MSD: The misfit who thrived

Dhoni’s decision to retire from Test Cricket must have been a huge relief for many. For the classical Test Cricket lover, it must have been frustrating to see Dhoni in the Whites. One look at the stance & the technique was good enough to show the world the arrival of a misfit on the grandest stage. The front foot defense made way for short armed jabs. The traditional shots were replaced by unorthodox ones. At times, his batting looked ugly, going all around the ball in seaming conditions, constant plays & misses outside the off stump, poking at the ball on the fifth stump line. But for all his shortcomings, here was a man who played 90 odd tests for India, in the process taking the team to the top of the rankings. He could have easily gone to play much more, if not for his personal decision to retire. The most successful Indian Captain ever; here was a small town boy who made it big with his talent, determination & hard work. The world noticed this lad grow in stature with time. 

While Dhoni is priceless in the limited formats of the game, Test Cricket never seemed to be his forte.  The reliability that can be seen in his ODI batting could never be transformed into the tests. The overseas tours only compounded the misery, both in terms of batting & captaincy. His shrewd ODI mind seemed out of sorts when it came to improvising in Test Cricket with imaginative & attacking field settings. A lackluster bowling attack didn't help either. Whatever one may say, one cannot blame Dhoni solely for India’s humiliating debacles overseas. Relinquishing the captaincy might have been the easy thing to do in the aftermath of some horrible tours, but his decision not to succumb to the growing demand for his sacking was mature, to say the least. There was no successor to Dhoni as a captain in the team few months ago. Kohli was blooded into vice captaincy role only some time ago and needed time to settle. Seeing the way Kohli did the job in Adelaide might have made the decision easier. For long, India had this problem of a good wicket keeper batsman. Till now, India hasn’t found the solution to this problem in Tests. Say whatever we want to, but the fact that he played 90 odd tests for his country shows his importance to the team. A great leader who always backed his team and took the onus of his decisions, he earned the respect of his team-mates. The captaincy problem might be solved for now, but the wicket keeper batsman might continue to haunt the Test team. All this in a format he was not comfortable with, and we are sure to get a treat of his batting prowess in the limited formats with many more laurels yet to be achieved.

He showed what a tough man from a small town could dream & achieve. He has been a great role model, not just for sports, but for any field. The feats that he had achieved in his career will continue to inspire a huge number of us to try to emulate these through parallel feats in our respective careers. 

Images that may change the way a person sees the world after seeing them

Sharing the Original piece written here by someone else:
http://www.quora.com/What-images-will-change-the-way-a-person-sees-the-world-after-viewing-them

Pakistan: Please make this ghastly act the last of Taliban

A cursory look at the newspapers makes me question the belief systems that we think our society is based on. 140 children shot dead at point blank range in Peshawar, people held captives for 17 straight hours in a coffee bar in Sydney, rapes here & there – These are the headlines of the last week, nothing but heinous crimes of action. Our hearts bleed every time we come to know of such horrific incidents & we seem unfortunate to be facing these kinds of situation on a daily basis. The year ends with us being part of the global community armed with every injustice around the globe, but we still are part of a race that conducts such barbarian acts.  

Love, compassion, humanity, freedom and tolerance-- These are supposed to be the pillars of a civilized society. But it seems to have given way to hatred, violence, extremism & utter chaos, for nothing can explain the motives behind the massacre of those innocent children.

Pakistan government and the who’s who of Pakistan politics are making decisions sitting safely in their houses while jeopardising the safety of the common public. It is the common people who are forced to live with the consequences of whims of those above them. For long, Pakistan used the separatist groups like TTP to its advantage. It used it in Afghanistan to keep the largest superpower involved in a bloodied war, thus making it dependent on Islamabad for immediate aids, hence gaining support in return. Moreover, it has been involved in fuelling separatist tendencies in Kashmir. But, now the hand which used to feed is being bitten; Pakistan is facing the long term consequences of its short term decisions.

Now, it has become more than enough. There are cases of bombings almost every day. You did not understand when people in foreign lands were losing their loved ones due to the mess you created. Please be considerate enough to see & feel the plight of the innocent Pakistan public who are dying in parts every day, living in constant fear of their last moment which can come anytime.

For much long, you have tried to create a difference between a “good” and a “bad” Taliban, while not pondering over the solution of “No Taliban”. If this heinous act of TTP doesn’t spur you to right your wrongs, I can’t imagine what will. The solutions will not come immediately, but the process needs to be started right now. Seeing these horrific scenes moves every civilized human being cutting across physical boundaries, and every country will be a willing participant in the Pakistan’s mission to find a permanent solution for Taliban, but only if Pakistan “wants to”. It has to take the lead and it must start now for time is ticking by quickly.

Nothing can avenge the losses of those parents whose children were unfortunate to be the subjects of such a mad act by people who can only be described maniacs or brain-washed. TTP will get the curses from parents around the world. We can only hope that time heals the wounds of these parents and result in an action from the curses against TTP.

RIP Children.

Social Investment: There is a role for everyone

Some ideas inspire & motivate one to do their bit for the people with whom we share this lovely planet. Helping somebody build & achieve their dreams is a herculean task if done individually, but when people come together it becomes somewhat easy.

Browsing the Internet to see some really innovative socially relevant ideas in action, I found the sites of these 2 organisations which are bridging the gap between realities & dreams for the weaker section of our society. Following are these two:

• https://milaap.org/
• http://www.rangde.org/

These are helping people in small villages who cannot afford the loans to invest in their business by connecting them to people who can afford to invest in their business. And yeah, it’s not charity as one will get their money back, but with a low interest rate. Moreover, one is providing people a choice, a choice for a better future to them and to their families. It's about helping people to believe in themselves. 

I am not related to these organisations in any way, but just going through their websites made me realise the beautiful implications that their idea can have in terms of bridging the vast economical gap in society and I thought it worthy to let some people know some of the beautiful things that are being done.

Almost all businesses listed here have investment requirement in few thousands only and the individual contribution can be as low as Rs 500. Every contribution makes a significant impact in the fulfilment of somebody’s aspirations for a better life. A life that will have better health, better economic opportunities for the individual and will ultimately result in a better society. Considering that how meagre an investment for many of us can significantly impact somebody’s life makes me think about the worthlessness of my spending on so many dine-outs &  outings. Maybe, I would stop myself to go out on a Friday evening and instead immerse myself in a good book. 

Hence, I think it would be a very good step if I can just invest the money by not going to 1 of my numerous outings every month. It won’t affect me much but it can have serious implications for somebody else. Moreover, as it’s not charity, ultimately I am the one benefiting in the long run. Similarly, being a part of the corporate world, I see large sums of money carelessly spent on parties, celebrations regularly. If only, even 10% or let’s say 5% of these scheduled budgets be directed to these cause, it will really help in transforming the grassroots scenario. The management may argue that these helps keep the motivation levels up for the employees, but surely everybody will appreciate a little cut for a greater cause.

There is always a cribbing about India being not so developed and also the way India is seen at the global level. Many a times, poverty & illiteracy are seen as synonymous to India, and although the scene is somewhat changing, it still forms the chunk of image. Ideas like these are our opportunities to help build a better India; let’s not consider these as charity but an investment which can help reap much bigger rewards. India is not just about the metropolitan cities, a large part of India lives in the villages and still grapples to satisfy their basic needs and doesn't dare to dream. This is where the investment is required as investing in humans can trigger amazing results. Human capital can yield great returns and this is one of the ways of how a change can be made at the national level.

Let’s be a part of the great idea of the wonderful works of these two organisations. 

Could Cricket be the Healer; Again?

It was the healer in 1999 when the hopes of a billion people lay on a man going through a personal upheaval. It helped him & the nation recover from the shock. The recovery might not have been very smooth, but sure the chosen path ultimately helped the flickering flame glow, and glow with all its might.

The match-fixing issues that marred Cricket and caused in the minds of its religious followers a rare thought questioning their belief systems, was also dealt with properly. There were no casualties to the sport and the followers have just grown with time. Any answer to Bad cricket has been only one – “Good Cricket”. “No Cricket” has never been, and I suppose will never be, an option.

While Cricket had overcome challenges in the past, presently it’s facing its biggest challenge till now. Nothing could have been more tragic than death on a Cricket field. And if the first three days of the first test after Phil’s death have shown any signs regarding the days to come, these have been mixed, to say the least. While it has shown the willingness of everybody involved in the game to move forward, few incidents have reminded us where the minds of Aussies really are, and what are the real issues going on in their head.  

It took 19 balls for the elephant to come out, a perfectly directed bouncer from Aaron at Warner to which he stayed away, that prompted the commentators to declare the starting of the test. For the balls have been bowled, boundaries scored, but the test could not have started until & unless the batsmen felt the scent of a 90 mile cherry whizzing past the nose. The Adelaide crowd rightly clapped, welcoming Test Cricket & the "beleaguered one" with open arms, signifying the desire to accept and move on. Moreover, when Ian Healy excitedly started the proceedings of commentary with the bouncer, for me that was the first round victory for Cricket in an emotional bout with Human nature & emotions. But, this fight will be long and draining, for Cricket will require winning all the rounds to be deemed as winner.

Forget the 50s, 63 has become the new landmark, at least for some days or tests. I quote it from Cricinfo “If 87 is the Devil’s Number, 63 has become Cricket’s Number”.  Warner, Smith & Clarke all showed their respect & love for Phil upon reaching the mark. In the case of Clarke, the emotional hurt overcoming the physical one to score a classy tribute to the person whom he referred to as “his little brother”. The moist eyes and the scenes when each of them scored the century showed what it meant to them. Those were moving, to say the least and a good way to fondly cherish  the memories of a dear friend.

Clarke on reaching an emotional century

Warner receives the applause & Hug

However, the test has also shown the side of the Aussies which cricket fans have rarely seen on the Cricket Field in a very long time. Steve Smith was battering Indian bowlers at his will when a powerful straight drive of his could have smacked Aaron in the face had he not deflected the 200 kph travelling cherry with his hands. Smith adjusted his helmet & offered an immediate apology to the bowler. I mean you don’t expect it from a Aussie even when they are at fault, which was not the case here.

Smith's Hand went up as soon as he hit it

The elephant again came to the limelight when a Mitchell Johnson snorter hit Kohli on the helmet. The cheering Adelaide crowd which was egging Johnson to have a go while he was in the run-up became silent. The world listened to that sound with rapt attention and unease. The sound of the noise was a very familiar one to some of the players on the field. It was the sound that had made them go through one of the worst nightmares of their life. Cricket could not afford another casualty here, any minimal one even. The pictures show all the Aussies players quickly coming to him to check Kohli, because now everybody knows what can happen with the cherry.

What lies in the back of their Mind? Only time will tell

Johnson was not the same bowler after this delivery. The venom was missing in his deliveries. Whatever the legends may say about getting on with the bouncer, the fact remains that if a person like Johnson is apprehensive of bowling the short ones, it shows what lies in the back of the mind of every Australian bowler. This shows that the feeling that somebody can be killed because of you is intimidating for everyone. The demons associated with the short ball won't go away easily; the thoughts of banging it short will unconsciously bring the thoughts of the extreme that can happen with it and more often than not, one will end up pitching full. This is what happened with Johnson today and this can happen with any Aussie or any bowler.

However, these are not encouraging signs for the game of Cricket. Bouncer belongs neither to Devil, nor to God. It belongs to cricket and Test Cricket will never be the same if there remains any apprehension in the minds of bowlers. This new challenge for the game of cricket should not continue to haunt for a long time. The solution needs to be found out and found out quickly. Cricket has healed many a wounds in the past, this wound shouldn't take too long. 

The Show Must Go On

The Unthinkable has happened on the Cricket Field. Phil has been laid to rest but his memories will be everywhere in the Cricketing Fraternity. From players putting their bats out, from Kiwis exceptional tribute to Hughes ^[1], from Clarke’s emotional speech, from Cricket Australia retiring the Number 64 jersey & many more tributes pouring from around the world cutting across professions & boundaries shows the pain experienced by the world at his untimely demise.

  

                                             

While there have been many debates and a difference of opinions among past legends about continuing the series, the decision to continue the series has been a good one. The steps taken by both the boards denote respect to both individual and Cricket at large. It was great to see the respect for Phil overtaken by financial commitments, that honoring and mourning somebody who died was considered more important than honoring other commitments.

But then, Cricket is a great healer and in time, this will only help heal the wound of the players. The time away from the game may act as salt in the wound for some of the players close to Phil. Moreover, it will be a tribute to the way Hughes led his life; accepting the reality in the face and moving on.

The aftermath of the incident has generated responses questioning the safety concerns of the game, and bouncers are the new “elephant in the room” for the Cricketing World. Phil’s instance has been tragic to say the least and no amount of word jugglery can justify the loss. However, any decision which might be taken by the concerned authorities after this incident needs time to be properly thought of and covering every aspect of the game.

While more safe design of the Helmets is the obvious step, there have been calls of eliminating the bouncers which may not necessarily be a good step. While Cricket should involve a fair contest between bat and ball, everyone will accept that the advantages for batsmen have been increasing day-by-day and it is becoming more of a batsman game. Be it the ground size, the bats, new formats coming up, everything is suited to batsman. Bowlers too must be given their space to make the game more competitive. Bouncers are one of the main weapons in bowler’s arsenal and any attempt to curb their freedom of use will only make the game more lop-sided. Moreover, these are weapons which help in getting the adrenaline running for both batsmen and bowlers, and in many cases results in getting the best out of the batsman. The absence of bouncers will surely deteriorate the quality of game. In the process, it will be the game that will be poorer.

                       

And all this in tribute to a person for whom everything in life was love for the game will not be entirely justified. Nobody with that zest & love for something will want to make the game poorer.

While it was nice to see New Zealand bowlers not using a single bouncer in their series-leveling win against Pakistan in the aftermath of Phil’s death, it was equally pleasing to see the Australian Bowlers giving the Indians a taste of the bouncers in their practice game. The use of bouncers by Australian & Indian bowlers was surely a great sight for the game.

We as fans will accept this reality and move on. The show must go on as it is and Phil will always be in our memory. 

[1] http://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/2014/11/30/kiwis-lead-remarkable-sporting-tributes-phillip-hughes/

Life & Games: An Introspection

Being very interested in games, an idea came to my mind, which I wanted to share.

Not everyone may be interested in games, some may even loathe it, but love it or hate it, each one of us is part of one big game called LIFE. One is presented with a chance when one takes birth and then continues on his/her journey of survival till the life ends. In between these, one can get wounded, like when sometimes we get ill, and then go on after taking the necessary medications. Like games, it's everything about survival and we play it the really hard way.

Correct me if I am wrong, but to me it seems that the missions and stages resemble the goals I have in my life, the completion of one opening the door for next one, and this game will end only when I am out of this place. The completion of one goal not resulting in satisfaction, it only spurs us to go the extra mile in the next task which lies ahead. In the process we sometimes enjoy, sometimes feel the heat and sometimes are trounced, withered and torn to pieces. While it may happen physically in games, we may feel the same sort of things emotionally in our lives. Almost everyone can associate with the feeling of getting that one thing which we most desperately wanted, the joy that we feel upon getting it and the very reversal of emotions when things don't go our way, the one scenario where we felt so shattered. Happens, No?

Now even cheat codes can be referenced in life. One can get to the destination quickly by using unfair means, or one has to be resolute in inching their way closer towards the destination in a sincere and honest way, with the skills one has, doing everything that is needed to do in the process to make one better equipped to foresee and tackle the imminent challenges and then emerge victorious.

Current online games don't resemble reality, but i used to get lost in these. It's not that I don't know about it being virtual, still i got engrossed, ignoring the real picture. But, then is it not that everyone of us is so much addicted to this game of life that we are not willing to think beyond it? The things that have become our integral part of life might not be even worth it.

Games make us compete vigorously, optimizing our limited resources at our disposal to achieve our target, and a sizeable number of people competing for the same target. Is it not the same thing with life? The prize sometimes seems like Mario's Princess, sometimes it is the thrill of speed of leaving every competitor behind and sometimes to knocking down your opponents. The prizes are few and I seem to be competing for every bit of those, and the competition is becoming stiff, sometimes ugly too.

Let's wait for a while and see these below snaps and take time to ponder whether we agree with it or not?

The thing with games is that after a point of time one realizes it's worthlessness, but the life presents a great mix of gaming which has in it every ingredient of adventures, strategy and role play, that sometimes I fail to notice the futility to which I am so much engaged.

Looking from above a multi-storeyed building, when I see the world around me, it reminds me of how tiny I am in comparison to the world out there. I am not even a speck of the vast universe out there. So, like games, is there any world that is outside of this life? Is there any possibility that we are part of just one big game? And have we got away from our real path?