kirkutfan

Punjab Kings are saying, “Finally. Someone like us”

He is the classic franchise player. He will do okay for Ahmedabad. Even bowl a bit. But will not be a serious India player in any format. He will load manage his India work, so that he can be fit for the IPL.

Who doesn’t look out for himself first? Especially in such a competitive field. By your criteria, you would need to scout for 11 Gandhijis who could play cricket. Plus you are talking as if Ashwin, Kohli, Shastri haven’t won a lot of games for India. And I know the drum beat about ICC tournaments. Games throughout the years count for alot too. And aside from this last tournament this team has had a run where they at least get to semifinals there too.

They are people like the rest of us. In corporate life you look after yourself i.e. what can one do to get the best assignments, get promoted, not get sidelined etc. and then after you take care of your interests, you think of what you can do to ensure that your company beats out the competition. Its no different here. Ashwin is sidelined and trying to get back in. Shastri is picking the side that he thinks is most likely to win so that his record looks good. Within all that, these guys work to ensure that the team wins as many times as possible.

I think cricket has two aspects. First, it’s a team sport, and so the players have to work together. But then it is also about individuals, where they compete hard to muscle people out and there is hurt among those who do get cast aside. In those battles, it’s every man for himself. Ashwin does a great job in that interview in providing a window to that. Note, he provides the example of what happens when Kuldeep is preferred over him. But today, Kuldeep’s international career is in the doldrums. I doubt if anybody including the coach or any of the team members are really worried about how Kuld

Pujara, Kohli, Rahane didn’t bat a lot. Load managed.

I am not a politician.

How did he “get” Shastri? For that matter why was Shastri replaced by Kumble to begin with? That, like everything else is a BCCI call. Maybe Shastri should have continued without the Kumble intervention instead of Shastri- Kumble-Shastri?

He does plenty for preparation for a game. And over his career has until the last Australian series, been able to play all formats without break, in part because he prepares well. The quibble is with his form. That will get sorted out in the upcoming games. He either recovers it or he is more vulnerable. We have 3 guys in the same generation who have previously done great things trying to recover form- Pujara, Rahane, Kohli. And then Rohit, who has had to contend with injuries, is in and out of games. That is part of sport.

Wait a minute. The BCCI has the ultimate power i.e. to select or not to select. What is Kohli’s leverage? Also, speaking of political chops. Do you think Jay Shah would be sitting where he is without his lineage to one of the most powerful people of India? Do you think Ganguly got to his spot without political savvy? Chappell tried to play with him. Chappell’s reputation was done at the end. Since then he has worked with TMC in Bengal, BJP, people in BCCI to reach where he is. And then there is the basic question, who has the most to lose in a disagreement? There is no contest. Kohli has the m

I would believe Kohli over the BCCI for the simple reason that Kohli has more at risk. BCCI guys can say whatever they want and get away with it. Kohli risks the BCCI taking it out on him by taking a different position. He could have easily just gone along with what BCCI said on captaincy etc. But instead he took the risk because he wanted to call out BS when he saw it. Also there was no “drama” in his press conference. He answered the questions as they came along, said he accepted the decision and had no problems with Rohit. He didn’t complain about his treatment. He just gave his POV which w

Nope on the VC story. Yup on travel to SA. Reasonable result.

If they are going to let the India A tour continue, then why not just designate that team is the India team to represent us in the India-SA Odis/t20s/tests. The India based veterans (Virat, Rohit, Pujara etc) can continue to rest.

I think he still has more to offer.

It looks like NZ will be a very hard nut to crack. Guys like Williamson, Taylor, Latham are better than the English batting combo (basically Joe Root) that came last. Santner and Sodhi can take advantage of a turning wicket( England didn’t have spinners of quality) And that pace attack of Jameson, Southee, Wagner is really good. By contrast- Rahane and Pujara have been out of form. Rahul seems to be doing well. And new guys, Gill, Mayank aren’t tested enough. Bowling wise, spin looks good. But a pace combo of Umesh and Siraj or Ishant, doesn’t look as strong as NZ’s pace attack.