On Shaun Tait

Remember this

SHAUN Tait will consult other sportsmen who have battled depression in a bid to rekindle his desire to play cricket again.

The 24-year-old Australian fast-bowler has been battling mental exhaustion for months, culminating in his shock decision announced yesterday to quit the game indefinitely.

South Australian Tait said he was emotionally and physically exhausted and needed time away from the game to clear his mind.

The Australian Cricketers' Association will put Tait in touch with other sportsmen who have suffered depression, possibly including former England batsman Marcus Trescothick and AFL footballer Nathan Thompson.

and this

In the space of a few weeks two prominent and respected cricketers have broken ranks with the macho presentation that has long been part and parcel of the sporting ethic, to inform their families and other interested parties, namely the entire game with its secret concerns and hidden emotions, that they are suffering from the form of emotional trauma often simplified under the banner of "depression". It is in many respects a breakthrough and cricket is in their debt.

and remember the Boycott rebuke

MM: Now Geoffrey, here's the question you've picked as the best one that has come in this week. It comes in from Shane and he says that Shaun Tait decided to quit cricket indefinitely at the age of 24. Does this send the wrong message to the board about his commitment to the game and also to youngsters who watch the game?

GB: To me, it shows a lack of desire. I've always believed that cricket is about ability to a certain degree, but not everybody is blessed with Tendulkar's or Lara's ability. It is about character as well as ability. I've always believed that your character is tested when you fail and not when you're a raving success. Anybody can bat or bowl when they are doing well, because your confidence is high and everything is going for you. But when you fail and things don't go your way, that's when you've got to pick yourself up. You've got to be mentally strong, you've got to dust yourself down and you have to try again. For me, it shows a lack of character that he's given up. Instead of people saying, "We wish him well and we hope he comes back" (and we all wish that), I wish he hadn't gone away and had shown more commitment and more desire.

and Cricket Australia's response

Cricket Australia has taken strong exception to Geoffrey Boycott's claim Shaun Tait showed a "lack of character" for going on an indefinite break from the game. Boycott said Tait, who withdrew due to physical and emotional exhaustion after the India Test series, should have shown more commitment and desire to work through the problems.

A Cricket Australia spokesman said Tait had outlined the seriousness of his situation when he stepped down last month. "It is disappointing that any former international cricketer would treat these issues so lightly," the spokesman said, "given the particular columnist's stated view in 2006, and considering that he detailed his own similar experiences and referred to how he coped with his own situation."

Now reconcile all of that with this news report

If all goes to plan Tait will play in South Australia's season opener in October.

Until then Cricket Australia and SA Cricket Association physios will carefully manage an athlete who was spent three months ago, leading to his sudden farewell to cricket.

"My body was in pretty bad shape really," Tait said yesterday.

"Training, games, even waking up in the morning after games off, it was sore."

He bristled at reports he was clinically depressed, saying there was never any such diagnosis in his case.

"The body was sore and I took a break. It was as simple as that.

"It was always in the back of my mind that I'd come back and play cricket at some point."

So, Boycott was not too much off the mark was he?

Making sense of it all

Of greater significance, Clarke explained in his letter that this summer had been a difficult one personally. He explained how he and his girlfriend, Lara Bingle, both have fathers grappling with cancer. So while his teammates are playing in the IPL by day and then soothing the aches and pains presumably in a bathtub full of rupees by night, Clarke will be wetting a line with his dad, Les, and soaking up their moments in the sun.

When you're reminded of the true value of life, it's funny how you're equally reminded of the true value of money.

and the Baggy Green.

"With no disrespect to the IPL, I feel my body and mind needs a break and with the hectic international schedule over the next 18 months, I feel I need to freshen up and a break will do me good. By trying to continue to advance my profile and reputation with the Australian team, I hope to one day become an asset to your tournament.

Wha?

Dubai (PTI): In a major embarrassment for the BCCI, the ICC on Friday censured the Indian Cricket Board for preparing a poor quality pitch for the third Test between India and South Africa in Kanpur last month.

I saw every ball of this match. And this was no Sabina Park. Or Indore. 775 runs were scored over 3 days. A couple of Proteas got into the 50s as well..

So, for the ICC to censure the BCCI for the Kanpur wicket is a joke. Like the ICC.

Anyways, a precedent has been set.

On a tangential note - These ICC idiots had this special meeting to "save Test Cricket". And obviously, with all things ICC, they believe that this can be done by rolling out roads that last for timeless tests and induce a yawn fest.

Good going ICC - I love the effort you put in to make yourself more irrelevant by the day.

PS:- It keeps getting better

Talking about the decision, Dave Richardson, the ICC's general manager, said: "We have come to a decision that the pitch prepared for the match should be rated as 'poor'. We have taken into consideration the explanations offered by the BCCI as to the reasons for the dryness of the pitch and we have noted that there is no previous record of a substandard pitch being prepared in Kanpur.

Erm, if you are playing in the North of India in mid April in temperatures hovering in the low to mid 40s, do you seriously expect to see a greentop or a damp wicket? By that token, does the ICC guarantee that the ball will not seam or swing when New Zealand takes on England later this month ?

Nice little PR piece

What does swimming have to do with cricket? More than you think when it comes to coaching

And I thought Bishen Bedi had cornered that market when he threatened to dunk the Indian team into the Pacific in the early 90s.

Seriously though, how does this article tell anything about anything besides being a nice little PR piece for Cricket Australia?

Enter left, India's Mr Wright?

New Zealand Cricket is searching for a new Black Caps coach.

John Bracewell has confirmed he will not be seeking reappointment to the position at the end of his contract in April 2009. He has been coach of the New Zealand side since 2003.

Pertinent questions

I heard this argument made repeatedly in Indian circles during the Sydney fiasco, and I couldn’t disagree more: rather than proving the emergence of a superior India, this logic only emphasizes the scale of Western influence on our thoughts and actions. I’m not saying that sledging is never justified, but arguing that it is simply because the Australians do it only proves that we aren’t playing a game we want to. We’re just trying to satisfy rules and benchmarks set by other countries and cultures, thereby denying ourselves the chance to set our own path.

I think this line of reasoning helps fans avoid interrogating their own side. With the West as the constant comparison, many Indians never bother to ask themselves if Harbhajan Singh may have gone a tad too far during the Test series, or whether Sreesanth needs to tone down his erratic behavior. Instead, we hear the common refrain: if the West can do it, why can’t we? But while we are beating them at their own game, when exactly do we get to play our own?

from a perspicacious blogger

The Mumbai love fest

Watching Twenty20 cricket live is like being at a rock concert (or let’s just say a pop concert, rock this aint!).
You’re convinced there’s something sweetly catching in the air, that a helluva lot of people have come here high on something that’s not quite legal and - if the home team’s doing well and this is Mumbai - there’s an infectious energy and a foot-tapping rhythm to the proceedings that just makes you want to smile, wherever your loyalties lie.

In Ranji Trophy cricket, ask any other outfit which team they really want to beat and 99 per cent of the time, they’d look at you straight in the eye and say “Mumbai”. It’s not just because Mumbai have won the Ranji more times than everyone else put together and the others want to play catch up. It’s also because of that indescribable devil-may-care Mumbai attitude that riles the rest of the pack.

It’s a potent brew that's part spunk, part unfettered aggro, part an ability to lift their game at any stage because of an incredible feeling of belonging to their city (a feeling that the people belonging to no other Indian city really have) and finally, a wholly khadoos attitude.

Ask any Mumbai cricketer about how the average Mumbai cricketer plays his game and 99 per cent of the time, he would laugh and tell you “khadoos” - it’s a winner-takes-all, never-say-die kind of spirit, where the winning is achieved through any and every means.

Thanks Kadambari Murali..

Balaji is back

4-0-35-2

Glory be!

Stop obsessing

"Tennis used to be played with wooden racquets and now it is much faster and more exciting. If you say it's not in the spirit of the game, is the IPL (Indian Premier League) in the spirit of the game? It's faster and more exciting."

Please dont go..

Two matches. Two comprehensive wins. Two top ranked teams pegged back a notch. Two opposition teams bowled out inside of their Twenty overs. Your team on a roll.

Two full houses. 55,000 screaming, cheering fans in (despite it being a weekday).

Given all this, why do you want to move back to the Wankhede from the Dr. D Y Patil Stadium and upset the mojo?

And if further proof is required that the Navi Mumbai crowd is as parochial as the Mumbai crowd, check Sehwag's expression midway through his interview ( when Rameez Raja mentions strong and weak teams)

The best new ball attack in the country

Haryana had it once...Kapil Dev and Chetan Sharma spearheaded Haryana's only Ranji win in 1991. Karnataka did too - Srinath and Prasad ( and a support cast of Dodda GTanesh and David Johnson) had their parts to play in Karnataka winning 3 Ranji's in 4 years in the late 90s.

And after watching Nehra bowl in the IPL, the prospect of Nehra and Ishant paired up together is a terrifying prospect - for all opposition teams ( proviso Nehra and/or Ishant dont break down in the interim)...

Between the England tour to India and India's tour to Pakistan, I hope there is a small window available when Delhi play, at home..

A hard bouncy greentop at the Kotla.. Out of the haze, at one end,Ishant charging in. At the other end, Nehra. Weird action and all...

And the batsmen hopping around..

Joy!

On technology..

(Thanks Ottayan for pointing out this article).

Tim Nielson makes one good point and one lousy one..

"It means almost one-third of the (10) wickets that you need to get a team out, you can contest, which seems like a high number to me."

which makes sense (although on the back of the events at Sydney, one would dispute that). And then there is this gem

"I just hope that we don't have big stoppages and regular conjecture about umpiring decisions on the back of technology being introduced," Nielsen said.

This, from the coach of a team that basically lost a test match (Perth) because their over rate was so abysmal that their captain stood to be suspended because of it... Just how much more time does Nielson expect the referrals to add up to the day's play ( assuming that a team goes ahead and uses all its referrals on the same day).

Shouldn't he be more focussed on ensuring that his team gets its quota of overs in time, every time?

Also, a lot of conjecture about the umpiring has been because of the fact that TV audiences ( and commentators) are privy to technology that umpires are not. And because the ICC has been reluctant to bring in more technology into the game ( 2D images versus 3D action, the robustness and accuracy of Hawkeye, the reliability of Snicko). But, if all parties concerned are privy to the same tools, the second guessing should be much less.

Personally, I am more inclined to do away with all the technology for both umpire and broadcaster/viewer.Sure, you can have your 23 cameras and super slo mo's but beyond that (Hawkeye, Snicko, Hotspot etc) should be a strict no no.

And the reasoning is simple - all these tools are used strictly at the discretion of the broadcaster.. So, we have the situation when India toured South Africa that the broadcasters would not release certain angles for a run out or a stumping or a catch that were inimical to the home team's interests. .. Or Channel 9's stump mics picking up every word of what Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden said on the field during Monkey gate but not a syllable from Harbhajan.. Or the selective airing of Hotspot.. Or the infamous "Cant bowl, cant throw" jibe.

And as regards the stump microphones, either turn them on all through the game at a high volume or turn them off completely.. Especially now that the ICC is coming down hard on sledging.

Worth a read

D.S. Henry's ode to Dravid's innings against the Kings XI Punjab.

No can do

is what the BCCI should tell Harbhajan following his latest appeal for clemency in the aftermath of the "Slapgate" incident.

The Board must also remind him that it has stood by him when his cause was just but there is absolutely no place for physical violence in cricket, whatever the provocation.

And for making a plea of clemency, the BCCI must tack on an additional 5 Test/ODI ban to whatever sentence ( and I hope it is stringent) they impose on him.

The Ranji groupings

Us and Delhi in the same pool.. What fun..

Go the eves!

The Indian eves at the Asia Cup

Played 3 Won 3

More on the crybaby retard

It has turned out to be the costliest slap in Indian cricket. While it cost Mumbai Indians bowler Harbhajan Singh Rs 2.8 crore, and a blanket ban from remainder of the Indian Premier League matches, Punjab Kings XI's Shanthakumaran Sreesanth has lost friends in the Indian dressing room.

His public display of emotion has broken the unwritten locker room code: 'Never get your teammate into trouble'. Sreesanth's crying is being looked upon as a deliberate act by most players. "This is not the first time he has cried, he has a tendency to bawl whenever someone says something to him in the dressing room," said sources.
Labelled the king of antics of the Indian team, Sreesanth is bound to land in thick soup with the BCCI for his comments after the incident. He claimed that Harbhajan sent down a flurry of blows, even terming it as a "WWF match". He allegedly told a Malayalam channel, "I am the only Malayali in the team and that is why I have no support."