The world cup is now wide open

So whats going on in the cricket world? Australia loosing 5 in a row? Ganguly diving on the field and taking spectacular catches? India actually having a pace attack worth talking about? Marlon Samuels (who???) embroiled in a fixing controversy?

Strange happenings, are'nt they? especially when the world cup is just round the corner. Rumour mills are working overtime. I have heard some really ridiculous ones such as Australia throwing games so that there is some interest still left in the world cup which, until not too long ago was theirs for the taking. I mean get over it guys, was'nt fixing in cricket a copyright of the subcontinent? Why would the Aussies throw games? why would they care if there is interest in the WC or not? They would just want to win it, and so would the other teams. So lets just forget all these stupid speculations and enjoy what promises to be an exciting tournament.

Team India looks nice and balanced. Batting is clicking, bowling is doing reasonably well, and with some young guys diving around fielding looks good as well. If only someone could find a solution to the conundrum that is Irfan Pathan, I think we would be a complete team. The very fact that Dinesh Karthick was picked to replace Pathan shows us that he now considered a pure batting option and no longer an all rounder, let alone being considered a bowler. And whats with him being picked inspite of being injured? Need some answers about him and need 'em fast.

The guys making a comeback to the team have performed admirably, or at least most of them have. Zaheer is is fine form, his swing and perfect length almost always providing an early breakthrough. Ganguly, well he has really been born again, has'nt he!! Down and dusted, not getting along with the coach, falling out(allegedly) with some of his teammates, no one really gave him a chance to make a comeback. Then when he was recalled to the test side, everyone thought that even if he did get this far, there is absolutely no place for him in th ODI side. But he made it, and how!!! To see him bat like he used to is really heartening. To see him dive around on the field is really refreshing, and , I dont know if its me or is it for real that he seems to have more hair on his head now. Last time I saw him, he was balding!! With Sehwag's form on a downward spiral, I felt initially that Sachin and him need to be re-united at the top, but the meteoric rise of Uthapa, that looks unlikely. The other comeback man though has left a lot to be desired and raised a lot of questions. I am talking about Anil Kumble. There is no doubt he is a liability in the field (his "knee first" diving technique is as ridiculous as it is hilarious) . I think our loss to Sri Lanka in the second ODI was brought about by his wasting 5 balls which Dhoni could have used. And lets face it, there is not too many places where you play 2 specialist spinners in an ODI. And with Sehwag, Sachin and Yuvi more that capable of sharing 10 overs, why the selectors have decided to to pick Kumble is beyond me.
So the stage is set for the Carribean magnum-opus. More teams this time, degrading the opening round to merely something that will decide who play who is the super-eights as opposed to a who makes it there thing. A super eights instead of the old super-sixes. Less number of venues which means less travelling for teams, something for the Americans to worry about .
But most importantly the "anyone can win it" feeling. South Africa in cracking form, Australia wounded and waiting to strike back, New Zealand on the moon after whitewashing the Aussies, England and Sri Lanka trying to get their acts together, Inidia also having a good recent record, and as always the unpredictable Pakistanis. Really sets the stage up does'nt it.

Predictions anyone?

Indian Media.. Something to think about

Got this email as a forward from a friend...
dont really open forwarded emails too often, but ended up reading this one, and this is interesting..
no idea how true it is or how much of this is just a figment of someone's imagination.

So here goes... its titled "SHAME ON INDIAN MEDIA"

"
By the time u guys read this news, the body of Major Manish Pitambare, who was shot dead at Anantnag, would have been cremated with full military honors.

On Tuesday, this news swept across all the news channels 'Sanjay Dutt relieved by court'. 'Sirf Munna not a bhai' '13 saal ka vanvaas khatam' 'although found guilty for possession of armory, Sanjay can breath sigh of relief as all the TADA charges against him are withdrawn' Then many personalities like Salman Khan said 'He is a good person. We knew he will come out clean'. Mr Big B said "Dutt's family and our family have relations for years he's a good kid. He is like elder brother to Abhishek". His sister Priya Dutt said "we can sleep well tonight. It 's a great relief"

In other news, Parliament was mad at Indian team for performing bad; Greg Chappell said something; Shah Rukh Khan replaces Amitabh in KBC and other such stuff. But most of the emphasis was given on Sanjay Dutt's "phoenix like" comeback from the ashes of terrorist charges. Surfing through the channels, one news on BBC startled me. It read "Hisbul Mujahidin's most wanted terrorist 'Sohel Faisal' killed in Anantnag, India. Indian Major leading the operation lost his life in the process. Four others are injured.

It was past midnight, I started visiting the stupid Indian channels, but Sanjay Dutt was still ruling. They were telling how Sanjay pleaded to the court saying 'I'm the sole bread earner for my family', 'I have a daughter who is studying in US' and so on. Then they showed how Sanjay was not wearing his lucky blue shirt while he was hearing the verdict and also how he went to every temple and prayed for the last few months. A suspect in Mumbai bomb blasts, convicted under armory act...was being transformed into a hero. Sure Sanjay Dutt has a daughter; Sure he did not do any terrorist activity. Possessing an AK47 is considered too elementary in terrorist community and also one who possesses an AK47 has a right to possess a pistol so that again is not such a big crime; Sure Sanjay Dutt went to all the temples; Sure he did a lot of Gandhigiri but then........ ...

Major Manish H Pitambare got the information from his sources about the terrorists' whereabouts. Wasting no time he attacked the camp, killed Hisbul Mujahidin's supremo and in the process lost his life to the bullets fired from an AK47. He is survived by a wife and daughter (just like Sanjay Dutt) who's only 18 months old.

Major Manish never said 'I have a daughter' before he took the decision to attack the terrorists in the darkest of nights. He never thought about having a family and he being the bread earner. No news channel covered this since they were too busy hyping a former drug addict, a suspect who's linked to bomb blasts which killed hundreds. Their aim was to show how he defied the TADA charges and they were so successful that his conviction in possession of armory had no meaning. They also concluded that his parents in heaven must be happy and proud of him.

Parents of Major Manish are still living and they have to live rest of their lives without their beloved son. His daughter won't ever see her daddy again. Finally Major Manish, to my generation is a greater hero, someone who laid his life in the name of this great nation.
So, please forward this message around so that the media knows which news to give importance, as it is a shame for us since this Army Major's death news was given by a foreign TV channel!!!"


Leave it out to anyone who is reading for comments..