Don't Rain On My T20 Parade

...is the title of my first piece which has just been accepted to be published on the cricinfoblog section :) The first step to securing a regular contributing position on the site! I'm quite ecstatic! I'm allowed to share it on here because it's going to be heavily edited (hah surprise surprise) and it's appearing on the bloggers' section. I shall share with you the cricinfo link as soon as it's up - which should be in the next few days. Btw, I need a clever alias to go by on the site - if you have any ideas, do toss them my way. (I'd love to go with MrsDhoni, but I don't think Mr. Dhoni would be too impressed by that)

Also, I have a tiny request: I know a lot of you who read LFMAC aren't huge cricket fans, but I'd really appreciate it if you could read the piece anyway and let me know what you think of the style, structure and perhaps most importantly if you understand the point I'm trying to make by the end of it. Every single one of you reading is a fantastic writer imo so I'd really like to know what you think - and please be brutal in your criticism....I can dish it out, so I should be able to take it :) I also I know it'll be slightly torturous as it is quite long, so I don't want to insist! Only if you feel like it!

For those of you who are CricketAddicts, feel free to add your reactions to the points I make. And to the Test Cricket snobs (*cough* Saumya & Dilip), I look forward to having more explosive battles with you on GTalk/Skype :P

Also, just to let you all know, please don't feel like you're missing out stupendously important details about my life because of my obsession with all this cricket-shicket biz...believe me, my life is horrendously dull right now. You'll be the first to know if something exciting does happen in my blah existence - rest assured.

Happy-glow love,

S xxx

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Don't Rain On My T20 Parade

I love cricket -- any form of it. Be it the classy 5-day test, the deceivingly tricky 50-over One Day International, the popular newcomer who everyone loves to hate - the Twenty-20 format, even gully cricket -- every single version of the game is magical to me. I believe that each avatar of cricket needs to be respected and appreciated for its individual characteristics and demands. You probably know where I’m going with this. Using the past month of the IPL, I want to express my unwavering love for T20 cricket.

I am very wary of people who say things like “T20 is destroying the true essence of the game”…I don’t hear people saying that about 7-a-side indoor soccer. Ultimately, T20 is still about scoring runs, getting wickets and victories are dependent on making the right decisions and staying strong under pressure -- elements that are crucial to success in any form of the game. And emphatically I say no, I don’t believe T20 compromises the quality of the game either.

If we look at all the batsmen who made runs in this year’s IPL it becomes clear that good technique is not context-specific. The 3 batsmen that scored the highest runs in this year’s tournament are Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis and Sourav Ganguly -- three legends of the game. There is nothing left to say about Sachin Tendulkar, any superlatives that I use to describe his unparalleled class and determination could never do justice to the actual genius of his bottom-hand-heavy punch through the covers. Jacques Kallis is arguably the best all-rounder and one of the most consistent and skillful Test batsmen of our time. And Sourav? Well, Dada’s exquisite timing, shuffle down the pitch and effortless cut-shot sixes are the stuff books are written about. Never compromising class for runs, these three men are probably the most potent proof that you don’t need to be a slogger and a hard-hitter to be a successful T20 batsman.

It is interesting to note that there are no Yusuf Pathans, Robbie Uthappas or Andrew Symonds in that list of highest runs scorers -- now one could argue that all of these men bat further down the order and so have less time to build their innings and are mainly present in the side to score rapid 20s-40s at astronomical strike rates and shift the advantage to their side. I will certainly agree to that point. I also don’t want to seem like I am belittling the incredible talent and skill of batsmen like Uthappa and Pollard who are both destructively strong, creative and versatile players -- my basic point is that playing in the T20 format doesn’t suddenly require those taking guard to throw logic and their textbooks out the window. Watching this year’s IPL and noting how many boundaries were scored off of beautiful straight drives, elegant strokes through the offside and well-timed sweep shots tells me that there is no easier path to success than implementing good cricketing shots. As we’ve seen during the past month, mindless slogging is more likely to get you out than it is to win you matches (Harbhajan Singh’s quick-fire 49* notwithstanding).

Sometimes when I watch teams playing in Indian conditions, I wonder why they don’t just hire a machine to spit deliveries out at 11 batsmen. There is no other country in which the phrase “Cricket is a batsman’s game” is more decidedly proven. For those of us who hold a special place in our hearts for bowlers, this is the sad reality we have to deal with. I have to say, though, that I was pleasantly surprised by how much of a difference good bowling had on the outcome of the matches.

Whether it was an economic Dougie Bollinger who almost single-handedly changed the fortune of the Chennai Super Kings, a relentless and unreadable Lasith Malinga (the best bowler of the tournament in my opinion), or the trump card that was Pragyan Ojha who seemingly effortlessly dried up runs and took handfuls of wickets -- bowlers affected matches in a way that I never predicted. It was also interesting to see how teams with weaker bowling attacks just did not ever seem to be threatening -- Shane Bond’s directionless bullets sunk the Knight Riders, the Daredevils seemed toothless after Nannes’ injury, the lethal combination of Sreesanth & Irfan Pathan who seemed to take particular joy in watching their deliveries sail over the boundaries left the 11 Kings of Punjab virtually crying for mercy. Bowlers who stuck to the right line & length, experimented with the pace of their deliveries and bowled to their field were successful and, ultimately, lethal -- just as they would be in any other form of the game.

And then we are brought to the very tricky question of captaincy -- I still contend that it is a slightly overrated factor in a tournament such as the IPL. With teams that are so closely matched, talent wise, a lot of decisions depend on chance to be deemed successes or failures. There just isn’t enough time in a T20 match to prove that a particular field placing or bowling change is truly enterprising -- much will be said about Hayden’s unorthodox position which led to Pollard’s dismissal in the final…that field placing has been tried before without success. What you call brilliant captaincy, I call blind luck (and lord knows how much I love Mahi and how hard it is for me not to blatantly praise him). However, using the same match as our take-off point, we are able to prove that choosing the right team & batting line-up even in T20 is an inextricable part of cricketing success. It becomes obvious that aggressive, measured and consistent leadership are crucial to success in any format of the sport.

There are certain decisions, like the inexplicable one to keep Pollard in the dugout until it was literally too late, that are purely moronic and are results of terrible, defensive calls (cue “Sachin sucks as a captain” placard) and, even in T20 cricket, those decisions lead to a fantastic team losing. Now, in light of all the scandals that currently cloud the IPL, it is only natural that people are asking some very probing and uncomfortable questions about the Mumbai Indians’ batting lineup. However, I am no conspiracy theorist and I believe stupid decision-making and not match-fixing is at fault here. To be fair to Sachin, Robin Singh and the MI, I am still not convinced that team selections during the tournament were simply the product of hours of head-scratching by the captain and coach. After KKR’s resounding victory against KXIP, 6 changes were made to the winning combination, including the inclusion of a very out-of-sorts Ishant Sharma -- even the ever-so-suave talker Ganguly avoided the questions as to why those changes were made. A usually candid and verbose captain, MS Dhoni was noticeably tongue-tied when he was asked why Muttiah Muralitharan was being kept out of his CSK side. For all the glitz, glamour and moolah that corporate sponsors bring to the IPL, they also seem to be influencing teams to make some very idiotic cricketing decisions. Please, corporate gurus, go back to commercializing and corrupting the sport in the boardroom, at least leave the on-field decisions to those salaried experts who should be calling the shots (pun not intended).

Despite the bitterness expressed in that last sentence, it must be said that I was able to put aside much of the nasty off-the-field muck and enjoy the magnificent display of cricket. I caught myself, earlier today, glancing at my computer clock to check how many much time I had left to work on this piece before the start of the first IPL match of the day. And then I was painfully reminded -- the IPL is over. With the memories of Sunday’s cracking final still fresh in my mind, not to be melodramatic or anything, my life without its daily dose of T20 action feels painfully empty right now.

It was a truly special 30 days of cricket. It was a month in which we discovered fresh, exciting talent and marveled at the tenacity and renewed passion of the old guns. Undeniably, during this past month, we were treated to some very explosive and gritty batting, thoughtful and committed bowling, awe-inspiring fielding (I chose an ambiguous adjective because, as we know, for every AB De Villiers-type athletic, juggling catch in the outfied, there were 3 dropped chances and 2 run-outs that went begging) -- the tournament was truly a cricket lover’s dream. It was a month in which we celebrated the very essence of this great game. So back off haters - don't rain on my spandex-clad, Blimp-ed out T20 parade.

Oh My IPL!

Wow! What a month! No I'm not talking about the drama off the field (for now), simply the fantastic sporting event that we were lucky to be a part of.

Like I mentioned, I was supporting the Mumbai Indians tonight - partly because of the annoying Chennai fans and, more importantly, because I truly believe they were by far the best team in the league and played the most consistent, first-class cricket. Having said that, the Chennai Super Kings played like true champions in the latter half of the season - proving all the doubters wrong and winning the requisite 6/7 matches they needed to take the trophy home.

Oh, and then there's the small matter of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (who I realised could probably make me turn against my own mother [not literally Ma, chill out] if he flashed his sexy, cool-as-ice smile at me) - try as I might, I can never master the whole "not-supporting" him thing. Anyway, my teenage-girl love for him aside, all his decisions for the team appear to be working which is SUCH a huge plus. Luck's shining on our captain guys - hope we can carry forward this energy into the T20 WC. Let's go Team India!!!

I will put together a short post-match analysis for tomorrow - too tired to do that right now. Also, I have been sent 4 requests to do a "10 Hottest IPL Players 2010"...oh with pleasure! I shall get on that tomorrow as well - very excited for this particular project ;)

OK, time for my Maxx Mobile Time Out (oh how I will miss the obscenely jarring product placement....NOT) but I leave you tonight with the fantastic CSK team song which, like most things Tamil, I absolutely adore (of course it pales in comparison to our KKR chant....but still, they tried :P). Congrats MSD's CSK - your time is now :)

Lots of should-be-sleeping-but-I-can't-stop-watching-Mahi-in-this-video love,

S xxx

Sexy

Happiness in Homoness

Just got sent this link from Dan: The Girls Of Coachella, 2010. Talk about really really really super hot.

It's not been the best of days:

Deccan Chargers lost. Grr. Supporting Mumbai Indians in the final - hope Pollard can wipe those smug smirks off the faces of the Chennai Stupid Kings' fans' faces. Ugh. Yeah, yeah Mahi...I know. But the number of mean-spirited, gloating tweets/fb messages/text messages I got today...don't even get me started. Also, I make it a point to never support any team that knocks my team(s) out of a competition - so, don't try and change my mind, it won't work.

Read some of the nasty/simplistic/ill-informed/ignorant things people are calling Arundhati Roy on twitter. Seriously, some people should really not be allowed to procreate (refers to name-callers, not Roy ofc...I would have 50 of her babies if I could).

Left a light on in my bedroom the whole day. No, I was not in my bedroom. Earth Day #fail.

Lost electricity this afternoon while I was taping Gossip Girl. Karma is a bitch.

Keri Hilson's "I Like" (beautiful song, by the way) made me all pensive and sad-thoughtful, not to mention it's re-broken my mended heart a little.

Currently studying for two exams I'm taking tomorrow - terribly disheartened because I'm pretty sure that I'm going to tank both of them.

On the bright side....the slide show. Yum.

A Rather Random One

OK, sincere apologies to those of you who tried to log into LFMAC and got a very bothersome message about the blog being "Private"...wish I could explain the oddity, but I really don't know what happened! Some of my posts disappeared last night as well (I think they're back now?) and even *I* couldn't log in earlier this morning. Very bizarre-o. Anyway, I hope no one was offended by it - completely unintentional and not my fault!

Other than that, just wanted to say HAPPY EARTH DAY! Hope we all commit many, many acts of green today...and continue to do so way past April 22nd. I'd love to hear all of your Earth Day stories and I'll be sure to tell you about mine! Do something bold, I mean we've only *got* one planet right? Need ideas on how to get involved?: http://www.earthday.org/

As difficult it is, hope you guys are able to forget the dirty, sleazy politicking of the IPL and are enjoying the game that we all love so much! Semi final time eekers! Mumbai played beautifully today and they thoroughly deserve to be in the final....now tomorrow's game is a tough one for me - pits my favourite team (the eternal dark horses of the league, Gilly's Deccan Chargers) and my Mahi's team. Don't believe the movies - women can pick their team over love. Like right now. Sorry Mahi.

Also, IPL Awards on Friday. If you'd like to vote for the Viewers' Choice Awards, simply do so here. Yes, I know it's kind of silly and whatnot...but come on, it's also fun. And in keeping with the Corruption & Bribery subplot of the IPL , I'd like to request that you vote P Ojha as your Best Bowler. You shall be rewarded with hugs :P

I would really really like to stay up and write a long blog post tonight, but I have routinely been going to sleep at 5AM. An hour of sleep every night during a particularly busy and horrific week is finally beginning to take its toll, and I have given myself a bed-by-12:45 curfew. Pinky promise that I will write something worth your time later today/tomorrow.

I leave you with my song of the day (classic kitschy 80s Hindi filminess...you will love it, I promise):

Lots of ADHD love,

S xxx

!!!!!

I've been asked to start writing for Cricinfo as a freelance contributor.

O-M-F-G.

All that obsessive cricket-devouring, all those years of filling my cerebral hard drive with reams of statistics to support seemingly pointless arguments about who should bat at Number 3 and who's the best pick as an opening bowler on a bouncy Adelaide pitch, all that ear-splitting yelling at the TV - apparently some people find those opinions and stories interesting. And (even more surprisingly) they are people whose outlook on cricket matter! I'm still in a state of shock but of course SO unbelievably happy.

It's a bit of a long process to actually start getting published on the website (5 articles have to first be approved by the managing editors, I have to 'attend' an online workshop, I must pick up all the tricks of the trade in dropping technical lingo...plus I need to start writing well [the baap of all my obstacles]) but I am ready for all of it :D As most of you know, this has always been an unspoken but very real dream!

I am already fantasizing about my life as a full-time sports blogger. I imagine spending my days watching obscene amounts of International cricket, hobnobbing with the best sporting minds (and bodies *ahem*), and writing witty and informative articles which influence verbal expression and popular culture (a MP in England will be heard to say, making a direct reference to an article of mine that he had read earlier in the day: "Now, good sirs, let us not pull a Yusuf Pathan and try to swashbuckle our way through this very important budgeting process - it really requires more of a Gautam Gambhir type stay at the crease"). All the while living in a beautiful apartment overlooking Marine Drive with my (by then) hubby, Mahi Dhoni. "You may say I'm a dreamer..."

How will you be affected by all this? Well it means that the number of cricket-related blog posts (IPL and beyond) will decrease greatly as I'll probably be turning those ideas into articles, which legally cannot appear in any other published form... Oh at least try and ACT disappointed you lot :P

But for all (all = one) of you who're interested, here's a bite-sized take on the goings on in the IPL world:

- my heart bleeds for my poor KKR (although I haven't totally lost hope yet)...

- Gilly & Warney are my fave captains of this season (and before you ask: I hate Kumble & Sachin's playing with the talent equivalent and team balance of an IPL equivalent of FC Barcelona so psht)

- Lalit Modi, as I have always maintained and as is slowly being proven, is an enormously corrupt a-hole...plus he wears ugly grey suits with baby pink shirts. Jackass supreme.

- politics and cricket should not mix - but in India, this is impossible

- watching the Indian batsmen openly struggle against the short ball in today's CSK vs DD match made me shudder...we need to shape up before the T20 WC next month in the Indies, or else we should be prepared for another repetition of 2008.

- someone should really think about shooting down that goddamn MRF blimp

- I know it's gross, but I think I have a crush on Danny Morrison. Yes he's a bit of a loud-mouthed, alpha-male, unbalanced freak, but c'maaaaan we all know that's my type.

And on that note, my mind has to get back to pumping some iron and come up with ideas and arguments for the first piece that I'm sending in to the panel tomorrow. I think I'm going to write about the need for franchise owners in the IPL to change their tactics when building teams. Argument will probably be along the lines of how they must recognise that the winning formula is found in creating well-balanced teams with a heavy dose of young Indian talent (for godssake hire someone to watch more domestic matches yo!) and a splash of strong International players. Oooh I can feel the clogs a-whirring :)

And before I disappear for the night, I just want to wish all my dear Bengali readers "Shubho Naboborsho"! May the new year bring you much joy and many successes. Also, if it's not too much to ask, please don't forget to send lots of positive energy and goodwill to our Kolkata Knight Riders. Yes, I'm being 100% serious...

With lots of leather love (cricket balls are made of leather...oh, get your mind outta the gutter)

S xxx

Enter the rabbit hole...

Back from an amazing holiday in South African wine country!! Yes I had a terrible bout of malaria, yes I missed out on the festivities of ASOT450 and Trance Energy but it was truly a fantastic week of holidaying. Pictures to come SUPER soon I promise!

Busy days as it is still ASOT450 season lol. Tuned into the live broadcast from Bratislava with my beloved #Trancefamily right now. Amazing how a year ago I met some of these people through twitter and our only connection was our emotional and virtually inexplicable love for Trance...and today they are some of the most important people in my life and have been with me as I've had some of the richest experiences of my life. And we owe this connection to one man....Armin van Buuren. He's on the decks right now and the euphoric emotions that my heart is going through...I can't convey them in words. As I type, the song that singlehandedly changed my life is emanating from my speakers. I am crying and flying and feeling blessed all at once. Not even at my most eloquent can I begin to express how my spirit feels right now. I guess it's the closest a mere mortal like myself will ever get to Nirvana. Of that I am convinced.

I promise you detailed updates are coming your way very soon. I hope you are all having a truly wonderful Friday! Feeeeeeel love :)

Update: Zombie session ends at 6:30AM. Armin sent me and my friend Joana a special shoutout ("OMFG!!!" + heart stopping + feet haven't yet touched the ground = our reaction) and was treated to some truly epic Tune-age from the likes of Armin, W & W, Marcus Schossow, Ashley Wallbridge, Gareth Emery etc. Finally going to take a nap with the beautiful "Sun In The Winter" playing on my speakers. Parents tell me they think I'm crazy but secretly I know they're proud :) Good night my lovelies xxx