Beyond the Blues
Domestic players' IPL earnings take a hit
Despite the franchises having more money for distribution, the players might end up earning a lot less than what they did in the first three seasons, especially the first-class cricketers
Aakash Chopra
25-Feb-2013
The fourth edition of the IPL is expected to be "fatter", with a larger purse for every team to buy players, and "bigger", with the introduction of two new teams and 14 more matches. Ironically, though, despite the franchises having more money for distribution, the players might end up earning a lot less than what they did in the first three seasons, especially the first-class cricketers.
For the first time, a salary cap has been introduced for the uncapped players (first-class and under-19 cricketers who haven't played for India yet). Now their IPL salary will be decided by their seniority in the domestic circuit and not by their performance. There were quite a few domestic players, especially the ones who came back to the BCCI fold from the ICL, who were raking in twice or even thrice as much as the new salary cap.
These guys came in with a big reputation of being T20 specialists and hence demanded, and also got, mega bucks. Even the domestic cricketers who performed consistently in the IPL got a considerable hike after every season, which was again at least double the amount of what they stand to earn now. And no wonder that, until the new rules came out, they were negotiating a similar deal for the fourth season.
Full postHow do Pakistan produce so many fast bowlers?
Watching young Mohammad Amir make Ricky Ponting dance to his tunes was both a sight and a statement
Aakash Chopra
25-Feb-2013
Watching young Mohammad Amir make Ricky Ponting dance to his tunes was both a sight and a statement. Despite the turmoil in Pakistan cricket, the crop of quality fast bowlers has rarely, or never, seen a downswing. Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar -- the lineage is potent and the character entrenched in their cricket.
Pace bowling continues to absorb Pakistan like nothing else. So what is it about Pakistan that ensures their supply line is never dry? After all, fast bowling is one of the most gruelling aspects of the game.
It ought to do something, or a lot, with their genetics. They come across as a tough race with an aggressive streak, which is an indispensable factor to bowl quick. They are born fighters and that streak ensures that they keep coming back at you. If cricket is just the expression of your true self, fast bowling exposes that vein better than anything else.
Full postWho should bat at No. 7 for India?
"Who should be playing at No.7 for India?" That question qualifies to be the single-most popular point of debate looming large on everyone's mind
Aakash Chopra
25-Feb-2013
"Who should be playing at No.7 for India?" The question qualifies to be the single-most popular point of debate looming large on everyone's mind. Cricket pundits, media, blogosphere and discussion forums are thinking aloud while the selectors are keeping a close eye on the contenders. Of course, one doesn't need rocket science to decode the answer. The player at No. 7 has to be an "allrounder" for it's too low for a pure batsman and too high for a bowler to bat. So who is an allrounder? No, he isn't a jack of all trades and master of none. Kallis, who could walk into any team purely as a batsman, and yet deliver with the ball, or Flintoff, who could be the spearhead of any bowling attack, and yet be able to flash his bat, are the ones who win the title hands down.
Let's go over the probables to see who fits the bill best. There has been a lot of debate to bring Irfan Pathan back into the mix. This debate has potential; the guy has shown enough talent and temperament to become a genuine allrounder. With his batting abilities, he could be your ideal No. 7 for he has both the sense to farm the strike and the guts to use the long handle to good effect.
Unfortunately, though, his bowling has put him off the radar. He seems to have lost a bit of pace and swing lately which means that he must bowl with the new ball and stay away from the death overs. But don't we already have Praveen Kumar with the same job profile?
Full postWhy Sehwag isn't so hot in ODIs
Virender Sehwag scores consistently at a rapid pace in Test cricket but hasn't had the same success in ODIs perhaps because he feels the need to accelerate all the time
Aakash Chopra
25-Feb-2013
Sample this: Lasith Malinga bowls a barrage of well-directed bouncers, Virender Sehwag looks right through and refuses to bite. He either ducks or simply moves away from the line almost every single time. Malinga keeps him quiet for a few deliveries but Viru persists and rejects the temptation to go for the kill, instead waits patiently for the ball to pitch in his area of dominance. And just when the moment arrives, he abandons restrain and flings the ball in style. He does so not because he has played a few dot balls but because the ball ought to be hit and he obliges. That's Virender Sehwag for you in Test cricket.
Change the colour of the ball from red to white, the clothing from white to blue, and Sehwag would not only bite but might also succumb in the process. Viru boasts of scoring a mammoth 7000 runs in both Test and ODI cricket, yet his lack of consistency in the shorter format continues to be a bane. Ironically, though, his batting seems to be tailor-made for the slam-bang shorter format. So, what's the logic behind such patchy performances in ODIs?
Lets first make sense of what makes Viru tick in the longer format, because it is the exact opposite of this that somewhat explains his instability in the shorter formats. Sehwag's game is built around hitting boundaries for he's definitely not one who'd happily rotate strike for a few overs without finding the fence. Regardless of however defensive the fielding captain is, it's imperative to start with attacking field positions which means all bad balls and good shots reach the fence. Contrary to the popular belief that Sehwag follows the simple formula of seeing-and-hitting, in Test cricket, he not only has a specific plan but also the discipline to follow it to the T.
Full postDefensive captaincy a disappointment
With the exception of the drab draw at SSC, the recently concluded Test series did produce some high-quality cricket
Aakash Chopra
25-Feb-2013
With the exception of the drab draw at SSC, the recently concluded Test series did produce some high-quality cricket: Murali weaving his magic at Galle, Malinga constantly making the ball talk, Sehwag taking the attack to the opposition, Sachin's resilience and Laxman's gritty match-winning innings, to name a few. While these exhibitions would keep the critics at bay for a while, another aspect of the game, hitherto of no great concern, has sprung up to be a potential alarm for both sides. It was the quality of leadership, or the lack of it, from both Dhoni and Sanga, which left a lot to be desired.
Let's go backwards. While it was an exceptional knock from Laxman, which sealed the day for the Indians, Sanga's tactics were baffling to say the least. He started the day with four men on the fence even when Ishant was on strike. Then he made the culpable error of having both long-on and long-off on the fence for Laxman, early on in his innings, knowing rather well that Laxman rarely takes the aerial route. Laxman obliged by rotating strike with ease to find his groove. And then how could you explain not having a slip for Mendis when only wickets could win you the match? These were only a few of the many such glaring errors he made throughout the series.
If Sangakkara bungled up, Dhoni too was in the wrong for being too defensive. Yes, he was impaired in the bowling department but that's exactly when you need to take the initiative. For a good captain can make an ordinary line-up efficient. Instead of taking the gamble of playing one extra bowler, he took the safer option. Then we repeatedly saw field placements for bad balls. Or else, how could you explain a deep point in the first over of the Test match? How could you explain not having a single slip in place when the Sri Lankans needed only a handful of runs to win the first Test match? And so on.
Full postPaucity of spinners is hurting India
It might not be obvious, but what is hurting India right now and would in a bigger way is the paucity of good spinners
Aakash Chopra
25-Feb-2013
MS Dhoni has hoped for a bigger pool of fast bowlers to choose from. Most captains, selectors and critics have craved for the same for a long time in order to improve India's performances overseas. They believed, and rightly so, that one of the main reasons for India's dismal showing abroad was the paucity of good quick bowlers, for our spinners weren't half as effective on seamer-friendly surfaces. Ergo anyone who could bowl quick was fast-tracked to first-class level and eventually to international cricket - Ishant Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Sudeep Tyagi to name a few. Jaydev Unadkat and Jaskaran Singh are the new names in that ever growing list.
In due course of time, we got so obsessed with the fast bowlers that we completely ignored the spinners. We believed that our legacy of great spinners would ensure the regular supply of quality spinners in dozens. We even asked our curators to prepare sporting tracks (which means green-tops) at the first-class level to encourage the quick men. On such surfaces, the role of spinners changed radically from being aggressive to defensive. They were no longer expected to take wickets regularly, but were asked to hold one end up till the seamers get a breather and are raring to go again.
In spite of such obvious attempts, some might argue that we still don't have the expected pool of fast bowlers. It isn't because of a dearth of fast bowlers but a bungled logic that believes in fast-tracking and not nurturing, the two being diametrically opposite.
Full postIndia should strengthen bowling on batting tracks
Stats do the talking: Sri Lanka post a colossal 520 for 8 after being reduced to 393 for 7
Aakash Chopra
25-Feb-2013
Stats do the talking: Sri Lanka post a colossal 520 for 8 after being reduced to 393 for 7. India, on the other hand, lose the last five wickets for a paltry 26 runs in the first innings. Once again, five middle-order wickets pack up in 36 runs in the second innings -appalling figures that sum up the Indian tragedy in Galle.
Was it the Indian batting that failed twice in Galle or the bowling that allowed the Sri Lankans to post a mammoth total or, perhaps both? What exactly was the reason behind India's dismal show in the first Test? While armchair criticism is rampant at this time, a bit of introspection, not misplaced criticism, would do us a world of good.
In my view, we started the first Test match on the wrong foot. The team's endeavour, especially the No.1 team in the world, should be to win the match regardless of the toss and the conditions. Since you need 20 wickets to win a Test match, it's imperative to tighten up the bowling unit before the start. While picking the playing XI, one must take into account the track (which would always be batsman friendly in the sub-continent) and the possibility of losing the toss (which means bowling first).
Full postGive the UDRS a chance
I don't know of a batsman worth his salt who likes to be given out when he is not and the same goes for the bowlers with regard to their dismissals
Aakash Chopra
25-Feb-2013
The ball hits the edge of the bat before crashing into the pads. The fielding team appeals vociferously and the umpire adjudges the batsman out. Haven't we seen such inaccurate judgments being pronounced time and again?
They are far from being an aberration, and the argument is that the umpires are humans and can err too. Point taken. But what happens next depends on that single decision the captains would have taken ahead of the series. For example, if you happen to be involved in a series where the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) is not being used, you must make your way back to the pavilion without even breaking into a frown. For a frown or a shake of the head might be considered 'showing dissent' and could attract a summons from the match referee or even a fine.
But if the UDRS was in use, you could make the T sign and the matter would be referred to the third umpire, if your team hasn't already exhausted two unsuccessful challenges. India and Sri Lanka were the first two teams to experiment with the UDRS two years ago. Since then, both teams have taken radically different approaches. While Kumar Sangakkara believes the UDRS should be mandatory, MS Dhoni believes that there's no point in using it until it's foolproof.
Full postTweak Test rules to suit weaker teams
How to keep the apparently outdated Test cricket in vogue is the big question everyone seems to be asking
Aakash Chopra
25-Feb-2013
How to keep the apparently outdated Test cricket in vogue is the big question everyone seems to be asking. While debates and discussions are gaining momentum, MCC has gone ahead and renovated the format for others to either follow suit or mull over. The only format to be played exclusively at day time might now be played under lights and with a pink ball. Obviously, the intent to save the oldest format of the sport is pretty evident.
But what is it that has led to taking such drastic steps to revamp the most classic format? Well, the first problem is the empty stadia and dropping TRPs and second is the lack of interest shown by the youngsters in the longest format.
The first proposal is to make it a day-night affair to cater to the prime-time television. Apparently it isn't only the viewers in the stadium who are missing but also the people who watch the action on telly that are giving it a miss. While cricket at prime-time might increase viewership, it won't be a bad idea to get to the root cause of dwindling interest. In my humble opinion people are staying away from Test cricket for a variety of reasons. First could be the meaningless matches (say Bangladesh v India). Regardless of the build-up, it would take some serious love for the game to watch the batsmen piling up runs against hapless bowling.
Full postThe importance of a good coach
What is the easiest way of dealing with an out-of-form player?
Aakash Chopra
25-Feb-2013
What is the easiest way of dealing with an out-of-form player? Drop him, send him back to play domestic cricket and wait for him to make amends before drafting him in again. Quite easy. Now, what would be the most difficult way of dealing with the same struggling cricketer? It would be to get to the root cause of the problem, help him rectify it and all this while putting an arm around his shoulder to boost his morale. Because technical glitches won't take too long to be rectified but shattered confidence might just take an eternity to be restored.
You really don't need a qualified person to find faults. It's ridiculously easy to say that X player is a suspect on short-pitched deliveries and Y player can't swing the ball any more. But it takes not only a qualified professional but also a really patient and understanding man to rectify these mistakes.
Poor form is seldom the spin-off of one thing or one aspect of the game going wrong. The starting point of the downfall may well be negligible but you get to know its effect only when it snowballs into a much bigger and easily identifiable problem i.e. poor show on the field. For example Sreesanth's poor bowling form often starts with his non-bowling arm coming down a tad early which eventually leads to his straying in line. The same can be said about Ishant, only that his wrist is often the culprit.
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