7 CEO Lessons from the India-New Zealand semi-final match

India lost the semi-final match to New Zealand. It shouldn’t have happened in the normal course, and there are some great management lessons from the game for us, which I share hereunder:

a. Over-dependence on a few critical resources

The Indian cricket team has so far been led well by the top order. Together, Rohit, Rahul, Kohli & Shikhar had always set the team’s pace while batting and scored big to not just set up big totals for the opposition to chase, but also to ensure that any total faced by India was chase-able. When it came to the semi-final, it was a classic failure, where, for the first very time in India’s history, the top 3 batsmen departed scoring a single run each. When the big 3 fell so early, the otherwise small chase became daunting, and our middle order couldn’t cross the total.

b. Inadequate fallback options

The renowned, but unsteady, middle order of the most-feared batting unit in the world collapsed when it needed to perform the most. Pant, Karthik and Pandya all added a little bit to the total but their cautious (much needed at that time) approach made the required run rate go out of hand slowly and steadily. By the time Dhoni came out to bat, we were already reeling at 92/6 in 30.3 overs – a really sad total even by test standards. However, all was not lost, as the required run rate was 7.6 for the remaining 19.3 overs. Could have been chased had we enough wickets in hand.

c.Wrong utilization of resources

When in doubt, go with your instinct, goes the saying. Predictably, that’s what the Indian team did in sending Karthik and Pandya ahead of Dhoni. What we needed after the departure of Virat was the calming influence of Dhoni. We decided, instead, to go with our younger go-getters, in the hope (definitely not in the belief) that they would not just stabilize the innings but keep scoring at a decent enough rate for Dhoni to come out later and finish the game with aplomb as he usually does. Sadly, we left too much for too late for Dhoni to turn things around.

d. Reliance on historical data ignoring current evidence

Dhoni… Dhoni… Dhoni… that’s what the stadium chanted as the captain cool walked in to bat. Dhoni fans continued to believe in his super-human abilities to turn around our fortunes at any stage. Little did the team management or the fans recognize that the Dhoni of this World Cup is a far cry from his usual self. His work behind the stumps has been wanting and his scoring rate throughout the tournament has been meagre. His past glory, not his present form, made him a part of the team, and his poor form cost us when we hoped that he’d sail us through.

e. Playing favourites in resource planning

The question of who to take to the World Cup to who to play in the final 11 has haunted us right through the tournament. The fact that Rayadu was ignored in favour of 3D skills of Vijay Shankar, the fact that when the need arose to replace Shikhar, Vijay was played ahead of Rishabh despite Pant being called in as Dhawan’s replacement, the fact that Pant wasn’t originally taken to England because selectors and the captain wanted Dhoni in the team, all went on to ensure that favourites did not live up to their reputation and the worthy team members weren’t allowed to.

f. Paying the price for procrastination

Nothing demonstrates this better than the semi-final wherein Dhoni – despite having an able partner in Jadeja who was scoring at a brisk rate to try and not only cover the deficit but win the match – chose to play the waiting game scoring at an abysmal rate akin to the India vs England match (which also was lost largely because of painfully slow scoring rate), in the self-belief that he can play it slow for now as he has the ability to accelerate at will and win in the dying minutes of the match, as he normally does. We set ourselves for failure and got the only possible result.

g. Underestimation of the challenges and unpreparedness

The New Zealand team, since time immemorial, has been a bits-n-pieces players team mostly. Sometimes, they have had great batsmen, great bowlers, great wicket-keepers and great fielders who have been the world’s best but, quite frankly, New Zealand has been “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” kind of team, who everyone is worried about but nobody really fears. India, in their supreme confidence, underestimated the strategic readiness & fierce determination of the underdog and ended up playing the ultimate price.

As is evident from the above, the importance of well-thought strategy, detailed planning and actual performance cannot be undermined ever, whether it is a cricket match or a corporate decision-making situation. Whether it is about choosing absolutely the right resources for a particular job, or about quick course-correction should things go wrong, a manager has to take quick and bold decisions in the interest of the company goal rather than basing them on what others would like or what he/she prefers. The above 7 are the few basic things that every CEO, Department Head and Manager should always keep in mind while planning growth of the organization.

© Shailesh Nigam

Pool B of the World Cup is demonstrating that Cricket is indeed a game of glorious uncertainties

It's an intriguing situation in Pool B in the World Cup. India have already finished at the top, and are already in the quarter finals, irrespective of how they fare in their last match against Zimbabwe.

South Africa now play UAE on the 12th March, and a win will assure them a place in the quarter-finals. However, we all know how fickle they can be right at the most crucial time and squander an opportunity. Even if South Africa lose to UAE, they'd probably qualify, despite remaining at 6 points, which is equal to what Pakistan and Ireland have right now.

Pakistan & Ireland play their last match against one another and only two outcomes can happen - either, one of them will beat the other and get 8 points and qualify, or, the match will be rained out and both will get 1 point each and will settle at 7 points each, and both will qualify in that situation.

But let us consider the following situation - South Africa actually lose to UAE, and on the 15th March, West Indies beats UAE to also reach 6 points. That will leave India as the only nation that goes through clearly from Pool B, before the match between Pakistan and Ireland is decided later the same day. This will leave 4 teams on 6 points before that match - South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan and Ireland, and who goes through will finally be dependent on the Pakistan-Ireland match alone. Assuming, the Pakistan-Ireland match will have a result, the winner will go through leaving the other 3 teams to slug it out for the remaining 2 slots on their net run rate.

Technically, the Pakistan-Ireland tie is now a pre-quarter-final of sorts between them, but many other teams will be watching the match with bated breath, while chewing on their nails. If Ireland beat Pakistan to go through, it will be a huge upset - on the same lines as Pool A where yesterday Bangladesh pipped England to finish their world cup dream. This would mean that two strong test-playing nations would be ousted in the very first round by two minnows!

Cricket, as they say, is indeed a game of glorious uncertainties.

© Shailesh Nigam

Ireland - the giant killers arrive in style

Two different days, two different tales. While India crushed Pakistan in what was expected to be close contest yesterday, the story of the World Cup Tournament so far is not about the biggest rivalry in cricket. Today, a new page was turned in the book of cricket when unfancied Ireland chased a huge 300+ target with exceptional ease and over 4 overs to spare against 2 times world champions and one of the tournament favourites, West Indies.

Pool B - to which all these 4 teams belong - was supposed to have thrown up natural semi-finalists, India, South Africa, Pakistan and West Indies. Zimbabwe, UAE and Ireland were supposed to go down without even a fight. Ireland proved today that it is not so easy to write them off so soon. Even in the last world cup - with the O'Brien brothers leading their charge - they had announced their arrival on the world stage with aplomb. Today, they took their credibility many notches higher.

West Indies would've surely assumed that they had the match in their pocket after scoring 304. However, a great top order batting performance by Ireland made world class bowlers like Roach, Taylor, and company look totally pedestrian, and Ireland romped home with 4 wickets and 4 overs to spare. This was not just a win, it was a humiliating victory beyond comprehension.

Reminds me of 1983 when Kapil's Devils showed to the world that cricket can produce Davids who will not only take on Goliaths but also conquer them.

A look at the scorecard is telling. Chris Gayle - arguably the biggest hitter in world cricket - took took 65 balls to score a measly 36. Normally, he would had taken 36 balls to score 65! When he fell, West Indies were just 78 in 21.2 overs. Another 2 wickets meant that Windies had lost half their side for just 87. It was Simmons and Sammy who stood their ground and finally made a match of it.

Ireland chased it down without any hiccups, in the process making it one of the five successful chases of 300 in all World Cups. And... for those who didn't know, 3 of these 5 chases are by Ireland - 2 against test playing nations. Guess, it is the season of small guys winning against mighty giants!

© Shailesh Nigam

The Chosen One - a conspiracy revealed (by Varun Khanna)

The early eighties were probably the watershed years for Indian cricket. The young hurricane from Haryana had led the country to the first ever world cup victory over mighty West Indies. Some say that it was a fluke… a beautiful coincidence, perhaps! Or so it was proved by the thrashing from Clive’s eleven in a home series immediately after the Prudential Cup was paraded and then placed on a mantle post the ceremonies. Fluke or deserving, but that victory created a brand new breed of followers of the game in India. The world championship series win in Australia following that only added the fuel to the fire as the enthusiasts signed up at a record pace. There was an audience being created… a huge audience… which discovered the joy of watching the game of cricket - demanding their team to do well.  Purely in economic theory terms, the demand was rising yet the supply of winning moments was only diminishing. The stalwarts of the Indian cricket… the Gavaskars, Vengsarkars, Srikants and Amarnaths were reaching the end of their career. Regardless of this, the size of the market and demand of cricketing glory continued to grow and the gap between demand and supply continued to get wider.

There were signs and surely the angels covering the game must have noticed this well in advance, because they had already got into action. The harvests in the grounds of Shivaji Park and Azad Maidan had provided best crop of cricketing talent in the past. The chosen one had arrived on the same fields and was now in his teens, thrashing bowlers and records already. Riding pillion with his coach and mentor, he was moving from ground to ground, announcing himself to the world. He was to be called and he was called at the age of 16 years and 205 days… to don the India cap and start his career from arguably the most hostile terrain in the whole world for an Indian cricketer. The year was 1989 and the world of cricket changed after that. For next 24 years, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar ruled the hearts and minds of the ever growing lovers of game both in India and abroad.

Twenty four years is a lot of time in which a lot can happen… and lot did happen. The stocks of the game rose to dizzying heights. Almost as if it was the part of the some script, liberalization and opening up of media in early 90s came with immaculate timing. Viewership, sponsorship, advertisement, contracts - the world was converging to Sachin’s brand of cricket. People thronged to see their favourite, the son of the soil bat and Sachin didn’t disappoint them. He seemed to have bought the ownership rights of those 22 yards that matter on cricket grounds across the world and he was serving delectably sumptuous portions which left his admirers with filled stomachs yet craving for more. On the way records were shattered, unprecedented heights were claimed. A short boy with curly hair from Mumbai, had become the God of Cricket. The cricket was shining and the angels were smiling on a job well done! It was working as a dream till the time came for the God to retire...

But Gods do not retire… so how could the God of cricket announce his retirement?

The truth had to come out in open. On that fateful afternoon on 16^th November, 2013 it was none other than Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar - the chosen one, who revealed in his speech the fact that his success was a conspiracy. Conspiracy? Yes, ladies and gentlemen. The greatness of the level that Sachin Tendulkar achieved does not happen in isolation. It takes entire universe to conspire to make it happen. And in a manner which he spilled the beans, brought lumps in the throats and tears in the eyes of those who saw and heard the truth come out. Only that this time, the lumps and tears were of joy! (Full text of Sachin Tendulkar's farewell speech at Wankhede stadium).

One of the very first co-conspirators was Ramesh Tendulkar, his father. Most of us who are of same age group as Sachin would recall that during that period in mid eighties, there were indeed very few fathers who would have given their child ‘freedom’ to go and chase their dreams. Probably a teacher and a writer could have been the only one to take that call and instill the values that shaped his demeanor on and off the field and ultimately made him what he became to the people across the world. Second one on Sachin’s list on his speech was his mother. A mother, who prayed for him, took care of his well being and made sacrifices throughout his career. Was it then, only a coincidence that Sachin had to be born to parents like that?

He mentioned his three siblings – three more co-conspirators. His eldest brother, Nitin and his sister Savita and their families, who believed in him right from the beginning and were at his side throughout the ups and downs. In fact it was his sister Savita, who presented him with his first Kashmir Willow cricket bat. Then it was Ajit, his other brother - the co-dreamer - someone who spotted the spark and took him to Achrekar Sir… someone who sacrificed his own career and spent his life time being his guide and mentor on techniques. What would have happened if that kind of sibling support and care was not made available to him? Well, as per him, he would have been a ‘lesser cricketer’ without them.

Further in his speech, he brings out three more co-conspirators. His wife Anjali with whom he had the best partnership. A paediatrician by profession, who gave up her career to allow him to continue to give joy and pride to his countrymen.  Now, many in support of women equality may not like this and it just goes on to highlight the invaluable sacrifice that young woman made so that her husband, who she knew (as told by her in a interview) belonged first to his cricket, his nation, and then to her. He spoke about his kids – his two diamonds who were now in their teens and seem to have grown up almost behind him – the times they would have missed their father in a school function or when some accolades were bestowed upon them. His immediate family were conspiring through their sacrifices as well.

He spoke touchingly about his friends, old ones from his early playing days and the new ones he made over the years. He thanked them for being there with him 24 x 7, keeping their own work aside - whether it was to bowl to him in nets, joining him on a holiday or just to be there when he was surrounded by self doubt. Such friends are rare and a treasure, was he just plain lucky to have such friends or was someone had strategized it from heavens?

He spoke respectfully about his coach and mentor, Achrekar Sir, who is yet to say “well played” to him, only to ensure that he continues to strive and lift his game, no matter what he has already achieved. What are the odds for one to find a ‘Guru’, who not only gives you knowledge, but also keeps that fire in you burning that pushes you to learn even more than what he can teach you?

He spoke warmly about his fellow cricketers. He acknowledged his seniors and heroes who inspired him. Importance of role models in one’s life cannot be undermined. They are the reason for your first step towards pursuing greatness. Then he spoke about his team-mates who played alongside him. There was a long time in his initial career when he carried the weight of the nation’s expectations alone on his shoulders before Sourav, Rahul, Anil and VVS came by to share the load giving him opportunity to play his cricket fearlessly. If it wasn’t for these stalwarts, surely his shoulders would have tired sooner and not provided him space to achieve the pinnacle that he achieved. He encouragingly mentioned the young turks who are shaping the continued success of Indian cricket as he reminded them that they are the best of the best and extremely gifted so as to represent their country. He stands as a living example to them and many who will join the game in future, of what comes back to you when you play your game with right spirit and best of your ability, both on and off the field.

In his humility, he mentioned the support staff – the doctors, physios and trainers who managed his body for him and for teaching him how to respect it. You certainly cannot play nonstop at this level for so many years without this support and knowledge. They were rightfully the co-conspirators in his success.

He did not forget to mention his management team and specially his good friends Vinod Naydu and first manager Mark Mascarenhas. These are the people who would have benefited most from maximizing the returns from brand Sachin Tendulkar, yet they set aside their own vested interests to ensure he was left alone when it mattered. The famous incident when Sachin refused to act in a cola commercial in a way that shows him to be bigger than the game or his refusal to do any promotion for liquor and tobacco products despite being offered a fortune, were no short of a nightmare to manage. Yet they did it with an understanding of the man they were managing and the weight of expectations that he was carrying. They were the people who made him financially secure and allowed him to express himself the way he wanted, both on and off the field.

And then he spoke about the people he played for – his countrymen and supporters who egged him relentlessly whenever he came out to play. He thanked them for their unrelenting support for such a long period. People, who had prayed and fasted, shaved their heads in support and with courage stood up against any criticism that was unnecessarily imposed on him. What would be a deity without his devotees?

And finally, after his speech he walked up to one of the main conspirators, the twenty two yards in the middle of the cricket ground. He touched it reverently in gratitude. It was his ‘karma-bhoomi’, which was a teacher, facilitator, witness and a partner all at the same time in his journey and the success.

Sachin’s final speech moved heart and minds of all kinds of people – sportsmen, skeptics, fans, followers and critics alike. The speech was nothing but revelation of the conspiracy that the universe hatched to bring to the game of cricket the enigma of Sachin Tendulkar. However he (understandably so) did not mention at all the biggest contributor of this conspiracy. None of it all would have translated into anything if it wasn’t for that one person called Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

One of the basic laws of physics is that if there is no action, there will be no reaction. None of this guidance, support, sacrifices, devotion and friendship would have come to him if he had not sought for it, if he had not had the burning desire and courage to chase his dream. While it is a fact that a lot of things had to fall in place in life of Sachin Tendulkar for him to reach the ultimate heights, it is also true that most important ingredient in the formula for success (if ever there is a formula) is the impact of the choices you make in pursuit of success. Credit completely and deservingly goes to him for making right choices of people, approach and attitude. As guided by his father, he did not take short cuts and chose to continuously harness his natural talent through hard work, devotion and discipline.

It is the karmic principle that your own karma decides the results you get - and if you put everything behind what you desire, the entire universe conspires to bring it to you!

Thank you, Sachin - for the cricket and teaching the world what it takes to get what you want!

© Varun Khanna 

Sachin may have gone, but his legacy will live for eternity and guide future generation

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has finally retired, and I have many friends who've asked me as to why I am being so partial towards the man India likes to call God as to not write a single article after his retirement. It is not that one doesn't eulogise the man, who I prefer to call a phenomenon who excited & inspired a nation of over a billion and became a hero of the masses. It is just that so many reams of newsprint, airtime, websites & blogs have already been filled with articles, analyses, comparisons and tributes to his genius that one wonders what else is left to say in his honour. Everything that needs to be written about the man has already been written. Or has it? So, here's my two-bit.

The one thing that everyone has been discussing is what really makes Sachin Tendulkar different from the others? The easy answer would be, "His 24 years at the crease, his 100 International Centuries, his 200 Tests, his 34,000 International runs across all forms of the game, virtually every batting record that exists in the game." These are just outcomes, in my opinion, of how the man has lived two dozen years of his life on the cricket field. The true answer to the question lies elsewhere - in his discipline, in his dedication, in his determination, in his demeanour.

Discipline

If one person has defined discipline on the field in cricket globally, it is none other than Tendulkar. As team-mates, competitors, administrators, groundsmen, commentators have said so often, Sachin is always the first to reach for the practice sessions, despite being the one who probably needs it the least. His unmistakable shadow practice on the pitch was a moment the ground staff dreaded. Sachin’s eyes would wander off the pitch and into the galleries behind the stumps. The focus would be on the sightscreens. Manyatime he would suggest - to the fright of the ground staff - that the sightscreen be shifted a bit to a more appropriate position. He did it for years and did it without fail. After the practice session got over, Sachin would spend hours having animated discussions with even the newest members in the team, taking their opinion on how he could have improved something. He always wanted to learn new tricks, and he remained an eternal student of the game.

And this started way before he joined the Indian team, becoming the youngest Indian to don the cap. Sachin's first roommate from his Ranji Trophy days, Suru Nayak, has revealed that the master blaster was always practicing shots in the night when he was barely 14 years old. He recalled the days when the young Tendulkar and he shared a room during the Ranji Trophy match against Baroda and although Tendulkar was selected at the age of 14, the selectors decided not to play him in the fast Moti Baug pitch since some of them felt he was too tiny and may not be able to play well. According to Nayak, whenever he looked at him, Tendulkar was taking batting stances in the room and practicing different shots. According to Nayak, the sparkle in Tendulkar's eyes, coupled with enthusiasm, was something special. No wonder, the young Mumbai boy would go on to become the greatest batsman the world has ever seen.

Dedication

Some of Tendulkar's team-mates have recalled the days, during India's tour to Pakistan in 1989, when he sleepwalked. "One night I was surprised to see a dazed looking Tendulkar walking out of his hotel room and mumbling in Marathi "maajha bat, maajha bat (my bat, my bat)". That's when we realised that he was actually sleepwalking,'' said Navjot Sidhu. Even in sleep, Sachin was dreaming about cricket.

As Harsha Bhogle recalls, "The words that I remember the most from my first major interview with Sachin Tendulkar years ago, when we had talked about subjects as diverse as sleepwalking in search of bats and his love for cars are: "I'm still obsessed". This was, after all, the same individual who used to arrive at Shivaji Park at dawn and ask if the gardeners could be instructed to erect nets right away, failing which he could do it himself."

That hunger has been ever-present. There is an anecdote from his boyhood of travelling all night for a game, reaching the destination at 3:00 am. After getting just an hour's sleep, well before dawn, he woke up the coach and asked whether they could proceed to the ground because he wasn't happy with his game and wanted to practice before the match. All these years, that meticulous streak has always been there, purple patch or lean trot. And it is such dedication only that has made him reach for the stars and made the world to bow before him.

He is one of the few Indians who binds the whole of this country. Probably no other person in the country is as much or as uniformly admired as him - not an Amitabh Bachchan, not a Rajnikanth, not a Lata Mangeshkar. His dedication to the sport and the will to do well and win accolades for India and, in the process, for himself have won him so many die-hard fans. One may easily argue that he played for his own records, but had he not played the way he did, he won't have played for India for long and won't have got to those records. Even if one continues to argue that he played for the records only, that still shows his dedication and zeal to excel and be the best in the world. Also, the price that he has had to pay as an individual is incomparable to the records and rewards. Remaining away from family on their special occasions for years at a stretch is not easy for anyone, specially for one who didn't have a need to play for eking out a living anymore or for winning more laurels than he'd already done. He could've chosen to depart earlier; just that his passion & dedication kept him going for so long.

Determination

For two dozen years, Tendulkar sparked the imagination of every Indian and carried their dreams on his shoulders, and it took a lot of determination to continue to do that for so long. He did not teach India how to win against the stiffest competition even in their own backyard (Sourav Ganguly did that), but he taught India to believe in themselves and be ready to take on the might of anyone, and then give some back. He taught India to dream, and dream big. What we couldn't achieve in our everyday lives, we looked at Tendulkar to make up for on the cricket field. His passion to play for India, dominate the fiercest of bowlers and will to win every single match made him a darling of the masses and a nightmare for his competitors. And all of this came through fierce determination, a lot of self-belief and an excessively professional approach.

When back injury and a tennis elbow threatened to ruin his career, there was immense speculation that he would be forced to quit. Globally, almost every newspaper, sports channel and website carried detailed medical diagnosis and plainly asked whether his career was over. Surely, he'd made enough money to live quite luxuriously and yet leave a lot for the next few generations, they argued, and he could quit playing without a worry. But would he be able to do that, or would we get yet another opportunity to see him in action? Many even said (including yours truly) that his era was over, and he should accept what fate had thrown at him and retire gracefully. But, he came back with even more determination and silenced all the critics.

Demeanour

It is well known that at the nets, once Sachin puts on his pads, he does not take them off very easily. Even after he is done with batting, he makes it a point to bowl in the nets or sit at a side and keep watching till the last man comes off. Then, gently, he would offer his observations and give some tips to help the batsmen and the bowlers improve. His magnificent demeanour can also be gauged by observing him when he is thronged by fans. Unless he is terribly mobbed, he always stops to sign autographs for children. If a photograph is requested, he is polite to a fault. He always takes a bit of time to ask kids what class they are studying in, or some similar question that makes them feel that the little master cares.

Those who know Tendulkar well speak of a warm individual who cherishes his friendships and associations. Gautam Bhimani, the ESPN anchor, who was once invited over to Tendulkar's house on his birthday, had this to say: "It never felt as if I was interviewing India's biggest sporting icon and superstar. It was more like being invited home by a loving father who was excited about the fact that his kids had made special cards and woken him up in the morning to wish him." Such is the simplicity of Sachin.

He never comes late to any practice session, never comes late to the team bus, never comes late to any meeting. And then, he is ready for anything on the cricket field. In a match - despite being highly competitive - he has never let raw emotion take over him while rejoicing a century or bemoaning a dismissal. His celebrations when an opposing team wicket falls are child-like, not wild-like. When disappointed with a decision, he does not make any untoward gestures. When given out wrongly, he may look crestfallen, but never steps out of line, and continues the long walk back to the pavilion without any argument.

At a time when cricket is going through arguably its most troubling episodes of match-fixing, people are desperate for someone who stands for all that is good about the game. And Tendulkar is often the man who has had to carry that cross. He is one cricketer whose integrity has never ever been questioned. Does he want to be known as an example of all things good? Probably not. He wanted to be a normal cricket player, with all his weaknesses and faults. But we treated him like God... and he responded.

No wonder, he's been conferred India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in the process becoming the very first sportsperson to receive the same and also becoming the youngest ever awardee across all genres. It is a well-deserved honour not for those records, but for setting a shining example of how one must follow his profession and lead his life... with utmost honesty & humility.

Well played, Sachin. Have a great life ahead!

© Shailesh Nigam

Unforgiving to the falling God!

Just in case you’ve not noticed yet, I am an ardent Sachin Tendulkar fan. This unconditional admiration comes from years of watching Sachin as well as watching cricket in general. Reasons are several, but the most prominent and matter of fact ones are the amount of runs & centuries he has scored for the country at the average he has scored; the balance & beauty of his batting style; and the dignity and poise at which he has conducted himself both on and off the field for two and a half decades. I’ve been accused of insanity and blind devotion by the same people who often swear by my rationality and pragmatism. But how can one not be devoted to someone who, as an individual has taught me about ‘challenges’, ‘meeting expectations’, ‘hard work’, ‘perseverance’, ‘greatness’ and most importantly about ‘balance’. If a teacher like that is not akin to God, then there is something wrong with, “Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara; Guru Saakshaat Para Barhma, Tasmai Shri Gruve Namah”  (Guru is verily the representative of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He creates, sustains knowledge and destroys the weeds of ignorance. I salute such a Guru).

Not many, including those who consider Sachin as God view him from this perspective. At this point in time, I encounter various schools of thoughts. Worth mentioning are two groups. There is a group which thinks that his cricketing contribution is not big enough, there are better players than him. And then there is a group that says his cricketing contribution is more than enough to call him a God of cricket. With the former group, I’ve debated so many times with stats and figures to win the argument that I’ve lost the interest in doing so anymore. Frankly, it doesn’t seem important to me now to argue with them because I’ve realized that no amount of data and numbers will ever defeat a cynic – after all, “shaq ka ilaaj to hakeem Lukmaan ke pass bhi nahi tha” (even the best doctor does not have a cure for a doubtful person).  

The latter group, however, the one that views Sachin as God for his Centuries and Runs, is the one I’m worried about the most. Not about what will happen to them when Sachin fails to deliver on their expectations, but what they will do to Sachin once he stops meeting their expectations. I was recently told by a friend, philosopher and quide – a great teacher himself – that “something that is more spectacular than watching a God being made, is watching a God fall.” It is foolhardy to expect that Sachin Tendulkar will never stop performing. That is an inevitable. The time between when he stops performing and finally decides to hang his boots will be the time when these people will switch fences shamelessly and come back at Sachin with a vengeance. Sadly, I think that time has come. 

Last few of his international innings have shown that his age is catching up. Barring a few shots, his timing is not the same. This impacts his ability to play on the up and across the line. The innovator and a master of paddle sweep, the tormentor of Shane Warne when he was in his prime is finding it difficult to negotiate a turning ball. His second inning dismissal in Mumbai test against England, where he compensated his first inning clean bowled by taking an off-stump guard and eventually getting out LBW, shows that he is not able to put the bat on to that ball. Reflexes are like hair on your head, they leave you with the age. I feel Sachin, more than anyone else realises that and have expressed it to the selectors in a subtle manner, “I’m not making runs, do you think I can continue?” In heart of his hearts he knows that he is not the same little master (or a 'little champion' that Sunny Gavaskar refers to him in defiance, since 'little master' is a title Sunny felt has been taken away from him).

Sachin will probably play few more matches and if he is lucky he’ll score a century or two from here, but it is time for me to finally say that he and India is ready for him to make way for younger talent. For me there was a life to cricket before Sachin and I am pretty certain that there would be life to cricket after Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar as well. But an enigma called Sachin Tendulkar will always find a special place in my heart and soul. I am a bit worried, because as much as I admire Sachin as a cricketer and as a teacher, I know there are a lot of people who are Unforgiving to the God, especially at the time when God falls!!!

© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)

The game of the Equilibrium

There are various theories about ‘the need of a balance’ as has been spoken and written about length in various contexts - about the ecological balance as a prerequisite for human survival, about the duality concept in quantum physics  and also about the balance of negative and positive forces as described in various spiritual and mythological scriptures of the world. All of these theories address a fundamental need of keeping an optimum mix of two diametrically opposite representations, which lie at the two ends of the spectrum. The moment you shift in either direction, i.e. focus on one and ignore the other, you disturb the equilibrium and you risk harsh consequences, and at times put your survival at stake…

The fundamentals of these theories was put to test by Delhi Daredevils team in their 2^nd qualifier match for IPL 2012 against Chennai Super Kings and the results were expectantly consistent and rather rude.

Cricket, irrespective of the format (i.e. Test, One Day or T20) is basically the game of bat and ball. You have eleven players and a set of rules to create the optimum balance between the bat and ball in order to do well in the sport. You miss this balance either way, and you are consigned to defeat and left to sulk in a dressing room, licking your wounds. In the match in question, Morne Morkel, the highest wicket taker of the tournament and a lethal weapon on the bouncy and otherwise stale Chennai track, was left out rather unceremoniously.  The reason quoted for this catastrophic judgement was that, with Irfan out due to injury you had to have another (so called) all rounder in the team without sacrificing a batsman. The replacement was identified in Andre Russel in this case and it meant that the Daredevils of Delhi had batting up to eight but was short of a quality bowler. They say that there is a thin line between being bold and being stupid and this dividing line is generally called ‘the result’. However, sometimes you do not need a ‘result’ to identify the difference. This was one such occasion… the rest, as they say is history.

The fundamentals of these theories are applicable universally in every sphere of our lives. Various sports streams, politics and corporate are no exception. However, unfortunately this theory is put to test constantly across the board. The applications in sports is easy to understand, for example it is easy to assess what will happen to a football team who have nine attackers and two defenders, or what will happen to a table tennis player who has the speed but no accuracy etc.

The theory also has an interesting way of proving itself in Corporate or a Business set up. There are basically three constituents of any business – The Shareholders, The Employees and The Customers. Intrinsically the interests of the shareholders and the customers at a very fundamental level are diametrically opposite. The shareholder interest is profit maximisation - so the best scenario for him is to create a product with least cost and sell it to a customer on a highest value; similarly a customer would be best off by buying a product which has the highest value for him at the lowest cost. If the shareholders and the customers are at the two opposite ends of the scale, then the employees are the fulcrum which provides the balance between the two and create value for both these constituents.

The position of this fulcrum (i.e. of the Employees in a corporate) is basically decided by the function in which the employee is working. For example, a sales rep will be closer to the customer and hence focussing more on the customer need and consequently lifting the Customers' side up and causing the Shareholders' side down. Similarly an employee in a control function, say in audit and compliance role, whose job essentially is to protect against any losses, is working more in the interest of the shareholder and often creating processes and controls which a customer may not like. A conflict between these two sets of employees is imminent and regular. This is not to say that both these employees are at the wrong place and both of them should be at the centre to provide the balance and avoid conflict all together. On the contrary they have to be at their respective places to provide a balance and strength that is required. Their conflicts and its resolution provides this balance which is essential for a corporate to function optimally. The moral of the story is that the optimal balance does not come alone by having the fulcrum in the centre. The balance and stability comes when the multiple fulcrums of equal strength are placed at various distance which allows for constructuve conflicts.

The situation is no different in the game of Cricket. A captain and team management in the game of cricket play their role in deciding the playing eleven. Quite clearly, the captains of Delhi Daredevils and the team management did not identify and place right fulcrums in their IPL 2012 final match with Chennai Super Kings in Chennai yesterday.

© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)

It's time for the seniors to hang up their boots... or, is it?

The Indian team has had a consecutive drubbing and whitewash in tests, first at the hands of England and now Australia. An 4-0, 4-0 score-line doesn’t look good in any sport, and especially in cricket – given our best-ever batting line-up, arguably – this is shameful if not downright disgraceful. With legends like Sachin, Dravid and Laxman leading the charge and other greats-in-the-making like Sehwag and Gambhir, not doing themselves and their nation a single favour in the just concluded down under tests, there have been a lot of cries for their heads. In a recent poll by a leading media-house, even Sachin Tendulkar, the God of cricket, has 1/3rd Indians rooting for his removal from the test team here on!

I was pondering over the same, and wondering whether as a nation we have such impatience built into our DNA, or do we have such short memories that we forget and overlook the achievements of these same cricketers of very recent past, which we were revelling in and celebrating. Why, just a month ago, Rahul Dravid was second only to God, having scored the maximum test runs in the world in 2011, with 5 centuries coming last year itself, in the process becoming only the second batsman after Tendulkar to score 13,000 test runs in the history of cricket. Just a few months ago in November 2011, Laxman was being hailed as the unsung hero of Indian cricket, when he scored 176* against the West Indies in the 2nd Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, which India won by an innings and 15 runs. And what can one say about Tendulkar? Yes, he’s had a very strange & longest-ever run of 22 test innings without a century, but watching him bat in 2011 was pure magic. His elusive century of centuries notwithstanding, the man looks 20 years younger in his aggression and stroke-play, and such is his batting prowess right now that even one of his harshest critics like me is left wondering if his detractors have chosen the right time for seeking his departure.

As regards Sehwag, all I’ll submit is that the man plays like the way he plays. You can love him or hate him for it, but you can’t ignore him. A proof of his genius & dangerous abilities lies in his ODI world record double century in 2011, which made him only the second batsman after Sachin to achieve the feat. This, of course, is not made in a test match and purists may argue this is comparing apples to oranges, but his innings still is testimony to the way he bats in any form of cricket, and I’d happily pay every time to watch him play. His opening partner, Gambhir has struggled in tests the whole of 2011, but if one is to look at what he provides to the team, one look at his ODI average of 56.90 in 2011 – including his World Cup Final winning inning of 97 – is enough to demonstrate his class. Not for any other reason was he the most valued player at $ 2.4 mn of the IPL auction of 2011.

Moving away from these 5 great men, I’d also like to spend a minute here on our captain, M.S. Dhoni – the man with the Midas Touch. He’s done so much for India’s glory in the past 3 ½ years at the helm – winning the T20 World Cup, winning the ODI World Cup, and taking India to Numero Uno in Test rankings – that it is almost blasphemous for him to be castigated the way he’s being castigated for his uninspiring captaincy and failure with the bat. One would do well to remember that he’s no bunny with the blade. In fact, he scored a big & brisk century in November 2011 in the Kolkata test innings victory against Windies, and still has a lot to offer to Indian cricket. It may be time to infuse younger, less tired hands behind the stumps, but I feel that India needs to persist with Dhoni as a batsman and the shrewd captain.

Yes, India has not been doing well in away tests. But the reason lies beyond our batsmen. Yes, they have failed individually and as a unit. But our bowlers haven’t also done anything to write home about. We’ve not been able to take 20 wickets to win a match. In fact, the pressure of chasing humongous totals by the Aussies in almost every match has overcome our batsmen, and cut through their nerves and gut. The fielders also haven’t done much to prevent the run-riot of the Australians. So, why lay the blame at the batsmen’s door only and ask them to leave?

It is time for some introspection about what all ails the team, and how the World’s No. 1 Test Team has declined so suddenly and so steadily. Part of the blame rests with the cricketers, but there are enough questions around preparing the right pitches at home for preparing the team to play on bouncy wickets abroad, the team training & mentoring process, the selection policy that needs to focus on the future without giving up the present, et al. All these are grave pressures that the team has to encounter, and adding to the pressure that our players already face is our nation’s obsession with winning everything or being damned. I’m particularly amused and curious about the last one, since I rarely come across such passion in personal lives of people. How come we don’t measure ourselves with the same yardstick that we use for measuring our cricketers? How come we don’t care about being the best and winners in everything we do, or at least in our chosen professions? Why, there are so many times, we don’t even try! And yet, we have the obnoxious arrogance to pronounce death to our heroes who’ve done so much for Indian cricket and our personal happiness in the past!!!

So, let’s not jump to any sentimental & irrational conclusions and ask for heads to roll for these losses, unless we get to the root cause of the same and work towards removing that cause rather than our players. For, if we don’t do that and go ahead and take short and easy measures like removing a few off-colour players, we’ll be akin to the Mad Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, who keeps shouting “off with her head” without a single right reason, and without a single right cause being served by the same.

© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)

The Etcetera of The Cricket

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)

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)

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)

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)

Ten Seconds with God: A Life time spent!

There are some days. Some days which do not begin as normal days. And the normalcy never returns.

The most coveted moment was closing in and the anticipation was brimming. The expectations, the ecstasy, the reverence… everything was palpable as I took off this morning to a function where the Lord of Cricket, (now) Group Captain in the Indian Air Force, Sachin Tendulkar was to interact with a chosen few from the bank I work with. My nomination, as I am told was the easiest one. “Send him, and he would be indebted to you for life…” someone making a decision would have said – and I agree.

Like a devotee, the morning saw me rise early. Nice bath, close shave and without a breakfast later I was on merciless Delhi roads, amongst the relentless traffic to meet my deity. Some one on google map played a nasty joke as it led me to a wrong address five kilometers away from the intended destination. The infamous Delhi roadside navigators did their bit to send me to different albeit opposite directions. Angered and frustrated, I turned to my agony aunt – Shailesh. Surprisingly, I found him with a cool mindset, which decided to focus on the sole purpose of getting me there. He googled the telephone number of the intended address and gave it to me rather nonchalantly. A life saving performance in retrospect!

An hour late, I managed to find myself in the same room and a few feet away from the Lord. Clad in blue denim and a white Tee, he was patiently and honestly answering the questions that inquisitive devotees were putting up. I realized there were a fifty more like me in the room. Humbled by the occasion, I stood there watching him – Sachin Tendulkar in flesh and blood, not more than six feet away.

It was like being in front of a Deity, something like what I feel at Vaishno Devi cave or Shirdi temple… after enduring the difficulties of the route, you just stand there and wonder – should you waste your time in asking something or just register the presence? It wasn’t a choice in the end as I stood captivated by the visual. A few flashes of cameras around me instigated me to click some photos from my own camera packed in my backpack for the occasion.

He talked about the difficulties at the start as he pursued cricket seriously, of how he almost thought that Test match cricket was too demanding for him before Kapil Paaji and Mohammad Azharuddin guided him. Of how losing his father in middle of a world cup was the most difficult time for him and how lucky he is that his family revolves around him and his time. The questions were endless and the answers were honest, but like all good things the Q&A came to an end.

Almost as a cue from a cliché, one good thing led to another better thing. There was an opportunity to interact with him one on one as he signed autograph for every one present. I clicked some more pictures as I waited for my turn. Finally, came the moment as I stood next to him and congratulated the Group Captain for the honour he was to receive during the day.

He smiled and said “Thank you” and took my hand which I offered for a shake.

“So, all set for 2011 world cup”, I asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, sure” he smiled as he began to sign his autograph.

“Can I have a photograph?” I was getting greedy.

He looked at my camera, which was now in hands of my friend in the crowd and struck a pose.

That was it. An interaction, no more than ten seconds but it was as if the time had stretched to an eternity. A desire fulfilled, a contention set in and a moment frozen in time. All the questions that I had in my mind, everything that could have been asked, all those inquisitive curiosities rendered irrelevant.

We have known time in two parts, BC and AD. For me, time will be recognized with two new dimensions: Before meeting Sachin and After meeting Sachin. Normalcy…? Well, it will never return. Ten seconds with Sachin Tendulkar does that to you. Ten seconds with God: A life time spent!

© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)

Sportman-spirit… the gentleman’s sport has completely lost it

Yesterday, during the 3rd ODI in the tri-series being played amongst India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, an ugly incident happened on the last ball of the match. The scores were level, and India, chasing, needed just one more run to win the match. Virender Sehwag, the man on strike was on 99 and needed just one more to reach his century. Suraj Randiv, a new-comer in the Sri Lankan side, bowled a huge no-ball, that even his best defenders would find hard to explain as accidental. Sehwag lofted the ball for a six, but because the no-ball had been bowled, and by virtue of the same, India had already won the match, the six weren’t counted in Sehwag’s runs, and he was stranded on 99.

Both Sehwag and the Sri Lankan captain, Kumar Sangakkara played down the incident in the post-match conference, but immediately thereafter, both expressed their real view – Sehwag openly claiming that it was a deliberate no-ball to not allow him to reach his century, and recalled a similar incident when last year Sachin Tendulkar was similarly denied the chance to reach his 100 when during the Cuttack ODI, Lasith Malinga bowled a huge wide on the leg side, which went for 4 byes, and India won the match, leaving Sachin stranded on 96. And Sangakkara demonstrated by his actions thereafter that even he wasn’t convinced enough that the no-ball wasn’t so indeliberate.

The question arises, why do such incidents happen? Are cricketers so unsporting? School-boys are likely to resort to such tricks to gain an emotional high, but national cricketers? Well, the real reason we may never know – but I can only say that this is the killer instinct of the sportsperson that comes to the fore in an ugly manner – win at all costs or lose but deny moral victory. Without a doubt, such incidents are in very poor taste. I am sure no IPL team (specially Delhi Daredevils) will want to touch Randiv for the next season – so, while sportsman-spirit and the game of cricket has definitely lost due to this incident, the ultimate loser could well be Randiv himself, and befittingly so, if you ask me. In fact, Sangakkara publicly rebuked him in front of the dressing room immediately after the post-match conference. So, clearly, even his captain believes that Randiv did not show the right mettle on the field.

However, such incidents are not new to cricket, or to any other sport. Sportsmen, howsoever big they might be, have a cheating streak in them. We saw the Hand of God of Maradona in 1986, and very recently (this year itself) Henry’s hand goal in football. In fact, soccer players are actually the greatest actors on the field, the way they feign injuries to try and get a yellow or red card awarded to the opposition and increase their chances of victory. But they are not alone in this world of cheats. Ben Johnson, the Canadian sprinter who created a world record of 9.79 seconds in winning the 100 meters race in the 1988 Olympics, was found to be on steroids, and his Olympic Gold medal was taken away and his records erased. Cricket has its own moments of infamy, and I’d like to recall some of them just so that we do not feel this is the first time such things have happened, of that they happen to us Indians only.

Let’s go back three decades to that day in 1981, and an Australian cricketer named Trevor Chappell. Australia and New Zealand were playing the final of the Benson and Hedges World Series Cup. New Zealand needed to score six runs to tie the match from the final ball. Not wanting to chance this, Greg Chappell (yes, our very own not-so-famous national team coach, Guru Greg), Australia’s captain and Trevor’s brother, asked Trevor to roll the ball along the ground to batsman Brian McKechnie so that he could no way hit it for a six. A visibly agitated McKechnie could do little but block the ball, and Australia won the game. Although it was not illegal to bowl underarm at the time, it was widely accepted to be contrary to the spirit of the game. It was described as “the most disgusting incident I can recall in the history of cricket” by the then New Zealand Prime Minister. Such was the outcry at the incident that, immediately thereafter, the cricketing rules were changed to make underarm bowling illegal.

While on Australians, we all know how, despite being a world champion side, they are sore losers. I am sure every Indian will recall that boxing day match of 2008 against India, when Andrew Symonds refused to walk on 3 occasions despite being clearly out, just because the umpires (Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson) did not give him out, just so that Australia reached a world record of 16 continuous test victories. I have nothing against Symonds (in fact I adore him as a competitive cricketer), and he was well within the rules of the game to not walk if not given out by the umpire, but talking of sporting spirit… well that one lost out.

Incidentally, that match is momentously filled with incidents of blatant cheating by Aussies, ably assisted by the umpires. Adam Gilchrist claimed a catch off Dravid that nobody in the world (and in the least possible way, Gilchrist, who I think normally had a very good head & heart – contrary to team tactics, he always walked when out) would have claimed; very clearly the ball touched thin air only and the bat was always far away from contact. Ponting and Slater refused to walk despite being clearly out. In the very same match, Ricky Ponting became a self appointed ‘third umpire’ in giving Sourav Ganguly out!

But, before you start imaging that Indians are always wronged, let me point out that in that test, even Ponting got it on the wrong side. Mark Benson was the first to get into the act of such bloopers, when he ruled Ponting not out when the Aussie skipper got an edge to a Sourav Ganguly delivery drifting down leg. Ponting stood his ground and went on to make 55. The next day, visibly under pressure after the replays gave away what the umpires were up to, Benson decided two wrongs will make a right and ruled Ponting out lbw to Harbhajan despite a thick inside edge.

The other umpire in the test, Steve Bucknor, on the other hand, has a history of such fortuitous incidents going against India, and the list is so very long that I will refrain from putting it up here. I’ll mention only one incident which amply depicts Bucknor’s mindset and deeds against India, when Steve Bucknor’s huge blooper cost Sachin Tendulkar at Brisbane in the previous tour – when he was given leg before even as the ball thudded against his helmet!

England have had their own moments, when Nasser Husain, the then England captain asked his bowlers on an India tour in 2001 to continuously bowl a negative line to India to deny them a victory in Bangalore. Not illegal; but unethical nonetheless.

Pakistanis have had their own flirtations with ball-tampering (including Afridi chewing the ball) and have even forfeited a match when Australian umpire, Darrell Hair imposed a 5-run penalty on them for ball tampering which they refused to accept and decided not to walk back on the field. That notwithstanding, I need not remind anyone of Darrell Hair’s open bias against sub-continental teams; in fact, he did not give Pakistan a fair trial in the same match where he declared that they had tampered the ball and branded them cheats. Out of 26 Sky cameras installed at The Oval, none picked any tampering. The Pakistan captain, Inzamam, wasn’t asked to explain. He was not shown the original ball that was allegedly tampered with. They were just handed down the sentence.

Another incident involving umpiring bias and the Indians which stood out blaringly was the ban on three Indian players (including Virender Sehwag) by match-referee Mike Denness on a tour to South Africa in 2001 for ‘over-appealing’. In fact, Sehwag was fined 20% of his match fee in the same match for celebrating a dismissal before conferring with the umpire! Such behaviour is strange to interpret as umpires have no stake in the match outcome and the result, and they are there to ensure fairplay; but such incidents show that they can also be biased… after all, they are also human.

Former England captain, Marcus Trescothick claimed in his autobiography that England's players achieved their prodigious amount of reverse swing in their successful 2005 Ashes series against Australia by using saliva sweetened by eating mints – something that the rules do not allow. Even the God of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, has had one incident (I know I am fishing in troubled waters here), when he was accused of ball-tampering on the basis of TV evidence in South Africa. In the second test match between India and South Africa at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth in 2001, match referee Mike Denness (surprise, surprise… he features once more) suspended Sachin Tendulkar for one game in light of alleged ball tampering when television cameras picked up images that suggested Tendulkar may have been involved in scuffing the seam of the cricket ball.

So, there is no saint in the game of cricket, which sadly, is no more a gentleman’s sport.

© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)