[benbsb29]

I share the same feelings as well. Why do respective state governments have to pool in with prize money? Not that the cricketers are short of it in any way.

Edit : Replying to Mclaren's post above.
Tell me about it. Take a look at TOI Bangalore edition today, and you would see many Dhoni's peeping out at you.

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Once again our cricketers reach the demi-god status. Poor Sania's

She ain't poor by any stretch of imagination. And even the smallest of her wins gets enough publicity & not to mention quite a few lucrative contracts for her.

Originally Posted by Steeroid

The whole thing sounds very disorganized.

Belcome to India!

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by iraghava

She ain't poor by any stretch of imagination. And even the smallest of her wins gets enough publicity & not to mention quite a few lucrative contracts for her.

Ishaan, I am not referring to her financial status. And she is more popular for the short skirts she wears, or the type of nose ring she wears than her game (atleast amongst the people I know, when there was a recent tourney all my friends went to watch this hot chick Sania, not the tennis player Sania). This is the problem with us Indian's. One achievement is so blown out of proportion that they are made the fashion statements in every form of industry. And to worsen matters this money makes them forget their prime purpose, which is to play well.

I say get these sportsmen/women out of ads. Stop giving them easy money (instead get the boards training equipment, facilities etc and make sure they are put to use). Let them earn it on field. Then see how competitive we play.

[X-Machine]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Worst outcome is that we will see our beloved Men In Blue appearing in every advertisement from now on.

True. Infact Dhoni is already being offered 3crores instead of his usual 1crore tag. Siyaram's is signing Yuvraj for thier upcoming campaign at an 'undisclosed' price. The industry souces peg it to be around the 4-5 crore mark. RP Singh, Rohit Sharma & Agarkar have already been approached by a well-known mobile brand to endorse thier products.

The next 3-4 months are the biggest for any Brand/Ad Agencies, as its the festive season etc etc. Moreover, many companies are (high)budgeting thier Ad spend to avail tax benifits.

We Indians, i tell ya.

X

[Eddy]

While the on-field action in the ICC World Twenty20 was enthralling, the players offered some verbal wonders as well. Cricinfo presents a selection of the best quotes of the tournament.


"I don't think there's really time to choke, everything happens so quickly."
Shaun Pollock speaking before the start of ICC World Twenty20. Even old warhorses like Pollock learnt something new during the tournament

"Our top-order batting has been diabolical even in the practice matches and it was again tonight. It is a mental thing for us and we have to start respecting the game."
Ricky Ponting after Australia's loss to Zimbabwe in the opening round

"Once we've won again then they can have a full go."
Zimbabwe's coach Robin Brown, whose main concern after upsetting Australia was to ensure his team was focussed again for the game against England

"We have made the Super Eights in two big tournaments this year and it is about time they stop calling us a minnow. There is more to come from Bangladesh."
Mohammad Ashraful was full of confidence after Bangladesh knocked West Indies out

"There's a possibility of us humiliating Australia."
Kevin Pietersen unwittingly becomes Australia's motivational guru ahead of the crucial match against the old enemy

"Unless you can back them up they don't mean anything at all. If anything they were the ones who left humiliated today."
Ricky Ponting responds to Pietersen's barb after Australia steamrolled England yet again

"I told him to be free, and control his mind. He's like a computer, he just has to bowl one ball but he might be thinking of bowling 100 different deliveries."
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, on what he advised Sreesanth before the last over of the first round game against Pakistan

"When the match ended in a tie, only then did we come to know that this [bowl out] would happen."
Luckily for Shoaib Malik, Pakistan's ignorance of the rules didn't hinder their progress in the tournament

"The opening was a rude awakening because we didn't think there would be too many fours and sixes, then first ball and we were dancing."
While spectators were thrilled with the big-hitting during the tournament, Ian, one of the dancing cheerleaders, didn't seem quite as pleased

"I hope Twenty20 cricket will only be part of the landscape and not the future of the game. But I suppose we guys have to take this game seriously too."
Daniel Vettori provides only grudging support for Twenty20

"When I got hit for five sixes I got so many phone calls - nobody called me when I used to get a hundred and I got load of them making fun of me so I thought that wasn't right and I wanted to give it back."
Yuvraj Singh reveals the motivation behind the savage assault on the England bowling

"Shane Watson seems to have recovered very well from his hamstring injury."
Andrew Symonds decided to tempt fate. Shane Watson duly experienced hamstring trouble in his comeback game and has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series in India

"I guess we do find ways to get out of these tournaments."
Graeme Smith reflects on South Africa's ability to choke at big events

"We have to find out a solution to get over the line, I don't have a magic answer but I know we'll be ready the next time the chance comes."
Daniel Vettori is perplexed by New Zealand's inability to get past the semi-finals at big events

"A bit stuttery for us, wasn't it? A bad start and then a win and a loss and a win ... We never really got into a great rhythm."
Adam Gilchrist sums up Australia's campaign


"Before I start I should say I read an article by you in Cricinfo. You'd said Australia were the favourites. Today I think me and the boys, we proved you wrong."
Speaking to Ravi Shastri after India's victory over Australia in the semi-finals of the ICC World Twenty20, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India's Twenty20 and ODI captain, tells all that he reads Cricinfo. And apparently it's inspired him.

Source: Cricinfo

[Surprise]

One-day pressure on Tendulkar, Dravid - Breaking News - Sport - Breaking News

The veteran trio could pay the price for sitting out the Twenty20 competition with moves already afoot to squeeze them out with one eye on the 2011 World Cup - to be held on the subcontinent.

"The T20 success has given us enough encouragement to experiment with youngsters," an anonymous Indian selector told daily newspaper DNA.

"Eventually they (the senior players) have to leave."

Their form will come under the microscope starting with Saturday's opening clash of the seven-match series against Australia at Bangalore.

[lurker]

NEWS FLASH:

Indian Hockey Players are going on a hunger strike.

They are protesting against the Step-Motherly treatment being meted out to Hockey.

Hockey Players are also protesting against all the sops given to cricket team.

[gbpscars]

Originally Posted by lurker

NEWS FLASH:

Indian Hockey Players are going on a hunger strike.

They are protesting against the Step-Motherly treatment being meted out to Hockey.

Hockey Players are also protesting against all the sops given to cricket team.

Sad but true!!!

"What is India's national game?"
Throw this question quickly and ask them to answer without letting them think. You can be sure of getting "Cricket" as a majority reply.

An answer as "Hockey" was last seen only in our school General Knowledge books.

[Surprise]

Hockey India's National game, but cricket is Indians Favorite game

I guess squad for the first 3 one dayers is announced. Once the series was decided either to aus or to ind, we need to try out this t-20 combination to check out how they fare against AUssies in 50 over format.

[esteem_lover]

After all this drama, how many of you seriously think we will win even one match in this Ind-Aus series ? I am damn sure the aussies will knock the daylights out of these money & fame struck cricketers. This is too much of a celebration. Come on guys, it is a great win, celebrate & party hard, but you got to be ready for the next game as planned by our 'great' administrators. I am sure they did not think India would go beyond the 1st stage which is why there is a very important series starting in India within 5 days. Bury the BCCI in its own damn thing.

P.S. I am one who was looking forward to this series more than the T20.

[extreme_torque]

20-20 is made ito such a big deal... I mean WTH... I didnt even took it seriosuly. Infact 2-3 days into this tournament, was when I came to know the tournament has started.
The country is in shambles and the government is busy feliciting cricketers with prize money when they already have too much of it, than they deserve.
Imagine 1 million $ for just beating Australia! How ridiculous can things get? In the end I pity myself, its on my expense that BCCI and cricketers are earning crores.

[prince_pervez]

I think you Guys are not getting the motive behind the Huge
moollah. Its to Stop any furthur recruitments to the ICL.

Its True, the Country is in Shambles, and the rich are
getting richer.

IMHO, Winning the T20 WC is the best thing that has happened to
our country recently, but don't you feel guys that there is diff
between winning a 50 over (one day) WC and 20 over slog WC?

Actually, I was very happy and burst a few crackers myself,
but I think I could have killed myself with Joy if we would have won the 50 Over version instead !

Nevertheless, We are the First T20 Champs and that has been Written
in the Books!

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by Surprise

One-day pressure on Tendulkar, Dravid - Breaking News - Sport - Breaking News

The veteran trio could pay the price for sitting out the Twenty20 competition with moves already afoot to squeeze them out with one eye on the 2011 World Cup - to be held on the subcontinent.

"The T20 success has given us enough encouragement to experiment with youngsters," an anonymous Indian selector told daily newspaper DNA.

"Eventually they (the senior players) have to leave."

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

(1) 20/20 is not a serious game, etc. (Just like Ricky Ponting decided to sit out)

and/or

(2) We have no chance of winning anyway, so lets escape the blame.


They've been proven wrong on both counts, as a result of which it looks like they've painted themselves out of the picture!

[amit]

Can we file a PIL opposing the gifts being doled out by the state governments out of our taxes to these already overpaid players?

By the way, for what is Yuvraj getting a Porsche and Rs. 1 Crore apart from the money he will share with the team? For hitting six sixes and making 70 off 30 *****? Adam Gilchrist has gotten old hitting sixes all his life and he single handedly made Australia win the last world cup finals. Did the ACB give him a Porsche/Ferrari, millions of dollars?

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.

[rks]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

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

(1) 20/20 is not a serious game, etc. (Just like Ricky Ponting decided to sit out)

and/or

(2) We have no chance of winning anyway, so lets escape the blame.

They could have been given a hint by some member of the selection committee (say, Dilip Vengsarkar) to "voluntarily" pull out of T20, so that the selectors can avoid the embarassment and controversy associated with dropping them.

Other possibility is (1). And our senior trio probably did not see any hope of getting into the record books at this late stage. Once the statistics are taken out of the picture, our seniors probably weren't interested. Physical fitness could have played a role in their decision, apart from the need to take a break and be with family, and so on.

I also think Dravid may have been given a hint that he is about to be dropped as one-day captain. That might have irritated Dravid and he might have decided to give up captaincy in all forms of the game.