Author: Bobji

Boycott and cancer treatment

Posted on by Bobji

Boycott was lucky in the sense that because of his popularity, there were a lot of people who came forward for his help. He was restless throughout the period. Chemotherapy makes the body extremely weak. It completely neutralises the immune system which will take more than 2 years to be fully restored. The body is open to any infection. Chris Woollams suggested to GB to apply Vaseline on the nostrils because the hair in the nose is the first line of defense against any airborne disease. It must be moist and sticky for any germs to be caught. Chris Woollams had given Boycott a list of herbal supplements to help his body recover to flush out all the dead cancer cells that would be floating because of chemotherapy. This blog is about Boycott and cancer treatment.

The procedure

For the next 7 weeks, Boycott and Rachael were stuck with the trip to Cookridge and home. Boycott used to leave the house at 7 AM because the session was at 9 AM. Later, this was changed to 12 PM. The nurse also told him not to miss any session because that would mean for the doctors to recalibrate everything. Before the session, Boycott had to wear a plastic mask and lay still on the table. The mask will be marked by Catherine for the laser to send its rays. It is essential for the patient to stay still because even with a slight movement, Boycott would have been paralysed from the neck down. During the early days of the treatment, Boycott drove himself to the treatment but later on, he started to feel the effects. His mouth dried, his body became weak and overall, he was damn tired.

On 14 November, Dr. Catherine scheduled an appointment with a nutritionist who explained that a tube needed to be fitted to feed Boycott when the pain from the burns in the mouth and throat became too much to bear. Remember, Boycott had cancer cells on his shoulder, neck and on the tongue. Eating food became increasingly difficult. Meanwhile, Rachael tried to keep the family together. She decided to keep some humour and laughter in their lives. By week 4, the pain started to increase and the burns on the skin hurt. Boycott developed terrible raw burns and it had to be covered incase of infection. He lost the skin on the collar bones, then, the neck and skin on the left cheek. He was given sponge-like pads to tape the wounds.

The feeding system

Before the radiation, all of that, the tape, was removed and when the cold air hit the burns, the pain was terrible. Every session made the burnt skin worse but he had to continue the treatment. He still travelled to York for vitamin treatments but required Rachael to drive him along. Boycott became so weak that he was barely able to walk. As a result, he spent a lot of time at home watching TV. He began to lose weight alarmingly. His dresses did not fit him and so new ones had to be bought.

Yet, he resisted the tube from being inserted into his mouth to feed him. He began to lose weight alarmingly. It had a direct impact on his intake. Boycott could bluff no more. Eventually, the doctors prevailed and a tube was inserted through his mouth through which food was swallowed. Rachael was shown how to use the tube. She was told that Boycott must never lie flat on the back because if the food gets into the lungs, it could have lethal consequences. 9 December was the last day of radiation.

While at the hospital, Boycott hallucinated all kinds of possibilities. He didn’t know where he was. He felt like being kidnapped by the IRA. Racheal felt something was not correct and asked her brother Mick to bring Boycott back home. He completed his therapy but was told that the radiation would be in the body for 2 more weeks.

Recovery

Chris Woollams wanted Boycott to have acupuncture as soon as laser treatment was over. It will help in getting the immune system up and running. Robin Crowley was the acupuncture specialist. Now, Boycott had two long car trips every week. One to meet Dr. Catherine and the other to meet Dr. Crowley. He did not flinch and was determined. Slowly but surely, Boycott started to improve. The patches throughout the neck and shoulders were gone and the tube was almost removed. ESPN, GB’s employer kept in constant touch.

Throughout the period, ESPN never once shied away from paying Boycott’s salary though he wasn’t working at all. This was a gesture that Boycott will forever be indebted to them. They also passed the letters from the fans in India. His recovery was not in a straight line. It will go up only for it to come crashing down. However, he was recovering but not fast enough.

Marriage

Boycott and his then girlfriend, Rachael decided to get married after he recovers. He invited only family and friends from the closest circle. The registrar too played his part in not divulging the details so that the press will not know. Boycott’s brother, Peter with whom Boycott wasn’t on talking terms, was invited at the last moment. However, his other brother did not attend because he had already booked his holiday. The marriage was a simple affair. The press got to know about it only after 4 days had passed.

Improvement in health and travel

After 16 weeks, the doctor promised to remove the tube which used to feed Boycott during this recovery period.  Semi-solid foods were introduced into his diet. Slowly and surely, Boycott began to regain his normal self. He gained weight albeit slowly. His wife included sugar in every food to help him gain weight. The taste buds were still not healed. This enabled Rachael to sweeten every food that Boycott ate so that he could regain weight rather quickly. Even carrots and potato was sweet. Emma, his daughter knew about it but she was sworn to secrecy by her mother.

The first trip after his treatment was to South Africa. While in SA, Racheal took a picture of Boycott, skinny, that he had in his wardrobe for a long time which motivated him to eat and gain weight quickly. He also had this desire to buy a plot in South Africa because on his first tour of the country, Boycott was bitten by the beauty of the country. He bought a plot near Paarl while on this trip without even seeing the property.

As soon as he was back in England, he met Dr. Catherine who removed his feeding machine. She also told him that there was an 80% chance in most cases for the cancer to reappear and hence, he will need monthly checkups for 5 years. After that, once in 2 months. As he improved, the family began to invite their friends for dinner. Fred Trueman and his wife. Richard and Allison Knaggs and so on. He was also asked to appear on This Is Your Life for Alec Stewart. Boycott has high regard for Stewart. He is of the opinion that Stewart must have been appreciated a lot more during his playing career.

Starting to work

In a few months, he started to write for the Daily Telegraph and was invited to Fred Trueman’s home for the first time. He had never been to Fred’s house before. Following his employment with Daily Telegraphy, the floodgates opened with a lot more interviews. First to Mark Nicholas who had been nagging Boycott for a longtime, then to Jonathan Agnew. He flew to India for promotional work where he addressed a press conference for 3 hours and also flew to Singapore where he was joined by his family. All of this for ESPN who took care of him when he when he was inflicted with cancer. He also started his commentary stint during the full series between India and Australia. He had to fly to Australia for the stint for which he sought Dr. Catherine’s advise. Life was slowly coming back to normal for Geoffrey Boycott.

Chapters 1 & 2

Boycott about cancer struggle

Boycott about cancer treatment

Boycott and the Packer saga

Boycott about his friend Clough

Boycott about sledging

Boycott about 2013 Ashes

Boycott about cancer struggle

Posted on by Bobji

The autobiography chapters 1 & 2 can be read here. This is Boycott about cancer struggle

Growth deducted

On 14 August 2002, Boycott noticed that the left side of his neck was unusually firm. He noticed the same even after a couple of days. He was about to get married to Rachael, his longtime girlfriend when he discovered the firmness but he didn’t inform anyone. To take his mind off, the Indian team visited his house because they had asked him when he was in India. Boycott had also invited some of his friends. Food from a nearby Pakistani restaurant was ordered.

He spoke to the players about cricket which took his mind off the health problem. He told the Indian team how and where to bowl to the English batsmen. India won that game handsomely. When Boycott was accussed of lack of patriotism, he defended himself stating that if England had asked for advise, he would have gladly given. Lots of people had helped Boycott in his career without seeking anything in return and he will do the same to any budding cricketer.

Discovery of the virus

GB met a local doctor and was directed to an ENT to check the lump on the neck. He went to Roundhay Hospital in Leeds. The hospital told him that there was a small node in the neck. Boycott did not reveal this to anyone else apart from his wife Rachel. However, someone at the hospital recognised him and enquired at the hospital who told him that Boycott had throat cancer. Rachel had spent the rest of the day informing friends and relatives that this was merely a test and there maybe nothing in it. Later, he underwent a chest x-ray which came out clear. Two days later, the lump was removed for biopsy. A few days later, the doctor called Boycott to come over to reveal that a cancerous tissue was found in the biopsy.

The next few days, weeks and months Boycott had to struggle with the fear of life or death. Boycott proceeded to cancel the flight tickets to Australia, credit cards, membership and annual subscriptions because he felt he would certainly pass away. Boycott was completely dejected, disappointed and depressed. He spent several days locked in a room crying. He got himself up one day and went to meet Dr. Jamie Woodhead, the local cancer specialist.

Further MRI and CT scans were done and Dr. Brendan Carey told him that he was lucky that the cancer did not spread to his body and that two secondary tumours on the shoulder and one in the neck were found. He was told that if the cancer had spread through the body, the chances of survival were only 5%. Boycott’s spleen was removed when he was a child because of an injury. The spleen stores the antibodies that fight infections. Without the spleen, he must be extra careful.

Support from various quarters

Several well-wishers had sent the couple, a lot of books about how to fight cancer. One such was Chris Woollams who wrote the book Everything You Need To Know On How You Beat Cancer. His daughter was diagnosed with brain cancer and the doctors said they could not do anything about it. The doctors informed Chris that his daughter may not live longer. Chris did not want to accept this and set off all over the world to research a cure for her. Unfortunately, he could not succeed but he has since then founded a charity, Canceractive, and a monthly magazine called Icon.

Chris is of the opinion that many people die because of ignorance and not because of cancer itself. His philosophy is to arm the cancer patient with as much information as possible so that they can make their own choice. Chris’s first point in a 15-point checklist is a cancer buddy. One who can take you to the hospital, listen to the doctor, get up in the morning and lead a normal life because the effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy will be devastating.

Second home comfort. The discomfort a cancer-caring partner goes through is immense. Rachel proved to be a rock by Boycott’s side. Chris also asked Boycott to change the way he ate. He also got help from Darrell, a nutritionist who stayed with them for 3 days and showed Rachael what to cook. Nothing from a plastic container is allowed. Only vegetables, brown rice with tahini but red meat and dairy products were off the table. Milk was replaced with Oat Milk. His cancer schedule was prepared and Woollams prepared supplements that Boycott started taking. Different tablets, before and after chemotherapy. Several of his friends, who themselves were cancer survivors, offered advise and suggestions.

Discards surgery

GB’s surgery would require the surgeon to break his jaw to remove the cancer and stitch the jaw for it to heal. This will take 6 weeks. During that period, he cannot talk. Boycott would have none of it and he decided to ask for a second opinion. He was put in touch with Pat Bradley, an experienced surgeon who said that he would have to check down the throat to see the extent of the cancer. Boycott obliged but to meet Bradley, he had to travel a couple of hours towards Leeds. He met Bradley who told him that he had cancer the size of a 50-pence piece. It was too large and close to his voice box to be able to guarantee speaking. Bradley recommended chemotherapy and radiation treatment because the chances of healing were better.

GB had to decide whether to take the surgery or go the therapy route. Bradley’s report was sent to Catherine Coyle, the cancer specialist. She explained the steps clearly to Boycott and the chemotherapy was started immediately.

The problem with chemotherapy is that it kills all the fast-growing cells but it does not differentiate between the good and the bad cells. It destroyed Boycott’s saliva glands and his taste buds. He was taken to the Mould Room where measurement for a plastic mask was taken which must be worn during radiotherapy. The life of Boycs now revolved around endless appointments. Mask fitting on Tuesday which took 3 hours. Then kidney was checked for any damage caused by chemotherapy and other analyses. The Feng Shui master was invited to tell Rachel and Boycott where to sleep and in which direction etc.  GB started laser treatment on 22 October. It was the first of 35 daily sessions that ran 5 days a week.

Chapters 1 & 2

Boycott about cancer struggle

Boycott about cancer treatment

Boycott and the Packer saga

Boycott about his friend Clough

Boycott about sledging

Boycott about 2013 Ashes

Geoffrey Boycott Autobiography Chapters 1 & 2

Posted on by Bobji

This and a series of blogs will be about Boycott’s autobiography. First, Geoffrey Boycott Autobiography Chapters 1 & 2.

Geoffrey starts with an apology. He apologises to everyone who may have become his adversaries because of his forthrightness. He once walked past his mother without even looking at her because he was thinking about the game the earlier day. People around him, in his early years, told him that he wasn’t good enough to play the game. It hardened him and he had a determination to create a hard outer shell and stay focussed. He has always remained focussed during his playing years. He was able to shut out all the noise and the chirps from the fielders and was able to concentrate on his batting. Fred Perry, the tennis player, had an early influence on Boycott. During a tour of the West Indies, he told Boycott to remain focussed and have a selfish mindset to become successful.

The child Emma

He did not like the concept of marriage and children because he feared that that would put him off on his pursuit. He feared that marriage and children would take his concentration away from his batting and he may never be able to fulfil his desire. However, he had a child with his girlfriend, Racheal. They named the child Emma but both the mother and the daughter lived in a far-off area where the girl child was 8 years old when Boycott finally got to know her. It took a further 3 years for his daughter and Rachel to stay with Boycott.

Boycott also reveals that his girlfriend Rachael played a big part in healing a rift he had with the excellent English fast bowler, Fred Trueman. Boycott’s first experience of watching Fred Trueman was in a game against India who was reduced to 0-4. He was terrifying with the perfect action. Later he played against Fred in the Yorkshire nets where teenagers were invited to play alongside the seniors. Trueman bowled quickly and discovered that Boycott had a good defense but lacked strokeplay.

Fred & Boycott fallout

Fred and Boycott had a fallout because Fred was on the committee that sacked Boycott in 1983 from the Yorkshire team. It split the club when members rose up to overthrow the cricket committee and reinstate Boycott. Until then, GB had played for the club for 20 years and performed well in 1983. He was their top scorer. Yet, he was dropped from the squad. This angered the members of the club who passed 3 resolutions. Sign up Boycott for one more year, a vote of no confidence on the cricket committee and on the general committee. Fred had to resign and in the elections that were held, he lost to an unknown despite his legendary status. This proved to be the last straw and from then on, Fred held Boycott responsible for his embarrassments. From then on, Fred ridiculed Boycott to anyone and everyone he talked to.

In 2000, GB was approached by Sunday People to be their cricket correspondent. He was to replace Fred. He declined because Fred wasn’t aware that GB would replace him and did not want Fred to blame him for losing his job. Things improved when Rachel persuaded GB to write a card to Fred for his 70th Birthday. Fred was moved by this letter and eventually reconciled with GB.

Other disputes

Unlike the reconciliation with Fred, there were others in Yorkshire with whom Boycott could never reconcile. Richard Hutton and Bob Appleyard. They both hated the sight of Boycott. Richard Hutton was the son of the legendary Leonard Hutton. He was good for county cricket but not for England. When it came to becoming the President of Yorkshire, Boycott was chosen ahead of Hutton. In a letter to the Yorkshire chairman, Hutton absolutely lambasted Boycott and gave several reasons for him to not become the President. He also played his card of being the son of a legendary cricketer and that he would help in finding a better President. In response, GB accused him of living off the family name and not doing anything by himself.

Yorkshire captaincy

Boycott’s only ambition during his childhood was to play for Yorkshire and captain the club. He would regret that later in his life because of endless squabbles with the club. He sacrificed 3 years of playing for England in trying to set things inorder at Yorkshire. Boycott started his career at Yorkshire under Brian Close. He studied Close’s way of captaining closely. Yorkshire’s objective is to win the County Championship that they hold so dear. The talk around the Yorkshire dressing room was always about winning. The County games during that period were over 3 days in which 20 wickets must be taken for a side to win.

Limited overs came later but Yorkshire did not take it seriously. Lancashire, their closest rival won several of these ODI tournaments which irked the Yorkshire board and they sacked their captain Close. Boycott who was away in Australia, was made the captain based on a majority vote. Just before Boycott travelled to Australia, Close promised Boycott that he would not resign and that he was looking forward to leading the team. However, the club members still decided to sack Close and appoint Boycott as the captain. In the meanwhile, Boycott had a successful tour of Australia.

Harrowing time at Yorkshire

Boycott undertook an inexperienced squad. The club did not invest in young players and was under the impression that they would be served a steady stream of quality cricketers. Children around Yorkshire were willing to play the game and as a result, the club became complacent. Moreover, the club is tradition-based. They did not allow anyone who was a non-Yorkshire player to play for the club. Around that time, the ECB allowed foreign players in County cricket and as a result, every other team invested in multiple cricketers. This resulted in them becoming an excellent squad.

As captain of the club, Boycott had to run the team on the field and organise everything off the field. Go to the bank, withdraw the match allowance and hand it over to the players before thinking about the game. Nowadays, every team has an array of backroom staff to help the captain. During those days, the captain will be pulled out from the field by the club selection committee to decide the team for the next game. Boycott stood against all of this. He also sought contracts for the players to the members which the members did not take it well. He sought a longer contract for every player so that they could play without worrying about their next pay cheque.

Boycott’s first season as captain was disastrous though his personal form was good. He was blamed for the poor performances of the club. It just did not matter how many runs Boycott scored, the county did not win too many games. Boycott decided to put his England career on hold and concentrate on Yorkshire for 3 years. He was eventually sacked from captaincy which also proved disastrous for the selection committee because the members decided to sack the selection committee itself.

Chapters 1 & 2

Boycott about cancer struggle

Boycott about cancer treatment

Boycott and the Packer saga

Boycott about his friend Clough

Boycott about sledging

Boycott about 2013 Ashes

The Bharath vs Australia series

Posted on by Bobji

Bharath has won both the ODIs so far in a comprehensive fashion. The batsmen were good and the bowlers were brilliant. It all looks like the picture is perfect. This win was achieved despite the absence of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. All of them will walk-in in any ODI team. All that the team needs to do is to turnup at the ODI World Cup and the cup is theirs for the taking. The performance has been decisive. However, is the picture this rosy? Do Bharath have all their bases covered? Was Australia not really interested in the series? The Bharath vs Australia series.

First, some of the good things

Indian batsmen were among the runs. Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj and Rahul batted freely and confidently in both the games. The free flow of shots at Indore is what is expected of the Indian batsmen. This happens from time to time but it is not consistent. Come the World Cup, India will certainly go back to the old formula of keeping wickets till the final overs. The game has changed. The short boundaries, field restrictions and no spite on the pitches have game ODI and T20 cricket completely batsmen friendly.

The bowlers are just there to trundle the ball for the batsmen to belt it over the infield. As such, a minimum score of 325 is the norm. Especially, whenever teams of equal stature play against each other. Hopefully, Indians will realise this atleast now and will start to play a brand of cricket that is akin to how the game is being played now.

The team score in the Indore game was mammoth. Granted, Australia played with their second-string attack but a score of just one run short of 400 is mammoth by any standard. Australia must be worried that their next line of bowlers were unable to contain international sides to manageable proportions.

Return of the older generation

Rohit, Kohli and Pandya will be back for the final ODI and all of them are very much part of the first eleven. Ruturaj is anyway not part of the squad. Ishan Kishan, who has shown admirable capacity to bat and bat well against tough opponents is likely to miss out. With Rahul to keep wickets and Shreyas Iyer slotting into the number 4 spot, Ishan’s chances will be limited. India will miss out on a left-handed option in the middle order. If Pandya and Jadeja can bowl their full quota of 10 overs, Ishan can be brought into the playing eleven. They may bowl but they are unlikely to be economical.

Ashwin the surprise packet

Ashwin has announced himself with a couple of good performances. Axar Patel is still nursing an injury and the chances of him being fit for the World Cup is limited. Ashwin has done well in these games. On a belter of a pitch at Indore, it was Ashwin who skittled Australia’s chase. The 3 wickets made the game a no-contest.

Things are pointing towards a reentry for Ashwin in the World Cup but will India take the risk of going in with 3 spinners and 2 seamers with Pandya to support? Do we want to see Pandya bowling inside the first powerplay? That is a difficult question to answer. I believe that unless the pitch will either be on the slower side or if it will turn, Ashwin at best will be a backup option. Neither can he replace Jadeja because of Jadeja’s superior batting and fielding nor can he replace Kuldeep Yadav because of the latter’s wicket taking ability.

Australia

“We were a fair way off. We’ve lost quite a few in a row now,” said Smith, who was out first ball in just the second over throwing his hands at a wide delivery.

“World Cups are about peaking at the right time, we certainly haven’t done that at this stage. A few things to sort out. We know we are a good side. Both teams are working towards the World Cup but still want to win games.”

This was the 5th straight loss for Australia. 3 against South Africa and 2 now against India. Australia usually turns into a different beast when it comes to the World Cup. Not for nothing have they won 6 World Cups in white-ball cricket and one in red-ball cricket. They are the most consistent side in World Cups. Just like Germany in football. Hence, I do not think that they need to be too worried. A couple of years ago, when no one expected Australia to go all the way, they surprised everyone by winning the T20 World Cup and that too, in Asia. The ruling is that never underestimate Australia because the sheer confidence with which they play in World Cups is something no other team can match.

Wrapping up the Bharath vs Australia series

India has had a good couple of games and it has been a good month. Come World Cup, some defensive mindset usually settles into the mind of the team. They resort to safety first approach which has often proven to be the undoing. Hopefully, this World Cup, it will be different.

Other India vs Australia series can be read here, here, here, here, here and here

The Indian preparation goes off-track

Posted on by Bobji

The Indian preparation for the ODI World Cup which starts in about a month, has gone off-track. The high of the Asia Cup triumph just a few days ago, has already gone down the drain. The confidence that was gained after such a triumph is carelessly being squandered. That is the least that can be said. Let us remember that India won a multi-nation tournament after a gap of 5 years. Someone like Kohli has never been part of such a squad. Why am I saying all this? Let me try to analyse in the Indian preparation goes off-track.

India will play Australia in a series of ODI games just before the World Cup. First of all, these games by themselves are unnecessary. What is the need for such games just before an important tournament? What if some major player, there are quite a few in this team who have returned from various injuries, is injured? The Indian board does not miss any opportunity to make money. This is one of those money-making exercises.

The Ashwin comeback

The team against Australia has seen the re-emergence of Ashwin. The same Ashwin who was considered not good enough to be part of white-ball cricket longtime ago. He made a brief comeback to the T20 squad but was rightly dropped after awhile. He is not young and even his days as a Test cricketer are not that long. I am not saying that it is numbered but I do not see him playing the game after 2024. I do not have anything against Ashwin but what is the need to recall him? Ofcourse, I will stand exposed if Ashwin goes onto perform and perhaps even win the World Cup for the nation.

The reason given for Ashwin’s inclusion is that in case Axar Patel remains unfit right till the World Cup, India will need a backup spinner who can also bat.

“We’re hoping Axar will be fit,” chief selector Ajit Agarkar said. “Washy was already part of the squad for the final. Ashwin brings experience, so it gives us options in case there is a need at some stage for us to look at those guys.”

It is true that for someone like Ashwin, he does not really need match practise. He is always at the ready. Not for nothing is he called ‘The Professor” because he is always thinking about the game and how to evolve. It is a pity that India never had the services of Ashwin the captain but that is for another day.

The rested players

India has hardly played a handful of ODI games over the past year. Whatever game opportunity that the team gets, it must be used to its fullest capacity. However, the selectors are of a different opinion. They have rested players like Rohit & Kohli. Why? What is the reason? The World Cup is just around the corner. If someone needs to get injured, it is more likely the bowlers. Why are Rohit and Kohli rested? It is all well and good to give youngsters a chance but that must not come at the cost of playing together just before an important tournament. Ofcourse, these players have played for a number of years together but that still doesn’t mean that they can be rested. Rohit & Kohli return for the 3rd ODI. Why rest Hardik Pandya? How many has he really played?

Explaining the team management’s rationale behind naming two different squads for a short ODI series, Agarkar stressed the importance of giving the senior players a “mental break” given the short turnaround between their victorious Asia Cup campaign and the first ODI.

“Luckily we got a fair amount of cricket at the Asia Cup,” Agarkar said. “If not, we would’ve looked at it some other way. More than physical, sometimes guys need a mental break, which isn’t a bad thing leading into a tournament like the World Cup.

Agarkar, the chief selector talks about mental break. If the board is really serious about mental break, they must think about reducing the number of games the Indians play. Particularly, the IPL. It takes a lot out of the body of every individual. The board must ensure that only one round of IPL games will be played and no more. This habit of players skipping India games must be avoided at all costs.

The issue of captaincy

Rahul in the past has shown how hopeless he is when it comes to captaincy. Yet, he is persisted with. That shows a lack of foresight on the part of the selectors. If there is no one, Rohit must play. Hardik Pandya, who was the deputy to Rohit in the Asia Cup, is also rested for the first and second games. If Rohit must be rested, why not let Hardik become the captain instead of going back to a tried and tested formula? The selectors most of the times, do not have any vision at all.

Wrapping up the Indian preparation goes off-track

It does not really matter who the chief selector is or who the regional selectors are. They have consistently shown that they lack foresight and a sense of planning. The ideal scenario is that this series should never have been played or if it has to, the regular, proper team must take the field in all the games.

Other Asia Cup blogs can be read here, here, here, here,

The Asia Cup win

Posted on by Bobji

The Asia Cup win, what does it mean for India? For starters, it was a title win after a gap of 5 years. That will give the team encouragement just before the start of the ODI World Cup. By now, the Indian squad would have forgotten what it is like to taste success in a multi-nation tournament. Now, they will know that it tastes sweet. At the sametime, let us also remember that we were the overwhelming favourites despite the bowling resource of Pakistan. This title win was very much par for the course. Does it mean that there weren’t any positives for the side? Does it mean that the team remains where they were before? Well, not really. Let me analyse a bit further.

As I had written above, the first positive for the team is the confidence in winning the title. This Indian side, especially, Virat Kohli, has never tasted much success in a multi-nation tournament. Ofcourse, he was part of the team that won the 2011 World Cup and he was the captain when India won the U19 World Cup but that was in the early part of his career. As the captain, success eluded him throughout his tenure. Even when India won the Asia Cup in Dubai a few years ago, Kohli chose to skip the tournament and it was Rohit who captained the team. Hence, this win will certainly boost the confidence of none otherthan Kohli and that means, he will be primed for further success.

The second positive

Almost all the batsmen were among the runs. I have written almost because Shreyas Iyer, did not damage the scoresheet in the only game he played. Otherwise, everyone else had atleast one decent outing and that includes Gill. Against Bangladesh, he stood at the wicket like a rock when other batsmen fell around him. With a bit of support for Gill, India could have ended the tournament having not lost a single game. Gill himself must have gone onto win the game for the team because he had Axar Patel for company who is more than a decent batsman. However, Kohli’s 77th hundred, Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan runs against Pakistan when the team looked like would be cobbled up for less than 150 will keep the team in a positive mindset just before the World Cup.

Ishan Kishan is probably here to stay. He did pretty well throughout the tournament with the innings against Pakistan topping everything else. Once Shreyas Iyer is back, it remains to be seen whether he will replace Kishan or will Kishan be retained. With consistent runs, especially down the order, he has made the task of the management that much more harder.

The third positive

Indian bowling was not given much credit because they do not inspire the same awe as the Pakistan bowlers or the South African bowlers. They do not intimidate the batsmen like some of the best in the world. However, in Siraj and Bumrah, the Indian team seems to have formed a potent new-ball pair. Mohammed Shami who Siraj replaced, has the knack of defeating the batsmen by the way he moves the ball but does not really pick up wickets at the beginning of the innings. Siraj’s spell in the final, it is something India needs time and again to instill fear in the opposition. Kuldeep Yadav is another who impressed on his comeback. 5 wickets for 21 against decent players of spin like Pakistan, which will increase his confidence tremendously.

Not that long ago, Kuldeep was considered a bowler who was on the decline but he seems to have reversed that tremendously. Leg-spinner and that too of the left-arm variety is extremely rare in the game. If he can maintain his fitness and form, he can prove to be the difference between the 2019 World Cup and the 2023 World Cup. His talent was never in question but his temperament and the will to improve were perhaps missing. Perhaps, he was drafted into the squad way too early for his own benefit. With experience, he may turnout to be the bowler that he always threatened to. The dismissal of Handscomb at Dharamsala still stays fresh in the minds of anyone who watched that game.

Were there any negatives?

Well, ofcourse there were. Rohit Sharma has tried to stay positive but he is not going onto score the massive hundreds that he is known for. It will be inordinate to ask Rohit to repeat his performance in the 2019 World Cup but a few more runs from his blade, principally in the important games, will prove invaluable. He remains the only Indian captain to have won a major ACC or ICC trophy since the Dhoni era.

The team management’s propensity to rest Bumrah time and again. He is just back from a lengthy lay-off because of an injury. He has hardly played a handful of games when he was again rested from the Bangladesh game. It is all well and good to protect him from burnout but so close to the World Cup and for someone who is short of game time, to rest him frequently, the management is actually doing him a disservice. Let us also remember that he missed the game against Nepal for the birth of his child. So, what was the need to rest him against Bangladesh? This was utter nonsense.

Shreyas’s continued struggle against the short-ball. By now, the world has realised his weakness and will not hesitate to pepper him with quite a few. Will he have an answer? That is ofcourse, provided he is fit.

Wrapping up the Asia Cup win

There is no doubt that it was a good win but bigger and firmer challenges await the team.

Other Asia Cup blogs can be read here, here, here, here,

Indian Team for the World Cup

Posted on by Bobji

The Indian cricket team for the World Cup has been announced. There was not really any surprise but some eyebrows were raised because of a couple of selections. Is it a balanced squad? There are more bowlers who can bat in Shardul Thakur and Axar Patel. Is it a team that can win the World Cup? That is open to interpretation. Do the Indians have the personnel to play against the top teams? Does the team have enough firepower to offset the bowlers who may not be economical? Let me analyse the Indian team for the World Cup.

Most of the team have picked themselves. For Rohit Sharma, this will be his final opportunity as captain. If he fails to win the cup or at the least, qualify for the finals, his white-ball captaincy will be over. There is no doubt about that fact. Let us remember that Hardik Pandya has been named as his deputy. It clearly is a sign that if Rohit slips, Pandya is ready to takeover. Rohit can hope to extend his white-ball career only if he scores runs personally and takes India into the final. Otherwise, both will come to an end. He had a fabulous 2019 where he scored 5 hundreds but it did not matter in the end because he failed in the important semi-final against New Zealand.

Some selections raised eye-brows

The selection of Shubman Gill and Surya Yadav certainly raised some questions. Surya in this format is an unknown commodity. He is a stalwart in T20 but in ODIs, he is somewhat of a misfit. He hasn’t covered himself with glory though he has played a decent number of games but has not really gone onto register significant innings. Surya is known for his destructive capabilities but in ODIs, his strike rate is just above 100. The way the game has been played over the last few years, for someone to score at just over 100 and that too towards the closing stages of the innings, that leaves a lot to be desired about his ability.

Just like Shreyas Iyer, he also has a weakness against the short-ball. Once he is up against a quality bowling attack, he will probably struggle. All of these make his selection somewhat of a gamble. The selectors weren’t having too many options I guess. For that, they do not have anyone to blame but themselves. I understand that there is a new selection committee under Ajit Agarkar and he could not have done much but the fault lies with the board for not producing enough quality players.

Gill’s 3rd World Cup

Gill is another who must consider himself lucky. All those years ago, VVS Laxman, a batsman who had much more talent than Gill, never played a single World Cup game. His fitness, running between the wickets and his slowness were all cited as reasons but in the case of Gill, his capability to bat against good bowling itself is under the microscope. The other day, against the likes of Haseen Shah and Afridi, only a miracle saved Gill from getting out in the first couple of overs because he was unsure which way the ball was going to move. If India does qualify for the semi, he will have to face more of the same quality of bowling. How is he going to cope? This will be his 3rd alongwith the two WTC finals. Will he make this one count?

Not much different from 2019

The problem of number 4 still remains. This was the same problem that India had in 2019 and 4 years hence, it has not gone away. It was ridiculous to see the team management experiment with the team just a few weeks ago. The selectors, the board and the team management must be blamed for this sorry state of affairs. Shreyas Iyer is the designated batsman at number 4 but everyone realises his shortcoming. Not just that, we also have a problem with number 5. If Rahul is fit, he does have the capability to smash the bowling from that position. However, after a few months of no cricketing action, he must be rusty come the World Cup.

The emergence of Ishan Kishan is a good problem to have. I will not hesitate to make him open instead of Gill. The fact that he is left-handed will make the bowlers change their line and length. It will help in off-setting the rhythm of an Afridi or Naseem Shah.

Posting totals and defending small totals

Does this side have the power to post strong totals? England have set a standard in which 300 is the minimum score. They usually end up with much more than that. Australia too are known for their aggressive batting though not on the same scale as England. Pakistan too is not afraid to take risks at the top. However, India, with Gill at the top and Rohit not being a flamboyant batsman, is weak at the top. Neither of them is capable of moving the score at a breakneck speed. Rohit for his nature, has tried to change his game but in doing so, he gets out quickly without going onto post an impressive score.

Except for Pandya and to a certain extent, Jadeja, the rest are not really capable of taking the team to 350 and beyond. With the bowlers not being able to contribute anything, the team will be hardpressed to post 300.

Wrapping up Indian Team for the World Cup

Overall, the team does not look solid enough. The bowlers cannot defend totals below 250 and the batsmen cannot score more than 350. Dhoni somehow managed to win with an even poorer bowling attack. The one saving grace in the tournament will be that the pitches will be handled by the ICC. They usually give some sort of assistance to the bowlers to make the game more even. Hence, I do not think we will see scores in the region of 350. Perhaps, 300-325 will be a winning score.

England and Australia will certainly make the final 4. It will tussle between India, Pakistan, New Zealand and perhaps even South Africa for the remaining slots.

Stunned by a Cricinfo article

Posted on by Bobji

The India vs Nepal game at the Asia Cup was done and dusted. India was expected to win which they duly did though the nature of the win wasn’t conclusive enough. Against Pakistan, the same Nepal side was bowled out for just above 100 whereas against India, they were allowed to exceed well past 200. The innumerable number of dropped catches did not help. Overall, the performance of the Indian team in that game was not as that of a top 3 ranked side against a minnow. It was akin to two minnows battling each other.  Under such a scenario, I was stunned to read the headline on www.espncricinfo.com which made me question whether the author even realised what he was writing. I was stunned by a cricinfo article.

The title reads “Rohit shows his enterprising, inventive side during ruthless knock”.

It was written by Shashank Kishore. The author acknowledged that Rohit struggled in the initial overs. The pace of Karan troubled him greatly. He also writes about his dismissal against Pakistan when a combination of a good delivery and Rohit’s laziness, brought about his dismissal. However, to term Rohit’s innings as enterprising, inventive, ruthless, adjectives that are usually reserved for an innings against a top bowling attack, is way overboard.

The author’s comments

“He took apart Sandeep Lamichhane, Nepal’s biggest threat, by employing the slog sweep to good effect. He was equally effective playing the pull – his trademark shot – and in between even treaded into the inventive by playing scoops and an unreal flick-scoop that, much to his astonishment, managed to clear the rope at deep square leg with ease.”

“Rohit’s ease of flicking the switch was quite a treat. After the rain break, it didn’t quite seem the Rohit who had been uncertain against the moving ball. He was quickly into savage T20 mode, picking lengths early, lifting good-length balls down the ground, using his fast hands to thread gaps behind point, and dismissing anything in his zone out of the ground.”

The author lavishes praise on Rohit for his supposed brilliance against a mediocre bowling attack. Where was the same Rohit during the WTC finals on two successive editions? Where was Rohit when India lost multiple ICC tournaments? He had a fabulous 2019 ODI World Cup. That is agreed but he did fail in the crucial semi-final against New Zealand. All those hundreds that he scored during the league stage, did not matter because he failed in the second biggest game.

The point here is that it is onething to praise Rohit’s innings but to use adjectives like ruthless is taking it too far. Let him play a similar innings against in the super-4 and then these attributes can be attributed to him.

Another about Gill

“He wasn’t just intent on being a foil to Shubman Gill, who had taken off like a bullet train with a succession of stunning back-foot punches. There was a ruthlessness in wanting to finish a job that hadn’t begun quite well.”

I wonder whether the author even watches the game regularly. Just a game ago, Gill struggled to read the line and length of the Pakistan bowlers. He was all at sea. The scratchy display was so bad that despite his willingness to get out, he still survived because he was that atrocious. Gill averages 60 in ODI but that was after scoring bulk of his runs against some ordinary bowling attacks. Against good attacks and on challenging surfaces, Gill has not really shown that he belongs at this level. Prithvi Shaw was dropped but the same is not happening to Gill. It is really unfortunate that he still finds himself in the World Cup squad. Laxman despite his brilliance never played a single World Cup game whereas Gill gets to play despite questionable returns.

Wrapping up Stunned by a Cricinfo article

Cricinfo must resist itself from praising cricketers against minnows. It is onething to praise a Nepali against India or Australia but vice versa just does not fit. Rohit was expected to score runs which he did. There was nothing more or nothing less to the innings.

The India vs Pakistan encounter

Posted on by Bobji

It proved to be a damp squib in the end but not before, the young Indian batsmen were exposed at the highest stage by a skillful and pacy Pakistan fast bowling attack. If only the game had been completed, Pakistan would have won quite comfortably because India does not possess the same quality of attack and Pakistan batsmen aren’t defeated in their mind. As an Indian fan, it was painful to watch the team struggle despite knowing what the Pakistan bowlers bring to the game. Also, the future of Indian cricket, certainly looks quite bleak. The India vs Pakistan encounter.

Indians were defeated before the first delivery

Right from the outset, the Indian batsmen were tentative. They were defeated even before the game began because they were unsure of how to play against the likes of Afridi, Haseem Shah & Harris Rauf. The Indians know pretty well the pace at which these bowlers bowl and also their skill level. Ofcourse, Indians have not batted against these bowlers quite frequently but the technological advancement is such that every bowler can be dissected sitting in the drawing room. It is not that these bowlers are new to the Indians because they have played the same bowlers over the last couple of years.

Yet, some sort of trepidation sets in the moment they walk into the park. It could be the pressure of playing Pakistan but this is very much expected. This is what you play the game for. At the highest level, the players must learn to handle the pressure. This is exactly what the fans support the team for. I know it is easier said than done but if I were in the middle, the same sort of handling the pressure applies to me as well.

Gill continues to disappoint

There was never any intent to score runs. Shubman Gill, the so-called Prince, was found wanting against quality bowlers. Not so long ago, he scored a double hundred and followed it up with runs, albeit on flat pitches in the IPL. Much was expected from his blade. Companies have started to stand in the queue for him to endorse their products. He is seen in advertisements more and more. That is exactly the problem in this country. Hero worship. Gautham Gambhir was correct. This country must shift from worshipping selected men or women to focusing on the team. Ofcourse, it does not matter in individual events.

Gill has been given multiple chances across formats. He had the golden opportunity of playing in two back-to-back WTC finals. What did he do? He failed to score even a single 50 in 4 innings. It perhaps is time for Gill to be sidelined for sometime. Ever since he improved his T20 performance, in IPL, drastically, I keep wondering whether he has lost his game in trying to suit his game for the shortest format.

Ishan Kishan grabbed his chance

Ishan Kishan announced himself at the highest stage. His 80+ was invaluable. Without his runs, India would have ended up with a score and rain would not even have mattered. If Rahul had been fit, Ishan would not have been part of the eleven. Now, he cannot be dropped. It will be interesting to see whether the management will have the nerve to drop Gill. The problem is that, if Ishan plays Rahul will probably open the innings because Ishan will have to keep wickets. This is not a scenario that anyone wants. Rahul is clueless whenever he opens in any format. Probably, Ishan will open with Rahul in the middle-order and maybe he will keep.

Shreyas Iyer and short ball

Shreyas continues to disappoint against bouncers. It has been quite awhile since he made his debut but no effort has been made to get around that problem. Against an attack like Pakistan, he is virtually a sitting duck. He again got out to a short ball that went way above his head. The bowlers around the world are well aware of this shortcoming. He will get away with some of the lesser teams but against top teams, he will find the going to be tough.

The lower order

Just went India was thinking of a score close to 300, there was a collapse. The familiar tailender’s inability to bat came to the fore. This despite the fact that Shardul Thakur was one among them. Shardul must realise that he cannot be part of white-ball cricket unless he contributes with the bat. His bowling alone is not at all enough.

Wrapping up the India vs Pakistan encounter

Leave alone the fact that there is a question mark on the young Indian batsmen, overall, India does not look like proceeding beyond the semi-final in the ODI World Cup. Even to reach that stage, India will count itself lucky. With this batting, with this bowling, it will be a miracle if India manages to win any ICC tournament over the next several years.

The Asia Cup preview

Posted on by Bobji

One more edition of the Asia Cup will be underway from 30 August 2023. The tournament has been split into two and will be held in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Pakistan was the initial host but because of the apparent tensions between the more significant nations, it will be held in Sri Lanka too. India has won the most number of Asia Cup tournaments with Sri Lanka at the second spot. Over the years, this tournament has produced some really good games though it has been cancelled from time to time for various reasons. Now, that the basics are out of the way, let me concentrate on the tournament itself. This is the Asia Cup preview.

The format of the tournament is what lacks any common sense other than to make money. There is a group stage, a super 4 stage and then the final at Colombo. It is pretty obvious that the 4 nations in the continent, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka will certainly qualify for the super-4 stage. The 4th spot is a bit of a tussle between Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Hence, there is not much sense in having a super-4 stage. The main motivation here seems to be to earn as much revenue as possible because of the India – Pakistan rivalry. If these teams meet in the final, the organisers will laugh all the way to the bank.

Almost all the teams had a lengthy period of rest before the start of the tournament except for India. This is very much expected because the Indian Board do not treat their players with much respect. They actually take the players for granted. It will be better to write about the eventual finalists rather than who reach the super-4 stage.

India

The Indian team have a tremendous amount of experience. Even Shreyas Iyer, who is a recent entrant into the squad, has played more than 40 ODIs. Hence, experience and experience in the big games is not at all a problem for India. However, their temperament in the major tournaments leaves a lot to be desired. It has been 10 years since India has won anything major except for one Asia Cup in Dubai which was captained by Rohit Sharma. For some reason, they are unable to cross the most important hurdles.

Rohit Sharma, who is in the twilight of his career, will get this one and one final chance in the ODI World Cup. If he fails to win either or both, he is likely to be replaced not only as captain but from white ball cricket itself. He is not getting any younger and his fitness does not seem to be upto the standard.

Otherwise, India is blessed with hitters throughout the squad. The coach and the captain must resist the urge to send Rahul to open the innings. He will be devastating lower down the order. This leaves a spot at the top. Gill has found it tough going on slow pitches. Sri Lankan wickets will be slow. Would it be better to open with Ishan Kishan? It means that Gill will have to be dropped altogether because Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rahul, Surya, Pandya & Jadeja have got the middle and lower order covered.

Chahal has been dropped with Axar Patel taking his place. Is Patel good enough to be a 2nd spinner? Ofcourse he can bat but is he capable of bowling his full quota? Shami and Bumrah will definitely start.

Pakistan & Sri Lanka

Their bowling as usual is incredible but they are menacing when it comes to T20, whereas in ODI, they have been found wanting. Nevertheless, they tend to raise themselves when playing India. If India can bat well against the likes of Afridi, Rauf & Naseem Shah, India can easily prevail. The 2019 World Cup being case in point. Pakistan are good at defending and if they have to win against India, it is advisable for them to bat first if they win the toss.

As for Sri Lanka, they surprise quite a few with their display against Asian nations. Against a lot of odds, they have often triumphed against their much fancied rivals. Sri Lanka is not the same force as they were during the Sangakkara, Muralitharan period. They are unable to replace their great cricketers and have suffered a prolonged period of lull. So much so that they even loose in their own country regularly against teams not from Asia. Having said that, they cannot be written off because they always fancy their chances against Pakistan.

Bangladesh & Afghanistan

These two teams will vie for the 4th slot in the super-4 stage. I think that Bangladesh with its larger experience in ODI cricket, will qualify as the 4th team. Afghanistan for all its exploits in the shortest form of the game, is not really a force in ODI. It showed in how they were decimated by Pakistan just before this tournament.

Wrapping up the Asia Cup preview

With the ODI World Cup looming, this tournament has some significance for the teams involved in deciding their personnel for the marquee event.