The beautiful game is here...

Hello people,

Well, the wait is almost over and the the ‘real’ World Cup is here. 32 nations will compete for the Jules Rimet trophy, better known as the foot ball world cup! I had written earlier that my cable operator was in a deep slumber. Guess what! He is awake and has I guess paid a stop gap measure fee to avail the services from ESPN-STAR!

I am happy and so will be a lot of others for to be able to watch the stars battle it out. That is a bit of a positive I am desperately looking for, in this dull and persistent monsoon rain. The rains this time are on time and are qualitatively normal. That’s good for the farmers around. But I am sure they will find some other reason for their laziness and then ask for the compensation for poor yield. I am talking like a frustrated economist!

Let me come back to cricket now. The tri-series I guess is still not finished and there is a small matter of a final between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Even though I have lost interest, whatever little I had, after India lost out, the Zimbabweans are really excited, apparently! They are into a multi-nation tournament final after 7 years and some of them are demanding a half day holiday from work as they got when Brazil played Zimbabwe recently.

There was also Bangladesh playing in England and the matter was by how much. The victory margin for England that is. Tamim Iqbal shone and Shakib had some good moments in yet another disappointment for the Bangladeshis. ICC, in my opinion should really be reconsidering the decision to continue with Bangladesh in tests, at least in the mainstream. They should somehow get the 2-tier structure in place so that some of the lesser nations can be accommodated as well. Instead they are simply trying to mock football and convert cricket to football which is insane and could be disastrous.

Back to the beautiful game to end. My pick is, as always, Brazil!  Dark horses are Argentina and Holland. Spain is also strong and are expected to be in the final.

Rain Rain go away… come again another day!

Later and Thanks!

The Asia Cup...

Hello people,

Asia Cup starts on June 15th. What was the necessity of playing the tri nation in Zimbabwe. It could easily have been an A team competition.
This is where Football gets the better of cricket. They don't organize unnecessary matches like these. An Asia cup after a good gap of a month after the T20 rubbish would have just refreshed the spectators who are already cooked after  a long IPL and another boring T20 world cup, which probably no one noticed!
Cricket administration needs to look into this matter very carefully and intently instead of going after stupid ideas like night tests and pink balls! The reduction in number of games can easily get the public back into the stadiums. The numbers are dwindling outside the subcontinent and even the sub continent wont bear this unbearable diet. People have already started to get sick of insignificant cricket and that includes hardcore fans too, like me and many of my friends. Its getting impossible to keep track of what is happening and why! You see players playing for 3-4 teams and playing all kinds of formats!
I don't think any one will be able to comprehend or explain, what for, the ongoing tri nations is being held. No one knows if its an annual event, or even a periodic event. Thank God, the ODIs between India and Australia are reduced an instead 2 tests are being played. But is that the Border-Gavaskar trophy? If yes, then what about the 4 tests played a year ago? Any ways the 7 match ODI series getting scrapped is a good initiative.  But who knows, it could be the new policy of cutting down ODIs and increasing T20s.
Recently I came about to read about Sri Lanka not playing a test in South Africa, since 2002! That is almost a generation not playing cricket in SA! Sri Lanka has been as high as number 3 in tests rankings. But how can they be if they have played no matches in South Africa?
2011 in India: 2011 Cricket World CupThe ICC is looking to get its schedule right, after the WC 2011. I am hoping for some sanity instead of gimmicks like pink balls and super subs!

Thanks!

Long Wait...

Hello people,

Its been a while since I have been to my[this] blog. I was just not motivated to write and its 'Monsoon' and that is why it was not active. Even now, I am feeling a bit dull and not really in a mood to write. In fact I find noting important or significant to write about. Well, it may be just that I am a bad writer!
The football world cup is due in 2-3 days and the sad part is my cable operator doesn’t think it is very important. They have not paid their dues to ESPN-STAR who is the broadcaster at my place and ES decided to block the supply. The subscribers like me are suffering. Internet might be a good option, but then the clarity is what I am concerned about.
I just dragged myself up to here and don't feel like writing more. The IPL ‘saga’[if I may call it] is carrying on with the muck being thrown on each other like its “HOLI”!
My interest in cricket is dying down because of these frauds and insignificant matches! I mean, right after a “world cup” [which is ‘not’ in any sense of  imagination] India, Sri Lanka go directly to Zimbabwe to play YET another ODI tournament! Just a week after the T20 thing which also started just a week after the IPL!
I am just looking for some positive vibes, as outside its the ‘monsoon’ which is getting stronger and all around its dark and dull!
Later then……

Thanks!