Archive for January, 2006
India Pakistan Cricket Series 2006
Cricket is obviously a big thing in India. And it’s even bigger when India plays Pakistan. More hype to the upcoming 2006 series cos the venue itself is Pakistan and some added flavors in the form of Ganguly’s surprise last minute inclusion.
The series kicks of later this week (ironically on a Friday which usually favors the Pakistanis). Let’s wait for the cricket to begin later.
For now, here is an experience from one of the previous India vs. Pak encounters which I got to watch on television set in a restaurant in Dubai. (With some Pakistani audiences too along with me in the same place)
The pay channels of TV are costly in Dubai. So the common man visits a Restaurant where they charge for food and offer free viewing of World Cup Cricket and Football. It is nice to see Pakistan fans encouraging, applauding Tendulkar and Kumble and Indians Shoiab Aktar and Saeed Anwar. Of course this is at the start of the match only. Once the tension reaches peak of who will win, the beast comes from within and they shout and roar for their respective countries to win.
If India wins immediately Pathans and Paks (short for Pakistanis) complain that their players have taken money and purposely lost the game. They cheer for every run those Pakistan scores (the same way me and my Indian friends cheer for India). You can see taxi drivers and executives all sitting together with eyes glued to the television set and one common thought in mind “Their country should win”.
It’s funny though, we don’t see it as “just” a cricket match really. Our emotions are as high as a army jawan fighting the enemy in the LOC. So much patriotism! So much loyalty! I wonder if one can see such high levels of patriotism and love for country in any aspect apart from cricket. Prompt these people to talk about politics or society and you will hear them bitching about their own country with utter disrespect. But when it comes to cricket they would go to any extent to prove their loyalty towards their home team.
But there were some of my Pak friends with whom I used to work with in the company. We exchange our views on the positions of our own respective countries in various fields. One of my friends from Pak knew facts about India and Hinduism unknown to me. His father was an Ambassador of Pakistan in New Delhi and he studied engineering in India for six years. He loved the Ravana Leela and Ganesha Chaturthi Procession. He had a fancy for Lord Shiva as Shiva grants any boon and always calm and in a penance mood.
He used to say all religions in the World work on people’s weakness and gather money. Gajini attacked Somnath temple 17 times. It was all for money!! And he shared many Pathan jokes with me. It is like our Sardarji jokes.
I discussed Quran and many incidents in the life of Mohammed (PBUH – peace be upon him). There is a film “The Message”, which is banned in many Arabic countries. The film clearly depicts many incidents in the Life of Mohammed (PBUH) and I saw tears in the eyes of my friend when he saw the film. And then we discussed about Lord Krishna and Jesus. The Love they had for people and the cleverness of Krishna to protect Dharma.
When I went out of job for a few months he helped with food, money and entertainment. He used to say it is always the politicians or the Government that is bad and takes bad decisions. Common in India and Pakistan are same. They need peace and so do we. Funny though when he says people from Pakistan are mad about our own Sharukh and Madhuri.
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Test Schedule
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Date Match Venue
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13/01 - 17/01 First Test: Pakistan vs India, Day 1 Lahore
21/01 - 25/01 Second Test: Pakistan vs India, Day 1 Faisalabad
29/01 - 02/02 Third Test: Pakistan vs India, Day 1 Karachi
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ODI Schedule
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Date Match Venue
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06/02 First ODI: Pakistan vs India Peshawar
08/02 Second ODI: Pakistan vs India Rawalpindi
12/02 Third ODI: Pakistan vs India Lahore
15/02 Fourth ODI: Pakistan vs India Multan
19/02 Fifth ODI: Pakistan vs India Karachi
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The Greatest Cricket sledges of all-time
The greatest Cricket Sledges of all time
Cricket is a gentleman’s game, but Sledging (from the wiki with examples) makes you think otherwise.
Here are a few examples. [Via] The Lankan
1. Rod Marsh & Ian Botham: When Botham took guard in an Ashes match, Marsh welcomed him to the wicket with the immortal words: “So how’s your wife & my kids?”
2. Daryll Cullinan & Shane Warne: As Cullinan was on his way to the wicket, Warne told him
he had Been waiting 2 years for another chance to humiliate him. “Looks like you spent it eating,” Cullinan retorted.
3. Glenn McGrath (bowling to portly Zimbabwean chicken farmer Eddo Brandes): “Hey
Eddo, why are you so F**ing Fat?” Eddo Brandes:”Because everytime I F*** your mother, she throws me a biscuit”
4. Robin Smith & Merv Hughes:During 1989 Lords Test Hughes said to Smith after he
played & missed:”You can’t f**king bat“. Smith to Hughes after he smacked him to the
boundary: “Hey Merv, we make a fine pair. I can’t f**king bat & you can’t f**king bowl.” 5. Merv
Hughes & Javed Miandad:During 1991 Adelaide Test, Javed called Merv a fat bus
conductor. A few balls later Merv dismissed Javed: “Tickets please“, Merv called out as he ran past the departing batsman.
6. Merv Hughes & Viv Richards:During a test match in the West Indies, Hughes didn’t
say a word to Viv, but continued to stare at him after deliveries. “This is my island, my culture. Don’t you be staring at me. In my culture we just bowl.” Merv didn’t reply, but after he dismissed him he announced to the batsman: “In my culture we just say f**k off.”
7. And of course you can’t forget Ian Healy’s legendary comment that was picked up by the Channel 9 microphones when Arjuna Ranatunga called for a runner on a particularly hot night during a one dayer in Sydney… “You don’t get a runner for being an overweight, unfit, fat c**t!!!”
8. James Ormond had just come out to bat on an ashes tour and was greeted by Mark
Waugh…….. MW : “F*ck me, look who it is. Mate, what are you doing out here, there’s no way you’re good enough to play for England”
JO : “Maybe not, but at least i’m the best player in my family”
9. McGrath to Ramnaresh Sarwan: “So what does Brian Lara’s d*ck taste like?”
Sarwan: “I don’t know. Ask your wife.”
McGrath (losing it): “If you ever F*&king mention my wife again, I’ll F*ing rip your F*fing throat out.”
10. Mark Waugh standing at second slip, the new player (Adam Parore) comes to the crease playing & missing the first ball. Mark - “Ohh, I remember you from a couple years ago in Australia. You were sh*t then, you’re fu*king useless now”.Parore- (Turning around) “Yeah, that’s me & when I was there you were going out with that old,
ugly sl*t & now I hear you’ve married her. You dumb c*nt”.
11. Yet another Australian witticism with this time porky Sri Lankan batsman Arjuna
Ranatunga the victim. Shane Warne, trying to tempt the batsman out of his crease mused what it took to get the plump character to get out of his crease and drive.
Wicketkeeper Ian Healy piped up, “Put a Mars Bar on a good length. That should do it.”
12. Ravi shastri v/s the aussie 12th man (don’t remember who, and don’t want to slander
anyone) shastri hits it to this guy and looks for a single…this guy gets the ball in and says “if you leave the crease i’ll break your f***ing head” Shastri: “if you could bat as well as you can talk you wouldn’t be the f***ing 12th
man”
13. Malcolm Marshall was bowling to David Boon who had played and missed a couple of
times. Marshall: “Now David, Are you going to get out now or am I going to have to bowl around the wicket and kill you?”
14. Fred Trueman bowling. The batsman edges and the ball goes to first slip,and right between Raman Subba Row’s legs. Fred doesn’t say a word. At the end of the over, Row ambles past Trueman and apologises sheepishly. “I should’ve kept my legs together, Fred”. “So should your mother” he replied.
Some Video clips of Cricket Sledges:
Cricket Sledging Video
Cricket Sledging Video
Cricket Sledging Video
Cricket Sledging Video
Cricket Sledging Video
Cricket Sledging Video
Crossing the road and Bhagwad Gita
I was in Nagpur, a beautiful city in Central India. And I was stunned by the following example given in a Gita lecture by Swami Dayanand:-
I am waiting to cross the road to catch a bus. This action I do daily. And any of the following four results are the only outcome out of my action (crossing the road).
1. I cross the road and catch the bus – Expected Result- happens almost daily and I do not remember it.
2. The bus leaves as I cross the road and I miss the bus – Failure and I curse the bus or blame everything and all.
3. I cross the road and my friend is waiting to give me a lift in his car – More than expected and I am happy.
4. I ask, “Who am I?” “Where am I?” in the hospital. I had met with an accident while crossing the road.
So in our life whatever action we carry out the results are – as expected, unexpected, more than expected and the tragedy. We have the right to action only. The results are to be taken in the right spirit and carry on our life for the next action. Not as many westerners and Indians describe the Action Path (Karma) as – Do your duty and do not expect results – It is - DO YOUR DUTY – BE HAPPY WHATEVER THE RESULTS ARE. And Gita teaches how to develop this mental attitude.
And I observed this quality in a woman from Argentina who helped me to find the way to Nagpur Railway station and book tickets to Chennai. She explained later her problems of renewing the visa, going to Delhi, her sleepless nights in service of inmates in the Ashram. And she was helping me!!
Nagpur Tail piece: An Australian who was much interested in teaching the game of Cricket to the little kids in the Ashram, had Paani Poori (a famous spicy north Indian snack) and was surprised by the good quality and had one more serving. The fast-food man charged Rs.14/-. And this Australian was even more surprised!! He paid Rs.50/- and asked the hotelier to keep the balance. But he refused and said it was Indian money Rs.14/- and gave back the exact change. The Aussie was stunned by the sincerity and hospitality shown. One of the elite `good` Indians!!
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