Sunday 23 October 2016
Tuesday 18 October 2016
My Favourite Cricketers - Imran Khan
I wrote this article in 1994.
There are many cricketers I greatly admire, like Sunil Gavaskar,
Kapil Dev, Viv Richards, Richard Hadlee, Ian Botham, Wasim Akram etc. But of
all the cricketers I have ever seen, the
one I consider the best is the former Pakistani Cricket captain Imran Khan. And
I will explain why.
He is a top performer in his chosen field. A great fast
bowler and a correct & reliable batsman who invariably rose to the occasion
when his side needed him most. He was a good fielder too.
He has performed everywhere and in all sorts of conditions
over a career spanning 21 years. All this proves that he was a superb exponent
of his craft.
He was perhaps the best captain in recent history. He
inherited a side plagued by infighting and ego clashes and moulded it into a
world beating combination. He demanded total freedom in picking his team and
almost always justified his decisions. Once he was convinced of a player’s
potential, he would back him all the way. The players in turn were fiercely
loyal to him and would try their best under him. Wasim Akram once said that if
Imran asked him to jump in a well, he will do that without thinking twice. I
doubt if any other captain enjoyed such loyalty and respect of his team.
Imran led from the front and by personal example. There were
many occasions when he was injured or was in severe pain but would still try
his best for the team. Naturally such displays of sheer grit from their captain
inspired the team to try even harder. The Pakistan team under him performed
near miracles. In later part of his career when his bowling had lost much of
its sting, his mere presence would inspire his side to perform great feats.
In today’s age of professionalism, sportsmen sometimes try
to bend the rules to gain advantage over the opponent. Imran had a sense of
fair play and sportsman spirit. Pakistan cricket was notorious for its umpires
who invariable tilted in favour of the home side. Imran insisted on the
appointment of neutral umpires though he knew very well that winning at home
would be so much easier with home umpires. This was only his sense of fair play
which prompted him to take this courageous step. He was the pioneer of neutral
umpiring which has now become the norm.
Imran was a fighter to the core. In 1983 he suffered a
stress fracture of the shin. His leg was put in a cast and he was unable to
walk for 8 months. Few fast bowlers have fully recovered from such an injury. He
recovered through dogged determination and hard work to regain his bowling
form. He firmly believed that ‘You cannot be beaten until you give up
mentally’.
So much about Imran the Cricketer. Let’s talk about Imran,
the man.
Well read, articulate and intelligent, he has class written
all over him. His opinions on the game and other issues are very well
respected. He is hero worshipped in his country and his fan following extends
worldwide. When he announced his retirement in 1988, the president of his
country, General Zia ul Haq requested him to make a comeback and captain the
side against the mighty West Indies. This event in itself shows the esteem in
which he is held.
A teetotaller and a non-smoker, he still works hard to keep
himself fit & trim. His ambition now is to construct a Cancer Hospital
equipped with modern technology. He was appalled by the state of health
services in his country when his mother suffered and died from Cancer. With is
deep rooted conviction and dedication, he would certainly succeed in this
endeavour.
God has been kind to him too. He is extremely handsome and
looks like a Greek God. He prowls around like a tiger. With his supreme
confidence, he clearly comes across as someone strong – both mentally &
physically.
Sunday 16 October 2016
The Trump Trumpet
Donald Trump has now challenged Hillary Clinton to a Drug Test before next Presidential Debate..........
Just when you think this guy cannot become more rediculous.....he plunges lower.....if there is one job in the world he qualifies for, that might be of a bollywood scriptwriter....kahani mai aisa twist lata hai ki audience pareshan ho jaaye. The fact that this joker has got this far clearly points to the rot that has set in American society......Lincoln, Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin......the world looks upto them.....and now this guy has a shot at the top job.....'the land of hope & freedom' .....really?
Just when you think this guy cannot become more rediculous.....he plunges lower.....if there is one job in the world he qualifies for, that might be of a bollywood scriptwriter....kahani mai aisa twist lata hai ki audience pareshan ho jaaye. The fact that this joker has got this far clearly points to the rot that has set in American society......Lincoln, Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin......the world looks upto them.....and now this guy has a shot at the top job.....'the land of hope & freedom' .....really?
Monday 10 October 2016
M S Dhoni - The Untold Story
Watched the movie 'M S Dhoni 2 days back- The untold story' with Ammar......what an emotional 3 Hrs it has been for me.....my city Ranchi......my school DAV Shyamali....my sports teacher Bannerji Sir.....Mecon Stadium just behind my school where i saw many a Bihar Ranji match.....Deval Sahay & Chanchal Bhattacharya....big names in Ranchi Cricket who supported Dhoni.....The Sardarji owner of Raj Sports.....they all prominently figure in the movie.....very well researched & well made. Hats off to Sushant Singh Rajput for almost doing the unthinkable.....convincingly playing Dhoni while Dhoni is still very much around.....for me an unforgettable nostalgia trip......
The second half is a bit of a drag. But the part before he became famous is just fabulous.
The movie also is an out an out glorification of Dhoni's career, there are no grey shades like the CSK betting scandal etc. Also the dropping of Sehwag, Gambhir and Laxman is dealt with in a very mild manner. So clearly the movie didn't want to ruffle any feathers.
But just for the first half, the movie is a 'paisa vasool'. And for anyone remotely connected with Ranchi.....a must watch........
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