Six and Out - Some Serious Cricket

May 8th, 2008

Update on Venkatesh Prasad and Charu Sharma Sacked!

Hey.

This is just to clarify that there is no official sacking of Venkatesh Prasad. I reported what I saw in the news and take full blame for the fallacy. Sorry, Venky! Though I may like to add that you might be next, given Mr Mallaya’s mood. Whatsay, folks?

Is he next??

I apologize for the dearth of posts and images in posts this week. There is some problem with my network. Should be all sorted out by tomorrow.

Note:  Kolkata Knight Riders are going the Bangalore Royal Challenger’s way: they are playing someone like Jaffer (read Akash Chopra) …..hope Shah Rukh Khan doesn’t axe Buchanan

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By Ankit -- 0 comments

May 6th, 2008

Venkatesh Prasad and Charu Sharma Sacked

Just in! Bangalore Royal Challengers owner Vijay Mallaya has sacked team coach Prasad and CEO Charu Sharma. Karnataka State Cricket Association (the local official cricketing body) secretary Brijesh is to replace Charu Sharma as the new CEO.

Well, this was something really fast. Mr Mallaya seems to think that sacking the support staff is the best way to increase the team’s morale. I think he is wrong. Poor old Sharma, he said on tv the other day that “I want to be CEO of this great team for my lifetime”. Maybe this comment gave it away.

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By Ankit -- 7 comments

May 5th, 2008

Rain Rain go Away

Growing up with Cricket

The love for any sport has to begin somewhere. For me, the love of cricket began when I was 9. Too late, some of you might quip. But there is nothing you can do to change facts. To make it more interesting, I played cricket even before I watched it for the first time, and it had nothing to do with India’s technological backwardness then (I am just 20 now).

One memory which I have strongly etched in my mind is that of the rains. Aarghh! RAINS! Damn Rains! If ever there was something which could stop a cricket match most often, it was the rains. Often, on summer days, when the cricket match would be at its exciting best, or I would be on the verge of a milestone, it would pour. Poor me, I did not even knew how to swear back then!

Post summer, came the monsoons. Living in a monsoon affected country can have its disadvantages too. For over a month, the entire ground where we played on would be submerged by water and algae. Looking at the picture would give you a fairer idea.

People in India who played cricket in their childhood would relate to it. Sometimes, when the water had not fully receded, we would still go out and play. Diving in the puddles to take a really simple catch was one of my favorite actions. Returning home with bruises and stained clothes, was however not one of them. Mom used to be furious. But then, those were the days. These days, practicing in the University’s lush outfields sometimes brings nostalgic tears in my eyes.  I get a feeling of where I was and where I have reached. Such is Life. A corner of my mind still tells me that those were the better days. We played for fun. Today, we play to win. The skills are the same, the attitude has changed. These days, playing a four day match, sometimes we relish some rain, something which would have been criminal during the formative years. I really miss and admire the way I started my cricket. This post is a tribute to the time which taught me the game I am so passionate about.

The love for anything depends a lot on the origins of the love, and I love the origins of my love for cricket

Thanks a lot for reading this article, it is a special one for me.

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By Ankit -- 10 comments

May 3rd, 2008

IPL Buzz : Some things I noticed

This is Important. The following are the developments which have taken place in the Indian Premier League from 24th April to 2nd May, 2008:

1. Sachin Tendulkar is still not playing
2. Shaun Marsh is a great find, but I think its too early to tell
3. MS Dhoni can lose in T20 (Aussies too would agree)
4. No Team is unbeaten now
5. No team is with zero wins
6. There is a three way tie at the top, with Delhi, Rajasthan and Chennai all on 8 points
7. All the matches are running in Packed Stadia
8. IPL can now be declared a success
9. Some Controversies : Slapgate, Cheatgate
10. Team sixandout supports: still KKR

Later

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May 1st, 2008

SRK Gifts, Rajasthan Wins, Ganguly Cheats!

Just watched the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals match on telly. A few things prior to the match came to my attention. Since the owner of the Kolkata team has gifted each player a new laptop, the Knight Riders have never won. Some coincidence. I hope Vijay Mallaya (liquor baron, owner of the Bangalore Royal Challengers) doesn’t serve chilled Kingfisher Beer to his team.

During the game, there was a moment when Saurav Ganguly (48* then) lofted a ball straight to Greame Smith at deep mid wicket who took a lowly catch. As the Royals celebrated, Ganguly stood his ground and asked, I repeat asked the umpire to refer in upstairs. And ‘upstairs’ said : Not Out. Poetic justice was delivered when he got out three runs later. Huh!

Finally, congratulations to Warnie and the Royals for their fourth successive win. Faith be wit Ganguly and the Night Riders. Or was that Knight. Who Cares? You do? I don’t.

Laters

Photo Credit: Newscom

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April 30th, 2008

Shoaib Akhtar’s Five Year Ban Upheld

News Update

A Pakistan Court upheld the decision of the Pakistan Cricket Board to ban speedster Shoaib Akhtar for 5 years from all sorts of cricket which comes under the jurisdiction of Pakistan (international and domestic).

It may be noted that Shoaib had appealed against the ban and this verdict is a result of the appeal.

Sixandout’s View:

Though it seems that his career is finally over, you never know with the Pakistan Cricket Board, given the past incidents, and more.

Whatever comes out of this, the IPL and specially the Kolkata Knight Riders and its Owner would be the most affected in the immediate future. One interesting thing to note is that Shoaib is not banned from playing in the IPL, but the IPL organisers have decided not to play him citing moral grounds. That move certainly commands respect, more so if you are not a Knight Rider Fan

More Later

Photo Credit : Newscom

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April 30th, 2008

Owners of IPL : Shah Rukh Khan

Starting this post, sixandout would dwell a little bit into the owners of the IPL Franchises.

We start with Mr. Shah Rukh Khan, the owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders. Apart from owning the IPL Team, SRK is arguably the biggest star of the Indian Film Industry.

In India, he is referred to as King Khan, and for reasons which are not fallacious at all. This guy has got this charisma, this ‘People’ thing. He knows how to catch the pulse of the audience. Be it coming to the Knight Rider matches and hugging each player to dancing and jumping in joy when they do well. Compare that to the other owners of the IPL teams, and they are closer to stationary blots. With his team doing reasonably well in the inaugural IPL, he has reasons to cheer. He once said that he has spent a lot of his money for this venture, and is at a point of no return. Though not the richest of all IPL owners, he is undoubtedly the most popular and stylish.

Some Stats:

Age : 44
Team : Kolkata Knight Riders
Net Worth : $1.2 Million (approximate) (pays a lot of taxes, though!)
Bought Team for : $950,000
Alternate Occupation : Actor (Superstar)
Co-Owners : Juhi Chawla, Jay Mehta

(All figures are in USD)

Next Team : Kings XI Punjab (owned by Preity Zinta)

Laters

Photo Credit: Newscom

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April 28th, 2008

Harbhajan Slaps Sreesanth : An Update

If you don’t have a clue what I am talking about, read this

The IPL jurisdiction committee sat and decided that Harbhajan should get a 11 match ban from IPL and 100% Match Fees fine. Mind you, this is just the punishment from the IPL committee. The BCCI is planning for more stick as it has appointed an independent (LOL) committee.

Some journalists feel that BCCI is trying to make an example out of him, trying to make him the RIO FERDINAND of cricket.

Sreesanth too has got a reprimand for being a crybaby. Mr Lalchand Rajput, the manager of MUMBAI INDIANS (Harbhajan’s Team) has got a 50% Match fees fine for aiding a culprit or whatever. Seems like the plot of a John Grisham Original.

Later

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April 28th, 2008

Think Googly : A Review

Starting this post, sixandout would strive to get you the dough on various cricket related web sites around the www

As a cricket blogger, it’s my obligation to go around the Internet and look for ideas and implementations which impress me. A cricket quiz certainly does. All these years, I was waiting for a cricket quiz which won’t either be too easy (How many centuries has Sachin scored?), or be too tough (Who sold Bradman’s car?). Most of all, I was waiting for a cricket quiz which aims more at letting you know more : It allows for googling of answers.

The quiz has a lot of levels, as well as three broad modes : 2020, ODI and Tests(upcoming). There are a lot of cryptic questions too. All in all a thoroughly recommended site. Go there and have fun. Here are some screen shots: (you can see that I am BAD)

URL: www.thinkgoogly.net

Sixandout Rating: 7 out of 10 (totally recommended)

Later

P.S.: I am really happy right now, for non-cricketing reasons

Photos Credit: thinkgoogly

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April 27th, 2008

Standard Bank Pro20 : The Titans win it

The South African T20 league, I mean the P20 league has been quite a success at home, but has failed to generate any interest elsewhere, but the same can be said to a great extent about the Aussie, the English and the New Zealand T20 leagues. Poor (read Rich) Old Allen Stanford’s T20 league is followed by more people. Even the IPL would have been as dull had some interesting things and some great cricket hadn’t happened.

I had been bickering for quite some time that I am going to write about it, as it should be written about of course. So, here it is. As the tournament is over, this would obviously act as a review post.

The teams:

1. Cobras
2. Dolphins
3. Eagles
4. Warriors
5. Lions
6. Titans
7. Zimbabwe

The prize:

R500 000-00 (about $65,446.37 right now)

The Winner:

The Nashua Titans

I just saw the Final as the other matches were not telecast in India (see, I told ya so)…. From what I saw, a lot could not be said about the popularity (though the web site claims that it was their most successful league ever. Dale Steyn shone in the final, making sure that his team won. My sincere apologies for not following this league closely, but after joining sixandout, the IPL hit me….or I hit it…whatever… I would make up for it by following it the next season for sure and yeah, proclaim on live web 2.0 that “Polly was the King”.

Till then, let’s focus on the IPL. Just to let everyone know: Gilly has just scored a 43 ball 100….

Later

Photo Credit : Flickr

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