Phillip Hughes: A hero who left too early

Phillip Hughes: A hero who left too early

The humans have made several innovations and discovery but their life still remains in the hands of almighty. No matter what science says about the world, the god is the ultimate decider. Phillip Hughes, the supremely talented cricketer from Australia, had to bid adieu to his life after being struck on his neck by a bouncer from Sean Abbott.  The left hand batsman was batting on 63 when this unfortunate incident took place on 25th November. He was admitted to one of the hospitals in Sydney but doctors couldn't save him as he lost his battle on 27th November.  The sudden demise of a 25 year old has left the whole world in shock including his family, friends and Australian team-mates.  

The Aussie cricket team is finding hard to deal with this occurrence. The players are shattered and broken  and the first Test match with the Indian team could be cancelled or shift forward. From David Warner to captain Michael Clarke, there is hardly anyone in Australia who has not cried since Phillip Hughes left the world. He was a brilliant cricketer in all formats of the game. 

After scorings runs in the domestic cricket, he was called up to replace Mathew Hayden on Australia's tour of South Africa in 2009. He was dismissed for a duck in his first Test innings off Dale Steyn's bowling but went on to scored 75 in the second one. This young man scored his maiden Test hundred in the first innings of the second Test match against the same team. He was not finished with this as he accumulated another ton in the second innings thus becoming the youngest player from any country to score a century in both innings of a Test match. However, he couldn't built on such fabulous start and was in and out of the team on account of poor form. He was part of 26 Test matches for the Aussie team, scoring 1535 runs with the help of three centuries and seven half centuries.  

Hughes also played in 25 ODIs where he added 826 runs to his name.  He scored two centuries and five half-centuries in this version of the game as well. It will be wise to say that his best was about to come as he was showing promising signs in the domestic circuit but god was not willing him to carry on in the worldly life so he took him away from all of us. I don't have words to describe the feeling right now as his death has led to one of the saddest day in the history of cricket. 

The world is busy in paying tribute to him but this won't bring him back. The bats have been placed outside the cricket grounds while cricketers from every region are wearing black armbands to be a part of this loss but the damage has been done. Let's pray for him and his family, who have lost their young warrior. Rest in peace Phillip Hughes.

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Home Advantage: A distinct dream in World Cups

Home Advantage: A distinct dream in World Cups

The 2015 Cricket World Cup will be played in Australia and New Zealand. I know the event is far but the cricket fanatics have already started talking about the contenders. Team Australia and their fans have already tipped the host nation as the ultimate winner. According to many cricket experts, Australia have got players, who can rule the event. David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, James Faulkner, Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson and Glenn Maxwell are the leading players in the ODI format of the game . 

When MS Dhoni, the Indian captain, hit the six to win the World Cup at the Wankhede stadium in 2011, it was the first time in the history of this sport that a winning side was playing in front of its own crowd. Home advantage is a well discussed and pretty old formula in cricket . But, this is not true when it comes to World Cups. Apart from India that too in 2011, we haven’t seen even a single host nation, who has lifted the prestigious trophy in their own backyard. Let’s talk about basic numbers first. 

In the 10 World Cups so far, there have been two incidents where home teams have played in front of their crowd.

Apart from this, the home teams have failed to pass group stage on three instances (Australia 1992, England in 1999 and South Africa 2003). England have hosted 4 World Cups in the fifty over format so far but they haven’t won once yet.  West Indies played the first three finals, winning in '75 and '79 while they lost to India in 83. 

Australia, the team from down under, had a run of playing five finals out of six, from 1987 to 2007, winning four trophies, including a hat-trick. Moreover, the two most dominating sides in World Cricket never got a chance to host the event in their prime. Australians were the host country in 1992 and were still building a side which went on to rule the game for years later on. 

West Indies hosted the World Cup 24 years after they had last made it to a World Cup final.  The most important reason behind the visiting team’s domination in the mega event could be the knowledge of playing conditions.  I know cricket has varied playing conditions but the teams and their players’ ends up playing in all of them very often which makes the margin of an error minimum. 

The fifty over game is such that teams are provided with an easy wicket to equal the playing level field and moreover the participating players have knowledge of what to do in a certain country. The other intruding factors could be pressure and expectations. The most famous example of this trend is South Africa. They had a team which was full of champions in 2003 but were not able to cross the first hurdle. 

The most unpredictable format of the game that is T20 has had five world events till date with Sri Lanka being the only team to make it to the finale in 2012. This shows that cricket is a pressure game, which can even break the strongest of the personalities. We won’t see either Australia or New Zealand as the world champ if this trend continues in the upcoming event. However, records and trends are made to be change in the future and who knows 2015 could once again be a new trend setter.

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Bowling variations: A lost cause

Bowling variations: A lost cause

Bowlers are treated like Aliens as far as rules and regulations in cricket are concerned. The playing field has been molded in favor of the batters in such a way that bowlers are being taken for plenty. Apart from this, the common notion with the bowlers is try to use as many variations as they can to limit the flow of runs. However, this is wrong. I still remembered one of the matches in the last edition of the T20 World Cup, which was held in Bangladesh. Australia was up against the formidable West Indies side with latter needing 12 runs of the last over. 

The Caribbean captain Darren Sammy had the task of seeing his side through against James Faulkner. The Aussie bowler was exceptional in his previous three overs and a lot was expected out of him. He bowled the first ball full on leg stump and Sammy was surprised by it. The second one was a Yorker, which again resulted in a dot ball. However, the idea of trying too many variations proved fatal for the bowler. Sammy was able to launch the next ball, which was a full toss, into the stands. Faulkner once again went for something different and bowled too full which was once again carved for a six.  He conceded no runs on the first two balls but things turned bad when Faulkner tried to vary things. This is just one of the examples where an idea of variations backfired in a big way. With the evolution in the game, variations have become a fashion for the bowlers. It has become mandatory for a bowler to atleast try four different deliveries every over. 

The slower ones, leg cutters, slow Yorkers and few more have become the need of the hour for the bowlers. However, the example which I quoted above is enough to show that using numerous variations in bowling is not a great idea these days. The modern day batsmen have mastered the art of handling variations and they know what would be bowled to them on the next one. It’s time for the bowlers especially pacers to rethink on their strategy when it comes to variations. The different type of deliveries came into existence to surprise the batsman in the shorter formats of the game but extensive use has defused their effectiveness. 

The surprise element that came from variations is now non-existence for the batters. Spinners have the tendency to bowl the same ball even if they have been hit for a four or a six on the previous one. This surprises the batsman who is expecting some kind of a different treatment from a bowler. Karan Sharma, Akshar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal are young and new to the game but bowled well in the last season of the cash rich league.  They were among the wicket takers on consistent basis and foxed the batsman with their smart bowling. Let me make one thing very clear over here that I am not against variations in the shorter formats of the game but as a bowler one should have the knowledge of using them at a proper or required time. Moreover, a bowler should develop supreme control over one or two variations first before unleashing them at the batsman. It is next to impossible to bowl different balls one after the other with perfection. 

The best thing is to focus on one or two balls and getting them right in the course of a game. The role of a bowling coach has become preciously important for the bowlers in modern times. Life has become hard for the seam bowlers in international cricket so bowling according to a planned way is the mantra of success.

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Keep cricket away from Olympics

Keep cricket away from Olympics

I have read and heard a lot about the importance of Olympics in a sportsman life. According to many, winning a medal in this extravaganza is the ultimate glory. Taking a clue from this thought, cricketers and fans have also started demanding the inclusion of their beloved game in the Olympics. Adam Gilchrist, the former Australian wicketkeeper, was pretty vocal in his demand in 2009.  Apart from him, Steve Waugh, Kumar Sangakkara, Sourav Ganguly and Stephen Fleming have also spoken in support of the inclusion. However, if we look deeply, an Olympic medal is not the best prize as far as cricket is concerned.

How important is Olympic?

Olympic Games could be the best thing in an athlete’s life but when it comes to a cricketer, there is nothing as important as World Cups (ODI & T20), Champions Trophy, Ashes and other important series. The reward of winning any of these is far greater than the Olympics. It is not a wise thing to put a cricketer and an athlete on similar ground.  The ultimate height of athletic glory lies in the number of Olympic gold medals he/ she has won in his/her career but the success in cricket is measured in terms of trophies one has won over the years.

Globalization could prove disastrous

The cricket fraternity wants globalization of cricket in order to keep it moving. According to such people, the participation in Olympics could lead cricket to all parts of the world as this event is the biggest sporting extravaganza on our planet. But let’s be true to ourselves. The gentlemen’s game is played among very few countries with the sub-continent being its main revenue generated point.  Apart from all the administrative requirements, this sport requires high level of investment and efficiency to prepare stadiums and pitches. This could prove burden for the host nations of future Olympics as they hardly know anything about cricket.  Moreover, the inclusion could prove disastrous as the fans of prominent countries won’t invest their time and money to catch the glimpse of a sport, which is like an alien for them, meaning huge financial loss for the host countries.

Jam-packed Calendar

Cricket is played for 365 days these days with one of the big country involved against the other. Test Cricket, ODI format and themadness of T20 and its leagues have put a lot of strain on the bodies of international cricketers. Further, including cricket in the Olympics would mean more hectic schedule. This would increase the injury rate among the cricketers and also extend the boredom to regular viewers who are already tired of too much cricket and its overdose.

Revenue and participation issue

The entry of cricket in Olympics would lead to political tension among the countries. England, Ireland, Scotland play as different nations in cricket but when it comes to Olympics they are unified under one umbrella. However, the case is different in case of Caribbean Islands. Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Antigua are known as West Indies in cricket but act as different nations in Olympics, meaning an occurrence of never ending problem. I don’t think the above mentioned countries would like to change their current position just for the sake of one event. If cricket is made to see the day light in Olympics, the governing body of the game will have to shift T20 World Cup to a four-year cycle from the present biennial one. This would incur huge financial loss in revenue as T20 World Cup is one of the most profitable assignments for ICC

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T20: The cruelest format of the game

T20: The cruelest format of the game

Which are the cruelest sport formats in the world? The readers will label my question as illogical and out of context. How can sport formats be cruel? They are played with passion and their aim is to unite everyone. However, I beg to differ. According to me, cricket has given birth to the cruelest format. The battle of bat and ball was termed as gentlemen’s game but the situation has changed over the last few years. The availability of less time and the demand of more action has invented T20, the action packed drama of cricket. It is the format that doesn’t give too many chances to recover. The superstars are turned into a villain and are buried.

The pressure levels have reached new heights and bottom lines have become more and more important. Yuvraj Singh is the prime example of this so called cruelty. The last match which he played for TeamIndia was the T20 World Cup final against Sri Lanka. One of the greatest limited over specialists Yuvraj Singh was taken to task for not scoring on each and every ball he faced. With every dot ball he played in his 21-ball 11, with every shot he missed, the voices grew against him. Virat Kohli, the only performer from the Indian side in that particular match, was frustrated while the dug-out was looking clueless. This was not the worst inning cricket has witnessed in this format but was declared as the one by most of the fans and few cricket experts. 

The slam bang version has no space to stage a comeback unlike the other formats. It is easy to identify and isolate the player as Villain in T20s.  Yuvraj Singh’s house was pelted with stones from some idiotic fans but we all knew inside our hearts that he could have done better. However, it was not a lack of effort from the left-hand maestro. Stones have previously been hurled at the Indian cricketers’ houses in the past but they were directed towards the poor performance of the team and not the individual. T20 has brought the concept of the weakest link because it is in the grasp of an individual to influence the result of a particular game. 

The rule book says a player has got every right to back himself and this was the same thing which Yuvraj Singh was trying to do in his last international game but it eventually turned against him and proved to be a deciding factor in the end. Yuvraj Singh was dumped by the selectors after that match and has failed to stage his comeback. The explosive version of cricket has exploded on the cricketing career of Yuvi and there are chances of him missing the bus for the 2015 World Cup, which will be played in Australia and New Zealand. Miracles have happened with him in the past and he certainly needs one more if wants to see himself in the Indian jersey.

The performance of one player is enough to bring the whole team down without being awful in the shortest format of the game. It is not right to demand low margins of error and high level of performance from a player whenever he goes on the field. But it is in the nature of T20, which has no room for an error. It is kind of a beast, which won’t let you relax during the course of proceedings.

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The revolutionaries of modern-day cricket

The revolutionaries of modern-day cricket

Cricket is changing since the day of its inception and that is why it continues to grow in terms of participation. The new shots are being invented while the bowlers are trying their best to fox the batsmen with their new deliveries. The credit should be given to certain players, who played an important and vital role in leading this game to new levels by revolutionizing the game. Let’s take a look at five players, who changed the whole concept of cricket.

Martin Crowe

The former New Zealand captain, who is fighting hard to save himself from cancer, is the godfather of the tactics which are being implemented on a regular basis these days. He was at his best during the 1992 edition of the cricket World Cup. He instructed Mark Greatbatch to bat aggressively during the field restrictions in order to score heavily, a tactic which paid rich dividends. The same strategy was adopted by SanathJayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana in the 1996 cricket World Cup, which brought Sri Lanka their only success in this version of the game. The theory is still in continuation and Crowe deserve all the credit for changing world cricket. Apart from this, he also used Dipak Patel, the Kiwi off-spinner, in the starting overs of the innings during the World Cup. The move paid off as batsmen couldn’t hit him during the powerplay overs. This has become a common phenomena, wherein spinner are seen bowling at the start of a match.

   

Saqlain Mushtaq

Pakistani great Saqlain Mushtaq should be applauded for making Doosra a wicket taking delivery even in front of the best in the business.  He mastered the delivery to perfection and added lot of wickets in his bowling column because of this over the years. Taking a leaf out of his success book, the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Saeed Ajmal, Sunil Narine and Ajantha Mendis have developed their own mystery balls, which has played an important role in their success as bowlers.

Virender Sehwag

Test cricket was considered dull and boring where openers had a job of building the innings cautiously. However, the arrival of Virender Sehwag changed the whole concept. He started his Test career in the middle order but was soon shifted to openers slot after proving his credentials as an aggressive batsman. The Nawab of Najafgarh took the attack to the opposition wherein the rivals have no answer to his brutality in the longest version of the game. The best part was his habit of scoring at a brisk pace even at the score of 99, 294 or 199.

Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram famously used reverse-swing in the 1992 World Cup final against Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis of England to clean-bowl them off consecutive deliveries, which led Pakistan to a famous World Cup win. He along with his bowling partner Waqar Younis won many famous games for their side on account of effective reverse bowling. This philosophy is used by modern day bowlers, who are using reverse swing at the death overs in order to prevent batsmen from scoring at a brisk pace.

Jonty Rhodes

Fielding has always been an integral part of cricket and we have seen exceptional fielders in the rich history of the game. However, Jonty Rhodes stands above all when it comes to fielding style. The South African batsman was famous for his brilliant fielding, exceptional catching and unbelievable run-outs. He made all the headlines after the spectacular run-out of Inzamam-ul-Haq with a full-length dive at the 1992 World Cup. The art of fielding became fashionable because of Rhodes and teams started investing heavily in this department. 

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Are shorter formats killing Test cricket in India?

Are shorter formats killing Test cricket in India?

Ask any Indian cricketer about their favorite format of the game and their answer will revolve around Test cricket. Almost all the cricketers from this country have expressed their desire of playing Test cricket. Is this true? I don't think so. The only possible reason behind their self made love for a five day game could be because of financial gains. A player who is picked in the playing XI of a Test match is paid Rs. 7 lakh per match by the BCCI.

The Indian Test cricketers of the present squad have failed over again and again in front of the big rivals. They are unable to handle the pressure inserted by opposite numbers and their away form has been pathetic. However, they are roaring in the shorter formats of the game. Men in Blue were the runners-up in the last edition of the T20 World Cup while they defeated England in the ODI series in European country's own backyard. When it comes to less consuming formats, Team India is always dangerous. It is a known fact that teams like England, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa have got fine players in their Test teams but the way our players have crumbled in front of them is simply shocking. Rarely, in the history of the game, we have seen such clueless  performances.

The Indian contingent was considered unbeatable at home but England got better of them in a Test series played in 2012. According to many, the current set of Indian cricketers are spoilt by the fame and money they earn as cricketers. The batsmen in India have not put a high price on their wickets while the bowlers lacks penetration in Test cricket. Even the fielders are unaware about the basics or they are not looking to put their bodies on the line in order to register famous wins. The slips are poorly stationed and therefore it results in dropping of simple catches. The cricketers coming out from this developing country has formed a good opinion for the shorter formats where skills and level of concentration are different from Tests.

ODIs and T20 matches are much simpler as players have to go through routine formula but Test cricketer requires new ideas every now and then. MS Dhoni, the Indian captain, is a good tactician in the short-games because he knows what is required out of players in these versions of the game. He can mold the batting order and bowlers according to the need of a particular.

The master tactician has failed to innovate in Test cricket which is why he has become one of the worst skippers in the history of the game. He does amazing things but that is only limited to his favorable formats. The likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara  and Virat Kohli are good batters but have not produced much needed results in a five day game. The habit of poking unnecessarily at the moving balls or playing away from the body has come into them from the ODIs and T20s where there is pressure of scoring a brisk pace. They like short ways of proving their talent in front of the whole world and the cash rich league has certainly given them that opportunity.

The Indian bowlers are used to bowl short spells in the short formats where their physical strength is only tested for a few hours. The case is completely reverse in Tests as bowlers are made to bowl long spells. The five match series was enough to sucked out energy from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who lost his line and length after three matches. The same could be said about Ishant Sharma. He was one of the main reasons behind India's fantastic triumph at Lords but only one long spell forced him to miss out from the remaining matches.

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Cricketers who could become commentators

Cricketers who could become commentators

Live every professional; cricketers do have a retirement age from the game. However, the ambassadors of the gentlemen's game have developed a tendency of coming back to the sport they love the most. After calling off their playing days, the cricketers are taking up coaching jobs at various levels and some has even opened their own cricket academies. However, the most novel way is to get back as a commentator.  The former cricketers have done a wonderful job in the commentary box. This article is about the current players who could become top commentators once they retire from cricket.

Dwayne Bravo

The West Indian players are god gifted when it comes to heavy voices. 

Ian Bishop and Michael Holding are the two leading commentators from the Caribbean Island at the moment. I believe Dwayne Bravo, the current ODI captain from this part of the world, could become one of the best in commentary. Apart from good knowledge of the game, he has impressive voice which is pleasing to ears. The flamboyance in his personality is an added advantage, which is enough to make even the dullest of the environment cheerful and interesting. 

AB de Villiers

I know his voice quality is not that great but he can cover that up with his edginess and shrewd brain power. Moreover, he is famous for using his brain rather than heart which is must to be successful in this field. The best thing about AB is that he likes to be free in whatever he does and if he takes up commentary as his next profession, the world would see his other side of the personality.

Kumar Sangakkara

The former Sri Lankan captain has got great command over English while he possesses a great voice. He has been quite vocal in his career so far and has not backed away from mincing his words about some injustice done to him and his fellow players by the Sri Lankan cricket authorities. These are the qualities which sets one apart from the others. The left hand batsman is a media favorite and his availability in the commentary box  could prove beneficial for his employees. 

MS Dhoni

The Indian captain has improved his communication skills over the years and doesn't hesitate from keeping his point of view in front of the world. MS Dhoni still needs to work on his pronunciation but that’s ok if he is willing to learn in this field. Dhoni will have to avoid any lucrative offer from the BCCI as the Indian board has a tendency of restricting commentator’s free thinking. 

Kevin Pietersen

He was liked by the audience in his brief stint as a commentator. The controversial English batsman was hired by one of the leading sports channels during the 2012 edition of the T20 World Cup, which was played in Sri Lanka. He was spot on in his views while his voice was soothing. Kevin Pietersen also showed his funny side by copying the moves of popular song Gangnam Style. This is the right way to go about in the field of commentators as this keeps everyone energetic and avoids the box from getting monotonous.

Michael Clarke

There is no problem in his diction and voice which would certainly lead him to success in the world of commentators much like his cricketing career. Expressive and focused, he is an ideal candidate for the position of a commentator and could achieve new heights like Ian Chappell once he retires from the game.

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Rohit Sharma: A record breaking cricketer

Rohit Sharma: A record breaking cricketer  

Rohit Sharma, the right hand batsman, has been labeled as the special once since he burst on the scene. Sachin Tendulkar has stated that Rohit is the one who has every chance of breaking his records. However, the cricketer himself was not sure about his abilities. He couldn’t convert the starts while his batting was touch slow considering the demands of the shorter formats. However, this guy has improved a lot in last one year. Despite some odd failures outside the sub-continent, he has formed well in the ODIs and T20 internationals. His latest world record inning at Kolkata is enough to prove that he is tailor made for success. He recorded several world records during his marathon knock at the Eden Gardens 

 

Highest individual score 

The opening batsman of the Indian team bettered Virender Sehwag’s score of 219 runs by scoring a fluent 264 runs against the helpless Sri Lankan attack. The Nawab of Najafgarh went on rampage against West Indies in 2011, achieving world record in the process. However, Rohit was destined to succeed him and boy he did it in style. According to him, he was not aware about the world record but when he saw his team mates standing and applauding, he realized about his feat.

Two double tons 

Sachin Tendulkar was the first one to score a double ton in the ODIs. His unbeaten 200 runs against South Africa in 2010 was the first instance when this milestone was touched in one day internationals. His look alike Sehwag booked his place in the history books when he scored 219 runs. These two legends were joined by Rohit Sharma who accumulated 209 runs against Australia in 2013. But he was not finished with this. The lad from Mumbai became the only player in the history of the game to score two double tons when he crafted his way to magnificent 264 runs.

Most fours in an innings 

Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag had hit 25 fours in their respective double tons. This record was too broken by Rohit Sharma who added 33 fours to his name during his exceptional double ton. His drives, pulls and cuts were simply pleasing to eyes as he marched his way to new heights.
Most boundaries in an inning  
Rohit Sharma hit 33 fours and 9 sixes which sums upto 42 and is the new world record when it comes to total number of boundaries in an innings by a batsman. Virender Sehwag had hit 32 (25 fours and 7 sixes) boundaries during his double ton against the Caribbean magic.  

Most runs in boundaries 

Rohit scored 186 runs in boundaries which is also a new world record.

Most balls faced 

Rohit Sharma also broke the record of facing the most number of deliveries in an innings in the fifty over format. The Indianbatsman faced 173 balls in his knock bettering the previous record of Canada’s Glenn Turner who faced 201 balls at the time when ODIs were of 60 overs.

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