Shaun Tait decided to quit cricket indefinitely at the age of 24, sounds hard to believe when he should be thinking of giving sleepless nights to batsman around the world .To give credit to Tait he indeed was honest to admit that the motivation has dipped and needed time to rejuvenate. In recent years, Tait has undergone shoulder and elbow surgery as well as suffered a range of hamstring and lower back injuries which have been painful and difficult to overcome.
Constant glare from the media, pressure to perform, recurring injuries and lesser time to unwind have a telling effect on international cricketers and unfortunately more applicable in Tait’s case. Strangely enough, India which is seen as cauldron of expectation because of sheer appeal of the game has not had any victim of the too much cricket or even mental illness.
Gone are the days when an international side used to play 15 ODIs and fewer tests. The modern player doesn't play Ranji or domestic cricket. It has been replaced by an endless round of international matches, so they don't get a chance to unwind. It means players are being worked into the ground and the burden of playing non-stop cricket is taking its toll. While their can be no obvious symptoms, the performance starts to drop and then escape looks an easy option.
Moreover, the amount of cricket that is being played not only poses threat to physical and mental drainage but also runs the risk of getting bored with having too much cricket to watch. In the past players like Boycott, Trescothick, Harmison has had a taste of stress of it in varying measures
It also calls for an unoblivious attitude from the ICC. International cricket brings in million dollars and there is no way the game's administrators will stop their money-grabbing ways. Sure there are commercial interests , but the tight rope walk would have to be done if more international cricketer will have to be protected from burn out . Hence it is imperative for Cricket administrators to take a proactive step sooner than later
What remains to be seen is whether the decision to pack away his kitbag was the right one for Tait. One just gets the feeling that Tait will come more focused and much more improved cricketer post the break .

While the entire cricketing fraternity was showering rich accolades on Adam
Gilchrist, cricket lovers around the world were shocked by his decision to quit international cricket . The Adelaide Oval looked like an arena where he would run the show, that he exhibited for nearly a decade one last time.

Undoubtedly, Adam Gilchrist was the most breathtaking cricketer of his generation combining freedom to play strokes and entertainment to the public matched by very few at the highest level. Irrespective of the clothing Adam Gilchrist wore he had a very uncomplicated “hit the ball” approach. It’s a sight to cherish Gilchrist in his elements with that tremendous bat speed and top handed grip which intimidates the opposition to submission with an uncanny ability to hit the good balls, with steady head and sublime balance. In slog overs he abandons the textbook, whirling his bat like a gladiator, caring only for the scoreboard and never his average Amidst the breed of wicket keeper batsman Gilchirst clearly is a run away success with the ability to change the complexion of the game and also evoke intimidation .Alternately, he changed the way the wicketkeeper are looked at , getting the side off to flier and putting more pressure on the bowling attacks and keep wickets.

If Sanath Jayasuriya revolutionized batting at the top of the order in ODIs ,Adam just took that to a different level, and made indelible mark in the longer version coming in at number 7 .
It was not the amount of runs Gilchrist scored or the records he set behind the stumps but the manner he achieved them that will leave a enduring impression. In simple words, he changed the face of cricket .In the era of the wicketkeeper-batsman, Andy Flower, Alec Stewart, Mark Boucher and, most notably, Kumar Sangakkara have all given their captain lot of options to play with, but none of these has so obviously dictated matches in the way the unparalleled left-hander did.
Scoring at a strike rate of 82 per hundred balls is unprecedented in Test Cricket , achieved by Gilchrist - and none has launched as many as 101 sixes. His range of stroke are beyond imagination , as England were on the receiving end in Perth last winter when he blasted a quite extraordinary 57-ball hundred, just a single delivery outside the world record held since 1986 by Sir Vivian Richards. Unbelievably, he has played his 96 Tests consecutively. Icy reception at the Gabba did not faze him on debut against Pakistan as he took five catches , scored 81, hasn’t missed a single match since then.
Voted Australia's greatest one-day cricketer an year ago and, as if to acknowledge that, he sent a good Sri Lankans on leather hunt at the World Cup final last April with a vintage display of stroke-making. The 149 he made is the highest score in a final and none who saw the innings will ever quite be able to believe its dazzling display of class and power.
More importantly, he was a gentleman who respected his opponents and the game in equal measure. He clearly understood its origin and his willingness to walk if he knew he was out was admirable
Disadvantaged by his relatively tall stature for a pure wicket-keeper Gilchrist's skills as a wicket-keeper are sometimes questioned .Keeping wickets to Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath is a tribute to his skill behind the wicket, managing many stumpings, missing few catching chances, and letting through few byes.as he went past Healy's 395 dismissals in 26 fewer matches
The chasm will be immeasurable and may haunt the game. For the game to lose both him and Warne in the space of a year is a dreadful blow. Warne is a maverick; Gilchrist was revolutionary. Both though have been such special cricketers that it is hard to get these in a long long time to come







One more pearl has gone from the Australian string

Good Bye Polly

The world of cricket saluted a new fast bowler in Dale Steyn as Pollock bade farewell to the international arena , where he dazzled for long .
The leading all-rounder just probed away on and around off stump, relentlessly all these dozen of seasons with unerring accuracy. Gifted with the genes from one of the finest left-handed batsman Graeme(Uncle) and spearhead of the 60s bowling attack Peter(father), Shaun had carried both abilities. Regarded as the bowler who would come extremely close to the stumps and high arm action, he had mastered the ability to bring back and leave batsman and that unyielding line made life difficult for batsman across the world .The world first saw the glimpse of the orange haired Pollock in the summer of 95. .
The summer of 96, South Africa, discovered a potent new-ball partnership with Allan Donald and this pairing was the catalyst of much of South Africa's success during the latter half of the 1990s. The emergence of Pollock inspired Donald to greater heights as the latter found himself with a partner who both complemented and challenged him. Arguably, the straightest bowler in world cricket, Pollock is able to move the ball both ways at a lively pace pinned down a number of batsmen year after year. At the start of his first-class career, though, he was both slippery and aggressive. As time progressed, maturity and ability to produce performance under pressure came to the fore. The finest hour came in Adelaide against Australia in 1998 when he probed on hour after hour in scorching heat to take 7 for 87 in 41 overs on a perfect batting strip. This was an exhibition of stamina and courage which he never lacked.
Pollock's career has been one of great distinction. In 108 Tests he took 421 wickets -- the most by any South African -- at an outstanding average of 23.11. It was only in the past two years that the average went up from about 21. He made 3781 runs at an average of 32,31 to enter into the cricketing annals as one of the world's best all-rounders.
He captained the country in 26 Tests, forced into the job after Hansie Cronje's fall from grace in 2000. The biggest challenge of his career - to lift a shocked and crestfallen South African side. He had a solid start to his captaincy, where he led SA to victory over Australia. Then he lost some credibility after a 3-0 drubbing in Australia in 2001-02. And, soon became predictable with his captaincy .He was criticized for lack of out of the box thinking. Eventually, he was sacked as captain after the 2003 World Cup, taking the blame for the debacle against Sri Lanka when SA read the Duckworth Lewis sheet incorrectly.

Critiques might argue that he has underperformed with the bat, but most test teams would be delighted to have him in their side even if he never scored a run. But on numerous occasions , he saved the day for South Africa with his batting.
Plagued by lack of pace over the past two years, he took it all with a grace and dignity singularly lacking in players today. Inherited from the great Pollock family, he embraced all the old values of fair play and grace under fire. Needless to say that he was great role model for younger players , with his clean image , and flawless behaviors on and off the field.
Pollock missed the first Test against Australia at home in early 2006 with a back injury and was relegated from opener to first-change by the third. Amidst all this, slowly he became the first South African to take 400 Test wickets. Pollock continued his fine form against the touring Pakistanis next, despite being surprisingly rested for the final Test . Though his nagging brilliance around off stump remained his pace and ability to take wickets at the top of the order has dipped. He made a strong statement by winning the man of the series award twice in a row. Frugal with the ball and useful with bat he offered prized balance and breathing space for his captain.
Pollock wanted to go on his own terms; courtesy the South African selectors were reluctant to clearly decide about his future role. But, he chose the right time before he had to experience the ignominy of being axed.
The future looks bright; as the likes of Morne Morkel and Steyn, who has been earmarked as the successor to Pollock, have shown promise to carry South African Cricket into a new era. However, they have huge shoes to fill in the likes of Pollock and his predecessor, Allan Donald.

Umpires win matches




The Sydney test would be known for the umpiring decisions than cricket on display. It not only helped Australia to take an unassailable lead but also sparked the debate whether technology should be more used to minimize the human errors, so that there is deadlock to the extent that it jeopardizes the tour. Finally it was alleviated when ICC blinked and removed Bucknor from officiating in Perth.
There is still a scope for improvement of umpiring and the way out is to have a pool of umpires which have not crossed the sell by date .Umpires are not only facilitators but have a role of diffusing a volatile situations at various junctures in the match.
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All good things must come to an end. Bucknor has had a long career and before his performance dumps him out of ICC Elite Panel, he must go as a dignified man. Mark Benson, elevated to the ICC Elite Panel in April 2006 should have handled the situation better given that umpires are not only arbiters but have a critical role to play in diffusing tricky situations. Hence it becomes imperative to groom more umpires and have rigorous checks for them before they officiate at the highest level. Also, the role of a captain is significant to ensure that the game is played in the right spirits .Wining is important but at a price that Ricky Ponting has paid.
The Australians are known to play hard and aggressive cricket but sometimes in the process , the spirit is often forgotten .The captain is often termed” as good as his team” and Ricky Ponting must know that a lot of yongsters look upto the present international cricketers as role models .Whether or not the player must exhibit a high moral rectitude and walk if they know they are out or wait for the arbiter to decide as that is his job would continue to be point of contention. More often than not , the true self comes out whether to be what one is or think about the team and still hold ground if it is all about winning . If ICC promotes Cricket, should it also not play a crucial role in protecting that spirit?

A little bit of animated faces , a grin from the bowler , a few words exchanged makes an interesting scene for the viewers. But when it crosses limits , that’s when its not cricket .The Australian crowds can be nasty not to mention the media .In modern cricket, where the stump microphones can catch almost everything and lip readers can interpret what is being said players are under the scanner as never before .That is where the role of umpires and match referees come into the scene ,who can calm the player down. It would be interesting to see if Brad Hogg also meets with the same sentence as Harbhajan did .
Organizations have different cultures, so does various cricketing countries .Some words may be offensive in one part of the world while the same might not be in other parts .Its very hard to demarcate or categorize words which are offensive or otherwise

Meanwhile, the ball is in ICC’s court. To promote cricket and yet maintain the sanctity of the game are challenges it faces currently.
While banning on field chattering may be taking an extreme step but ensuring restraint among players for the usage of words might just alleviate the situation.

Cricket is great leveller is not it ..Just a few days back , India were on a high following their series victory over the arch rivals .
India did everything right on the first day after their openers put on a century stand , thanks to a steller performance from the Indian skipper .

But after that phase , when the time came to put the hands up and to be counted for , Indian batting line up played into the Aussie hand .rahul Dravid got bogged down and took 61 balls to get off the mark and when that happens , the bowlers stick to the line and length , and its hard to score off this aussie attack



India made a tactical blunder by leaving Sehwag out of the palying eleven as he still is a lethal waepon ready to unleash..

Dravid looked scratchy and uncertain during his stay and thought about survival .And thats where the problem started to come .He is taking far too efforts to succeed , when you do that , you often sink more .India would even be more dejected not because th conditions were quite similar to the subcontinent and the pitch had no demons .



having said that the aussie were relentless and unerring .Their fielding truely world class the gives them an extra dimension.India should take a leaf out of the way the openers played .

Its impearative to play good positive cricket and sieze the initiative .India would be ruing on the opportunities missed .
As I kept mentioning in earlier India must now use their weapon Sehwag , untried untested and a wild shot in the dark .But then , this is the time when the risk has to be taken ...lest it will be too late .
The senior batsman will also need to convert their starts into a big one .Somebody from the top four will have to galvanise the team with an epic performance

The best of Ganguly

Career Summary:
Mat I NO Runs HS1 HS2 HS3 Ave 100 50 0

Overall 99 161 14 6346 239 173 147 43.17 15 30 9




Ganguly’s Best :


131 Vs England

After a four year hiatus, and being termed as product of the quota system, Sourav Ganguly played with tremendous composure to carve a sublime 131.
It was an exhibition of batsman ship of the highest quality with a flurry of boundaries on the off side. Connoisseurs relished the silken drives, the sweet timing and the lazy elegance.
Ganguly had truly arrived on the international scene setting the expectations wagging whilst the critics took the usual recourse to explain the spectacle as nothing but a by-product of luck.


144 Vs Australia
Precariously placed at 63/3 skipper Ganguly was positive from the outset He hit the crease running, and drove through the off side with panache and surgical precision Equally decisive on either foot and leaning into the drives he stroked, caressed the ball to the fence. The timing was spot on, and soon the placement matched it. By the time he racked up 144, India was out of woods. An emphatic riposte to his critics, not only did Ganguly set the MCG ablaze with delectably timed drives off either foot , but also sent out a strong signal and did much to set up the series.



239 Vs Pakistan

Depleted with Tendulkar’s absence, India was reeling at 61/4,Ganguly put his hands to up to be counted, stitched a mammoth 300 run partnership partnering with Yuvraj Singh , to bat Pakistan out of the match.. Batting with unusual composure and resolve, the Prince of Kolkatta sent the hapless Pakistani bowlers on leather hunt, compiling a career best 239, his first double ton. What was brought to the fore was the improved footwork and the decisiveness of his stroke-making combined with a shorter back-lift and upright stance.

The Prince of Kolkatta would not have written a better script! .Back to back hundreds and the last one a career best effort , a monumental239 .Critics might say , he has scored those runs against an attack deviod of Shoaib Aktar and an inexperienced attack.
But the credit should be given to the way he took India out of the woods when they were reeling at 61/4 .Ganguly averaged over 50 during his first 2000 runs or so .Post the Tour Down under, 1999 that average kept dropping .He was always found wanting against the short pitch stuff and technical flaw of opening the face of bat soon and play too much on the square on the off side .
This was also the time , when Ganguly was the helm of the affairs and even though Ganguly the captain was doing well , Ganguly the batsman certainly was not .
Interestingly Ganguly's form in limited over internationals hit the purple patch and he was really scoring centuries and the year 2000 saw score 9 of them .
But the poor test form continued where he was either a culprit of playing far too many shots too early or throwing it away after getting starts.


All that changed ,when he was stripped of captaincy first and then unceremoniously dropped from the team .And all of a sudden it seemed all over .

But then there was a change in the selection committee and he got a look in again and corroborated his selection with a classy half century in South Africa.He was the top scorer in that series .
There was looking back since then , turning the year 2007 as the most successful year aggregating 932 runs , with still 3 innings to come .

The fire is still there, what has improved, is his shot selection and the application now and he looked more determined . Moreover he is playing in 'V' initially and then once set displays the entire range of shots.
He always was a seasoned campaigner .
But as they say , when the oil in the lamp is about to finish , it glows at its best.