Bobji, Author at Cricket Critique

What Pant did wasn’t correct

Posted on 29 April 202230 December 2023 by Bobji

Rishabh Pant, who is thought to be the future Indian captain, was involved in a controversy that was unbecoming of any leader. What Pant did wasn’t correct. Umpires are also humans and are bound to make mistakes. This was one such honest mistake. Let me try to analyse Pant’s action in what Pant did wasn’t correct.

In the ongoing IPL, Delhi Capitals required 36 runs of the last over for an unlikely victory. Rovman Powell clobbered McCoy for 3 consecutive sixes of the first, second and third deliveries. However, the third six was of a waist high full-toss. It must have been called a noball and as such, Delhi would have got one run and an additional delivery. However, the umpire Nitin Menon ruled that the ball wasn’t a waist high full-toss and refused to refer to the third umpire. It was an honest mistake on the part of the umpire. Yes, I can understand that at that point, Delhi would have entertained hopes of a miraculous victory. A no-ball would have given them a free hit but scoring 36 runs of one over does not happen that frequently. The odds were certainly against Delhi.

It was at this point, Pant called the batsmen back to the dugout.

Pant’s defense

“Yes, disappointed, but can’t do much about it. Everyone was frustrated because it was not even close, so I thought it was only a no ball. Everyone in the ground saw that,” Pant said at the post-match presentation.

“I think third umpire should have intervened in between and said it was a no ball, but I can’t change the rule myself I guess.”

Umpires decision in such cases must be accepted

It is normal practice to accept the decision of the umpire. Whether it was correct or wrong. A lot of decisions are nowadays taken away from the umpires. We have the third umpire referral for stumpings and runouts. Let us face it. Umpires are more likely to send the decision in such cases to the third umpire even when the batsman is a metre short of his crease. Also, the DRS is inplace. With the advent of the DRS, umpiring errors have reduced significantly. Hence, what happened on the field should have been accepted as it is but Pant chose otherwise. It shows that he hasn’t matured enough yet. It is too early for him to be handed over the Indian captaincy.

Atleast, the DC’s assistant coach, Shane Watson was quick to admit that it was wrong.

“In the end, Delhi Capitals don’t stand for what happened in the final over. The umpire’s decision, whether it’s right or wrong, we have to accept. Someone running onto the field. It’s not acceptable, we simply weren’t good enough.”

Delhi may like to believe that that decision swung the momentum against them and that they could have won the game but cricket does work like that.

The assistant coach didn’t cover himself with any glory

To make matters worse, Praveen Amre, had an argument with the umpires. Being the assistant coach, he must have led by example. Instead of fighting with the umpires, he must have told Pant in no uncertain terms that what Pant was suggesting, to call the players back, is against the spirit of the game and Pant is wrong to do so. The fact that he didn’t, does not show him in good light.

The punishment meted out to Pant, Shardul and Amre was too light in my opinion. Amre and Pant must have been banned for 5 games each because they are the coach and the captain. Shardul, perhaps for a lesser sentence. The coach and the captain must lead the way in how the game is played.

Mumbai Indians struggle

If you had told me before the start of the IPL 2022 that Mumbai will not win any of their first 8 games, I would have told you to see a doctor. There is no way, Mumbai Indians, of all the teams, remain without a win in 8 games but they have. This is unbelievable. They did get the combination wrong during the auction but that should not have stopped them from winning atleast one. Without the firepower of de Kock, the Pandya brothers and the inability of Ishan Kishan to justify his costly buy, Mumbai is really struggling this year. They are unlikely to go beyond the first round.

RCB is back to what the usually do best

Another team that is quite consistent is RCB. During the halfway stage, RCB would have usually won more than 50% of the games and then their slide will start. The same form continues in 2022 as well. The last 2 games, against KKR & RR was disastrous. The continued failure of Kohli, the struggle at the top of Faf & Rawat is having an impact. If not for Dinesh Karthik, they would have lost 2 more. RCB needs a drastic change. Perhaps, Faf & Kohli must bat in the middle order and openers must be found from the squad. Else, they can kiss the cup goodbye this year too.

Conclusion to what Pant did wasn’t correct

Pant must really control himself. He does not have to look elsewhere. All he need to do is to talk to his coach Ricky Ponting, who himself was involved in a few shenanigans and he changed himself from that.

What do you think about Pant’s behaviour? Do you think he was out of line in that instance? Let me know in the comments section.

Other IPL stories

Pollard’s retirement and Chahal’s revelation

Posted on 25 April 202230 December 2023 by Bobji

Kieron Pollard has announced his retirement from international cricket. However, he is available for all the franchises worldwide. He will continue to play in the IPL, BBL and various other leagues throughout the year. It means that he hasn’t retired in the true sense of the word. On the otherhand, what Chahal has revealed is quite disturbing. I would like to pass by views about these events in Pollard’s retirement and Chahal’s revelation.

Pollard’s retirement

“After careful deliberation, I’ve today decided to retire from international cricket,” Pollard wrote on Instagram. “As is the case of many young persons, it was a dream of mine to represent the West Indies team from the time I was a boy of 10 years and I’m proud to have represented West Indies cricket for over 15 years in both the T20I and ODI forms of the game.”

Kieron Pollard is a legend but not in the true sense of the word. He is a legend in the franchise world but at the international level, he is a nobody. He just like his team members, Gayle, Bravo and the rest just played the game for the money that is involved. I am being quite blunt here. There is a reason for this. I do agree that the West Indian players are paid much less than players from other countries. Sometimes, they are not paid at all or the payment is very much delayed. The West Indian players and the West Indian board have often been at loggerheads over pay. It was a lengthy struggle. All of these are accepted but Pollard did not think much about playing for West Indies.

For him, the various leagues around the world became much more important than representing West Indies. This at a time when the island team were struggling to find resources to man their playing eleven. West Indies cricket hit the absolute nadir and yet, these players like Pollard found it demeaning to represent them. Just compare the number of games he has played for Mumbai Indians versus the number of games he played for West Indies. The picture will be clear.

West Indies were struggling

I do agree that money is important. Afterall, the life of a cricketer is short and they know absolutely nothing apart from the game and that they have to make the most of their playing career. However, there is a limit. I am not against players opting to play for various leagues but it must not come at the cost of playing for your nation. Especially a nation that was struggling to pit 11 decent cricketers against their opponents. The IPL is reasonably placed. It happens prior to the West Indies season and when all other nations have their traditional break except for England. It is alright to play in the IPL or for a short time, the Big Bash League but players like Pollard make it a point to go around the world to represent various franchise teams in various leagues.

He was made the captain, atleast in T20, when he finally chose to represent West Indies. It has proven to be short lived. Clive Lloyd, during his time as the West Indian board chairman, made is clear that anyone who places the interests of the leagues above that of West Indian cricket will not be selected to play for the island again. Ofcourse, he absolutely stopped the players from playing any league which wasn’t correct because there is money to be made and the players cannot be faulted for that. However, to consider league cricket to be of paramount importance rather than to represent the country is not correct either.

The fault is on both the sides

There must have been a balance. The WICB must be faulted but Pollard is not a saint either. The classic case of the much talented Andre Russell who informed the WICB that the demands of international cricket is too heavy for him and that he will not play for West Indies ever but he does not mind playing day in and day out in IPL, BBL, The Hundred, South African league and others.

The bottom line is that I for one do not feel sad that Pollard has retired so must anyone else who value international cricket above the slam bang variety.

Chahal’s revelation

Yuzvendra Chahal, the legspinner has revealed rather some dark behaviour of his fellow players. He underwent some serious physical harassment.

“We had a match in Bengaluru and there was a get-together after that. So there was a player who was very drunk – and I won’t take his name – he was very drunk, he just called me aside, and he took me outside and he hung me out from the balcony.

Earlier in a video released by RCB, he revealed that his teammates James Franklin and Andrew Symonds “had tied him up, taped his mouth, left him in a room and forgot about him for a whole night.”

They forgot about Chahal for the whole night and room keepers released him the next morning. Now, cricket is a long game. Team members spend way too much time with each other over multiple series, hotels, flights etc. They are bound to have fun amongst themselves but this is taking it to the extreme. In the first instance, Chahal could have lost his life. The said player was drunk and a slight slip would have meant Chahal could have easily fallen 15 floors down. It would not have been an accident but a cold-blooded murder.

In the 2^nd instance, just because he is little and thin, he too is a human and deserve some respect. Symonds and Franklin must have done what they did in the first place but having done that, they must have had the courtesy to release him soon.

These are not pranks. These are infact, attacks.

Conclusion to Pollard’s retirement and Chahal’s revelation

Anyone who gives much more importance to franchise cricket than to his country does not deserve sympathy. As for Chahal, action must be taken against the concerned players.

Josh Hazlewood and Yuzvendra Chahal

Posted on 22 April 202230 December 2023 by Bobji

Josh Hazlewood and Yuzvendra Chahal, two bowlers who are not considered by their respective countries for T20s are showcasing their credentials in the ongoing IPL. Hazlewood is proving that the good old line and length, the staple test diet, is good enough for T20 whereas Chahal is proving that he still has the skills that made him an integral part of the Indian team not so long ago. Will they be able to make a comeback to their respective teams? Is IPL the right platform to judge their performances?

Hazlewood is straight from the Glenn McGrath school of bowling. Line and length, on the offstump and hit the top of off. He is relentless in what he does and thereby makes the life of the batsman quite difficult. He has had tremendous success at the test level and has been quite economical too. However, for some reason, the Australian selectors never considered him for T20 cricket. Nevertheless, last year, CSK enjoyed the benefits of having Hazlewood at their opening bowler and now, RCB is reaping the rewards.

Hazlewood changed the game with his spell

Against Lucknow Super Giants, on a pitch where Faf almost scored a century, Hazlewood got one delivery to raise just enough to take the edge of the bat of de Kock. Defending 180-odd, he got RCB off to the best possible start. Quinton is such an aggressive batsman that he could have easily taken the game away from RCB but Hazlewood’s piece of brilliance put paid to that hope. Manish Pandey was easily taken care of. Later in the innings, he came back to pick up 2 more wickets. Hazlewood has taken a special liking to the DY Patil pitch.

“I am really enjoying in particular at the start (powerplay) and probably in particular this ground,” he said. “Wankhede has some bounce but here at DY it is unreal with the new ball. You can obviously go for runs if you get it wrong, but if you get it right you can create wicket opportunities in the first few overs and get the other team on the backfoot.”

Hazlewood with Harshal and another welcome addition in Wanindu, has formed a potent bowling attack for RCB. CSK’s loss has become RCB’s gain.

Chahal seems to relax in the new franchise

Chahal, the forgotten Indian spinner, has rejuvenated himself but this time in the colours of Rajasthan Royals. He is away from the intensity of the former RCB captain. Perhaps, that has helped him to relax. Against KKR, RR were not the favourites to win when Chahal began the 17^th over. However, by the end of the over, they were down to around 10% winning chance.

Brendan McCullum, the KKR coach said, Credit to Chahal, he is just an absolute brilliant bowler. [He is] one of those guys, pressure situations don’t bother him. We talked extensively in the meetings about how he was such a threat, and that we didn’t want to give him wickets during key moments of games.

Both the Iyers, Venkatesh and Shreyas, charged Chahal and were beaten by the flight. Once those two are gone, Chahal ran through KKR lineup with a hattrick. Chahal is now the leading wicket-taker in the IPL 2022. I can remember how he struggled with playing for RCB. If reports are to be believed, Chahal himself asked the RCB management not to retain him so that he can try his chances in the open market. Whether he was able to command the price that he expected in the auction will never be known but he seems to be back to his own self in the new franchise.

Does Chahal have a chance to return to the Indian team?

The bigger question is whether this performance of Chahal will be enough for him to be propelled into the Indian team? The one thing that will go against selecting Chahal is his inability with the bat. Agreed that bowlers must not be expected to score runs but the game has changed. Now, the minimum bowlers are expected to do is to be able to stay on the wicket. Chahal is a proper tailender.

Moreover, the T20 World Cup will be held in Australia. The pitches are not expected to turn. Leg spinners will enjoy the bigger Australian grounds and they will be confident to flight the ball and purchase wickets. However, Jadeja, Chahar and perhaps Kuldeep Yadav are ahead in the pecking order. Only 2 spinners will be taken to Australia with one being Jadeja. Chahal faces an uphill task to be in the squad. Another important factor in Chahal’s rejection is his fielding. He will more or less must be hidden in the field.

Conclusion to Josh Hazlewood and Yuzvendra Chahal

I am not really sure whether either Chahal or Hazlewood will become a permanent fixture of their respective T20 sides but few more performances like these will definitely propel them on in their claim. The only point of worry is that the standard of cricket at the IPL is definitely not on par with international cricket. There lie their chances.

Other IPL stories

Shastri’s advise to Kohli

Posted on 22 April 202222 April 2022 by Bobji

Shastri, the former Indian coach believes that Kohli needs a break because he is in his own words, “overcooked” and that a break will serve Kohli and the team well. Does this have any merit? Will Kohli be able to rejuvenate himself with a break? Is Shastri correct in his assessment? Let me write about what I think about Shastri’s advise to Kohli.

Shastri’s words

“I am going straight to the main guy here. Virat Kohli is overcooked. If anyone needs a break, it’s him,” Shastri told Star Sports on Tuesday. “Whether it’s two months or a month and a half, whether it’s after [the] England [tour in July] or before England – he needs a break because he has got six-seven years of cricket left in him and you don’t want to lose that with a fried brain.”

If at all anyone knows more about Kohli, it must be Ravi Shastri. Afterall, he has worked with Kohli for more than 6 years. They have travelled together, they have spent time in discussing strategies, combinations and anything and everything under the Sun. When someone like Shastri speaks about his ward, you better listen.

Kohli is struggling and that is clear as day

It is not a secret anymore. Kohli is out of form and is seriously struggling for runs. It is across all the formats. 119 runs in 7 games in the ongoing IPL 2022. Hardly the stuff of a legend. Every cricketer goes through a lean trot. Dravid did, Sachin did, Root did, Gavaskar did and now it is the turn of Kohli. This is a cycle and a player of Kohli’s ability, he sure can and will come out of such a lean run. The question is how long will this trot last? There is no definite answer to that question. The hard fact is that it has been 100 innings across all the formats and including IPL, Kohli hasn’t got a hundred.

Ofcourse, a hundred is not the only way to measure the success of a player. During this period, Kohli has played some fabulous innings, be the 74 against Australia at Adelaide that showcased the ability and strong mentality of Kohli or the 70-odd against England on a square turned in Chennai. What stood out during the last 3 years is his inability to go on and score those big daddy hundreds that Kohli is always known for. Runs that led everyone to believe that he is immortal. Average in excess of 50 in all the formats is not a joke. With such success, his current failures are bound to be stripped naked. This barren run has showed that Kohli is afterall, a human.

Kohli himself is the reason

Part of the reason for Kohli’s poor form is Kohli himself. Everyone have seen his intensity, passion and the over aggressive nature of his play. He has many times gone overboard. He brings the same levels of energy while batting too and as a result, has placed an enormous amount of pressure on himself. Instead of relaxing while at the crease, he has become much more focussed and as a result is not able to think clearly. This is having a direct impact on his performance. He will have to tone down his aggression which may result in better returns. Basically, he must avoid being the centre of attention now that he is not the captain any longer.

Does Kohli deserve a break?

Due to the above factors plus the fact that Kohli is the wicket that the opposition dearly wants, I do think that he deserves a break. He is not in the same boat as Pujara and Rahane who were dropped because of their form over a number of years. Kohli has done a lot of service to Indian cricket. It was he who formulated an attack around fast bowlers. He must be rightly credited for increasing the fitness levels of the team. He must not be treated on par with other struggling cricketers and deserves a long and clean break. I do not think that he must play in England. A struggling Kohli will be a liability in England.

Without Kohli in the middle and only with Rohit at the top, India will be severely short of experience in England but there are some deserving candidates like Vihari, Shreyas Iyer, Gill, Surya Yadav.

Will a break help?

Kevin Pietersen, who knows a thing or two about handling pressure seems to think so.

“the guy has had so much to deal with, from marriage to baby to media scrutiny and all on his personal life. He is the biggest star on show,” Pietersen said. “Virat Kohli needs to say, ‘Cricket boots, for six months, I will see you later.’ Turn off social media, go and get re-energised.

“When the stadiums are full again, you guarantee him a spot in that side for the next 12, 24 or 36 months. Tell him, ‘You’re our guy. We know you’ll deliver for us.'” Pietersen said Kohli “is going to find it very hard to continue delivering now as his brain is completely fried.”

How long a break does he need?

This is a difficult question to answer. As I had written above, he must not tour England. He can comeback for the T20 World Cup but then the question is without sufficient match fitness, is it wise to call him back for such an important tournament? India has sufficient T20 reserves and they can very well manage without Kohli. However, Kohli is that X factor. Yes, there is a chance that he may not succeed at the World Cup. If we have to be too conservative, he must return during the Indian season. Anyway, he is unlikely to be given a break during the IPL by his franchise. Franchises do not really care about the health of Indian cricket or its cricketers. He is likely to be engaged till the end of May. 6 months break will take him to December. Ideal for a return.

Who must ask for the break?

This is a difficult question. The relationship between Ganguly and Kohli have deteriorated ever since Kohli resigned his T20 captaincy. If the board offers this break, it will look as though they have decided to drop him. If Kohli asks for a break, the board is likely to be accused of treating players differently. Nevertheless, I will still say that Ganguly, as the board president must bury his differences with Kohli and will have to convince him to take a break and inform publicly.

What happens after he is ready but the replacements have been performing?

This is another serious question. Is it fair to drop someone who has been scoring for someone who has just come back after a break? I think a position must be created for Kohli irrespective of the fact whether the replacements have performed. Kohli’s contribution is enormous and it must not be treated lightly. He certainly deserves that.

Conclusion to Shastri’s advise to Kohli

Shastri is spot on. Kohli must take a break for 6 months. He must forget England and must forget the T20 World Cup. Kohli if not 7-8 years, still has another 5 years of solid cricket left in him.

Other IPL stories

Dinesh Karthik

CSK & MI

New IPL strategies

Could Umran Malik make the grade?

Posted on 20 April 202220 April 2022 by Bobji

Pace is an excellent skill to have. Hurling the ball at 150KMPH requires lot of strength and power. The bowler will have to maintain peak fitness inorder to deliver balls at that speed consistently. India may have found one in Umran Malik. There have been Indian genuine fast bowlers but they slowed down after the first couple of years. Ishant Sharma, Srinath comes to mind. It is that difficult to bowl fast all the time. Hence, these bowlers need protection. Could Umran Malik make the grade?

Ask any batsmen about playing deliveries at 150 KMPH and they will say that they are never comfortable negotiating that pace. Even the best of batsmen, is nervous against the quick bowlers. Such is the impact pace has on the batsmen. Umran has that effect in the ongoing IPL. The searing pace is unsettling the opposition who are mostly Indian batsmen who aren’t that used to facing express deliveries. The yorker to Padikkal that smashed into the stumps is a sight to behold. More so, for the Indian supporter who is perennially short of watching high quality Indian fast bowlers.

Umran is young with lots of time

Umran is 21 years old and still has age on his side. At the moment, he is an unproven bowler and is very much a work-in-progress and as such, is quite raw. Indian selectors have previously made mistakes in selecting raw fast bowlers who have found the international stage a bridge too far to cross. Jayadev Unadkat and Ishant Sharma made their India debut before they turned 20 and struggled. Though Ishant has played for more than 10 years and 100 tests, he never turned into the bowler that everyone hoped and expected him to become.

Ofcourse, sports medicine and sports science have come a long way from the time of Ishant and Unadkat. There is a much better understanding of the body of a player. The Indian management has taken special care of players with special abilities. Just look at Bumrah. He has hardly played in India despite making his debut more than 6 years ago. He is given short spells so that he can be at his best all the time. Kohli and Shastri before, and now, Dravid and Rohit have looked after Bumrah quite well though the same cannot be said of his franchise, Mumbai Indians who have played Bumrah in more than 95% of the games.

Umran’s progress must be monitored

Umran will be a wonderful addition to the Indian squad. I am sure Chetan Sharma, the chairman of selectors, Dravid the coach and Rohit the captain are all keeping track of Umran’s progress. With Bumrah, Shami & Siraj, Umran will give the captain a lot of options. However, is this the right time to blood Umrah in the Indian team?

He has hardly played cricket at the Ranji level. At the moment, he is proving to be too expensive and erratic though when he gets the ball in the right length, he is unplayable. Playing for Kashmir in Ranji Trophy, his opportunities are limited because Kashmir is not expected to go beyond the first round. This hampers his chances of playing against the teams that have better cricketers. Hence, his ability to develop quickly, is also affected.

Indian selectors must counsel Malik

Indian selectors must resist the urge to select him at the moment. They must think long term. They must think about the long term benefits that Umran can give the test side rather than the short term benefits that he may or may not provide the limited overs team. The selectors have often been over enthusiastic and have blooded youngsters before they are ready. In Umran’s case, it is better to be cautious but at the sametime, they must not be too cautious and destroy his career. In other words, by giving him an opportunity at this stage when he is still developing, there is a possibility that he will find international cricket to be too tough and that will have a direct impact on his bowling.

On the otherhand, if the selectors wait for too long, there is a chance that he may lose his pace and the urge to play for the nation. The best example for this is Abey Kuruvilla. Kuruvilla was a genuine quick when he first played for Bombay and by the time he got a chance to play for India, he had become a slow bowler. Hence, the selectors are in a catch-22 situation. They must choose the optimum period when Umran can be selected.

How to help Umran progress?

What can be done to fasten his progress? He must be selected as part of various Indian A teams and the second string Indian team that can tour certain countries where he will be in a position to improve his bowling. His fitness, diet and his bowling must be consistently monitored by the state association and by the BCCI. He can be given a contract that will free him from financial obligations and will help him to concentrate on his game. Ofcourse, playing the IPL, his financial part is already taken care of. Nonetheless, a formal offer from the board will provide some sort of security.

Michael Vaughan’s suggestion

Vaughan has suggested for Umran to play in the English county. If you think about it, it is actually a very good suggestion. He will get to play a lot of first class games and will experience different conditions. It will help in speeding up his development. Zaheer Khan became a much better bowler after he played in English County. So did Jason Gillespie and now, Marnus Labuschagne.

“Umran Malik will play for India very soon … If I was the @BCCI I would be sending him to play some County cricket this summer to help him develop first though,” tweeted Vaughan.

Conclusion to could Umran Malik make the grade?

Pace is a rare commodity. More so in Indian cricket. The one who possesses that rare skill must be completely protected. Umran Malik has it and it is important from Indian cricket’s perspective that he is preserved for future battles.

Other IPL stories

Dinesh Karthik

CSK & MI

New IPL strategies

Another strange move in the IPL

Posted on 17 April 202230 December 2023 by Bobji

Some strange things are happening in the IPL 2022. Rajasthan Royals were at it again. It was another strange move in the IPL. Ashwin was sent in at number 3. Just read it again. Ashwin at number 3. It was such a strange decision that anyone who had watched the game in the 90s were taken back to that era.

Back then, it was a common sight to see a bowler walk in at the fall of the first wicket. It was an era when bouncers were banned from the game. Only one was allowed in Test cricket and none in ODIs. Knowing fully well that the bouncers will not be forthcoming, every team more or less had one bowler who had power-hitting capabilities. A quick 30-40 in as less balls as possible was what expected of those hitters. The intention was to take advantage of the field restrictions in the first 15 overs. They were all collectively called Pinch Hitters. Some of them were quite successful in that role. Pat Symcox & Azhar Mahmood comes to mind immediately. This was shelved in a few years once bouncers came back into limited overs cricket.

Hopefully, the concept will be revived

Now Rajasthan has reinvented or rather given a new lease of life to a concept that had all but vanished. However, I do think that the choice of the personnel in this case, was wrong. Ashwin will never be a power player. He does not have the strength like a Symcox or Pant or Pandya. He is more of a touch player. In this case, he was asked to do something he was never accustomed. Needless to say, it failed but I hope that the intention remains. Rajasthan and other teams will do well go give a new lease of life for this concept. Ofcourse, it will fail but will succeed spectacularly if the right player is chosen.

Deepak Chahar ruled out

The mainstay of CSK bowling, Deepak Chahar has been ruled out of IPL 2022. This is a big blow to the team. He not only keeps it tight during the initial overs but also picks up a wicket or two. CSK who is already facing the heat with lack of quality bowlers will be handicapped further. Jadeja would have loved to have a different start to his captaincy career but it is unlikely to be. With no Hazlewood either, CSK is more or less ruled out from the playoffs. It is an ignominy that they underwent about a couple of years ago. The owners must be thinking about the mess that they made during the auction.

The CSK bidders must be taken to task for spending a whopping 14CR on someone who is unlikely to be available for the first half of the tournament. It was known even before the auction. The money must be paid to Deepak whether he played in all the games or none. Ofcourse, money is not the problem for the franchise otherwise, this particular pick does not make much sense.

Elsewhere on the international stage

Joe Root has finally relinquished his England captaincy. After months of being pushed from all the sides to resign and Root being adamant, some sense has finally been knocked into him. Root has often talked about him being passionate about taking the team forward and that his side played some brilliant cricket in the West Indies despite the series defeat. However, public opinion has changed following some relentless pressure for him to step down. Even the former cricketers have called publicly for Root to resign. This includes his immediate predecessor Alastair Cook.

“After returning from the Caribbean tour and having time to reflect, I have decided to step down as England’s men’s Test captain,” Root said. “It has been the most challenging decision I have had to make in my career but having discussed this with my family and those closest to me, I know the timing is right. I am immensely proud to have captained my country and will look back on the past five years with enormous pride. It has been an honour to have done the job and to have been a custodian of what is the pinnacle of English cricket.”

Now, the fun begins in English cricket. There is no obvious replacement within the team. Ben Stokes seems unwilling. Broad is out of the squad and so is Rory Burns. Will the English selectors be bold enough to do the unthinkable? Pick someone from out of the squad purely based on his captaincy credentials?

New version of Hardik Pandya

Posted on 17 April 202217 April 2022 by Bobji

A new version of Hardik Pandya has emerged in this year’s IPL. A Hardik who is more intent on batting through the innings and someone who lets others around him to play the shots and score quickly. However, the question is, is this version of Pandya doing any good to his team in the IPL?

I have said this before

I have said this before and I will say this again. Hardik Pandya had long ago lost interest to represent the country in the highest form of the game. He is earned sufficiently for the next generation that the intensity and the rigours of international cricket are not his cup of tea any longer. He prefers to the slog all you want IPL instead of dedicating time and energy to the nation. Given an option, he will be willing to take the Chris Gayle route. Go around the world and play in all kinds of T20 leagues and thereby increase his wealth. The lofty claim of him wanting to emulate Jacques Kallis is long forgotten. He just does not have the desire any longer.

He is performing a role for which he is not suited

Now, being the captain of Gujarat Titans, he must surely feel that his spot is secure for the foreseeable future and it shows in the way he bats. Slow and sedate by his own standards. It is not his role. His role is that of a destroyer. Come around during the last 5-6 overs in T20 and last 10 overs in ODIs and propel the score to an unimaginable position. His powerful wrist and the bottom hand is conspicuous by absence. Fingers can be pointed towards the auction that left Gujarat Titans with a few batsmen short but that does not really mean that he must not continue to be the destroyer that he was and he is capable of.

The other night, Pandya ended the game with a 50 of 42 balls. The old Pandya would have scored another 25 runs for the same number of deliveries. It is alright not wanting to provide your services to the Indian team but it is completely another thing in IPL which is going to be your bread and butter for the rest of your life.

Kohli’s glowing tribute to Pandya

Virat Kohli, the former Indian captain, had high regards for Pandya just before the World T20 in 2021

“Honestly, I feel that Hardik presently with his physical condition is getting better in terms of being prepared to bowl at least two overs for us at a certain stage in this tournament. We strongly feel that we can make the most of the opportunity at hand till the time he starts bowling, we’ve considered a couple of other options to chip in for an over or two. So, we’re not bothered about that at all. What he brings at that No.6 spot is something you cannot create overnight.”

However, Pandya by promoting himself up the order, a position for which he is not suited, has mocked Kohli. He seems to indicate to everyone who will listen that he does not see himself playing for India in a specific role and that he would rather be satisfied with playing in the IPL.

Opposition has found out his batting

One of the reason I think Pandya has promoted himself is that he is certain that the opposition has exploited some chinks in his armour. Down the order, he gets restless and tries to play shots to every ball. The bowlers know that anything on his legs, the ball will disappear over the boundary ropes. Hence, they bowl full and wide on the off stump. The credit for this must go to the England bowlers. They bowled this line a couple of years ago during the ODIs series in India. Pandya all the time expected the ball on the leg stump but every time, it was on the off and wide of off. He did not have an answer for such deliveries. In most of the games against England, he ended with a below par score at a well below par strike rate.

Screaming at Shami

Captaincy does not really sit well with Pandya. He proved that in the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad the other day. He was seen screaming at Mohammed Shami for preferring to save a boundary instead of going for the catch. Now, what Shami did was perfectly alright. He is not athletic and he is not a great fielder. He chose the safest option of saving the boundary. Pandya, having played with Shami for a long time must have known. Instead, he screamed at Shami for not going for the catch. I am sure if Shami had missed the catch and let go off a boundary, Pandya would have wanted him to stop the boundary.

The point is Shami is much more senior to Pandya and he is still among the main bowlers in the Indian team. Pandya is a new captain with loads to learn. For someone like him to scream at Shami, it speaks of arrogance and nothing else. Ofcourse, in any sport, being a senior must not automatically command obedience even if the player is at fault. In this case however, Shami has sone more for the Indian team than Pandya will ever manage in his entire career. For such a player to be abused in front of the whole audience is rather tragic.

Conclusion to new version of Hardik Pandya

Gujarat Titans must realise that Hardik Pandya up the order will not serve them any good. He is better off down the order where he can atleast try to drive the score. It will work some days but will fail most days. However, Pandya up the order, he may score runs but GT is likely to fall short every single time.

Footnote

Just as I was about to publish this, Hardik played a belligerent knock against Rajasthan from the same number 4 position. Will it just be a flash in the pan?

What do you think about this version of Hardik Pandya? Do you reckon that he will adjust and that this is his correct spot? Let me know in the comments section.

New strategies emerge in IPL 2022

Posted on 17 April 202230 December 2023 by Bobji

The other day, when I was watching the game between Lucknow Super Giants & Rajasthan Royals, I was stunned to witness LSG send who are known in international cricket as bowlers who can bat up the order in chase of if not a tall score a middling one. Gowtham, Holder and Deepak Hooda who are at the best lower order batsmen went in at one, two and three down respectively. I just could not believe what I was seeing and I really thought that Rahul has lost his mind. I do not have much regards for Rahul’s captaincy but this must be poor by his own standards. There were other new strategies that emerged in IPL 2022 too.

All you can see is all-rounders batting up the order

When you switch on the TV and see Gowtham and Holder batting, you will naturally be inclined to think that the batting side is losing the game because at the wicket are two tail-enders. However, when you see the score and see just a couple of wickets lost, you will immediately wonder whether you are in any parallel universe or if the captain has lost his mind. LSG packed their team with all-rounders. What was the point of such a team? It is not like they restricted Rajasthan Royals to a low score. RR ended with a healthy 165 and they eventually won the game.

It is alright to pack the side with allrounders so long as they are capable of contributing with both bat and ball. In the history of cricket, there were only two, Gary Sobers and Jacques Kallis who can be classified as real all-rounders. The rest are good to decent in one and below average in the other.

Ashwin at it again

The next is the Ashwin case. Ashwin as we all know is an excellent thinker of the game. He is famous for running Buttler at the non-striker’s end during the IPL. He was wrongly pilloried for that act. It was something that is within the laws of the game but seldom used. Batsmen are adept at taking unfair advantage by taking more than a few paces before the ball is delivered. If this is not cheating, what Ashwin did was not cheating either.

There was one other instance of Ashwin thinking out of the box. This happened in the 2019 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, an internal Indian first-class competition. He removed his batting pads so that he will be able to run quicker with the match hanging in the balance. Again, there is no rule that states that the batsman will wear pads through his innings. These instances clearly show the mind of Ashwin which constantly ticks.

The same Ashwin has now brought into effect one more of the rarely used option. He decided to retire out when he wasn’t able to force the pace of the game. It happened in the game against Lucknow Super Giants. Again, this is not against the rule or the ethics of the game.

It was a team decision

Apparently, Sanju Samson, the captain, later revealed that it was a team decision and it was discussed in the team meeting. Ashwin had bought into it wholeheartedly.

“It’s about being Rajasthan Royals (Ashwin’s retired out). We keep trying different things,” Samson said after his team’s three-run win.

“Have been talking about it before the season. We thought that if some situation occurs, we can use it. It was a team decision.”

Team decision or otherwise, it was brave on the part of Ashwin to accept something that is not used extensively in the cricketing world. Infact, he would have been proud to have been involved in this too.

Ashwin said about the strategy, “T20, as a sport, is heading towards where football has reached. Just like how they’re using substitutions, I did something similar [retiring out]. Already we’re late, but I believe this will happen a lot in the coming days. I don’t think it will be a stigma like running someone out at the non-striker’s end.”

Conclusion to new strategies emerge at IPL 2022

T20 may undergo a revolution in the short to mid-term with so many changes. Only time can tell whether they are good for the game.

Other IPL 2022 related topics can be read here and here.

What is happening with CSK & MI?

Posted on 17 April 202230 December 2023 by Bobji

4 games and 4 consecutive losses. This is the state where both CSK and MI find themselves in during the early stages of IPL 2022. This was not only surprising but this was the most unexpected. The current and former IPL champions struggling to even open their account is completely unexpected. What is happening with CSK and MI? It looks like both the franchises completely goofed up during the auction itself. What they were thinking, is open for any interpretation.

Let me start with CSK

To begin with, how CSK let go off Faf du Plessis and Hazlewood, 2 star performers from last year is beyond belief. After a very long time or probably for the first time, CSK finally had a new ball bowler who was not only good enough to contain but good enough to pick up early wickets. It is an open secret that CSK’s bowling has been their achilles heel ever since IPL started way back in 2008. Every auction they will invariably falter when it comes to the bowlers. Perhaps, the CSK management thought that T20 is a game for batsmen and as such they invested in powerful hitters but not on bowlers.

The mistake was rectified finally when Hazlewood was picked to partner Deepak Chahar who has proved to be an IPL champion bowler. It showed in CSK winning the tournament itself. All the good work was undone in the auction a couple of months ago. Hazlewood was let go off. With Deepak Chahar unavailable because of injury, the bowling is extremely weak. Mahesh Theekshana, Dwayne Bravo, Mukesh Choudhary, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, when the opposition sees this kind of a bowling attack, they will be exceptionally pleased. Every batsman will queue up at the top order to face these bowlers.

Why was Faf not retained?

With Fat not at the top of the order, it has seriously weakened CSK’s batting. He was the 2^nd highest scorer in IPL 2021. One would have thought that Faf will be among the retained players by the franchise but to everyone’s horror, he wasn’t. Atleast CSK will take all the efforts to resign him for the franchise but even that wasn’t done. What on earth was the thinking behind such illogical decision? Will CSK pay dearly for such oversight? So far, they have. Before the auction, it seemed that the franchise had already decided to open with Uthappa and Ruturaj and hence the hesitation to bid on Faf.

Another problem is the age of the CSK players. Most of them are above 35 and well past their prime. Added to that, Shivam Dube, who is not known for any flamboyant batting, is the primary all-rounder in the squad. I do not have anything against Dube but it is clear that he is not of international standard.

No wonder, the performance of the franchise has been awful so far. Will CSK be able to proceed beyond the first round? It is tough if not impossible but it is unlikely.

Stephen Fleming, the CSK coach for more than 10 years, admitted that CSK’s self-belief has taken a severe beating. “I think it’s clear. Batting, bowling and fielding is what we need to work on. And moving forward we improve batting, bowling and fielding.”

How is Stephen Fleming retained as the coach despite being in the job for more than 10 years does not really make sense? Just like captains, coaches too have their sell by date. 10 years is way too long a time for any coach to have past that.

Now, I will discuss about Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians is another IPL franchise that instilled fear in every opposition. It will not be an understatement to say that the opposition lost the game even before they step onto the field. Such was the awe that they inspired. It was because of the firepower at the disposal of Mumbai Indians. Rohit and de Kock at the top with the Pandya brothers and Pollard at the tail end, they were absolutely invincible.

Everything was changed at the auction table. De Kock, the Pandya brothers were let go off. As a result, MI lost all the firepower. It shows in how they are now struggling to post tall scores. They were severely imbalanced because of the wrong choice of players. It left a great void in the middle and lower order though Ishan Kishan is an adequate replacement for de Kock. I do understand that the franchises are allowed to retain only a maximum of 4 players.

Did MI make a mistake in not bidding for Hardik?

I also understand the reasons for retaining Rohit, SKY & Bumrah and to a certain extent, Pollard but they must have gone all-out to bid for Hardik Pandya. He may not be the same force that he was but just the name sends shivers down the spine of the opposition. More than what he will do, the perception of what he can do will force the opponents into mistakes.

Without either of the Pandya’s and de Kock at the top, the firepower is drastically diminished. Added to that is the inability of the bowlers to contain runs and pick up regular wickets. Bumrah is still there but after more than 7 years, players seem to have found a way to counter him.

Conclusion to what is happening with CSK & MI?

It still is possible for both CSK and MI to qualify for the playoffs and perhaps lift the trophy. However, that is easier said than done. For that to happen, a lot of things will have to go right for these teams and a lot of things will have to go wrong for other teams. It is highly unlikely to happen. Cricket just like all other games is unpredictable. In 1983, India were on the brink of elimination, one freak innings from Kapil Dev changed the course of the tournament as well as the destiny of the Indian team. Will someone be able to inspire a turnaround for both MI & CSK?

CSK posted their first win before I published this blog. Will they be able to sustain?

Other MI related topics can be read here and here.

A talent that was lost

Posted on 9 April 20229 April 2022 by Bobji

I still remember quite if not vividly, atleast vaguely. It was a Ranji Trophy game between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu all those years ago. Tamil Nadu was struggling having lost more than 5 wickets for not that many runs. In walks a young wicket-keeper. Short and not that well built. Looking at him one would not have thought that he is capable of playing an innings that he was about to unleash. The confidence that he displayed at the crease on that day was a lesson to any budding cricketer. He did not play a shot in anger but the entire innings was beautifully paced. It was nothing but a sublime innings. Surely, a talent that was lost to Indian cricket. This is about the indomitable former Indian keeper Dinesh Karthik.

The other night when I saw Karthik decimate the Kolkatta Knight Riders with some of the cleanest hitting that I have seen, I cannot help but cast my mind back to that innings he played against Mumbai and wonder what could have been? How can someone who is immensely talented waste that talent and achieve practically nothing? Could the Indian team have gained an excellent and stroke-filled middle order batsman if only he had paid more attention to his game? One can only wonder at what the Indian team have lost in hindsight.

The immense talent Karthik had

Anyone who had watched Karthik on that day against Mumbai would have seen a superstar in the making. The quality of the shots, the cover drive, the flick of the wrists were of the highest class. They say that class is permanent and form is temporary. In Karthik’s case, class is permanent but form, that is what has dragged him down all the time. It is hard to imagine that a batsman with such a wide range of shots has not managed to play more than 50 tests. He never had any trouble against the quicker delivery or the spinners.

I for one certainly thought that in the post-Gilchrist world, when every team were looking for keeper who can not only bat but bat really well, like a specialist batsman, India have found one in Karthik. He seemed to be our answer to Gilchrist though not of the same swashbuckling variety. Little did I know at that time that he will fall by the wayside and will remain a fringe player.

He was given a lot of opportunities

Dinesh Karthik cannot complain about the lack of opportunities. He made his international debut much before Dhoni. He had a huge part to play in the Indian win against Pakistan. It was probably his 3^rd or 4^th test. Incredible innings against the arch-enemy right when India needed that. Then, failures after failures followed. Yet, he was persisted. This despite the fact that Dhoni by then had made his debut in the limited overs format and was creating waves with his brilliant batting. There was a clamour to bring Dhoni into Test cricket too. Yet, Karthik continued despite poor performances. Karthik was replaced by Dhoni when it was no longer possible to keep Dhoni out of the team.

Nonetheless, Dravid saw the talent in Karthik and decided to send him at the top of the order. He had some decent outings in England but was not consistent enough to be persisted with at the top. He was brought into the middle order for ODI and even there he found it difficult to score runs. Finally, after quite some time, he was brought into the team and this time in the T20 squad.

The one innings that resurrected his career

The cameo against Bangladesh in the Nidahas Trophy final will be etched in the minds of everyone who had watched that game. From then on, he got a new lease of life and was selected in the 2019 ODI World Cup but following a string of poor performances for an experienced cricketer, he was axed from the squad. Then test series in England where if only he had supported Kohli in the first test, India could have won that test but he perished in the first over on the last day with 83 runs required.

That was the last Karthik ever played for the Indian team. Multiple chances over a longer period of time and in various formats just so that Karthik one day will finally realise his true potential but he always remained an enigma. The point here is that Karthik was given far too many chances just because of the talent that he still possesses and hence he must not have any grievance.

Karthik still harbours international ambition

Now, Karthik says that the fire is still burning inside him to play one more World Cup. He probably means the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. It is well and good for any cricketer to hope to play for the Indian team but to hope so when you are 36 with multiple options in the middle order and for keeping wickets, I can only think of a fool’s hope. He is unlikely to replace Pant and with Rahul capable of donning the keeping gloves and with Bharat as standby, I do not see him replacing anybody else.

Conclusion to a talent that was lost

I think that the selectors have had enough with Karthik. They are unlikely to go back to him. There are far too many young players who keep banging the door and the selectors will have to be naïve to go back to Karthik. It does not really matter which format it is. He had been given enough chances to blossom into a good cricketer but every time, he blew it. Despite the strong finisher role that he might play for RCB in the IPL, the selectors must resist the urge to provide him with one more run. Indian cricket must move on from the older generation.

Do you think Karthik must be given one final chance to prove his worth? Does he really deserve it? Please let me know in the comments section.