[MC Mayank]

You know all this talk about youngsters and seniors and how the youngsters are playing fearless cricket...I am not disagreeing that they are playing good cricket.. but lets give them 50 overs or worst still, 5 days and pit them against aus, SA, NZ, Sri lanka - lets see how they fare..I think we will realise then that we really have a problem with our bench strength

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

IMHO the senior players may have sat out for the following reasons:

Or maybe they just wanted some well deserved REST? Or thought the youngsters suited this type of a game better? Its not like they are getting younger by the day for this format of the game. Also, this is not the first time such a thing has happened. Anyone remembers the Singapore Challenge (where the 6s were considered 8s)? I don't think any of the main cricketers went to Singapore to play but sent the younger players who were sitting on the bench. This was a good 5 yrs or so back, when all these cricketers were in their prime form.

I don't understand why everyone is making such a big deal with T20, I can understand the Govt and the sponsors who are trying to take advantage of the situation but... Its a game where none of the teams have even found out a strategy on how to play. Or if their respective cricket boards will even encourage more of this in their seasonal schedules. Most of the top teams came to play for the heck of it because their ICC contract made them to, which shows the seriousness they had. And we are going gaga over such a win? Its this hype that will never let any other sport in India benefit.

What is most absurd is that some are comparing this win to the win in 1983. Come on, do people really mean that or is it just a way of consoling ourselves that we haven't achieved anything significant in international events comprising of more than 5 teams abroad since 1983? Next we should have a F1 championship consisting of just 10 laps. And if Spykar (Kingfisher India or whatever its named as) wins it somehow, I do hope we compare it to the championship winning Ferrari's/Mclaren's/Williams in yester years and sing praises for them.

India will be the "real champions" when they dominate the test/ODI/T20 ratings consistently for at least a season. That is what champions are made of. Consistent performances over a period of time. Not shades of brilliance once in a blue moon or twice a season.

Just a couple of months back everyone were saying, stop watching cricket its a useless game when the team was doing bad. Now this sudden change in trend is quite .

Poor hockey players. I totally agree with them. Just read on news that after winning the Asia Cup they were rewarded 50,000. Every player who scored a goal was given a bonus of Rs 1,000 and docked 2,000 for every goal conceded. If this is not step-motherly treatment what is? Didn't Indian football team too achieve something by winning the Nehru Cup? What beneficiaries were they given? And what about the players who did well at the Commonwealth games/Asian games?

[heavy_foot]

Originally Posted by amit

Awarding players is fine but this is pure and simple pampering. Besides shouldn't getting the cup be award enough for these players? By the way, did anyone see Dhoni's face break out into the widest of smiles when Ravi Shastri announced at the presentation that BCCI had declared the $2 million prize to the team? I didn't see as wide a smile on his face when he lifted the trophy too.

This victory is causing frustration in me for no fault of the players! Thank you BCCI and the government for ruining my happiness. I hope these idiots get plundered by Australia.

Lol ..i guess we have taken nitpicking to a diffrent level now...here my friend is praying that the team loses againt the aussies.
Although i do agree that the state government giving away gifts from the tax payers pocket does not sound nice, the BCCI awarding the players is perfectly fine. Arent they filling up their coffers due to these players? So whats wrong if they get a share of it?

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

the prizes for our guys continue to pour.

Maharashtra Govt - 10 lakhs each for Agarkar and Rohit.

Haryana Govt - 21 lakhs for Joginder Sharma

Karnataka Govt - 5 lakhs for Venkatesh Prassad and Robin Uttappa

Jharkhand Govt - "Jharkhand Ratna" for Dhoni

BCCI - 1 crore for yuvi + a Porsche 911

In addition to this, Baroda Cricket Board announces 11L cash price to each of the Pathan brothers & their state announces 5L award to each of the brothers.

Originally Posted by heavy foot

here my friend is praying that the team loses againt the aussies.

I agree. Inspite of all this I will still watch all the matches in the upcoming 3 series hoping that we play well and give the opponents are run for their money. And wish our team the very best. Though my eyes are really set on India's Tour of Australia. Will VVS. Laxman find his place in the side? Because he has by far been the best player in down under. All our players will be tried and tested here and it should be the true indicative of the talent in our countries Men In Blue.

[mclaren1885]

One more thing I notice Dhoni repeatedly kept saying was that "I don't care if we WIN or LOOSE, we just want to go out and play". Is that because he has no confidence in his teams performance? Or is it because he thought of it as an excuse if we were to do badly? I have always heard all the top teams say "We are playing to win" or "We will put all our efforts to WIN" and not "we don't care if we win or not". Does this indicate a low level of confidence? All you character/mind/body language readers kindly crack the key on this will ya? Everyone says he is quite a positive guy, but this is quite pessimistic? Or am I mis-interpreting/misunderstanding something here?

[rks]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

One more thing I notice Dhoni repeatedly kept saying was that "I don't care if we WIN or LOOSE, we just want to go out and play". [...] Everyone says he is quite a positive guy, but this is quite pessimistic? Or am I mis-interpreting/misunderstanding something here?

I don't think you should make too much of a big deal of Dhoni's words. He is just an inexperienced lad, so he might put his foot in his mouth frequently at least till he learns the ropes of being captain. I have always maintained that people should be judged by their actions and not by their words.

By the way, did anybody notice that after the match, SRK was shown mingling with the players from both teams and then afterwards, he made a comment to the effect that:

Both teams played great cricket, it did not matter who won in the end, and he (SRK) would have been equally happy if Pakistan had won.

Just imagine how this innocuous and perfectly legitimate remark would have been interpreted if India had lost. I suspect we would have had SRK eventually apologizing to our cricket fans, the Shiv Sena/Bajrang Dal, etc.

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by rks

I don't think you should make too much of a big deal of Dhoni's words.

He did answer most of the questions put forth to him quite well by the press, infact I was impressed the way he tackled them. So I won't consider that he didn't know what he meant or was talking about or it was his inexperience that lead to it. Being the captain of perhaps the most viewed cricket team in the world and being the countries ambassador to the game he is responsible for the words he speaks as well.

I have always maintained that people should be judged by their actions and not by their words.

Does this apply to Malik as well?

[diabloo]

Dhoni's was immature. But Malik's statement was nonsense & illogical.

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Does this apply to Malik as well?

[gkrishn]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

I don't understand why everyone is making such a big deal with T20

Watching these news channels today morning, i felt as crappy as watching those mega serials. I would wait till the "home" series against australia.

The point of lavishing praise on national team, and ignoring the second rung teams is the same old problem. Long time back India express(i guess) ran an article on how the players of ranji team travel to venues in second class trains(or some thing like that i remember, this is not accurate). forget the hockey and other sports. Even in cricket the second rung players are treated badly, till ICL came into picture. BCCI is just like our govt, a jacka**.

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by diabloo

Dhoni's was immature. But Malik's statement was nonsense & illogical.

Or maybe a lack of knowing English? Or a lack of communication skill? Maybe he meant all the Pakistan fans around the world or Pakistan citizens (90% of whom are Muslims?) around the world. He stammered at that point, and looked quite confused not knowing what to say. Why are we being so judgmental? Everyone knows that English is not his strong hold. Maybe he blundered unknowingly.

Dhoni's was immature

You mean to say, he was immature only on that one statement and mature when he answered the others? Like I mentioned he was really good at tackling the press save this one comment.

gkrishn, very true I think BCCI is hyping this thing too much to work in their favour since the advent of ICL. I personally think ICL could bring about a lot of changes in the way cricketers will emerge in this country. But lets see if the politics ruins it all.

[diabloo]

Nice PR job for S.Malik. Well done.

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Or maybe a lack of knowing English? Or a lack of communication skill? Maybe he meant all the Pakistan fans around the world or Pakistan citizens (90% of whom are Muslims?) around the world. He stammered at that point, and looked quite confused not knowing what to say. Why are we being so judgmental? Everyone knows that English is not his strong hold. Maybe he blundered unknowingly.

[diabloo]

A person can make (n) statements. Out of which (n - m) statements are immature and (m) are mature.
Note: n > m. m >= 0

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

You mean to say, he was immature only on that one statement and mature when he answered the others? Like I mentioned he was really good at tackling the press save this one comment.

[suman]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Or maybe a lack of knowing English? Or a lack of communication skill? Maybe he meant all the Pakistan fans around the world or Pakistan citizens (90% of whom are Muslims?) around the world. He stammered at that point, and looked quite confused not knowing what to say. Why are we being so judgmental? Everyone knows that English is not his strong hold. Maybe he blundered unknowingly.

Rahul, in that case don't you think he should have kept his mouth shut instead of interrupting Shastri mid-way and making his all-encompassing statement?

[rks]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Or maybe a lack of knowing English? Or a lack of communication skill?

I agree that Malik's English is very shaky. That sentence was not even grammatical and nobody except Malik knows what he meant. But still, Malik should have scrupulously avoided bringing in race in a public remark, given that he is the captain of the Pakistan team. Surely Malik would be regretting that remark, for one day he may be captaining a Pakistan team with non-Muslim members in it. Again the ultimate judgement of Shoaib Malik should be by his actions.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by rks

I agree that Malik's English is very shaky. That sentence was not even grammatical and nobody except Malik knows what he meant. But still, Malik should have scrupulously avoided bringing in race in a public remark, given that he is the captain of the Pakistan team. Surely Malik would be regretting that remark, for one day he may be captaining a Pakistan team with non-Muslim members in it. Again the ultimate judgement of Shoaib Malik should be by his actions.

There will be Danish Kaneria in the team for the first match against SA