Cricket or Something Like it........

The BCCI is the richest cricket body in the world and every now and then we hear of millions being added to its coffers, mainly by scheduling matches in non-descript locations around the globe. At home we were considered to be Tigers,well lets look at it this way,we were always tigers at home but without the killer instinct.Probably the knee-jerk reactions of indian cricket fans doesn't put much emphasis on the champions trophy, if it was the world cup then we might have been watching news reports of nationwide protests and reactions to any loss against any team and on any given day. Our one day record is dismal, we can't produce an express fast bowler who can bowl at 150 kph even though we boast of a billion cricket crazy fanatics. Commando training sessions initiated by foreign coaches are nothing more than an outdoor trek for the players.I bet our players just forget to fire the bullets in an all out war.

We have the greatest players , even GOD plays in our team, but he never wins matches for india. Its pretty difficult to digest the fact that none of us even remember the last time we won a cricket match against australia and that too convincingly. Its not too difficult to accept that we are good at only one sport, but its still not good enough to challenge the top teams in the world. Last season we had no complaints when we set a new record for chasing totals,but the dismal pangs of inconsistency have never left the team. Come the best teams in the world and our inadequacies are seriously exposed! Who is responsible, the selectors, the coach, the players or the board ? I believe we as fans have set the bar too high...

A couple of years down the road even dravid and sachin will take up their positions behind the commentary box or start a business enterprise of their own. What becomes of the team then, well the blame game goes on... Its time us gullible fans realise and accept that we are way behind other teams when it comes to team spirit and body language, and its something which is not going to change anytime soon. Even ricky ponting gives 100% when he is the 12th man, captain, fielder, bowler or batsman,he plays only for the team , individual brilliance never comes at the expense of the team. Almost all the batting records are held by indians but sadly it has not affected our overall win-loss record too much.

Personally it was for the first time ever that yesterday's loss to australia did not sting, as i had already toned down my expectations much before the match began.I enjoyed the match and saw the best team win. Its time all of us stopped expecting miracles to happen and consider cricket matches featuring india as just another entertainment option...

Dissecting the COUP!

About two weeks ago everything seemed so surreal that it almost seemed impossible to come to terms with the ensuing coup d'etat in Thailand. Having been well read on the making of a coup,one cannot be blamed for believing that south american banana republics or at the most a few east and west african states are more at home with such an event. A rude awakening though returning home from what was supposed to be just another routine day's work.The television channels went blank, army personnel with their entire armory were out on the streets,but yet a single shot was not fired. They call it a bloodless coup,no blood on the streets and no smell of gunpowder hanging in the air. Just two days after the coup, tourists and locals alike were seen grabbing their share of the limelight,the scene resembled a gun's n roses live concert.

Well the general impression is that it was just waiting to happen...the army has always had a huge presence in Thailand...i guess they had been in hibernation for over 15 years. 23 Coups in over 70 years...and probably we think that's the lot! Well who knows....a new interim government is in place....already under a huge cloud of criticism for the wrong reasons..the average age of the entire cabinet is 63 years...people just call them a bunch of oldies.. In between the stalemate and mayhem,calm has prevailed over the thai financial markets..the currency is stable and foreign investment is generally unaffected.. reminds me of something i heard the other day they have close to $60 billion in foreign reserves,so what the heck..they can take a few pitfalls in FDI flows..

To an expat the impending rains and flood scenario is more alarming than the political imbroglio. The largest airport in SE Asia,Suvarnabhumi international airport opened on schedule and is being billed as the pride of thailand. Quite an imposing structure with a futuristic facade....44 years of hard work and 4 years of construction have made it possible.. Sadly though the chief orchestrator ,ousted PM thaksin shinawatra couldn't be part of the opening ceremony.. if he deserved to be there or not is open to debate.