THE NEXT STEP FOR AFGHANISTAN

In less than 20 hours from now, Afghanistan will play against their neighbour Pakistan in an ODI at Sharjah. It will be the first time that Afghanistan will be competing against a Test-playing nation in an ODI. Their first Test-playing opponent in a Twenty20 International had been India during the World Twenty20 Championships 2010. Now they play the longer version of the game against a country with whom they share a longer border.

The Afghan team has been very impressive in its short cricketing journey thus far. Those who have watched the movie 'Out of the Ashes' will know about their rise from the World Cricket League Division 5 through to the ODI status. And it did not stop there. They won the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10, by managing 6 outright wins in 7 First Class games, including the finals against Scotland at Dubai. In the current version of the same (i.e. ICC Intercontinental Cup 2011-13), they are standing currently at the 3rd position after 2 matches, behind Ireland and United Arab Emirates.

No one really expects Afghanistan to beat Pakistan in the one-off ODI to be played tomorrow at Sharjah. But what everyone would dearly like to see is a good fight. They are unlikely to match the Pakistan team in skills, but who wouldn't love to see them show some spark on the field!

Their next major assignment after this ODI shall be the World Twenty20 Championship Qualifiers to be held in mid-March, followed by the World Cricket League Championship (2 ODIs) and the ICC Intercontinental Cup (1 four-day First Class match) assignments against the Netherlands at their adopted home grounds in the UAE.

They have been now, for quite some time, a team that I have fascinatingly followed. I wish them all the luck in these fixtures, and hope that their fairytale stretches on for a long time.

PUTTING THIS TWENTY20 WIN IN PERSPECTIVE

India's win over Australia at the MCG in the second Twenty20 International was the first away win in an international match for India since 23rd June 2011, which was the 4th day of the First Test on the tour of West Indies. That is a gap of a whopping 225 days!

Since the turn of the millennium, this was just the 4th occasion when India has had to wait for more than 200 days for an away (including neutral matches) win. The earlier three occasions were:

• From 13th November 2000 (Test win over Bangladesh at Dhaka) to 10th June 2001 (Test win over Zimbabwe at Harare) - 209 days.
• From 16th April 2003 (ODI win over Bangladesh at Dhaka) to 16th December 2003 (Test win over Australia at Adelaide) - 244 days.
• From 27th December 2004 (ODI win over Bangladesh at Dhaka) to 30th July 2005 (ODI win over West Indies at Dambulla) - 216 days.

But while these numbers of over 200 days may look very large at first, none of those droughts were half as bad as the recently-ended one! In the 209-day gap of 2000-01, there was no away match played by India. That gap was a result of scheduling, not performances! In the 244-day gap of 2003, India played just 2 neutral ODIs against South Africa at Bangladesh (1 lost and 1 no result) and 1 Test against Australia (draw) at Brisbane. And in the 216-day gap of 2004-05, India played and lost just one ODI against Sri Lanka at Dambulla.

However, in this recently-ended drought of 225 days, India played 10 Tests (losing 8, drawing 2), 2 Twenty20 Internationals (lost both), and 5 ODIs (3 lost, 1 tied and 1 no result). That is a run of 17 win-less away internationals!

The most staggering fact is this - after the first ever away win against New Zealand at Dunedin Test of February 1968, India has never had a win-less streak of away international matches as big as this 17-match one! India played 43 away Test matches from June 1932 to January 1968 without a win, which remains India's longest win-less streak in away international matches, but since then, the largest one was the one that ended a few hours ago!

(P.S.: And since we are talking numbers, this is the 400th post on CRIC - SIS.)

RESTRUCTURING INDIAN DOMESTIC CRICKET

I have had this thought in mind for a long time now… months, really! Now I am finally getting down to laying it down in words. While doing so, I was again delayed by this post on Cricinfo by Harsha Bhogle… which was very related to my post, though not completely in agreement. It was definitely more food for my thoughts!

India’s domestic structure is a pretty complex one, and by almost a unanimous opinion, not the most effective or efficient one! For a long time now, there have been random voices and calls from various personalities suggesting, advocating and demanding changes… but there really has not been much of it! Like Harsha Bhogle, my post does not call merely for a change… it calls for an overhaul!

Along this line, I have written a post in a detailed and comprehensive manner describing specifically the changes I would like to see in Indian cricket's domestic structure. It has been hosted by Freehitcricket. Have a read!

A NEW IDEA FOR WORLD CUP FORMAT

The World Cup is back to a 14-team format from the 16-team format tried out in the previous edition. The format for 2011 is similar to the one used for 1996 edition, except that only 12 teams played back then. The concept of Quarter Finals will be used only for the 2nd time in cricket World Cups after 1996.

I am one of those people who like to see minnows in action. I know that ICC is of the opinion that minnows shall be given exposure against the top teams in the Twenty20 format... but I like to see them play top teams in ODIs too. The reason why I feel that they should get more ODI games against top teams is that ODIs are closer to Test cricket than Twenty20s.

In future, I would love to see an expanded Test pool. I would love to see the smaller teams like Ireland, Netherlands and Kenya be a part of Test cricket. I was absolutely delighted when the news had surfaced some time back that the Irish cricket has ambitions of breaking into Test cricket arena. I would love to see it happen sooner rather than later. And that's why I believe that ODI experiences will help them more in this regard than Twenty20s.

That is why I was happy to see 16 teams competing in 2007, even though I did not really approve of the format. Even this time round, even before the first ball is bowled, there are complains about the format and how it will be a drag towards the latter half of the first round.

There were 51 matches in 2007 and there will be 49 matches in 2011. The format that I have in mind have more matches than these - a total of 57 matches with 16 teams. But it will have lesser number of meaningless matches than these two formats.

Here's my format:

16 teams in four groups - A, B, C, D.

Stage 1 is a Double Round Robin, where each team plays the rest in its group twice (like it happened in 1983 and 1987). This stage will thus stage 48 matches (16 teams playing 6 matches each).

The teams that finish top-2 in each group shall advance ahead. The team that finishes 3rd will not advance, but will have automatically qualified to be a part of the next World Cup. The team that finishes 4th will have to play a qualifying round to be eligible to feature in the next World Cup.

Stage 2 is slightly different (inspired by the IPL format this year). Here are the matches in this stage:

Match 1: Pre Quarter Final 1 - A2 v. B2
Match 2: Pre Quarter Final 2 - C2 v. D2

Match 3: Quarter Final 1 - A1 v. B1
Match 4: Quarter Final 2 - C1 v. D1

Match 5: Quarter Final 3 - Winner of PQF 1 v. Loser of QF 1
Match 6: Quarter Final 4 - Winner of PQF 2 v. Loser of QF 2

This will be followed by Semi - finals and the Finals.

Well, this is my format consisting of 57 matches (48 + 6 + 2 + 1). Here are what I see as advantages in this format:

1. It obviously allows a chance to the smaller teams to compete against the bigger teams, and twice at least against each big team in their group. This will give them a chance to improve on their mistakes that they made in the first match, and see if they make any progress in the second "revenge" match, as it used to be called in 1983 and 1987.

2. Unlike 2007 where 16 teams featured, there is a lesser chance of big teams exiting in the first round itself since they will have 6 matches in comparison to 3 that they had back then. So even if they do suffer an upset, they should still comfortably get in to the next round.

3. There will be motivation to fight for the top spot in the group as it would mean the team is one step closer to the semis. And even if the team falters in that step, it will still get another chance to be in the semis because it finished first in the group.

4. For a change, minnows will not be playing just to make up the numbers or "for pride". They will have an added motivation to finish 3rd in the group to secure a spot in the next World Cup. Minnows usually don't get to play matches in such big events where something is at stake. This will be their big chance to play matches for a spot in a premier tournament. If they know that they have qualified to feature in the next World Cup, they can start preparing and planning a squad four years in advance.

The biggest drawback of this format, as I see it, is that it is way too lengthy. 57 matches might be a bit of a drag to many fans. And there aren't a lot of people who would like to see minnows in action in so many matches. After all, high profile matches attract the crowds, not Ireland v. Netherlands games!

However, I had to put forth this idea the moment it struck my head. Usually, such ideas strike me in my sleep and this one was no different! I would love to have your feedback on what you may deem to be other pros and cons of this format or any suggestion or improvement to this format or a completely different format altogether.

ABSURD SCHEDULING

Nagpur will be hosting the third Test instead of Mumbai during New Zealand's tour of India in November - December 2010. Earlier, this match (20 - 24 November) was scheduled for Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. But after Mumbai Cricket Association's announcement that it will be unable to host the match due to the preparations for World Cup 2011, BCCI decided to shift it to Nagpur.

Empty Stands don't bear a pretty sight!

The current BCCI President Shashank Manohar, originally from Nagpur, was elected to his post on 29th September 2008. From that point, India played 33 international home games (11 Tests, 20 ODIs, 2 T20Is), out of which Nagpur has hosted the most number for any venue - 5 matches (2 Tests, 2 ODIs, 1 T20I).

By the end of this year, Nagpur and Mohali would have hosted 3 Tests each (starting from October 2008). Given that these two venues have seen extremely low crowd attendances in Test cricket over the recent past, it seems that BCCI is not using any head in its scheduling. In 2008 against Australia, Sachin Tendulkar went past Brian Lara as the highest run scorer in Test cricket in front of virtually empty stands at Mohali. And a couple of weeks later at Nagpur's new stadium in Jamtha, he scored a century acknowledged by a handful of spectators.

Things were no different when Mohali hosted its next Test against England and Nagpur hosted against South Africa. Part of the reason for low attendance for Test cricket in these grounds (apart from the dwindling interest in the purest form of the game) is the fact that these stadiums (at Mohali and Jamtha) are located quite some distance away from the main cities of Chandigarh and Nagpur respectively. Most spectators are unwilling to travel that far for a day of Test cricket that might not even bear a result.

So I am stumped as to why BCCI has ignored the other Tests grounds that have shown good crowd attendance whenever they have had a chance to witness Test cricket. Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata have hosted just 1 Test each during this period... and by the end of 2010, Bangalore will be the only venue amongst these four to increase its tally to 2 against Australia. These grounds have seen good crowd support for Test cricket... but either BCCI is blind and deaf or it is dumb. I guess it's the latter!

DEAR MR. MICHAEL CLARKE

Dear Mr. Michael Clarke,

Over past few months, everyone has witnessed your continuous struggles at coming to terms with the newest form of cricket... Twenty20. What makes this situation comic (atleast for a neutral spectator like me) is that you are the captain of your country's international Twenty20 squad.

Last year, when Lalit Modi had claimed that you withdrew your name from the IPL auctions because you were scared of the humiliation of not being sold at you 'high' base price, I was scoffing. The story looked a little far-fetched! But now, I can almost believe it. To put it in very soft words for you, your batting in Twenty20 is pathetic!

Let me first revisit you Twenty20 batting record for you: 32 matches, 26 innings, 442 runs at an average of 21.04 and a strike rate of 101.14 with the help pf 22 fours and 9 sixes. Your highest score of 67 is your only 50+ score in Twenty20 internationals.

You have played just 5 innings in your career where you have scored more than 20 runs at a strike rate of 105+. And let me remind you, 18 of your 26 innings have been played at positions 1 to 4. You have not managed to score at a strike rate of 100+ in your last 8 matches now. And all those 8 matches were played as a captain! Frankly, I have never known a more under-performing captain.

I know I shouldn't compare, but Virendra Sehwag's ODI strike rate is higher than your Twenty20 International strike rate. And David Obuya has more 50+ scores than you. And to think that you are a captain of a team that has dominated world cricket for over one and a half decades!

Now here's my humble suggestion. It would do a lot of good if you voluntarily opt out of this form of cricket. It will save you the embarrassment of being sacked despite being the captain. It will hugely benefit your team. It will help a lot of fans who want to watch good cricket action. It will benefit the game of cricket indeed!

You are a wonderful batsman in the other forms, a delight especially in Tests. But having struggled in Twenty20s for so long now, I think you should be wise enough to make a call. There are enough youngsters in the Aussie structure to fill you relatively tiny boots. The captaincy can be well handled by Cameron White. So, I guess you have understood my point.

You can contact me anytime on this blog if you need more advice for the advancement of your career. I am always ready to help everyone... even Shane Watson!

Take care. Waiting for your retirement press conference dates,

SJ.

SCARED OF MORE HUMILIATION?

The media is still slamming BCCI's decision to not send a team for the Asian Games in China. In search of a solution, I thought India could send an almost full-strength team there.

India's squads for Tests and Twenty20s differ majorly. Here is the Test squad: G Gambhir, V Sehwag, R Dravid, S Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, S Badrinath, MS Dhoni, H Singh, A Mishra, Z Khan, S Sreesanth.

You might have noticed that I have taken the liberty to replace Yuvraj Singh with S Badrinath... a change that I believe is essential. Yuvraj needs to be kept out of the squad to let him know that he is not indisposable. As replacement, the two guys on my radar were Badrinath and C Pujara. Since Pujara plays higher in the order in domestic cricket, it would be unfair on him to make him play at No. 6. Therefore, Badrinath.

Now, the Twenty20 squad: M Pandey, R Uthappa, N Ojha, S Raina, V Kohli, R Sharma, Y Singh, R Jadeja / I Pathan / Y Pathan, P Kumar, A Nehra, RP Singh / V Kumar.

The guys from the Test squad who would have been a part of a Twenty20 match in normal circumstances are: G Gambhir, V Sehwag, MS Dhoni, Z Khan. Amongst these, Zaheer Khan has been well replaced... simply because even he looks dreadfully off colour. Uthappa's good form (as of now) should ensure that Gambhir's absence does not harm the team too much. Naman Ojha is good behind the stumps... so Dhoni's keeping will not be missed. And as far as MSD's batting is concerned, he has stopped hitting his booming shots in any case. Ojha might just end up having a better strike rate than Dhoni in Twenty20s after the Asia Cup! Dhoni's captaincy might be missed... but we do have to groom someone for the future.

The only guy who cannot be replaced is a certain Virendra Sehwag. He was missed in West Indies... and he will be missed wherever he is not available to play cricket (whatever the format) for India!

There is one catch, though! I don't know if the matches in the Asian Games are going to be allotted the official status. But if India does send a different squad there, then there can be no way that the matches will be awarded the official status. How can India play on two different lands on the same day in two different games of cricket!?

But that is still far away though! Will BCCI risk sending another 'B' team after the humiliation in Zimbabwe. Two losses to Zimbabwe in as many matches is a first in the history of Indian cricket... but that it came against a Zimbabwe squad such as this one should make the Indian players lose sleep over their performance. If the two defeats had come against the Zimbabwe squad of early 2000s, it would still have felt better than this.

And both the matches were convincing wins by the hosts. It wasn't a last ball thriller... far from it. Both the matches, second in particular, were finished by the Zimbabweans in a clinical manner... something that India has not managed far too often over the past few weeks.

NO INDIA IN ASIAN GAMES... SO WHAT? - PART 2

The cricket that will be played at the Asian Games will be Twenty20 format. There will be a Champions League Twenty20 to be played just before that. There will be IPL every year. There will be a Twenty20 World Cup every two years. If cricket is included in the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, there will be more such Twenty20 tournaments. Then there will be the ODI World Cups and the Champions Trophies. Where is the space for Tests then? Where is the time for bilateral tours?

The second allegation being made is regarding the politics involved in governance of Indian sport. This one does make some sense. A very pertinent question raised last night in a news debate regarding this issue was: if the men's schedule is too tight to not send a full-strength team, why can't the BCCI send the women's team atleast? Is it because the BCCI does not want the team to play under the banner of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which is governed by Mr. Suresh Kalmadi (who is not on the best of terms with a certain Mr. Sharad Pawar)?

If this is true, it is a shame! Sport in the sub-continent has always been riddled with politics. BCCI could also have sent a second-string side for the men's event as well. They may say that our secon-string side would not have won a gold, but that does not qualify as an arguement. Sending a strong side also does not assure you of gold either.

I have no clue as to what might happen now. Maybe the BCCI will buckle under the pressure from the Sports Ministry or something and decide to send a team. Maybe a second-string team will be sent. Maybe a women's team will be sent. Maybe the New Zealand tour will be shifted to cramp the cricket calender even more. Maybe the 3-Test 5-ODI tour will be shortened to a 2-Test 3-ODI tour. God only knows. But in the interest of the game, all I have to say is that don't just slam the BCCI for the sake of it.

I am no fan of the Board of Control for Cricket in India... but they do have a job. And in every job, at certain times, you are helpless. That is BCCI's state at the moment. Lets just give them some space to make a decision and then respect it if they can give sound logic behind their decision.

NO INDIA IN ASIAN GAMES... SO WHAT? - PART 1

Last night, most of the news channels that I saw were showing just one news - BCCI has decided against sending a team to the Asian Games later this year in November at Guangzhou, China.

What amused me was the fact that this news has generated a lot of ire against the BCCI. While the media being against the BCCI is not a new occurence, but the reasons given certainly left me puzzled.

Why is BCCI not sending a team to the Asian Games? What is the BCCI's take on it?

As per the Future Tours Program, India is supposed to host New Zealand for a Test and ODI bilateral series during that period. Considering that India will also be hosting Australia for 7 ODIs (it may change to include Tests as well) just before the New Zealand tour and will tour South Africa immediately after the New Zealand tour, there is just no space to reschedule the tour.

What are the allegations against the BCCI made by the media?

The first allegation that is being made is that BCCI is a money-thirsty animal, and sees no profit in sending the team to China for the Asian Games. The news channels have gone to the extent of saying that BCCI feels no pride in sending an Indian team and just wants more of IPL and the money.

Loads of blasphemy! I guess that BCCI bashing has become an obsession with the Indian media. There may be no money in sending a team to the Asian Games... but then there isn't a lot of money in hosting New Zealand either. Infact, considering that the Asian Games would have meant more of Twenty20, it might just have generated more money than Tests and ODIs with New Zealand.

And even against New Zealand, we will see an Indian outfit... not an IPL club. They will still be playing for the pride of representing India, whether its against New Zealand or whether its in China. So the media men should get a hold of themselves while alleging that there is no pride left in representing India.

And what pride will be earned by beating Oman, Afghanistan, UAE and China to earn an Asian Games medal? Wouldn't the national pride be better served by beating New Zealand in Tests and ODIs... try and retain the No. 1 ranking in Tests and get to the No. 1 in ODIs?

(contd...)

UMPIRING HORRORS IN ANTIGUA

South Africa began the second leg (it's a many-legged tour, this one) of their Carribbean tour yesterday, playing the first one of the two Twenty20 matches scheduled against the home side, the West Indies.

The match marked a return of international cricket to the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua... the ground that was in news for all the wrong reasons about a year back. But this time, there were no problems in the bowlers' run-up area or the pitch or anywhere on the ground... there was a problem only with the kind of cricket played.

West Indies team has been ordinary for quite a long time now... but I had no idea that their umpires even worse. After watching the performance of their umpires yesterday, I have almost started respecting Billy Doctrove ten times more. He is an international Elite panel umpire who has grown out of that system... with the likes of Clyde Duncan and Norman Malcolm for company and competition. Thank God that ICC follows a neutral umpire strategy in Test cricket... else, following Test cricket in West Indies would have been a nightmare! I was embarassed by their standard yesterday. If I were to explain to a non-follower why cricket is a good game to follow, yesterday's match would certainly not be the one I would choose for an example!

In 2008, the BCCI had a tie-up with Cricket Australia for training the umpires and prepare them for a spot on the Elite Panel. India, after all, has not had a representative on the Elite Panel ever since Srinivas Venkatraghavan retired in 2004. I think WICB needs a bit of the same to prevent dramas like the ones that happened yesterday.

(I know I haven't reported any of the embarassing umpiring decisions, but you can read many other accounts of the same floating over the internet for that purpose. I would recommend Luke Tagg's match report at The Boundary Rider.)

THIS DAY... FOUR YEARS AGO

All good things come to an end... this one also did! India had created a world record of having won 18 consecutive ODI matches chasing... that very skill in which it was once considered that India was shabby.

But on this day (20th May) four years ago (in 2006) at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica, it came to an end... it came to an end with a slower yorker from Dwayne Bravo that beat Yuvraj Singh all ends up to rattle into his stumps... and sent India to an excruciatingly painful 1-run defeat.

Four years is a timespan between two World Cups... but for India, this four-year gap represents a different era altogether. This was a time when Rahul Dravid led the team. India had not played a Twenty20 till then. Irfan Pathan was considered a match-winner then... and regularly sent to bat at No. 3. Yuvraj Singh was lean and fit (can you believe it?)! Some guy called Mohammed Kaif also played cricket for India. Modi meant Narendra Modi (a politician always in news)... and not Lalit Modi! Preity Zinta, Shilpa Shetty and Juhi Chawla might not have owned a cricket jersey then... let alone a cricket team! And yes, the legendary Trinidadian Brian Charles Lara also played cricket and captained the West Indies side.

India had won the previous match (while chasing again) by 5 wickets with 1 ball to spare at the same Sabina Park ground. There was a feeling that Rahul Dravid will choose to bowl every time he wins the toss, no matter what the conditions. He did win the toss... he did choose to bowl. India did well in restricting West Indies to 198 for 9 in 50 overs... leaving Sarwan stranded on 98* at the end of their innings. Again, it was that Irfan Pathan fellow who impressed with his bowling... grabbing 3 - 45 in 9 overs (including the prized scalp of BC Lara).

India lost regular wickets till 60 for 4 in 17 overs. Then Raina and Yuvraj forged a 64-run stand when I typed an SMS on my cell alerting everyone that India had won 19th in a row batting second. When Raina went and soon the score became 134 for 7, I saved that SMS to drafts... determined to open it only when India sealed the deal.

As the game got closer to its climax, I became more alert (despite the fact that it was about 2 in the night in India). When No. 11 Munaf Patel was to face Bravo on the first ball of the final over with India needing 11 and Yuvraj on the other end... I was on my wit's end. I still recall that over clearly. That scrappy single by Munaf to the keeper, that outside edged four to third man by Yuvraj attempting a wild slog followed by a beautiful cover drive for a four that would have been called beautiful no matter what continent were you in... and then that ball! Needing 2 runs of 3 balls and Yuvraj on strike... I had opened my drafts folder on my mobile phone. What happened next meant that I had to edit that message before sending it to people who followed cricket through me.

West Indies had to get Yuvraj out to win... there was no other option (save a run out)! Yuvraj looked sublime on 93... it took a special delivery from Bravo to deceive him! Yuvraj was distraught... on his knees at the crease long after the match was over. Bravo was over the moon... but that is where he is every time he does something special. Not only was India's streak broken, even India was broken! They went on to lose their next 3 matches... and losing an ODI series 4-1 to West Indies was embarassing even then!

It was a fabulous match that did not end on a happy note for me. But looking back at it, I am glad that I had decided to stay up till 3 at night to watch it... it was worth the sleep deprivation that I put myself through.

HOW TWENTY20 FAVOURS THE UNDERDOGS

When Twenty20 was invented... and particularly when international T20 matches began... a lot of people said that this format of the game will really bring the minnows into the game and that it will give a chance for them to cause upsets.

In 2007, Zimbabwe beat Australia and Bangladesh beat West Indies. In 2009, Netherlands beat England and Ireland beat Bangladesh. The theory was vindicated. In 2010, no minnow managed to beat a top-8 team. So, was it a tournament without any upsets? I don't think so. It had one of the biggest upsets of them all. England winning a World Cup tournament... it has to be an upset.

England were never the favourites... they were just 'strong contendors'! How many strong contendors have we seen fall by the wayside in many a World Cup tournaments... India in 2010, Australia in 2009, West Indies in 2007, Pakistan and India in 2007 ODI World Cup, South Africa in 2003 ODI World Cup... the list will never end.

But in my books, the English team was not even a strong contendor. South Africa and England could never be strong contendors for me... atleast till now. England have managed to change that.

All through these years, England had not managed a single ODI World Cup dsepite having reached the finals in 1979, 1987 and 1992. There is no specific reason why they could not win it... especially in 1992... they had a strong team then. So it should not be surprising that their first big win in a World Cup has come in the Twenty20 format... the format that is meant to suit the 'underdogs'!

So what say? Is someone placing their money on South Africa for the next Twenty20 World Cup? Someone said they were 'underdogs'...

URGENTLY

In my previous posts, I have stressed on the need to move forward for Team India. I posted a 4-part 'Roadmap for the Future' series yesterday. One of the essential things while moving forward is taking stock of your past actions... and trying to find out what went wrong.

India went into the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007 having played only 1 international T20 match in its history. They went in not only without expectations... they also went in without much experience. And in one of the best adverts for Twenty20 cricket, India played and beat Pakistan in the final. When about 25 to 30 percent of the earth's population is following one particular cricket match, it is bound to have a domino effect.

So after the win over the arch rivals, the young Indian men who were trying to make the cut into the senior team were suddenly the toast of the nation. They were heaped with rewards, honours, glory and above all, the most corruptible thing of them all - money. With these youngsters getting fat paychecks at the IPL held soon after, they assumed that they had successfully overgrown the popularity of their seniors... the stars who had proved themselves everywhere... in every condition... in every situation... for years and years and years. All this due to one win!

The teams that played Twenty20 cricket for India since the World Cup win remained essentially same in character... but just could not manage the desired results. In the 17 international T20 matches that India has played since the World Cup final at the Wanderers, India has managed just 7 wins. And if you were to exclude the matches against Ireland, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, it would be down to 4 wins from 14 matches against the top-8 opponents in international cricket.

4 wins in 14 games! That is a winning percentage of less than 30%, despite having a stable team and captain. Do you realise that even Kings XI Punjab fared better than that this season in the IPL? And they were pathetic. So what's the word to be used for India? I am lost completely.

The members if this team need to be made to face reality. They need to be brought down from their high pedestals. Gary Kirsten has already lashed out hard... and if a man like him is lashing out hard, then the problem is extremely severe. Something needs to be done. Urgently.

ROADMAP FOR THE FUTURE PART 4

(contd...)

TWENTY20 CRICKET -

I think that organising more India A tours to England, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand should help our squad of future 'Twenty20 specialists'. The recent experience has shown that non-batsman-friendly conditions upset our current lot immediately and they can do no more than look fools. This needs to be eliminated... and BCCI would do well by arranging for wet-tennis-ball-on-concrete-pitches practice sessions for young batsmen.

Also, spinners need to be coached in such a way that they can be attacking options even on unhelpful pitches. As I have already said, restricting the runs is a strategy that may work against a few... not all. Good batsmen will always work their way out. As far as the pacers are concerned, they need to learn bowling their yorkers more consistently... I don't know how are you supposed to train them for that.

The cricket administation in India needs to take some urgent steps. I know that the tour of South Africa at the end of the year is very important considering our Test Rankings, the history and the newly-built rivalry. But considering that the World Cup will begin in about a month's time from the end of that tour, the selectors must ensure that they withdraw any key player who shows even a slight niggle during that tour. Even if they lose in South Africa as a result of this, all will be forgiven if Dhoni lifts a glittering trophy at Wankhede!

ROADMAP FOR THE FUTURE PART 3

(contd...)

ODI CRICKET -

The World Cup is in India. So from a short term point of view, it is good that the crux of the Indian ODI team's middle order today loves to play on the sub-continental pitches. With Sehwag, Tendulkar and Gambhir, I do not find the need to tinker with the top 3 positions. India has found success in their formula of 4 specialist bowlers + 1 part time all rounder type spinner. The 4 bowlers are likely to be Zaheer, Nehra, Harbhajan and Praveen Kumar. The part time spinnig allrounder is likely to be Yusuf Pathan. The 4 middle order positions are likely to be filled by Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli / Rohit Sharma.

I know that the ball will not bounce a lot in the sub-continent... but I still feel that Yusuf Pathan should have been dropped from India's team to Zimbabwe and instead, included in India A's team to England. That would have been beneficial for him in a big way! Selectors need to give enough opportunities to the other fringe players as well... so that they can be ready as replacements in the event of an injury. Considering the amount of cricket we are playing, injuries are very likely to happen.

(contd...)

ROADMAP FOR THE FUTURE PART 2

(contd...)

TEST CRICKET -

The Test side is unlikely to see many changes in the next 12 months or so. We have 3 Tests away to SL, 2 Tests home to NZ, 2 proposed Tests home to Australia and 3 Tests away to SA in the schedule right now. After this though (or during this depending on the form), the seniors in the side might decide to hang up their boots. Their places will have to be taken. Also up for grabs is the place of Yuvraj Singh in this side. If Gambhir's struggles continue, he might also face the axe (it would be a wrong move if it does happen).

The candidates to fill up India's middle order are Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Robin Uthappa, Rohit Sharma, Manish Pandey, Cheteshwar Pujara, Yusuf Pathan, Dinesh Karthik, Ajinkya Rahane, etc. I think that in the coming months, selectors should ask Yuvraj to work on his fitness and give his place to a potential replacement. I think that keeping a keen eye on the upcoming India A tour to England will give us a good idea of the abilities and temperament of the likes of Pujara, Pandey and Rahane.

In the pace bowling department, it is time to bring Ashish Nehra back into the side to accompany Zaheer Khan, who needs to be treated with care now, because he has shown that he is prone to injuries these days. The third pacer, if needed, is a question mark. There are names like Praveen Kumar, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, S Sreesanth, Vinay Kumar and others... but one of them needs to step up. I like Sreesanth's bowling (only when he is in rhythm) better than the rest (when they are in their rhythm)... but Sreesanth is... well, Sreesanth. I think Praveen Kumar should be given a go in Test cricket now, especially on the Sri Lanka tour. Spin department looks good because we never need more than two spinners to play in a Test. With Harbhajan around, there is a healthy competition between Mishra and Ojha. I feel that if Bhajji continues to bowl flat in Tests, he should be dropped once to let him know that he can be dispensed with.

(contd...)

ROADMAP FOR THE FUTURE PART 1

I am still extremely angry at Dhoni and his team for their performances in the World Twenty20 Championship, mainly because they knew what they were going to get... some nice chin music... but they did nothing about it. Those who know Hindi will understand when I say that Team India played with an "आ बैल मुझे मार" attitude.

But what's done is done... there is no 'Undo' button in life. What happens now? The ideal thing to do now is that while the boys go to Zimbabwe for another tour, the main men in Indian cricket - the captain, coach, selectors, senior players and the team management should come together to devise a roadmap for the future.

What are the fixtures scheduled in the near future? After the Zimbabwe tour for ODIs and T20s, there will be the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. There is another Sri Lanka tour for three Tests, some ODIs... and there may be a home Test series against Australia. Then, there will be the big and extremely important tour to South Africa. And after that, the biggest prize of them all - the ODI World Cup 2011 to be played in the sub-continent.

Lets try and build a roadmap for the future on our own. What are the key facts to be kept in mind?

A. The trio of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman cannot play Test Cricket for India forever. The youngsters will need to step up and take their place.

B. Sachin Tendulkar is likely to quit One Day Cricket after World Cup 2011.

C. IPL is likely to continue the way it has been planned (with 10 teams next year), irrespective of any number of controversies and scandals that may arise.

D. It would be foolish to let go of Dhoni as a captain... I think a break now should do him some good.

(contd...)

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS - ONE OUT, THE OTHER ON THEIR WAY

A couple of days ago, I mentioned on this blog that the Australian women beat the English women in the Women's version of World Twenty20 Championship on the rule of sixes countback. Now, that ridiculous rule has resulted into the end of the road for the defending champions, England Women, in this tournament.

England lost by 2 runs to the hosts, West Indies... and they deserved the loss. They were sitting comfortably at 65 for 0, chasing 123 for a win and a chance to stay alive in the tournament. But somehow inexplicably, they collapsed and stuttered to 120 for 9 in their 20 overs, falling short by 2 runs.

So England, the defending champions and the favourites to win this event as well, who have made just 2 runs less than their opponents thus far in this tournament (an ill-fated tie with Australia earlier), have already been knocked out.

I knew that the rule of sixes countback in the event of a tie in the Super Over was ridiculous... but I had no clue that it would result in such an unfair situation. And since this happens to be Women's cricket, I doubt ICC is going to give much thought into this rule. Had a men's team been knocked out in such a circumstance, ICC would have immediately taken note of its unfairness.

Moving on, after the Indian men surrendered meekly to Australia, the women brought some cheer by streamrolling arch rivals Pakistan by 9 wickets. Their next match against Sri Lanka is a virtual quarter-final, with the winner to advance to the semi-finals, to take on either Australia or West Indies. In the event of a no result, Indian women would advance due to their higher NRR.

And lastly, New Zealand's 1-run win over Pakistan has virtually knocked the defending champions out (they still have a mathematical chance due to the English win later over the South Africans). Though the Kiwis are yet to gain a semi-final spot, they are looking a strong and a formidable unit... especially now with the return of Kyle Mills to the team. They will gain enormous confidence from having beaten Pakistan - an opponent that has traditionally been a thorn for the Kiwis in major ICC tournaments. In fact, since their first ever meeting in the 1983 World Cup where the Kiwis prevailed by 52 runs, they had never managed to beat Pakistan in a World Cup match (One Day or Twenty20). These matches included three semi-final defeats in ODI World Cups of 1992 and 1999, and the Twenty20 World Cup in 2007.

Now, the Kiwis will need to beat the Poms, who will be without the services of Kevin Pietersen (he will be flying home to be with his wife on their first child birth). If the Kiwis do manage to win and qualify for the semis, they should invite Mrs. Pietersen and Baby Pietersen at a Thank-You-Lunch for their exceptional timing!

AUS BEAT ENG BY 1 SIX TO 0

The women's edition of the World Twenty20 Championship kicked off on May 5. In just the second game between Australia and England, the tournament had its first tie... and the first Super Over.

But for the first time in international cricket (actually in all level of crickets that I know of), the Super Over also failed to deliver a result. After scoring 104 in their normal innings', both teams lost their 2 wickets for 6 runs in the Super Over. And so the 2 points were awarded to Australia by virtue of greater number of sixes hit (1 to England's 0).

The rules of Twenty20 cricket state that in case of a tie, a Super Over (also called a One Over Eliminator sometimes) will be played to break the deadlock. This is the commonly known part. What many people do not know is what happens if the Super Over also results in a tie.

In such a case, the team that hit higher number of 6s in their 21 overs (20 normal overs + 1 super over) will be declared the winner. In case of a tie here, the team with the higher number of 4s in their 21 overs. And in case this also results in a tie, then God help the teams because the match is awarded by way of a coin toss.

I know there are some rubbish rules in cricket, but this one takes the cake. The women from England fought just as hard as the ones from Down Under... but were not equally rewarded. Why? Because their method of scoring runs was different (less flamboyant) than that of their opponents. By this definition, Shahid Afridi is a better batsman than Rahul Dravid!

It's time ICC looks into this particular rule and changes it. Just last month, Sachin Tendulkar showed that runs can be scored in Twenty20s without hitting too many sixes... he hit just 3 out of the ground on his way to becoming the highest scorer in the IPL. If still the rules were to say that hitting sixes could eventually decide the match in your favour, it's a pity then!

Thank God that matches are not decided on the basis of the length of the sixes hit by the batsmen!

ABOUT TWITTER AND IRELAND

A lot has happenned around the world since my last blog. A few more matches have been completed (subject to the moods of the Weather Gods) at the World Twenty20 Championship. No upsets yet... though Ireland almost managed one against England yesterday. Sachin Tendulkar has joined Twitter... stormed into Twitter would be more apt. He has 87552 followers when I last checked. That was in 37 hours and 19 minutes from his first tweet. And since I practice Sachinism, I decided to join twitter as well (http://twitter.com/cricsis).

Now back to the cricket that is happenning. Australia have just about wrapped up a win over Bangladesh... a commendable effort considering that they were looking down the barrel in the early stages of the match. Bangladesh showed promise, but once again the batting let them down. Sounds like a very similar story!

But its yesterday's match between England and Ireland that fascinated me a lot. In the end, the score books would show the result as "No Result", and the records would state that England have gone through to the next round. On one hand, the English team would feel that justice was served (they were unfairly declared losers by D/L Method against the Windies), whereas on the other hand, the Irish would feel that they were hard done by. They did extremely well to restrict the English team to a very gettable target. When the match was about the recommence, they would have needed 47 runs from 33 balls.

It would have been unfair for England had they been knocked out... but its not fair for Ireland either. But when was sport ever fair?

Ireland has taken big strides in international cricket over the past 3-4 years. Their progress has looked even more impressive after considering the fact that some of their promising players have been 'stolen' by England (Ed Joyce, Eoin Morgan). The contribution of guys like Trent Johnston and Niall and Kevin O'Brien has been very commendable and these guys deserve a pat on their backs.

One of my biggest reasons of me liking Twenty20 cricket is that it gives an opportunity to the lesser teams to shine on the big stage... if not shine, atleast show the promise (like Afghanistan). I really wish to see the Twenty20 World Cup expand to a 16-team format. It is difficult to play 16 teams in an ODI tournament, but can be managed in Twenty20s. So why not try it and allow more nations a chance to impress!