Basking in the glory of having won the World Cup, we soon found ourselves amidst the biggest mass movement that I have seen against corruption. One 72 year man has brought the mango man (Aam Aadmi) to the streets in support of a burning cause in a typical Gandhian way. The pent up angst in people against the corrupt, fuelled by recent multiple expose needed just a little light to ignite the fire, which has been spreading like a jungle fire in last four days. Indians are standing up for greater participation in investigative and punitive process against the corruption at the highest level. The passions are running high and there seems to be a determination to do at least this much for the country. This is all so wonderful to see, so much so that yours truly feels personally involved.
However, one has come across some skeptics too. Skeptics not to the cause, but doubtful against this ‘cricket crazy’ nation’s will and ability to take part in the just social cause all the same. Initial responses read “people of this country can only come out to celebrate cricketing glory and nothing else…” But as the support grew and more people came on streets, there is a call “why are cricketers, who support Bharat Ratna for Sachin Tendulkar, not supporting the cause? Perhaps they are corrupt too...” Thankfully, MS Dhoni has expressed his support and asked people to join the movement, lest a hero on 2nd April would have been termed a greedy and corrupt captain. The latest one doing the rounds is “you wait till IPL starts and everyone will forget about the Anna Hazare cause…” Most surprisingly, this is coming from people who love the game and were tracking the world cup matches hoping for an Indian win. I am sure they would have celebrated the winning moments in their own ways.
Yet there is an element, or rather a fear of ‘Cricket’ Vs ‘Everything’ contest going on in minds of people right now. This is where the Etcetera of the Cricket comes into the fore. Yes, we are a cricket crazy nation and why should there be any negativity attached to it? Cricket as a game collectively enthralls us and kindles the passion that we have for the country. I find the belief that it (that passion) is restricted to cricket and cricket players totally unfounded. On the contrary, I feel one of the reasons that we see this unprecedented number of people coming out to actively support the cause is the timing of this movement which is just after cricket world cup win. All of us witnessed the fight for RTI, yet we didn’t see ourselves on streets then. India winning world cup a day before works brilliantly, the people are emotionally charged up, filled with pride and looking for ways to contribute in individual and collective successes. A cause is shown to them, something which is close to their heart, and that positive energy has got channelized into something bigger. I do not think this huge support is ‘despite’ the cricket and would rather believe that it is ‘because’ of cricket.
Which way will the people go once the IPL starts later today is yet to be seen. As for me, I am for the cause and will love to make the country’s leadership accountable to people when it comes to corruption. But I love my beer too and I love my cricket as well. I will certainly find a way to express all three loves at the same time and enjoy the Cricket as well as the Etcetera that comes with it!!!
© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)
Friday, April 8, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
The Resolve, The Game and The Glory!
It is the day after. The euphoria has settled but make no mistake, it has not reduced even by a millimeter. 45 days ago it all started with a few question marks - Will team India live up to it's expectations? What about the format? We are the best team on the paper, But? Will India be able to handle the expectation of a billion people? Will they do it for Sachin? Mercifully, it has all ended with an exclamation mark - exclamation of joy, of ecstasy, of pride and of dreams getting fulfilled. Well done India!
There will be views and reviews about the tournament and what made team India click and made us the world champions. More often than not, there would be discussions about individual contributions - Yuvi's miraculous comeback; Dhoni's impeccable leadership; Sachin's determination; Zaheer's piercing bowling; Kirsten's mission accomplished; so and so forth. These individual contributions (all of them) are worthy of the praises that they will get and lessons from each one of them will inspire the newer bread to succeed and create more winners in field of sports as well as corporate and social domain.
In my previous blog two things were highlighted, one of them was the importance of three (last three) matches and the other one was the ability to tackle the tag of the favourites. Irrespective of whatever happened in the league stage, it was India's resolute performance in these last three match which landed them with the coveted cup in their hands. In quarterfinals against Australia, India faced the reigning champions who showed that they still had it in them to lift the cup one more time, yet India were still the favorites for the match. Out of nowhere India lifted their fielding and late middle order batting to get past them. As much as skills, that match was won by team India with an overpowering passion and commitment to win at all cost.
Then it was the pot boiler of a semifinal against Pakistan, who had come up like a dark horse, defeating Srilanka in Srilanka and the mighty Australians in their league stage. Here too, India were running with the burden of expectations before the match started. Quite a few of us didn't give the credit where it was due after India won that match. Yes it was a scratchy win, but it was a scratchy match simply because of the unadulterated pressure (sportingly, historically and politically) attached to it. India Vs Pakistan match at such level can and will be won only by the team which handles this pressure better and the fact that Pakistan dropped catches and Indians held them goes on to show who handled that pressure better in this semifinal.
Then it was the finals against Srilankans who had knocked at the doors earlier by being in the semis in the previous world cup edition. Once again, playing at home India had an edge going into this game. The tone was set in first hour of the match as one observed Indian fielding reach an unprecedented height. Interestingly it wasn't only Yuvraj, Raina and Kohli who were rising to the occasion as expected, but also it was that brilliant catch of Sehwag in the slips, Zaheer diving around at the boundary amidst his opening spell of 5 overs and Sreesanth on the leg side boundary - all underscoring a resolve I have never witnessed from this team in this tournament, before or for that matter ever before. If there were any doubts about the fact that team India had raised it's game to be worthy of the cup, it was put at rest during the chase when both the star batsmen were lost early. Gautam, Kohli, Dhoni and Yuvi chased the total down with a level of grit and determination which showed that their life depended on this win.
There was a stark difference in how the two finalist had played their last three games. At one end, it was Srilanka who had got over toothless England and skill deficient New Zealand who somehow managed to be on the right side of an upset quarterfinals. Playing in their Colombo den, Srilankan Lions had roared through to the finals. Whereas, India had already played two finals before they played Srilanka in Mumbai yesterday. They had already lifted their game and demonstrated how ready, hungry and skilled they were before the finals. They say Srilanka missed a few tricks on the field and I agree. Sanga, normally a smart captain wasn't probably acclimatized enough to do the things that you need to do in situations he found himself in that cracker of a final. Jayawardhene had given them more than a hope while batting, but he was not prepared for what he got from Indian middle order.
As expected, it was 'a cup of three matches' and it was won by the 15 men who, driven by lots of skill and one motivation called Sachin Tendulkar, cracked these three matches. This world cup victory and its memory is not limited to the final in Mumbai but each of These three Games that have left behind pride and Glory for the recently counted 1.21 billion passionate Indians... and more. Long live the Glory of my motherland India and long live the Game of Cricket! Amen!!!
© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)
There will be views and reviews about the tournament and what made team India click and made us the world champions. More often than not, there would be discussions about individual contributions - Yuvi's miraculous comeback; Dhoni's impeccable leadership; Sachin's determination; Zaheer's piercing bowling; Kirsten's mission accomplished; so and so forth. These individual contributions (all of them) are worthy of the praises that they will get and lessons from each one of them will inspire the newer bread to succeed and create more winners in field of sports as well as corporate and social domain.
In my previous blog two things were highlighted, one of them was the importance of three (last three) matches and the other one was the ability to tackle the tag of the favourites. Irrespective of whatever happened in the league stage, it was India's resolute performance in these last three match which landed them with the coveted cup in their hands. In quarterfinals against Australia, India faced the reigning champions who showed that they still had it in them to lift the cup one more time, yet India were still the favorites for the match. Out of nowhere India lifted their fielding and late middle order batting to get past them. As much as skills, that match was won by team India with an overpowering passion and commitment to win at all cost.
Then it was the pot boiler of a semifinal against Pakistan, who had come up like a dark horse, defeating Srilanka in Srilanka and the mighty Australians in their league stage. Here too, India were running with the burden of expectations before the match started. Quite a few of us didn't give the credit where it was due after India won that match. Yes it was a scratchy win, but it was a scratchy match simply because of the unadulterated pressure (sportingly, historically and politically) attached to it. India Vs Pakistan match at such level can and will be won only by the team which handles this pressure better and the fact that Pakistan dropped catches and Indians held them goes on to show who handled that pressure better in this semifinal.
Then it was the finals against Srilankans who had knocked at the doors earlier by being in the semis in the previous world cup edition. Once again, playing at home India had an edge going into this game. The tone was set in first hour of the match as one observed Indian fielding reach an unprecedented height. Interestingly it wasn't only Yuvraj, Raina and Kohli who were rising to the occasion as expected, but also it was that brilliant catch of Sehwag in the slips, Zaheer diving around at the boundary amidst his opening spell of 5 overs and Sreesanth on the leg side boundary - all underscoring a resolve I have never witnessed from this team in this tournament, before or for that matter ever before. If there were any doubts about the fact that team India had raised it's game to be worthy of the cup, it was put at rest during the chase when both the star batsmen were lost early. Gautam, Kohli, Dhoni and Yuvi chased the total down with a level of grit and determination which showed that their life depended on this win.
There was a stark difference in how the two finalist had played their last three games. At one end, it was Srilanka who had got over toothless England and skill deficient New Zealand who somehow managed to be on the right side of an upset quarterfinals. Playing in their Colombo den, Srilankan Lions had roared through to the finals. Whereas, India had already played two finals before they played Srilanka in Mumbai yesterday. They had already lifted their game and demonstrated how ready, hungry and skilled they were before the finals. They say Srilanka missed a few tricks on the field and I agree. Sanga, normally a smart captain wasn't probably acclimatized enough to do the things that you need to do in situations he found himself in that cracker of a final. Jayawardhene had given them more than a hope while batting, but he was not prepared for what he got from Indian middle order.
As expected, it was 'a cup of three matches' and it was won by the 15 men who, driven by lots of skill and one motivation called Sachin Tendulkar, cracked these three matches. This world cup victory and its memory is not limited to the final in Mumbai but each of These three Games that have left behind pride and Glory for the recently counted 1.21 billion passionate Indians... and more. Long live the Glory of my motherland India and long live the Game of Cricket! Amen!!!
© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Cup of Three Matches
Two teams (India and Pakistan) out from world cup running in the league stage and One dead coach. The headlines pretty much summed up the disaster that ICC World Cup 2007 in West Indies was. The lesson was learned, and before the fans could say "What the 'duck' was that?", ICC WC 2011 edition format was redressed and the Life Insurance premium for coaches had hit the roof. To ensure that (at least) the calamity of two biggest financial powers of the game dare not cause the cricketing recession again, the 2011 format now has found out a way to say a polite 'Buzz off' to the minnows of the game by recalling the quarter finals in the event after 16 years as the tournament returns to the sub-continent.
Nothing too wrong with that except the fact that the qualifying for the semis is not as rigorous as it was in last three editions. The eight (or at least seven teams) are virtually assured of a place in the quarterfinals. Put in the other way, you need only three wins out of your six league matches to book your place in the quarterfinal of the tournament. Not too bad as a probability considering there are three minnows in your group, eh?
But these are not the three matches that the title of this blog refers to. The tournament is about the three matches after the league stage - the quarter finals, the semi finals and the final. This is the stage, the knockout stage, where the real suitor of the coveted cup would be decided. There could be and there would be only one team who will win these three matches back to back. No matter how much the conditions suit you; no matter how perfect is your team combination; and no matter how much in-form you are, you have one bad day and you can kiss your dream, shove it into your billion followers, go back to start and try your luck again four year later. Scary... really scary!!!
That said, if we look at 2003 and 2007 editions, Australia as a team did not lose even a single match in their quest to find their rightful place at the top. Ricky Ponting, irrespective of how much we hate him, has a unique distinction of having a 100% win record in WC matches as captain. More than his captaincy, it speaks volumes about the team which was named favourites with a huge distinction at the start of both these tournaments. By our design all of us love underdogs and the idea of 'a chaiwala winning a KBC' fascinates us. But imagine what this thought process does to you if you are the 'favourite'. Everyone thinks that you will win, but most of them wish that you don't! Also, when you are on top you are visibly exposed and a soft target as every opposition is shredding you threadbare, working on sole agenda to topple you somehow. To win as a favourite is much much tougher than winning as a underdog. Dhoni explained that winning the T20 WC was convenient since the expectations were low. So it was with Pakistan and then England in the subsequent T20 WCs.
By the looks of it India is hottest to win this tournament, but then there is this tale of three matches in a row. Irrespective of how well we've done in the warm-up games or how well we'll do in the league stage, the only thing that will make us champions would be three back to back wins at this knockout stage. India is placed in a similar position as Australia in 2003 and 2007 at the start of this tournament, however the pressure of being favourites is stronger... by a billion units at least. And then there is an added responsibility of doing it for Sachin in his last WC, for this son of the soil deserves to fulfill his dream as he has filled ours for last two decades.
It would be nothing short of a miracle if the men in blue are able to rise above this constraint of being the favourites. As of now, this is the only thing that stands in the way. A little prayer goes out for Team India that they shut off completely from the pressures that we create, focus hard, and finish the job. One bad day, is something team India cannot afford... Amen!!!
Varun
© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)
Nothing too wrong with that except the fact that the qualifying for the semis is not as rigorous as it was in last three editions. The eight (or at least seven teams) are virtually assured of a place in the quarterfinals. Put in the other way, you need only three wins out of your six league matches to book your place in the quarterfinal of the tournament. Not too bad as a probability considering there are three minnows in your group, eh?
But these are not the three matches that the title of this blog refers to. The tournament is about the three matches after the league stage - the quarter finals, the semi finals and the final. This is the stage, the knockout stage, where the real suitor of the coveted cup would be decided. There could be and there would be only one team who will win these three matches back to back. No matter how much the conditions suit you; no matter how perfect is your team combination; and no matter how much in-form you are, you have one bad day and you can kiss your dream, shove it into your billion followers, go back to start and try your luck again four year later. Scary... really scary!!!
That said, if we look at 2003 and 2007 editions, Australia as a team did not lose even a single match in their quest to find their rightful place at the top. Ricky Ponting, irrespective of how much we hate him, has a unique distinction of having a 100% win record in WC matches as captain. More than his captaincy, it speaks volumes about the team which was named favourites with a huge distinction at the start of both these tournaments. By our design all of us love underdogs and the idea of 'a chaiwala winning a KBC' fascinates us. But imagine what this thought process does to you if you are the 'favourite'. Everyone thinks that you will win, but most of them wish that you don't! Also, when you are on top you are visibly exposed and a soft target as every opposition is shredding you threadbare, working on sole agenda to topple you somehow. To win as a favourite is much much tougher than winning as a underdog. Dhoni explained that winning the T20 WC was convenient since the expectations were low. So it was with Pakistan and then England in the subsequent T20 WCs.
By the looks of it India is hottest to win this tournament, but then there is this tale of three matches in a row. Irrespective of how well we've done in the warm-up games or how well we'll do in the league stage, the only thing that will make us champions would be three back to back wins at this knockout stage. India is placed in a similar position as Australia in 2003 and 2007 at the start of this tournament, however the pressure of being favourites is stronger... by a billion units at least. And then there is an added responsibility of doing it for Sachin in his last WC, for this son of the soil deserves to fulfill his dream as he has filled ours for last two decades.
It would be nothing short of a miracle if the men in blue are able to rise above this constraint of being the favourites. As of now, this is the only thing that stands in the way. A little prayer goes out for Team India that they shut off completely from the pressures that we create, focus hard, and finish the job. One bad day, is something team India cannot afford... Amen!!!
Varun
© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Jacques Kallis - the man, the mammoth
My son Shaurya, just 10 years old, is a great cricket fan. Amongst his 3 most favourite players are Sachin Tendulkar (no marks for guessing it right), Shane Warne (Shaurya is a leggie, and who other than Shane could be his idol) and Brett Lee (a cricketer and a gentleman thoroughly loved by India, who my son also reveres). Ask him who my favourite all-time player is, and pat will come the answer – Jacques Kallis. Why Kallis, a lot of my saner cricket-fanatic friends ask, when there is a Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, or has been a Ganguly, Gavaskar, Kapil, Kumble, in India alone. And why not Brian Lara, Gary Sobers or Vivian Richards, or Muralitharan or Jayasuriya, or Ian Botham, or Imran Khan or Wasim Akram, or Hadlee or one of Warne, Ponting, Steve Waugh, McGrath or Alan Border. And why not Bradman himself? Why, in the name or lord, Jacques Kallis!!!
Well there are many reasons for the same. But I think only one is enough. The man, every time he steps out to play for his team, gives his side the edge of playing not one but two players, thereby virtually playing a 12-member team instead of the mandated 11. And not two average players, but two players who would find their way in the team individually – either as a top order batsman or as a top order bowler. And not just in Tests or ODIs, but in both forms of the game. The man has over 11,000 runs in both tests and ODIs, and over 250 wickets in each of the forms! Now, show me a cricketer who’s bigger and more valuable to any team. My dearest friend and co-blogger, Varun, may tend to disagree with me, calling me a man of statistics alone, but I would gently remind him that so is he – when he cites Sachin’s 50 centuries in tests and another 46 in ODIs, or the fact that Sachin has more runs than any individual in both forms of the game, or that Sachin has won more games (arguably) than most other people for his team. What is this, if it is not statistics?
There are all-rounders who’ve been admired all over the world. The leading players (with over 300 wickets and over 3,000 runs in tests) who make the cut are Shane Warne, Kapil Dev, Richard Hadlee, Shaun Pollock (you may be surprised to see him here, but the man has 3,781 runs and 421 wickets to his credit!), Ian Botham, Imran Khan, Chaminda Vaas (yes sir, the man who’s not at all known for his batting has over 3,000 runs apart from over 350 wickets!) and Daniel Vettori. Jacques Kallis, the immediate next on the list has almost 12,000 runs. He’s no. 5 on the all time list – with only Sachin, Ponting, Dravid and Lara ahead of him; and with Ponting, the 2nd highest scorer being just 500-odd ahead of him, Kallis is threatening to become the No.2 on the all time list sooner than later. And now take this – with 39 centuries to boot, he’s the 2nd highest centurion sharing the spot with Ponting, but with just 245 innings to get them, he’s ahead of Ponting who’s played 259! And the man also bowls, and like how!!!
Now, let’s also examine ODIs for the same. There are just 3 cricketers who have over 300 wickets and over 3,000 runs – Wasim Akram, Shaun Pollock (what, the man is here as well!) and Sanath Jayasuriya. Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzak, Kapil Dev, Chris Harris and Chris Cairns make up the list of those with over 200 wickets and over 3,000 runs – which including the first 3 is an elite club of just 9 cricketers. Kallis, with 11,002 runs including 17 centuries and 259 wickets, features prominently in this list of super-achievers.
I tried to figure out the greatness of Kallis, but there has to be a standard measure that can map him against other greats, and not just emotions. So, I resorted to a fantasy game – Super Selector – that my friends and I often play, where everyday we select teams during a tournament, and based on their actual on-ground performance, it is determined who the best Super Selector is. Apart from other things, in Super Selector, there are points allocated to everything that impacts a game. A single run = 1 point, a catch/run out = 5 points, a wicket = 25 points, and so on. There are additional points for half centuries, centuries or 2 or more wickets in an innings, strike rates, maiden overs bonuses, etc. that add to the complexity of the fantasy game. But for the purpose of this evaluation, I shall stick to just 2 measures – runs scored (1 point for each run), and wickets taken (25 points for each wicket). And I shall evaluate the top batsmen, top bowlers, and leading all-rounders for the purpose.
Let’s start with batsmen, and start from the top, which in my opinion, is a great place to start. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar – 17,598 runs and 154 wickets in ODIs = 21,448 points. Add to this 14,532 runs and 44 wickets in tests = 15,632 points. Add the two together and we get 37,080 points – that’s a lot, isn’t it? Now, let’s consider the second guy, Sanath Jayasuriya. 13,428 runs and 322 wickets in ODIs = 21,478 points (what – the guy is actually 30 points more valuable than Sachin in ODIs!!!). And in tests, 6,973 runs and and 98 wickets = 9,423 points (Sachin kills him here). So, his total is 30,901. Mean, nonetheless. Ricky Pointing, the no. 2 batsman in tests and no. 3 batsman in ODIs is next. In ODIs, he’s got 13,082 runs and 3 wickets, totaling to 13,157 points. And in tests 12,363 runs and 5 wickets get him 12,488 points. Total is 25,645 points (far behind even Sanath).
Let’s jump straight to bowlers now. Muthiah Muralithan, with his 800 test wickets, is right on top. His 800 wickets and 1,261 runs in tests = 21,261 points (wow, the man is far ahead of his batsmen companions in tests). And in ODIs, 517 wickets and 865 runs = 13,790 points. Totals to overall 35,051 points. Second only to Sachin thus far. Let’s look at Shane Warne, the all-time no. 2 wicket taker, and also an all-rounder (as we just discovered above). 708 wickets and 3,154 runs in tests = 20,854 points (no mean feat – bowlers seem to be batting the pulp out of batsmen in tests). In ODIs, 293 wickets and 1,018 runs = 8,343 points. Total tally is 29,197 points (interestingly, he’s behind Sachin, Murali & Sanath, but way ahead of Ponting).
Now, let’s consider the all-rounders, and let’s start with Wasim Akram. In ODIs, 502 wickets and 3,717 runs = 16,267 points. In tests, 414 wickets and 2,898 runs = 13,248 points. Total tally is 29,515 points (he’s beaten Warne, and Ponting continues to be pounded). Kapil Dev is the next big bet. In ODIs, 253 wickets and 3,783 runs = 10,108 points. In tests, 434 wickets and 5,248 runs = 16,098 points. Total tally is 26,206 (way behind Akram, but hey - Ponting - behind Kapil too, is getting rickety now). The other all-rounders don’t measure up (Pollock is 3rd best overall), and we’ll ignore them for the calculation.
Now, let’s bring in Kallis. In tests, 11,677 runs and 270 wickets = 18,427 points (behind Muralitharan and Warne, but ahead of Sachin). In ODIs, 11,002 runs and 259 wickets = 17,477 points. Add the two, and we get 35,904 points, which is second only to Sachin overall, and a little over 1,000 points behind. So, that means that Sachin is the greatest and most valuable player in the world for sure. Hang on a bit my friends, for there is another piece of data to be added to this calculation – no. of matches. Sachin has played 431 tests and 288 ODIs, which adds up to 719 matches. Now, if we divide his total points (37,080), we get 51.57 points per match. Let’s do the same math first for Muralitharan who’s third in the overall all-time list with 35,051 points, barely a thousand behind Kallis. With 339 ODIs and 133 tests, he’s played a total of 472 matches. And his average points per match are 74.26 (almost 1.5 times that of Sachin!). Kallis has played 144 tests and 307 ODIs, totaling 451 matches. Which, considering his 35,904 points, brings his points contribution per match to 79.61 – ahead of Murali, and over 1.5 times that of Sachin!!!
Some people, in fact probably many, will not have finally enjoyed reading this piece which clearly demonstrates the supremacy of Kallis over so many much better known, and much more adored players. But for me, the biggest God of cricket resides in South Africa, and his name is Jacques Kallis.
© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)
Well there are many reasons for the same. But I think only one is enough. The man, every time he steps out to play for his team, gives his side the edge of playing not one but two players, thereby virtually playing a 12-member team instead of the mandated 11. And not two average players, but two players who would find their way in the team individually – either as a top order batsman or as a top order bowler. And not just in Tests or ODIs, but in both forms of the game. The man has over 11,000 runs in both tests and ODIs, and over 250 wickets in each of the forms! Now, show me a cricketer who’s bigger and more valuable to any team. My dearest friend and co-blogger, Varun, may tend to disagree with me, calling me a man of statistics alone, but I would gently remind him that so is he – when he cites Sachin’s 50 centuries in tests and another 46 in ODIs, or the fact that Sachin has more runs than any individual in both forms of the game, or that Sachin has won more games (arguably) than most other people for his team. What is this, if it is not statistics?
There are all-rounders who’ve been admired all over the world. The leading players (with over 300 wickets and over 3,000 runs in tests) who make the cut are Shane Warne, Kapil Dev, Richard Hadlee, Shaun Pollock (you may be surprised to see him here, but the man has 3,781 runs and 421 wickets to his credit!), Ian Botham, Imran Khan, Chaminda Vaas (yes sir, the man who’s not at all known for his batting has over 3,000 runs apart from over 350 wickets!) and Daniel Vettori. Jacques Kallis, the immediate next on the list has almost 12,000 runs. He’s no. 5 on the all time list – with only Sachin, Ponting, Dravid and Lara ahead of him; and with Ponting, the 2nd highest scorer being just 500-odd ahead of him, Kallis is threatening to become the No.2 on the all time list sooner than later. And now take this – with 39 centuries to boot, he’s the 2nd highest centurion sharing the spot with Ponting, but with just 245 innings to get them, he’s ahead of Ponting who’s played 259! And the man also bowls, and like how!!!
Now, let’s also examine ODIs for the same. There are just 3 cricketers who have over 300 wickets and over 3,000 runs – Wasim Akram, Shaun Pollock (what, the man is here as well!) and Sanath Jayasuriya. Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzak, Kapil Dev, Chris Harris and Chris Cairns make up the list of those with over 200 wickets and over 3,000 runs – which including the first 3 is an elite club of just 9 cricketers. Kallis, with 11,002 runs including 17 centuries and 259 wickets, features prominently in this list of super-achievers.
I tried to figure out the greatness of Kallis, but there has to be a standard measure that can map him against other greats, and not just emotions. So, I resorted to a fantasy game – Super Selector – that my friends and I often play, where everyday we select teams during a tournament, and based on their actual on-ground performance, it is determined who the best Super Selector is. Apart from other things, in Super Selector, there are points allocated to everything that impacts a game. A single run = 1 point, a catch/run out = 5 points, a wicket = 25 points, and so on. There are additional points for half centuries, centuries or 2 or more wickets in an innings, strike rates, maiden overs bonuses, etc. that add to the complexity of the fantasy game. But for the purpose of this evaluation, I shall stick to just 2 measures – runs scored (1 point for each run), and wickets taken (25 points for each wicket). And I shall evaluate the top batsmen, top bowlers, and leading all-rounders for the purpose.
Let’s start with batsmen, and start from the top, which in my opinion, is a great place to start. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar – 17,598 runs and 154 wickets in ODIs = 21,448 points. Add to this 14,532 runs and 44 wickets in tests = 15,632 points. Add the two together and we get 37,080 points – that’s a lot, isn’t it? Now, let’s consider the second guy, Sanath Jayasuriya. 13,428 runs and 322 wickets in ODIs = 21,478 points (what – the guy is actually 30 points more valuable than Sachin in ODIs!!!). And in tests, 6,973 runs and and 98 wickets = 9,423 points (Sachin kills him here). So, his total is 30,901. Mean, nonetheless. Ricky Pointing, the no. 2 batsman in tests and no. 3 batsman in ODIs is next. In ODIs, he’s got 13,082 runs and 3 wickets, totaling to 13,157 points. And in tests 12,363 runs and 5 wickets get him 12,488 points. Total is 25,645 points (far behind even Sanath).
Let’s jump straight to bowlers now. Muthiah Muralithan, with his 800 test wickets, is right on top. His 800 wickets and 1,261 runs in tests = 21,261 points (wow, the man is far ahead of his batsmen companions in tests). And in ODIs, 517 wickets and 865 runs = 13,790 points. Totals to overall 35,051 points. Second only to Sachin thus far. Let’s look at Shane Warne, the all-time no. 2 wicket taker, and also an all-rounder (as we just discovered above). 708 wickets and 3,154 runs in tests = 20,854 points (no mean feat – bowlers seem to be batting the pulp out of batsmen in tests). In ODIs, 293 wickets and 1,018 runs = 8,343 points. Total tally is 29,197 points (interestingly, he’s behind Sachin, Murali & Sanath, but way ahead of Ponting).
Now, let’s consider the all-rounders, and let’s start with Wasim Akram. In ODIs, 502 wickets and 3,717 runs = 16,267 points. In tests, 414 wickets and 2,898 runs = 13,248 points. Total tally is 29,515 points (he’s beaten Warne, and Ponting continues to be pounded). Kapil Dev is the next big bet. In ODIs, 253 wickets and 3,783 runs = 10,108 points. In tests, 434 wickets and 5,248 runs = 16,098 points. Total tally is 26,206 (way behind Akram, but hey - Ponting - behind Kapil too, is getting rickety now). The other all-rounders don’t measure up (Pollock is 3rd best overall), and we’ll ignore them for the calculation.
Now, let’s bring in Kallis. In tests, 11,677 runs and 270 wickets = 18,427 points (behind Muralitharan and Warne, but ahead of Sachin). In ODIs, 11,002 runs and 259 wickets = 17,477 points. Add the two, and we get 35,904 points, which is second only to Sachin overall, and a little over 1,000 points behind. So, that means that Sachin is the greatest and most valuable player in the world for sure. Hang on a bit my friends, for there is another piece of data to be added to this calculation – no. of matches. Sachin has played 431 tests and 288 ODIs, which adds up to 719 matches. Now, if we divide his total points (37,080), we get 51.57 points per match. Let’s do the same math first for Muralitharan who’s third in the overall all-time list with 35,051 points, barely a thousand behind Kallis. With 339 ODIs and 133 tests, he’s played a total of 472 matches. And his average points per match are 74.26 (almost 1.5 times that of Sachin!). Kallis has played 144 tests and 307 ODIs, totaling 451 matches. Which, considering his 35,904 points, brings his points contribution per match to 79.61 – ahead of Murali, and over 1.5 times that of Sachin!!!
Some people, in fact probably many, will not have finally enjoyed reading this piece which clearly demonstrates the supremacy of Kallis over so many much better known, and much more adored players. But for me, the biggest God of cricket resides in South Africa, and his name is Jacques Kallis.
© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)
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