Yesterday night we had gone to Hesketh Park for DCC Awards night. Ammar got some awards for being part of the team which won the North Kent under 11 league......
Friday 25 September 2015
Sunday 20 September 2015
Hum Ke Thehre Ajnabi.............
Hum ke Thehre ajanabii itane madaaraato.n ke baad
Phir bane.nge aashnaa kitanii mulaaqaato.n ke baad
Kab nazar me.n aayegii bedaaG sabze kii bahaar
Khuun ke dhabbe dhule.nge kitanii barasaato.n ke baad
Dil to chaahaa par s***kast-e-dil ne mohalat hii na dii
Kuchh gile-s***kave bhii kar lete munaajaato.n ke baad
Hum ke Thehre ajanabii itane madaaraato.n ke baad
The bahut bedard lamhe.n Khatm-e-dard-e-ishq ke
Thei.n bahut bemehar subahe.n
Thei.n bahut bemehar subahe.n
meharabaa.N raato.n ke baad
Hum ke Thehre ajanabii itne madaaraato.n ke baad
Un se jo kahane gaye the "Faiz" jaa.N sadaqaa kiye
Anakahii hii rah ga_ii vo bat sab baato.n ke baad
Hum ke Thehre ajanabii itane madaaraato.n ke baad
Phir bane.nge aashnaa kitanii mulaaqaato.n ke baad
Faiz Ahmad 'Faiz'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8y_6W6kY3s
Wednesday 16 September 2015
Today
The solicitor called today to give the good news the contacts have been exchanged for the house the planned move in date is Nov 20th, Insha Allah.
Saturday 12 September 2015
Tuesday 8 September 2015
Tendulkar Tales
When Sachin released his autobiography in 2014 'Playing It My Way', I was reluctant to read it. My logic was, 'Is there anything I don't know about him !!'. (I must confess here that though I consider Sachin to be a great player, I admire Dravid more than him.)
But when I read his book, I found it had many anecdotes and stories which I was not aware of. Here is a compilation of anecdotes and interesting facts from his life.
No Helmet
Sachin Tendulkar did not have many luxuries when he was growing up. This is what he said in 2004 while talking about a practice match at the Wankhede Stadium before his Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai in 1988: "It was a fresh, green wicket and Raju Kulkarni (India pacer) must have thought I was being too smart by not wearing a helmet. I was wearing my Mumbai under-15 cap. Raju started bowling bouncers, which I ducked. Till today, he probably doesn't know that I did not wear a helmet because I did not have one."
Virat's Test Debut alongside Sachin Tendulkar
This was the day when Virat Kohli made his test debut and got the chance to play alongside Sachin Tendulkar.
This young, angry, brash boy was very nervous meeting him in the dressing room but was awestruck with the simplicity of cricketing legend.
Before coming to the ground for the session, it was told to Virat Kohli that every newcomer in the team touches the feet of Sachin Tendulkar to offer him respect and take his blessings.
It was a usual day for Sachin where he was checking up with his bat and other equipments and Virat was taking occasional glances at him, very nervous and silent, quite opposite to his character.
Within a minute or so, Sachin understood this young boy's nervousness and struck up a casual conversation with him. Virat, thinking about the ritual he was told by his teammates went up to him and touched his feet within no time.
Sachin was flabbergasted to see that, suddenly somebody bowing down and touching your feet came as a surprise to him.
As soon as Virat did that, whole team burst into loud laughter and a shy Virat took some time to realize that it was a prank.
2011 World Cup
After India won the ICC World Cup 2011, every one was celebrating in its own way however weather in dressing room was surprisingly different than normal day.
This was what was happening in the dressing room (shared by Sachin himself in his book) -
Once we got back to the room, I remember the whole hotel was celebrating. There were champagne flowing everywhere. Anjali (his wife) was with me and both of us went to my room and we started dancing because it was a massive moment in my life, something which I waited for 22 years. On another floor, one room was booked for us and that is where Harbhajan, Yuvraj and Virat Kohli sang “Tujh mein rab dikhta hai” for me and I was embarrassed. I said ‘what are you guys doing’. They said ‘Bhai aaj gaane do, aaj mauka hai gaane ka, hum teeno ko ye gaana hai tumhare liye’ (Brother! Let us sing today because it is a joyous moment. We three want to sing for you). They sang and it was a special moment for me. Nobody knows about it. This moment is something that I cannot forget in my life.
This will never happen again
This match was at Hyderabad in October 2007, India vs Australia. Brad Hogg, Australian leg spinner bowler bowled Sachin. Hogg was elated. At the end of the match Hogg asked Sachin to sign the ball. Sachin wrote
"This will never happen again".
After this match Sachin played Hogg for 13 innings. Hogg ended his International cricket career in 2008 & in this span of time he could never take Sachin's wicket again!!
Sathya Sai Baba
Sachin Tendulkar is an ardent follower of Sathya Sai Baba. It is believed that he always carried a photo of the spiritual guru in his sports kit. The TV channels had gone wild when Sachin paid a visit to Puttaparthi and shed tears on the day the spiritual guru passed away.
Here's a compilation of some interesting facts related to Sachin's life and career-
~Like lots of other cricketers, Sachin is pretty superstitious – he’ll always put on his left pad before his right whenever he’s getting padded up.
~“He hasn't spent Diwali at home since we got married. But it really doesn’t matter that it’s Diwali, any time he spends at home is great!” – Anjali, his better half has said. Once in a BBC interview when asked about his dream women, Sachin answered ‘my wife’ without batting an eyelid.
~When Sachin scored the historic 664-run stand with Kambli, he was wearing wet trouser as it had not dried after washing due to monsoon weather and he did not have a spare one.
~ He sang and whistled with Vinod Kambli during their 664 run stand in Harris shield in 1988 to avoid eye contact with coach's assistant, who wanted to declare while the duo wanted to bat on.
~ Teammate Praveen Amre bought him his first pair of international quality cricket shoes.
~Colony watchman's son Ramesh Pardhe who was his playmate, said Sachin would ask him to dip a rubber ball in water and hurl it at him. He wanted to see the wet marks left on his bat to find out whether he middle the ball correctly.
~Refused to shoot for a soft drink ad of him smashing cricket balls with a fly swatter. He reportedly told film-maker Prahlad Kakkar, "that would make me greater than the game." The ad was modified: he hit the balls with a stump.
~"Sachin has promised me that he would provide me with the tickets of all international matches played in our country, and he is living up to his words“ said Sachin's biggest fan, Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary. Sachin provides tickets of all international matches in India to him! Yes, the guy you notice in every Indian game, the one painted in tricolor.
~Sachin Tendulkar uses a very heavy bat at the crease, weighing 3.2lbs. Only South Africa's Lance Klusener used a heavier bat in world cricket.
~Fascinated by pace and speed, Tendulkar hopes to drive a Formula One car someday.
~Sachin Tendulkar is ambidextrous. He bats with his right hand but signs autographs, eats or plays table tennis with his left.
~Sachin Tendulkar wanted to be a professional Tennis player.
~Sachin was a ball boy during the 1987 World Cup semi-final match between India and England at Wankhede.
~Sachin Tendulkar wanted to become a fast bowler, but was rejected by Dennis Lillee's MRF Pace Foundation in 1987. Lillee advised the young Tendulkar to focus on his batting, while the other youngster turned away by Lillee along with Tendulkar was none other than Sourav Ganguly.
~Sachin Tendulkar went to watch the movie Roja in 1995 with a beard and disguise. It all went wrong when his glasses fell off and the crowd in the cinema hall recognised him.
~Sachin Tendulkar was the first batsman to be given out by the third-umpire. In 1992, on the second day of the Durban Test, a Jonty Rhodes throw caught Tendulkar short of the crease. After watching TV replays he was adjudged out.
~When young Sachin fell from a tree on a Sunday evening during his summer vacation, while watching the movie 'Guide' on Doordarshan, his infuriated brother (and mentor) Ajit sent him to cricket coaching class as punishment.
~The first advertisement in which Sachin featured was for a sticking plaster.
~Sachin Tendulkar used to sleep with his cricket gear during his junior days.
~Sachin Tendulkar loves collecting perfumes and watches.
~As a kid, Sachin Tendulkar used to go fishing for tadpoles and guppy fishes in the stream that ran through the compound of Sahitya Sahwas at Bandra East
~Sachin Tendulkar was a huge fan of John McEnroe. He grew his hair and tied a band around it to copy his idol. Sachin was also fondly called McEnroe by his friends.
~Sachin Tendulkar admires Pete Sampras, Boris Becker and Diego Maradona.
~Sachin loves Kishore Kumar and rock group Dire Straits.
~Sachin calls Ganguly 'Babu Mashai' while Sourav calls him 'Chhota Babu'.
~Sachin once made his mother look for a frog bhaji recipe!
~Sachin is so possessive about his Ferrari that wife Anjali is not allowed to drive it.
~Sachin loved to play tennis ball cricket and darts during rainbreaks.
~A prankster that he is, Sachin once put a hose pipe into Saurav Ganguly's room and turned the tap on. Ganguly awoke to find his gear floating!
~Sachin Tendulkar fielded for Pakistan as a substitute during a one-day practice match against India at the Brabourne Stadium in 1988.
~Sachin Tendulkar was without a bat contract until the start of the 1996 Cricket World Cup. At the end of the tournament a famous tyre manufacturer sponsored his willow.
~Sachin Tendulkar has the most number of stadium appearances - 90 different venues.
~Tendulkar batted in his debut Test against Pakistan wearing the pads gifted to him by Sunil Gavaskar.
~Dec 14, 1989 - On the last day of the last Test of his first Test series, in Sialkot, gets hit on the nose by Waqar Younis - also in his first series. He got up, and wiped away the blood, medical assistance was declined and he eventually scored 57.
~Mar 27, 1994 - Opens in an ODI for the first time - against New Zealand. Goes on to make 82 off 49 balls.
~Oct 1995 - Signs a five-year contract worth Rs 31.5 crore with WorldTel, which makes him the richest cricketer in the world.
~Tendulkar has 13 coins from his coach Ramakant Achrekar. He would win a coin if he could get through an entire session of nets without being dismissed.
~India's GDP has grown by 453% since Sachin faced the first ball against Pakistan in Karachi 23 years back.
~41 crore new Indians have been born during Sachin's long career, taking the country's population to 126 crore, a whopping 48% increase.
~We were struggling as a nation when he made his debut in 1989. Our foreign reserves were at 5.83 billion dollars, Now it is 280 billion dollars (increased 48 times).
~During his career Sensex moved from 1050 to 18600.
~Sachin was the 74th Indian to wear the ODI cap. Now we have 275, added 200 during his career. More than 70% of new additions have already retired.
~At World Cups he has been more prolific than anywhere else, his total tally at WCs (2278 Runs) is 30.6% greater than his closest and arch rival Ricky Ponting (1743 runs). And if you think he has played more, he has played 1 match less than Ponting in WCs. He has also hit 6 centuries and 21 Half tons.
But when I read his book, I found it had many anecdotes and stories which I was not aware of. Here is a compilation of anecdotes and interesting facts from his life.
No Helmet
Sachin Tendulkar did not have many luxuries when he was growing up. This is what he said in 2004 while talking about a practice match at the Wankhede Stadium before his Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai in 1988: "It was a fresh, green wicket and Raju Kulkarni (India pacer) must have thought I was being too smart by not wearing a helmet. I was wearing my Mumbai under-15 cap. Raju started bowling bouncers, which I ducked. Till today, he probably doesn't know that I did not wear a helmet because I did not have one."
Virat's Test Debut alongside Sachin Tendulkar
This was the day when Virat Kohli made his test debut and got the chance to play alongside Sachin Tendulkar.
This young, angry, brash boy was very nervous meeting him in the dressing room but was awestruck with the simplicity of cricketing legend.
Before coming to the ground for the session, it was told to Virat Kohli that every newcomer in the team touches the feet of Sachin Tendulkar to offer him respect and take his blessings.
It was a usual day for Sachin where he was checking up with his bat and other equipments and Virat was taking occasional glances at him, very nervous and silent, quite opposite to his character.
Within a minute or so, Sachin understood this young boy's nervousness and struck up a casual conversation with him. Virat, thinking about the ritual he was told by his teammates went up to him and touched his feet within no time.
Sachin was flabbergasted to see that, suddenly somebody bowing down and touching your feet came as a surprise to him.
As soon as Virat did that, whole team burst into loud laughter and a shy Virat took some time to realize that it was a prank.
2011 World Cup
After India won the ICC World Cup 2011, every one was celebrating in its own way however weather in dressing room was surprisingly different than normal day.
This was what was happening in the dressing room (shared by Sachin himself in his book) -
Once we got back to the room, I remember the whole hotel was celebrating. There were champagne flowing everywhere. Anjali (his wife) was with me and both of us went to my room and we started dancing because it was a massive moment in my life, something which I waited for 22 years. On another floor, one room was booked for us and that is where Harbhajan, Yuvraj and Virat Kohli sang “Tujh mein rab dikhta hai” for me and I was embarrassed. I said ‘what are you guys doing’. They said ‘Bhai aaj gaane do, aaj mauka hai gaane ka, hum teeno ko ye gaana hai tumhare liye’ (Brother! Let us sing today because it is a joyous moment. We three want to sing for you). They sang and it was a special moment for me. Nobody knows about it. This moment is something that I cannot forget in my life.
This will never happen again
This match was at Hyderabad in October 2007, India vs Australia. Brad Hogg, Australian leg spinner bowler bowled Sachin. Hogg was elated. At the end of the match Hogg asked Sachin to sign the ball. Sachin wrote
"This will never happen again".
After this match Sachin played Hogg for 13 innings. Hogg ended his International cricket career in 2008 & in this span of time he could never take Sachin's wicket again!!
Sathya Sai Baba
Sachin Tendulkar is an ardent follower of Sathya Sai Baba. It is believed that he always carried a photo of the spiritual guru in his sports kit. The TV channels had gone wild when Sachin paid a visit to Puttaparthi and shed tears on the day the spiritual guru passed away.
Here's a compilation of some interesting facts related to Sachin's life and career-
~Like lots of other cricketers, Sachin is pretty superstitious – he’ll always put on his left pad before his right whenever he’s getting padded up.
~“He hasn't spent Diwali at home since we got married. But it really doesn’t matter that it’s Diwali, any time he spends at home is great!” – Anjali, his better half has said. Once in a BBC interview when asked about his dream women, Sachin answered ‘my wife’ without batting an eyelid.
~When Sachin scored the historic 664-run stand with Kambli, he was wearing wet trouser as it had not dried after washing due to monsoon weather and he did not have a spare one.
~ He sang and whistled with Vinod Kambli during their 664 run stand in Harris shield in 1988 to avoid eye contact with coach's assistant, who wanted to declare while the duo wanted to bat on.
~ Teammate Praveen Amre bought him his first pair of international quality cricket shoes.
~Colony watchman's son Ramesh Pardhe who was his playmate, said Sachin would ask him to dip a rubber ball in water and hurl it at him. He wanted to see the wet marks left on his bat to find out whether he middle the ball correctly.
~Refused to shoot for a soft drink ad of him smashing cricket balls with a fly swatter. He reportedly told film-maker Prahlad Kakkar, "that would make me greater than the game." The ad was modified: he hit the balls with a stump.
~"Sachin has promised me that he would provide me with the tickets of all international matches played in our country, and he is living up to his words“ said Sachin's biggest fan, Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary. Sachin provides tickets of all international matches in India to him! Yes, the guy you notice in every Indian game, the one painted in tricolor.
~Sachin Tendulkar uses a very heavy bat at the crease, weighing 3.2lbs. Only South Africa's Lance Klusener used a heavier bat in world cricket.
~Fascinated by pace and speed, Tendulkar hopes to drive a Formula One car someday.
~Sachin Tendulkar is ambidextrous. He bats with his right hand but signs autographs, eats or plays table tennis with his left.
~Sachin Tendulkar wanted to be a professional Tennis player.
~Sachin was a ball boy during the 1987 World Cup semi-final match between India and England at Wankhede.
~Sachin Tendulkar wanted to become a fast bowler, but was rejected by Dennis Lillee's MRF Pace Foundation in 1987. Lillee advised the young Tendulkar to focus on his batting, while the other youngster turned away by Lillee along with Tendulkar was none other than Sourav Ganguly.
~Sachin Tendulkar went to watch the movie Roja in 1995 with a beard and disguise. It all went wrong when his glasses fell off and the crowd in the cinema hall recognised him.
~Sachin Tendulkar was the first batsman to be given out by the third-umpire. In 1992, on the second day of the Durban Test, a Jonty Rhodes throw caught Tendulkar short of the crease. After watching TV replays he was adjudged out.
~When young Sachin fell from a tree on a Sunday evening during his summer vacation, while watching the movie 'Guide' on Doordarshan, his infuriated brother (and mentor) Ajit sent him to cricket coaching class as punishment.
~The first advertisement in which Sachin featured was for a sticking plaster.
~Sachin Tendulkar used to sleep with his cricket gear during his junior days.
~Sachin Tendulkar loves collecting perfumes and watches.
~As a kid, Sachin Tendulkar used to go fishing for tadpoles and guppy fishes in the stream that ran through the compound of Sahitya Sahwas at Bandra East
~Sachin Tendulkar was a huge fan of John McEnroe. He grew his hair and tied a band around it to copy his idol. Sachin was also fondly called McEnroe by his friends.
~Sachin Tendulkar admires Pete Sampras, Boris Becker and Diego Maradona.
~Sachin loves Kishore Kumar and rock group Dire Straits.
~Sachin calls Ganguly 'Babu Mashai' while Sourav calls him 'Chhota Babu'.
~Sachin once made his mother look for a frog bhaji recipe!
~Sachin is so possessive about his Ferrari that wife Anjali is not allowed to drive it.
~Sachin loved to play tennis ball cricket and darts during rainbreaks.
~A prankster that he is, Sachin once put a hose pipe into Saurav Ganguly's room and turned the tap on. Ganguly awoke to find his gear floating!
~Sachin Tendulkar fielded for Pakistan as a substitute during a one-day practice match against India at the Brabourne Stadium in 1988.
~Sachin Tendulkar was without a bat contract until the start of the 1996 Cricket World Cup. At the end of the tournament a famous tyre manufacturer sponsored his willow.
~Sachin Tendulkar has the most number of stadium appearances - 90 different venues.
~Tendulkar batted in his debut Test against Pakistan wearing the pads gifted to him by Sunil Gavaskar.
~Dec 14, 1989 - On the last day of the last Test of his first Test series, in Sialkot, gets hit on the nose by Waqar Younis - also in his first series. He got up, and wiped away the blood, medical assistance was declined and he eventually scored 57.
~Mar 27, 1994 - Opens in an ODI for the first time - against New Zealand. Goes on to make 82 off 49 balls.
~Oct 1995 - Signs a five-year contract worth Rs 31.5 crore with WorldTel, which makes him the richest cricketer in the world.
~Tendulkar has 13 coins from his coach Ramakant Achrekar. He would win a coin if he could get through an entire session of nets without being dismissed.
~India's GDP has grown by 453% since Sachin faced the first ball against Pakistan in Karachi 23 years back.
~41 crore new Indians have been born during Sachin's long career, taking the country's population to 126 crore, a whopping 48% increase.
~We were struggling as a nation when he made his debut in 1989. Our foreign reserves were at 5.83 billion dollars, Now it is 280 billion dollars (increased 48 times).
~During his career Sensex moved from 1050 to 18600.
~Sachin was the 74th Indian to wear the ODI cap. Now we have 275, added 200 during his career. More than 70% of new additions have already retired.
~At World Cups he has been more prolific than anywhere else, his total tally at WCs (2278 Runs) is 30.6% greater than his closest and arch rival Ricky Ponting (1743 runs). And if you think he has played more, he has played 1 match less than Ponting in WCs. He has also hit 6 centuries and 21 Half tons.
Monday 7 September 2015
Starting Secondary School
Today is Ammar's first day of Year 7 at Dartford Grammar School....
May this be the beginning of the happiest and brightest phase in his life, Insha Allah
Saturday 5 September 2015
Immigration Tragedy
Syrian boy, Aylan Kurdi's body washed up on a Turkish beach......exemplifies the tragedy of immigrants trying to flee the fighting in Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia,
Libya and so many other countries.
An image that haunts us......shames us. Difficult to imagine this is happening today and the world has turned a blind eye.
Wednesday 2 September 2015
Tuesday 1 September 2015
Dadagiri - Sourav Ganguly Tales
The ‘Prince of Kolkata’, Sourav Ganguly is widely considered to be the man who transformed the Indian Team into ‘Team India’. He infused much needed killer instinct into the team.
The team which was known for being ‘Tigers at home, lambs abroad’, actually starting winning consistently away from home under him.
‘Dada’, as he is popularly known, wore passion on his sleeve. He was known for never shying away from a scrap and to stand by the youngsters he believed in, come what may.
The Indian Cricket fans loved ‘Dada’ and still do. Dropped from the team after his famous falling out with Greg Chappell, everyone thought his career was over. But Dada made a famous comeback. He scored a double hundred against Pakistan. He bowed out in style.
'The Boy from Behala' has many facets to his personalty. You have to have that if you have to successfully lead a team like India. You have to be a politician too. It is my prediction that Dada may venture into politics one day and will prove to be a success in that too.
There are many tales associated with Dada.
Here are some really funny ones.
Sourav – Nasser : On Football
Sourav Ganguly and Nasser Hussain were two highly intense captains and shared great on-field rivalry. Years after their retirement, the rivalry continues — but in the form of commentary box jibes. Ganguly’s love for football is well known — he co-owns Indian Super League (ISL) club Atletico de Kolkata, which won the inaugural title. India’s FIFA ranking may be a subject of joke, but Hussain should have known, be it on or off the field, you never try to pull former Indian captain’s legs and when it is football, Dada does get touchy.
Here’s what happened in the commentary box recently:
Nasser Hussain: When can I see India playing in a football World Cup?
Harsha Bhogle: It’s better not to participate rather than getting knocked out in the first round.
Sourav Ganguly: If India had played World Cup football for 50 years, then they would have qualified more than once for the finals — unlike England!
On the massive contribution of Rahul Dravid
During India’s tour of England in 2011, the visiting side struggled. But one Indian stood firm amidst the ruins — Rahul Dravid. Sachin Tendulkar failed to get going again and Dravid rose to the occasion and scored another fine hundred. An excited David Lloyd and Ganguly were commentating and the latter beautifully summed up Dravid’s contribution.
David Lloyd: The beauty of Indian batting is when someone like Tendulkar fails, someone else does it and this time it was Rahul Dravid.
Sourav Ganguly: This time? He has done it time and again. He has done it day in and day out for 15 years!
On his popularity in Kolkata
Sachin Tendulkar played his penultimate Test in Kolkata and the entire city was captivated by the Master Blaster. Kolkata prepared itself to gift an ideal farewell to the country’s one of the most beloved sons.
Looking at the Tendulkar mania around, Harsha Bhogle asked Sourav Ganguly:
Harsha Bhogle: Do you think Sachin will be more popular than you in that Kolkata Test match?
Ganguly: Yes, but only for those five days!
Turnout !!
India and England were locked in a do-or-die battle at Perth in the tri-series in January 2015. Sourav Ganguly was with Harsha Bhogle and Sunil Gavaskar in the commentary box. The trio was discussing the low turnout crowd, when Ganguly delivered another gem.
Sunil Gavaskar: The attendance today is 7653.
Sourav Ganguly: We have that attendance in Durga Pooja!
Greg Chappell - Don't Dare to Call me
The Ganguly-Chappell controversy is one of the ugliest ones and the fallout of once close friends is well-documented. Ganguly hasn’t forgiven the former Indian coach yet and he does not hide that behind polite diplomacy. Even Sachin Tendulkar in his book criticised the Australian great and wrote about the harm he had done to Indian cricket. After the launch of Tendulkar’s book, the Chappell subject was discussed by several sections of media and journalist Rajdeep Sardesai shot a direct question to Ganguly.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Does Greg Chappell owe an apology to Indian cricket? To Sachin Tendulkar, to Sourav Ganguly, to Dravid?
Sourav Ganguly: He can call up Tendulkar or Dravid. But he dare not dial my number. If he is hearing this on TV, he dare not call Sourav Ganguly.
Ravi Shastri in firing line !
Well, the internet is full of Ravi Shastri jokes and the netizens never miss an opportunity to troll the former Indian cricketer for his commentary clichés. Shastri has a habit of getting cocky, but if you try to do that with Ganguly, you better get ready to be owned.
Ravi Shastri: In Eden Gardens, Kolkata, is there a Ganguly pavilion or Ganguly stand?
Sourav Ganguly: The whole ground belongs to Ganguly!
And here are some serious ones………..
His Marriage
Weeks after his successful tour of England in 1996, Ganguly eloped with childhood sweetheart Dona Roy. The bride and groom's family were sworn enemies at that point and this news caused an uproar between them. However, both families reconciled and a formal wedding was held in February 1997.
Refused to carry drinks?
In 1991-92, Ganguly was a part of the Indian team on the tour to Australia, where he made his one-day debut. That was to be his only international appearance in four years until he made his comeback on the tour to England in 1996. It was alleged that Ganguly had refused to carry drinks, one of the roles of a benched player, on that tour Down Under. Years later, Ganguly denied these suggestions. In an interview to Rediff, “I don’t know where this story has come from. We had a manager on the trip to Australia in 1992, Mr. Ranbir Singh. He is probably the worst guy I have ever seen in my life. It is a shame that we have had managers like him for India on long tours. He was a shame, a shame to Indian cricket.”
Alleged affair with Nagma
In early 2001, as India were getting ready to play Australia at home, there were strong rumours of Ganguly’s alleged affair with actress Nagma. There were murmurs that the two visited a temple in South India and had performed a puja meant for married couples. Through that, Ganguly’s wife Dona stood by her man, telling Sify, “It’s all rubbish. I’m extremely angry at the way some newspapers are trying to defame us. It’s unfortunate that Sourav become the victim of such things.” Ganguly’s father Chandidas even told Times of India that he believed that photographs of the two were altered. Two years down the line, Nagma subtly confirmed the alliance, telling the Savvy magazine, “Whatever one says, nobody has denied anything. As long as there is no denial of each other’s existence in each other’s life, any person can say anything they want. There was a career at stake, besides other things, so one had to part. One had to weigh a lot of things, rather than be on an ego trip and insist on being together.”
Making Steve Waugh wait for the toss
The India-Australia series of 2001 is one of the most interesting contests in recent times. A resurgent Indian side took on the might of the Aussies and triumphed in a dramatic contest. Behind India’s resurgence was the young captain Ganguly, who unlike some of his predecessors, had this knack of unsettling his opponents. During that series, he supposedly reported late for the toss for every game, which irritated the normally cool Steve Waugh. “The fact that he turned up late every game, it was his choice. I just thought it showed a lack of respect for the game. It didn’t really affect me. The match referee actually told him that he had to turn up on time,” PTI quoted Waugh during his visit to India in 2013. Ganguly denied that he was late on every occasion and instead claimed that it occurred only once, when he couldn’t find his blazer. Nevertheless, this story became a part of cricketing folklore, thanks to India’s stunning series triumph.
Shirt-waving at Lord’s
On the hallowed turf at Lord’s, would anyone dare to celebrate by stripping of his shirt to reveal and bare upper body and then wave the shirt? Ganguly did exactly that in 2002. In a dramatic game that saw India chase down 326 to win the NatWest series, Ganguly took off his shirt on the Lord’s balcony and waved it in the air as his team celebrated. John Wright wrote in the Indian Summers that Harbhajan Singh had planned the same for the whole team, only to be stopped by Rahul Dravid. That didn’t stop Ganguly as he went for it spontaneously. It was payback for Andrew Flintoff’s similar act at Wankhede Stadium earlier that year after England had beaten India in a tense game.
Grassy surface, Cold feet?
Did Ganguly miss the third Test against Australia at Nagpur in 2004 due to a grassy wicket? This remains a popular conspiracy theory that Ganguly was unhappy with the grass on the surface for the important game and opted out of it. In the lead-up to the game, he was quite vocal about the need to have a surface that helps the home side. However, on the morning of the Test it was announced that Ganguly was not playing due to an injured groin and that Harbhajan Singh was out due to an illness. Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, the Australian players who featured in that Test, wrote in their respective autobiographies that they suspected that Ganguly opted out. Hayden wrote in Standing My Ground, “We put their ailments down to acute cases of ‘greentrackitis’, where you develop a severe intolerance to green wickets likely to give you nothing as a spin bowler and plenty of headaches as a batsman.”
The Greg Chappell saga
This is the mother of all Ganguly controversies. In 2005, there was a change of guard in the Indian team management as Greg Chappell took over from John Wright as coach. Ganguly was in the midst of a tough run with the bat and pressure was mounting on him. During the tour to Zimbabwe, Chappell told him quite frankly that the pressure of captaincy was perhaps affecting his batting, in-turn affecting the team. Ganguly hit a laboured ton in the first Test and then told the media that he was asked to resign. The whole controversy then snowballed into a big affair as Greg Chappell wrote an email to the board, detailing a saga of disagreements between him and Ganguly. Soon after the tour, Ganguly was dismissed as captain and dropped from the one-day side. He spent about a year on the sidelines before he regained his spot. It remains one of the most acrimonious times in Indian cricket. Fans in Kolkata did not take this kindly and had cheered for the South African team during an ODI against a Dravid-led Indian side. The Chappell era ended in ignominy as India were knocked out of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 in the first round.
Kolkata Knight Riders and the multiple captaincy
In 2008, crowd favourite Ganguly had captained Kolkata in the inaugural IPL. However, before the second season in South Africa, it was announced that Kolkata were going for an inexplicable “multiple captain” approach. A day before the tournament, Brendon McCullum took charge of the side. Through that, Ganguly looked a lonely figure — many building him up as a victim. This controversy had more to do with the fans than Ganguly himself. The fans hadn’t taken it well and Kolkata were slammed by many. It turned out to be a horror season for them. The Fake IPL player blog also made its appearance. In 2010, Ganguly returned to captain Kolkata, but was not retained the following year — a season he played for the Pune Warriors India.
Bhajji on Dada
Harbhajan Singh has said that in 1998 when he was reported for chucking and was out of the Indian Team, he contemplated migrating to Canada and become a Truck Driver. The future was so bleak for him. At that time Ganguly backed him and asked him keep faith and stay back. Subsequently he was cleared by ICC and the rest is history. Not surprisingly Bhajji has enormous respect and admiration for Dada. The same can be said of Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and many others in whom Dada showed faith and backed them.
May Dada live long and his Dada-giri continue !!
About Me
The team which was known for being ‘Tigers at home, lambs abroad’, actually starting winning consistently away from home under him.
The Indian Cricket fans loved ‘Dada’ and still do. Dropped from the team after his famous falling out with Greg Chappell, everyone thought his career was over. But Dada made a famous comeback. He scored a double hundred against Pakistan. He bowed out in style.
'The Boy from Behala' has many facets to his personalty. You have to have that if you have to successfully lead a team like India. You have to be a politician too. It is my prediction that Dada may venture into politics one day and will prove to be a success in that too.
There are many tales associated with Dada.
Here are some really funny ones.
Sourav – Nasser : On Football
Sourav Ganguly and Nasser Hussain were two highly intense captains and shared great on-field rivalry. Years after their retirement, the rivalry continues — but in the form of commentary box jibes. Ganguly’s love for football is well known — he co-owns Indian Super League (ISL) club Atletico de Kolkata, which won the inaugural title. India’s FIFA ranking may be a subject of joke, but Hussain should have known, be it on or off the field, you never try to pull former Indian captain’s legs and when it is football, Dada does get touchy.
Here’s what happened in the commentary box recently:
Nasser Hussain: When can I see India playing in a football World Cup?
Harsha Bhogle: It’s better not to participate rather than getting knocked out in the first round.
Sourav Ganguly: If India had played World Cup football for 50 years, then they would have qualified more than once for the finals — unlike England!
On the massive contribution of Rahul Dravid
During India’s tour of England in 2011, the visiting side struggled. But one Indian stood firm amidst the ruins — Rahul Dravid. Sachin Tendulkar failed to get going again and Dravid rose to the occasion and scored another fine hundred. An excited David Lloyd and Ganguly were commentating and the latter beautifully summed up Dravid’s contribution.
David Lloyd: The beauty of Indian batting is when someone like Tendulkar fails, someone else does it and this time it was Rahul Dravid.
Sourav Ganguly: This time? He has done it time and again. He has done it day in and day out for 15 years!
On his popularity in Kolkata
Sachin Tendulkar played his penultimate Test in Kolkata and the entire city was captivated by the Master Blaster. Kolkata prepared itself to gift an ideal farewell to the country’s one of the most beloved sons.
Looking at the Tendulkar mania around, Harsha Bhogle asked Sourav Ganguly:
Harsha Bhogle: Do you think Sachin will be more popular than you in that Kolkata Test match?
Ganguly: Yes, but only for those five days!
Turnout !!
India and England were locked in a do-or-die battle at Perth in the tri-series in January 2015. Sourav Ganguly was with Harsha Bhogle and Sunil Gavaskar in the commentary box. The trio was discussing the low turnout crowd, when Ganguly delivered another gem.
Sunil Gavaskar: The attendance today is 7653.
Sourav Ganguly: We have that attendance in Durga Pooja!
Greg Chappell - Don't Dare to Call me
The Ganguly-Chappell controversy is one of the ugliest ones and the fallout of once close friends is well-documented. Ganguly hasn’t forgiven the former Indian coach yet and he does not hide that behind polite diplomacy. Even Sachin Tendulkar in his book criticised the Australian great and wrote about the harm he had done to Indian cricket. After the launch of Tendulkar’s book, the Chappell subject was discussed by several sections of media and journalist Rajdeep Sardesai shot a direct question to Ganguly.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Does Greg Chappell owe an apology to Indian cricket? To Sachin Tendulkar, to Sourav Ganguly, to Dravid?
Sourav Ganguly: He can call up Tendulkar or Dravid. But he dare not dial my number. If he is hearing this on TV, he dare not call Sourav Ganguly.
Ravi Shastri in firing line !
Well, the internet is full of Ravi Shastri jokes and the netizens never miss an opportunity to troll the former Indian cricketer for his commentary clichés. Shastri has a habit of getting cocky, but if you try to do that with Ganguly, you better get ready to be owned.
Ravi Shastri: In Eden Gardens, Kolkata, is there a Ganguly pavilion or Ganguly stand?
Sourav Ganguly: The whole ground belongs to Ganguly!
And here are some serious ones………..
His Marriage
Weeks after his successful tour of England in 1996, Ganguly eloped with childhood sweetheart Dona Roy. The bride and groom's family were sworn enemies at that point and this news caused an uproar between them. However, both families reconciled and a formal wedding was held in February 1997.
Refused to carry drinks?
In 1991-92, Ganguly was a part of the Indian team on the tour to Australia, where he made his one-day debut. That was to be his only international appearance in four years until he made his comeback on the tour to England in 1996. It was alleged that Ganguly had refused to carry drinks, one of the roles of a benched player, on that tour Down Under. Years later, Ganguly denied these suggestions. In an interview to Rediff, “I don’t know where this story has come from. We had a manager on the trip to Australia in 1992, Mr. Ranbir Singh. He is probably the worst guy I have ever seen in my life. It is a shame that we have had managers like him for India on long tours. He was a shame, a shame to Indian cricket.”
Alleged affair with Nagma
In early 2001, as India were getting ready to play Australia at home, there were strong rumours of Ganguly’s alleged affair with actress Nagma. There were murmurs that the two visited a temple in South India and had performed a puja meant for married couples. Through that, Ganguly’s wife Dona stood by her man, telling Sify, “It’s all rubbish. I’m extremely angry at the way some newspapers are trying to defame us. It’s unfortunate that Sourav become the victim of such things.” Ganguly’s father Chandidas even told Times of India that he believed that photographs of the two were altered. Two years down the line, Nagma subtly confirmed the alliance, telling the Savvy magazine, “Whatever one says, nobody has denied anything. As long as there is no denial of each other’s existence in each other’s life, any person can say anything they want. There was a career at stake, besides other things, so one had to part. One had to weigh a lot of things, rather than be on an ego trip and insist on being together.”
Making Steve Waugh wait for the toss
The India-Australia series of 2001 is one of the most interesting contests in recent times. A resurgent Indian side took on the might of the Aussies and triumphed in a dramatic contest. Behind India’s resurgence was the young captain Ganguly, who unlike some of his predecessors, had this knack of unsettling his opponents. During that series, he supposedly reported late for the toss for every game, which irritated the normally cool Steve Waugh. “The fact that he turned up late every game, it was his choice. I just thought it showed a lack of respect for the game. It didn’t really affect me. The match referee actually told him that he had to turn up on time,” PTI quoted Waugh during his visit to India in 2013. Ganguly denied that he was late on every occasion and instead claimed that it occurred only once, when he couldn’t find his blazer. Nevertheless, this story became a part of cricketing folklore, thanks to India’s stunning series triumph.
Shirt-waving at Lord’s
On the hallowed turf at Lord’s, would anyone dare to celebrate by stripping of his shirt to reveal and bare upper body and then wave the shirt? Ganguly did exactly that in 2002. In a dramatic game that saw India chase down 326 to win the NatWest series, Ganguly took off his shirt on the Lord’s balcony and waved it in the air as his team celebrated. John Wright wrote in the Indian Summers that Harbhajan Singh had planned the same for the whole team, only to be stopped by Rahul Dravid. That didn’t stop Ganguly as he went for it spontaneously. It was payback for Andrew Flintoff’s similar act at Wankhede Stadium earlier that year after England had beaten India in a tense game.
Grassy surface, Cold feet?
Did Ganguly miss the third Test against Australia at Nagpur in 2004 due to a grassy wicket? This remains a popular conspiracy theory that Ganguly was unhappy with the grass on the surface for the important game and opted out of it. In the lead-up to the game, he was quite vocal about the need to have a surface that helps the home side. However, on the morning of the Test it was announced that Ganguly was not playing due to an injured groin and that Harbhajan Singh was out due to an illness. Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, the Australian players who featured in that Test, wrote in their respective autobiographies that they suspected that Ganguly opted out. Hayden wrote in Standing My Ground, “We put their ailments down to acute cases of ‘greentrackitis’, where you develop a severe intolerance to green wickets likely to give you nothing as a spin bowler and plenty of headaches as a batsman.”
The Greg Chappell saga
This is the mother of all Ganguly controversies. In 2005, there was a change of guard in the Indian team management as Greg Chappell took over from John Wright as coach. Ganguly was in the midst of a tough run with the bat and pressure was mounting on him. During the tour to Zimbabwe, Chappell told him quite frankly that the pressure of captaincy was perhaps affecting his batting, in-turn affecting the team. Ganguly hit a laboured ton in the first Test and then told the media that he was asked to resign. The whole controversy then snowballed into a big affair as Greg Chappell wrote an email to the board, detailing a saga of disagreements between him and Ganguly. Soon after the tour, Ganguly was dismissed as captain and dropped from the one-day side. He spent about a year on the sidelines before he regained his spot. It remains one of the most acrimonious times in Indian cricket. Fans in Kolkata did not take this kindly and had cheered for the South African team during an ODI against a Dravid-led Indian side. The Chappell era ended in ignominy as India were knocked out of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 in the first round.
Kolkata Knight Riders and the multiple captaincy
In 2008, crowd favourite Ganguly had captained Kolkata in the inaugural IPL. However, before the second season in South Africa, it was announced that Kolkata were going for an inexplicable “multiple captain” approach. A day before the tournament, Brendon McCullum took charge of the side. Through that, Ganguly looked a lonely figure — many building him up as a victim. This controversy had more to do with the fans than Ganguly himself. The fans hadn’t taken it well and Kolkata were slammed by many. It turned out to be a horror season for them. The Fake IPL player blog also made its appearance. In 2010, Ganguly returned to captain Kolkata, but was not retained the following year — a season he played for the Pune Warriors India.
Bhajji on Dada
Harbhajan Singh has said that in 1998 when he was reported for chucking and was out of the Indian Team, he contemplated migrating to Canada and become a Truck Driver. The future was so bleak for him. At that time Ganguly backed him and asked him keep faith and stay back. Subsequently he was cleared by ICC and the rest is history. Not surprisingly Bhajji has enormous respect and admiration for Dada. The same can be said of Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and many others in whom Dada showed faith and backed them.
May Dada live long and his Dada-giri continue !!
About Me
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