC's new found plans to save test cricket.




I just pray for the sake of cricket that test cricket survives.

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The Advantages of Being Old

Getting old is the fear for many people all over the world. Gerontophobia is the fear of growing old. It is shared by millions and majority of these people deny that they are old. They try to cover up their wrinkles and other ageing symptoms by using so many different cosmetics.

I met a man who was halfway bald. I asked him how it felt like being bald. But instead of replying he just turned around and showed me a tattoo he had on his head.

Recently a few scientists with the help of me, figured out a way to assess if people are old. The report concluded that being old is not a disaster that people believe to be but rather a blessing.

The Advantages of Being Old

1. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
2. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.

3. No one expects you to run into a burning building.
4. There's nothing left to learn the hard way.

5. Clothes you buy now won't wear out.
6. You have a party and the neighbors don't even realize it. This saves you the trouble with the cops.

7. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
8. You sing along with the elevator music.

9. Your eyes won't get much worse. Still you eat your vegetables.
10. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.

11. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the National Weather Service.

12. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.

13. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size. It probably was always at a manageable size.

14. I bet you don't remember the first point.

The research however cannot explain the following instances.

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

• Sanath Jayasuria

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Differences in the Rival Camps Before the Ashes.

These are a few differences in the two rival camps before the Ashes.

The Aussies are ready for the Ashes. Or at least they say so.

The English aren't ready for the ashes and they know so.

The Aussies are led by a great batsman who in recent times has shown us that he can't captain.

The English's best captain just retired as his batting wasn't called batting.

Lee struggles.

Flintoff struggles.

The Aussies have no good spinner.

The English have no good keeper.

Aussies strategy is bound to be stronger.

English are weakened by strategist Buchanan.

Aussies play for pride they lost after their fall from grace.

English play for pride that never was theirs.

Aussies will miss Symonds.

English won't miss Vaughan.

I just hope that the Ashes won't be an one sided affair like last time.

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