Jose Mourinho looks eager to move back to England next summer and he made no bones about it while speaking to Sun. He said, "I want to come back to England. I want to be back. I'm not the kind of guy to his feelings hidden. I love it here, I love it here, I love it here. I believe I will be back one day. I don't leave any club in mid-season to go to another, so until the end of the season, there is no chance I will leave Inter."
Meanwhile Mourinho's interest in England has sparked a slew of speculations about the club he will come to. Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are reported to have eyed Jose Mourinho as a possible replacement for Rafael Benitez. Rafa however continues to deny any news of his move away from Liverpool.
Read more:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/4861058/Liverpool-linked-with-Jose-Mourinho-as-Rafael-Benitez-replacement.html
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
David Villa set for Premiership. United-Chelsea likely suitors.
Valencia and Spain striker David Villa is all set to spark a bidding war between United and Chelsea. Villa, who had decided to stay at Valencia last summer due to 'family' reasons, has now expressed his desire to play in the Premiership.
So how much will he cost and who has the money? Liverpool is out of the race straight away and it would be a fight between United, City and Chelsea. All 3 clubs seem to have the pockets deep enough and it appears that United are set to offer 35 million.
Of the 3, United would be the most eager considering their lack of firepower upfront. Berbatov might be in line to be offloaded to part pay for Villa. John Terry had mentioned Villa sometime in 2008 to Abramovich and it wouldn't be a surprise if Chelsea throws in some more to take Villa away from United. City are likely to give Mancini some free hand in the summer transfer window and he will surely bid if Villa is available.
My personal view is that Villa is most suited for United and it would be a better career move considering how many more minutes he would get to play for United. At Chelsea he would risk sitting on the bench more often.
Clearly Villa is one of the premier strikers today and he would be a great asset whichever team he decides to play for. How the bidding war would turn out is going to be make headlines coming summer.
Just to add, Valencia might put few more players including David Silva and Mata up for sale considering their financial plight and that would mean more opportunities for English clubs.
http://www.clubcall.com/intl-football/villa-tempted-england-move-995728.html
So how much will he cost and who has the money? Liverpool is out of the race straight away and it would be a fight between United, City and Chelsea. All 3 clubs seem to have the pockets deep enough and it appears that United are set to offer 35 million.
Of the 3, United would be the most eager considering their lack of firepower upfront. Berbatov might be in line to be offloaded to part pay for Villa. John Terry had mentioned Villa sometime in 2008 to Abramovich and it wouldn't be a surprise if Chelsea throws in some more to take Villa away from United. City are likely to give Mancini some free hand in the summer transfer window and he will surely bid if Villa is available.
My personal view is that Villa is most suited for United and it would be a better career move considering how many more minutes he would get to play for United. At Chelsea he would risk sitting on the bench more often.
Clearly Villa is one of the premier strikers today and he would be a great asset whichever team he decides to play for. How the bidding war would turn out is going to be make headlines coming summer.
Just to add, Valencia might put few more players including David Silva and Mata up for sale considering their financial plight and that would mean more opportunities for English clubs.
http://www.clubcall.com/intl-football/villa-tempted-england-move-995728.html
Monday, December 21, 2009
Weekend confirms decline of the Premier League elite
Chelsea made a hash of the great opportunity that United had presented them on Saturday. They could have gone 6 clear of United at the top of the premiership instead they were quite lucky to salvage a point against West Ham with a fortuitous penalty. United would heave a sigh of relief with this result as the gap has not widened too much as was widely expected though they still stand 4 points adrift and that would take some catching.
It is also quite obvious now that this year’s championship is not a two team fight to the top. The challengers are looking tougher while the leaders are stuttering to make the championship race most fascinating. The way things are currently poised, the season appears to be heading towards an enthralling second half in 2010 and I am sure that it is going to be a fight till the very end this time around. Chelsea has a clear edge in the standings, they however appear to have lost a lot if it on field. The heat is on the leaders and it is how they respond that will ascertain the final standings in 2010.
You could read the match report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/20/west-ham-chelsea-match-report
Read more about the saturday games and United debacle at :
http://expresssport.blogspot.com/2009/12/united-feel-heat-at-fulham-gunners.html
It is also quite obvious now that this year’s championship is not a two team fight to the top. The challengers are looking tougher while the leaders are stuttering to make the championship race most fascinating. The way things are currently poised, the season appears to be heading towards an enthralling second half in 2010 and I am sure that it is going to be a fight till the very end this time around. Chelsea has a clear edge in the standings, they however appear to have lost a lot if it on field. The heat is on the leaders and it is how they respond that will ascertain the final standings in 2010.
You could read the match report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/20/west-ham-chelsea-match-report
Read more about the saturday games and United debacle at :
http://expresssport.blogspot.com/2009/12/united-feel-heat-at-fulham-gunners.html
Dead pitches are killing cricket in India!
While I was watching India plunder the Lankan attack at Rajkot, I couldn’t help but wonder about the poor state of our wickets. When Lanka responded the way they did I was utterly shattered. My nationality was surely not the cause of this disappointment – remember India had won- but it was the utter disdain that the bowlers were treated with and I couldn’t help but despise the fans around me who hailed it as one of the great matches.
The match was a killer all right and everyone went home happy. India for being the winners, Lanka for coming that close to a 415 target and the viewers for getting every penny’s worth.
Yes, there were some outstanding knocks played and it was a close game of cricket and a last ball decision would suggest a thrilling encounter. I profoundly disagree as I could feel the thrill and excitement for only the last 30-40 balls of Srilankan innings and that sums up to mere 30 minutes of cricket. So what was happening for the rest of 6+ hours? All I can recall from those 6 odd hours is the fact that there were some mere mortals delivering the cricket ball and were being dismissed out to the woods- not much fun. Captain had nothing more to do but to try and hand over the ball to anyone who could go for less than 10 an over- really sad.
The true cricket fan would have surely missed the lack of fight between the ball and the bat- I did. I cannot see this taking our sport too far. Someone needs to realize that we are actually killing this sport with the kind of unsporting batting beauties. Soon individual 200 would be overwhelmed in a one day game and soon there will be a 25 ball hundred but would it all be worth? - I guess not.
There would soon be too many “Great” batsmen and too few “Great” bowlers and we would have a Coliseum where bowlers would step up to be slaughtered all in the name of entertainment. I shudder to think of that day but it’s not too far away. Cricket in India is at the gallows.
PS: A lot of talk has been centered on reviving test cricket. The test matches being played around the world over the last few weeks have been excellent advertisement for the game unlike ODI’s in our part of the world.
England v South Africa went till the last ball on day 5 while Windies came as close as 30 odd to upset the Aussies. Anyone who watched those games would agree that Test cricket is alive and kicking around the world and as I had mentioned earlier, just the pitches can make a world of difference to how the game can move forward.
We don't really need a major upheaval as perceived by too many expert voices rather we need the establishments- especially in India- to realize that their myopic view will kill our beloved sport- forever.
The match was a killer all right and everyone went home happy. India for being the winners, Lanka for coming that close to a 415 target and the viewers for getting every penny’s worth.
Yes, there were some outstanding knocks played and it was a close game of cricket and a last ball decision would suggest a thrilling encounter. I profoundly disagree as I could feel the thrill and excitement for only the last 30-40 balls of Srilankan innings and that sums up to mere 30 minutes of cricket. So what was happening for the rest of 6+ hours? All I can recall from those 6 odd hours is the fact that there were some mere mortals delivering the cricket ball and were being dismissed out to the woods- not much fun. Captain had nothing more to do but to try and hand over the ball to anyone who could go for less than 10 an over- really sad.
The true cricket fan would have surely missed the lack of fight between the ball and the bat- I did. I cannot see this taking our sport too far. Someone needs to realize that we are actually killing this sport with the kind of unsporting batting beauties. Soon individual 200 would be overwhelmed in a one day game and soon there will be a 25 ball hundred but would it all be worth? - I guess not.
There would soon be too many “Great” batsmen and too few “Great” bowlers and we would have a Coliseum where bowlers would step up to be slaughtered all in the name of entertainment. I shudder to think of that day but it’s not too far away. Cricket in India is at the gallows.
PS: A lot of talk has been centered on reviving test cricket. The test matches being played around the world over the last few weeks have been excellent advertisement for the game unlike ODI’s in our part of the world.
England v South Africa went till the last ball on day 5 while Windies came as close as 30 odd to upset the Aussies. Anyone who watched those games would agree that Test cricket is alive and kicking around the world and as I had mentioned earlier, just the pitches can make a world of difference to how the game can move forward.
We don't really need a major upheaval as perceived by too many expert voices rather we need the establishments- especially in India- to realize that their myopic view will kill our beloved sport- forever.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
United feel the heat at Fulham. Gunners biggest benificiary.
United were wounded even before the game and the crushing 3-0 loss to Fulham could spell doom for their premiership chances this season. The way this year’s championship is poised this loss could be hugely damaging for United.
With loads of lower ranked teams springing surprises, the season is far from over however the gap at the top is widening and Chelsea have a great chance to make it 6 by the time this weekend is over.
Gunners are the biggest beneficiary of United’s loss and they have responded well with a fine 3-0 win over Hull. They are looking to find back their feet and could soon be moving above United in the standings.
The game itself was dominated by Fulham with United appearing a pale shadow. Zamora and Duff were exhilarating while United missed some key players in defense. As the season progresses, loss of Ronaldo is starting to hurt even more.
"We were playing against a wounded Manchester United," said Hodgson, "Alex has my sympathy. But it was up to us to take advantage and we did it from first minute to last."
Sir Alex was quite candid when he said "The way the league is at the moment I hope it is not too damaging," he said. "I hope it doesn't cost us the league. It was a dreadful day for us, but given the fragility at the back, I have some sympathy for the players in that respect."
The other results on Saturday mean both Spurs and Villa continue to take right steps forward and Liverpool continue to slide into oblivion.
Find all match day results at:
http://www.premierleague.com/page/FixturesResults/0,,12306,00.html
With loads of lower ranked teams springing surprises, the season is far from over however the gap at the top is widening and Chelsea have a great chance to make it 6 by the time this weekend is over.
Gunners are the biggest beneficiary of United’s loss and they have responded well with a fine 3-0 win over Hull. They are looking to find back their feet and could soon be moving above United in the standings.
The game itself was dominated by Fulham with United appearing a pale shadow. Zamora and Duff were exhilarating while United missed some key players in defense. As the season progresses, loss of Ronaldo is starting to hurt even more.
"We were playing against a wounded Manchester United," said Hodgson, "Alex has my sympathy. But it was up to us to take advantage and we did it from first minute to last."
Sir Alex was quite candid when he said "The way the league is at the moment I hope it is not too damaging," he said. "I hope it doesn't cost us the league. It was a dreadful day for us, but given the fragility at the back, I have some sympathy for the players in that respect."
The other results on Saturday mean both Spurs and Villa continue to take right steps forward and Liverpool continue to slide into oblivion.
Find all match day results at:
http://www.premierleague.com/page/FixturesResults/0,,12306,00.html
City sacks Mark Hughes. Mancini to take over.
Mark Hughes was handed the sack by City bosses soon after his team won against Sunderland. I had mentioned earlier that Guss Hiddink was touted to take over at City but for now it is the Italian- Mancini.
"A return of two wins in 11 Premier League games is clearly not in line with the targets that were agreed and set," read a City statement. "Sheikh Mansour and the board felt that there was no evidence that the situation would fundamentally change.
"This is a particularly difficult announcement given the personal investment over the past 15 months on all sides and we would like to put on record our respect for and thanks to Mark Hughes and we wish him the best in his future career."
City is currently sixth in the Premier League, having lost only twice in the league all season, and are through to the semi-finals of the Carling Cup. They beat league leaders Chelsea a fortnight ago, ending a run of seven successive draws in the top flight, but suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat at Tottenham in midweek.
The 46-year-old Welshman enjoyed a glittering playing career as a striker with Manchester United, Barcelona and Chelsea before moving into coaching by taking charge of Wales and narrowly missing out on qualification for the Euro 2004 finals.
The 45-year-old Italian- Mancini won 36 caps for Italy and spent the majority of his playing career at Sampdoria before a brief stint with Leicester City in 2001 just before he retired.
He has managed Fiorentina and Inter Milan, where he won three successive Italian League titles and two Italian Cups, before being dismissed in May 2008. Since then, he has regularly been linked with managerial vacancies in England.
Sunderland boss and former mate of Hughes at United said "You can't build a football club in 18 months and one transfer window. You need a bit of time,"
Arsene Wenger also said he was "sad" to see Hughes leave City, adding: "We all believe in patience on the technical side but on the other side it's not always the same."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/8422676.stm
"A return of two wins in 11 Premier League games is clearly not in line with the targets that were agreed and set," read a City statement. "Sheikh Mansour and the board felt that there was no evidence that the situation would fundamentally change.
"This is a particularly difficult announcement given the personal investment over the past 15 months on all sides and we would like to put on record our respect for and thanks to Mark Hughes and we wish him the best in his future career."
City is currently sixth in the Premier League, having lost only twice in the league all season, and are through to the semi-finals of the Carling Cup. They beat league leaders Chelsea a fortnight ago, ending a run of seven successive draws in the top flight, but suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat at Tottenham in midweek.
The 46-year-old Welshman enjoyed a glittering playing career as a striker with Manchester United, Barcelona and Chelsea before moving into coaching by taking charge of Wales and narrowly missing out on qualification for the Euro 2004 finals.
The 45-year-old Italian- Mancini won 36 caps for Italy and spent the majority of his playing career at Sampdoria before a brief stint with Leicester City in 2001 just before he retired.
He has managed Fiorentina and Inter Milan, where he won three successive Italian League titles and two Italian Cups, before being dismissed in May 2008. Since then, he has regularly been linked with managerial vacancies in England.
Sunderland boss and former mate of Hughes at United said "You can't build a football club in 18 months and one transfer window. You need a bit of time,"
Arsene Wenger also said he was "sad" to see Hughes leave City, adding: "We all believe in patience on the technical side but on the other side it's not always the same."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/8422676.stm
Friday, December 18, 2009
Champions League: Enticing match ups in round of 16
Champions league round of 16 draw will guarantee loads of firework with United facing Beckham’s Milan and Chelsea pitted against Jose Mourinho’s Inter.
The Draw is as follows with team listed first playing at home in the first leg:
Internazionale v Chelsea
Lyon v Real Madrid
Milan v Manchester United
Olympiakos v Bordeaux
FC Porto v Arsenal
CSKA Moscow v Sevilla
Stuttgart v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Fiorentina
The first-legs ties will be played on 16-17 February and 23-24 with the second-leg ties on 9-10 and 16-17 March.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/18/champions-league-draw-chelsea-inter-mourinho
The Draw is as follows with team listed first playing at home in the first leg:
Internazionale v Chelsea
Lyon v Real Madrid
Milan v Manchester United
Olympiakos v Bordeaux
FC Porto v Arsenal
CSKA Moscow v Sevilla
Stuttgart v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Fiorentina
The first-legs ties will be played on 16-17 February and 23-24 with the second-leg ties on 9-10 and 16-17 March.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/18/champions-league-draw-chelsea-inter-mourinho
ICC set to revamp test Cricket!
A friend of mine reported on his blog that ICC is planning to introduce D&N test cricket soon to give the format a new lease of life. I am not all that convinced though.
International Cricket Council (ICC) has said it expects day-night test cricket within two years and described a world test cricket championship as a "work in progress".
Reuters reports that ICC president David Morgan said yesterday: "I'd be "surprised" if we don't see day-night test cricket within the next two years - surprised and disappointed."
I am huge fan of test cricket and in my opinion there is not too much wrong with the format except for the wickets and few other minor flaws.
Following is my comment on my friend’s blog:
"Too much to digest. D&N test cricket .. Well sounds interesting but appears only half baked.. There are too many issues to sort out before that happens and my guess is if ICC does not do enough home work it would turn out to be as ugly as the newly launched referral system."
"I wish some things can remain the way they are. White clothes, red cherry and day games. What needs to change is the state of wickets and grounds. Pitches if sporting can change the state of this sport. "
"I wish ICC can stick to basics rather than going for the jugular."
Read more at:
http://sportsbizfreak.blogspot.com/2009/12/test-cricket-to-get-face-lift.html
International Cricket Council (ICC) has said it expects day-night test cricket within two years and described a world test cricket championship as a "work in progress".
Reuters reports that ICC president David Morgan said yesterday: "I'd be "surprised" if we don't see day-night test cricket within the next two years - surprised and disappointed."
I am huge fan of test cricket and in my opinion there is not too much wrong with the format except for the wickets and few other minor flaws.
Following is my comment on my friend’s blog:
"Too much to digest. D&N test cricket .. Well sounds interesting but appears only half baked.. There are too many issues to sort out before that happens and my guess is if ICC does not do enough home work it would turn out to be as ugly as the newly launched referral system."
"I wish some things can remain the way they are. White clothes, red cherry and day games. What needs to change is the state of wickets and grounds. Pitches if sporting can change the state of this sport. "
"I wish ICC can stick to basics rather than going for the jugular."
Read more at:
http://sportsbizfreak.blogspot.com/2009/12/test-cricket-to-get-face-lift.html
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Hiddink for City ?
City look set for a change with Guus Hiddink being linked for a summer move to City. Pressure on Mark Hughes to convince his bosses has rightly increased after 3-0 drubbing by fellow championship hopefuls-Spurs. Of the last 10 games, City has won one, lost one and drawn a whopping 8 games. They find themselves languishing at 8th in the league and somehow it appears that all of £170m+ spent this year has not been enough.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/18/mark-hughes-manchester-city
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/18/mark-hughes-manchester-city
Who will win Barclays Premier League ?
Few weeks back I had mentioned Chelsea as the front runners with ManU and Arsenal close behind. Over the last two weeks things have not changed too much apart from the fact that Chelsea has left the door open for those chasing them. It would be difficult for most teams barring United to catch them but the way top teams are tumbling nothing can be taken for granted.
Look at the traditional top 4 and none of them look as strong as previous years. They all look fragile and prone to a shock. As the table stands right now, Chelsea are still upfront but they do not look as invincible as few weeks back when they had threatened to run away with the title. United had the opportunity but they failed to punish the Blues after City had shocked them. While Gunners have also failed to close in with a mid week draw with Burnley, Liverpool’s season is still waiting for a fillip which I guess will have to wait until next year and by that time it would be all too little too late for them. If the reds finish in the top 4 it would be a huge surprise for me looking at the way things stand right now.
Let's look at some of the outsiders who could upset the applecart. Villa and Spurs look threatening while City and Liverpool cannot be taken for granted at any stage. Then there are Birmingham and Fulham both capable of untimely surprises for any of the top runners. The closeness of teams this season has meant a wonderfully entertaining and competitive league- especially for an outsider.
Wenger has summed it up quite nicely by stating this years’ as the most open title race -
"Yes [this is the most competitive I have known the Premier League since joining Arsenal]. It is, why? Because nobody looks to run away early in the season and there are six, seven, eight teams that can create a surprise any weekend and it is certainly the most open race," Wenger said in his pre-match press conference. "I think yes, that many [eight] can mount a title challenge."
While Wenger is upbeat about his teams title chances, Harry Redknapp has proclaimed the end of the Premier League's big four by declaring that only Chelsea and Manchester United are certainties to finish in the Champions League places this season and that the other pair of prized berths for Europe's elite tournament could be filled by any two of several teams – including Tottenham Hotspur.
Redknapp said "I've said since the start of the season that the champions will come from Chelsea or Manchester United but after that it's up for grabs," he said. "Anything is possible this season. Look at Arsenal, you would have expected them to go up and win at Burnley after beating Liverpool, but they didn't so that shows you how hard it's going to be."
Read more at:
http://goal.com/en/news/9/england/2009/12/15/1689097/arsene-wenger-highlights-most-open-premier-league-title-race
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/17/harry-redknapp-tottenham-manchester-city
Look at the traditional top 4 and none of them look as strong as previous years. They all look fragile and prone to a shock. As the table stands right now, Chelsea are still upfront but they do not look as invincible as few weeks back when they had threatened to run away with the title. United had the opportunity but they failed to punish the Blues after City had shocked them. While Gunners have also failed to close in with a mid week draw with Burnley, Liverpool’s season is still waiting for a fillip which I guess will have to wait until next year and by that time it would be all too little too late for them. If the reds finish in the top 4 it would be a huge surprise for me looking at the way things stand right now.
Let's look at some of the outsiders who could upset the applecart. Villa and Spurs look threatening while City and Liverpool cannot be taken for granted at any stage. Then there are Birmingham and Fulham both capable of untimely surprises for any of the top runners. The closeness of teams this season has meant a wonderfully entertaining and competitive league- especially for an outsider.
Wenger has summed it up quite nicely by stating this years’ as the most open title race -
"Yes [this is the most competitive I have known the Premier League since joining Arsenal]. It is, why? Because nobody looks to run away early in the season and there are six, seven, eight teams that can create a surprise any weekend and it is certainly the most open race," Wenger said in his pre-match press conference. "I think yes, that many [eight] can mount a title challenge."
While Wenger is upbeat about his teams title chances, Harry Redknapp has proclaimed the end of the Premier League's big four by declaring that only Chelsea and Manchester United are certainties to finish in the Champions League places this season and that the other pair of prized berths for Europe's elite tournament could be filled by any two of several teams – including Tottenham Hotspur.
Redknapp said "I've said since the start of the season that the champions will come from Chelsea or Manchester United but after that it's up for grabs," he said. "Anything is possible this season. Look at Arsenal, you would have expected them to go up and win at Burnley after beating Liverpool, but they didn't so that shows you how hard it's going to be."
Read more at:
http://goal.com/en/news/9/england/2009/12/15/1689097/arsene-wenger-highlights-most-open-premier-league-title-race
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/17/harry-redknapp-tottenham-manchester-city
Sunday, December 6, 2009
City brings smiles in Manchester!!!
Holders Manchester United's thrashing of West Ham was followed by City's brilliant come from behind victory against the leaders –Chelsea. It capped a brilliant day for both Manchester sides. City desperately needed a win to put their season back on track and they were excellent all around barring last few minutes where they threatened to let the advantage slip away - once again.
City was good all through as they out played Chelsea for most part. They however came really close of getting another draw when Frank Lampard stepped up to take the penalty in the 81st. Shay Given saved the day for City after brilliant Tevez free kick had put City ahead. Chelsea's lead at the top has now been reduced to only 2 points but more importantly City have also showed that Chelsea is not unbeatable.
Detailed match report at:
http://www.premierleague.com/page/MatchReports/0,,12306~48535,00.html
City was good all through as they out played Chelsea for most part. They however came really close of getting another draw when Frank Lampard stepped up to take the penalty in the 81st. Shay Given saved the day for City after brilliant Tevez free kick had put City ahead. Chelsea's lead at the top has now been reduced to only 2 points but more importantly City have also showed that Chelsea is not unbeatable.
Detailed match report at:
http://www.premierleague.com/page/MatchReports/0,,12306~48535,00.html
Friday, December 4, 2009
England's World Cup Draw: High Profile Reactions...
As last night's draw was unfolding, plenty of reactions were pouring in. Following are few from the English-men who matter:
Capello: "You have to respect all the teams and I know from my experience as a player that when you have to play here, the pressure is different and the mentality is different."
"We played against Slovenia at home and I well remember suffering in the second half. Slovenia's style is Balkan. They are technically good, a lot of passes and imagination. USA can prepare for the World Cup better than us and prepare with their training a long time before us." The manager admitted he knew "nothing" about Algeria and saw only "some moments" of their dramatic victory over Egypt. "I saw the goals they scored to qualify but not too much to understand the style or what will happen during the game."
Beckham: "It's a very interesting group. You don't get easy games at the World Cup. As a country we're very honored to be here and very honored to play a part in such a historical time in South Africa."
Gerrard: "I am really encouraged by the draw. It is all we could ask. There are no surprises and it's been really kind, even beyond the first group stage. We have to be professional and show the right attitude, because even though we'll be massive favorites you know the other teams in our group will see England as a huge scalp - almost their own World Cup final. But we have to be confident of getting maximum points, otherwise we shouldn't be going. And that can give us the confidence to progress, given that a lot of the favorites to win the trophy are in the other half.
Terry: "We've been labeled the Golden Generation and soon we'll find out if we can live up to the billing or risk being dubbed the Lost Generation," he told the Sun. He spoke of "a lot of unfulfilled ambition in the dressing room" and added: "For myself, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, David James, Ashley Cole and Rio Ferdinand it's now or never."
Lampard: "People want and expect us to win the tournament, which is how we feel as players. Anything other than winning it would be failure almost."
Shearer: "Fabio Capello will be sat in his seat in Cape Town, and inside he will be absolutely delighted with that draw. I can see England doing well in all of their group games. I don't think anyone can be anything other than delighted with that - if you'd offered that group to Fabio this morning, he would have bitten your hand off."
BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson on England's World Cup draw: "That couldn't have gone any better. Privately, Fabio Capello will be absolutely delighted with that."
Read more here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8391833.stm
Capello: "You have to respect all the teams and I know from my experience as a player that when you have to play here, the pressure is different and the mentality is different."
"We played against Slovenia at home and I well remember suffering in the second half. Slovenia's style is Balkan. They are technically good, a lot of passes and imagination. USA can prepare for the World Cup better than us and prepare with their training a long time before us." The manager admitted he knew "nothing" about Algeria and saw only "some moments" of their dramatic victory over Egypt. "I saw the goals they scored to qualify but not too much to understand the style or what will happen during the game."
Beckham: "It's a very interesting group. You don't get easy games at the World Cup. As a country we're very honored to be here and very honored to play a part in such a historical time in South Africa."
Gerrard: "I am really encouraged by the draw. It is all we could ask. There are no surprises and it's been really kind, even beyond the first group stage. We have to be professional and show the right attitude, because even though we'll be massive favorites you know the other teams in our group will see England as a huge scalp - almost their own World Cup final. But we have to be confident of getting maximum points, otherwise we shouldn't be going. And that can give us the confidence to progress, given that a lot of the favorites to win the trophy are in the other half.
Terry: "We've been labeled the Golden Generation and soon we'll find out if we can live up to the billing or risk being dubbed the Lost Generation," he told the Sun. He spoke of "a lot of unfulfilled ambition in the dressing room" and added: "For myself, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, David James, Ashley Cole and Rio Ferdinand it's now or never."
Lampard: "People want and expect us to win the tournament, which is how we feel as players. Anything other than winning it would be failure almost."
Shearer: "Fabio Capello will be sat in his seat in Cape Town, and inside he will be absolutely delighted with that draw. I can see England doing well in all of their group games. I don't think anyone can be anything other than delighted with that - if you'd offered that group to Fabio this morning, he would have bitten your hand off."
BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson on England's World Cup draw: "That couldn't have gone any better. Privately, Fabio Capello will be absolutely delighted with that."
Read more here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8391833.stm
Bookmaker makes England second favorites ahead of Brazil!!!
Immediately after the draw bookmakers William Hill made England 5-1 second favorites to win the World Cup behind Spain at 4-1.
Perhaps surprisingly, they make Brazil third favorites at 11-2 after the South Americans were drawn in a tough Group G with North Korea, Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.
The list from William Hill looks like this:
Spain 4/1
England 5/1
Brazil 11/2
Argentina 9/1
Italy 11/1
France 11/1
Germany 12/1
Netherlands 14/1
Portugal 25/1
Ivory Coast 28/1
http://sports.williamhill.com/bet/EN/betting/e/839/World-Cup-2010---Outright.html
Perhaps surprisingly, they make Brazil third favorites at 11-2 after the South Americans were drawn in a tough Group G with North Korea, Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.
The list from William Hill looks like this:
Spain 4/1
England 5/1
Brazil 11/2
Argentina 9/1
Italy 11/1
France 11/1
Germany 12/1
Netherlands 14/1
Portugal 25/1
Ivory Coast 28/1
http://sports.williamhill.com/bet/EN/betting/e/839/World-Cup-2010---Outright.html
2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: Pot Luck favors England
I just got off ESPN and draw has been a fair boost for English World Cup aspirations. England has been drawn in Group C which looks like this:
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
England will have a tough game against USA that would possibly decide the group standings. I expect England to go through easily however they would be wary of finishing behind USA as that could mean Germany in the round of 16. The group could have been a lot tougher with either Portugal or France and England has been lucky to avoid both of them.
The Good:
In my opinion, England has been overtly lucky this time around. By being drawn in the first half of the group, England make sure they do not meet any of the following until the Semi-Finals:
Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Netherlands and Ivory Coast
Two top contenders - Brazil and Spain- along with the ever dangerous Italy, Portugal and Holland have been drawn in the south side of the draw- very very good for England.
England is in Group C and I would expect them to top the group ahead of USA. If that happens and Germany top their group 'D' as expected, England would avoid even the Germans until the Finals.
The Bad:
England has a possibility of facing Argentina, France or Aussies somewhere before the semis. While these are good teams they do not match up to Spain, Brazil or Italy. So really it is not too bad for England.
The Ugly:
Only one possibility- England finish behind USA in Groups.
It's already 1:30 AM in India and I am groggy now... More to follow later.
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
England will have a tough game against USA that would possibly decide the group standings. I expect England to go through easily however they would be wary of finishing behind USA as that could mean Germany in the round of 16. The group could have been a lot tougher with either Portugal or France and England has been lucky to avoid both of them.
The Good:
In my opinion, England has been overtly lucky this time around. By being drawn in the first half of the group, England make sure they do not meet any of the following until the Semi-Finals:
Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Netherlands and Ivory Coast
Two top contenders - Brazil and Spain- along with the ever dangerous Italy, Portugal and Holland have been drawn in the south side of the draw- very very good for England.
England is in Group C and I would expect them to top the group ahead of USA. If that happens and Germany top their group 'D' as expected, England would avoid even the Germans until the Finals.
The Bad:
England has a possibility of facing Argentina, France or Aussies somewhere before the semis. While these are good teams they do not match up to Spain, Brazil or Italy. So really it is not too bad for England.
The Ugly:
Only one possibility- England finish behind USA in Groups.
It's already 1:30 AM in India and I am groggy now... More to follow later.
2010 FIFA World Cup Final: Draw is out
The final draw is out. Here it is:
Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana,
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile
Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana,
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile
So what's this world cup worth ?
So you wanna know how much money is at stake in this World Cup? Read on for the details :
http://sportsbizfreak.blogspot.com/2009/12/so-whats-this-world-cup-worth.html
http://sportsbizfreak.blogspot.com/2009/12/so-whats-this-world-cup-worth.html
England's journey to glory rests on pot luck- Part 2
A lot is being said about how England's progress would depend on a favorable draw and how Capello's boys would want to avoid certain teams. What's lost with all such theories is that England is a darn good football team who has a damn good opportunity to reach the summit in South Africa
England does not want to be drawn with France or Portugal- well who wants to? It's a huge tournament and no team will win it without a lot of hard work and some luck. It's that slice every team is looking for at the draws and if that means praying for an easy draw - nothing wrong.
It's simple, even mighty Brazil or Spain would want to avoid bigger teams up front. No one would want to go out early from a World Cup. England has possibly as good a chance as any other top team and there is no doubt they would be a handful for even the best team in the world. Draw- good or bad- would eventually assist the teams and their managers to prepare and plan for the biggest tournament in the world.
"Eight matches, eight wins and Capello’s team swept to South Africa. Confidence is coursing through the squad although there is a realization that beyond a core of 14-15 players, England may struggle. Yet if they cannot succeed under Capello then it will never happen. Expect a semi-final - at least. The manager is on a mission and, with luck, who knows? They will certainly be prepared"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/england/6596762/England-team-at-World-Cup-2010.html
England does not want to be drawn with France or Portugal- well who wants to? It's a huge tournament and no team will win it without a lot of hard work and some luck. It's that slice every team is looking for at the draws and if that means praying for an easy draw - nothing wrong.
It's simple, even mighty Brazil or Spain would want to avoid bigger teams up front. No one would want to go out early from a World Cup. England has possibly as good a chance as any other top team and there is no doubt they would be a handful for even the best team in the world. Draw- good or bad- would eventually assist the teams and their managers to prepare and plan for the biggest tournament in the world.
"Eight matches, eight wins and Capello’s team swept to South Africa. Confidence is coursing through the squad although there is a realization that beyond a core of 14-15 players, England may struggle. Yet if they cannot succeed under Capello then it will never happen. Expect a semi-final - at least. The manager is on a mission and, with luck, who knows? They will certainly be prepared"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/england/6596762/England-team-at-World-Cup-2010.html
England's journey to glory rests on pot luck
A lot depends on how England fares in South Africa next year including their bid for 2018 and FA's debt.
A nice read below for people who follow English football:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/england/6720893/World-Cup-2010-draw-Englands-journey-to-glory-rests-on-pot-luck.html
A nice read below for people who follow English football:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/england/6720893/World-Cup-2010-draw-Englands-journey-to-glory-rests-on-pot-luck.html
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Spain: Europe's best bet!!
Spain has been the perennial underachiever at the World Cup’s but things are looking different this time around. They have displaced Brazil at the top of FIFA world rankings and have easily brushed aside any competition en-route to finals. They look by far the best European team – and alongside Brazil- are being touted as the tournament favorites.
Since the World Cup started in 1930, no European nation has won the trophy on another continent. Spain has the potential to change this forever in July 2010 provided they have some luck and they keep their top players fit. A lot would depend on Torres’ goal scoring ability and Spain would need him fit and firing. They have talent all across the pitch and for the first time in years they also appear to have the resolve to go far. This Spanish side plays fluid and sumptuous football and is the team to watch out for.
What about the other European powerhouses? Germany and Italy are big match teams and they have the knack of producing their best when it matters. They will be a threat as always and have a fair chance of going deep into the tournament. I would not be able to say the same about France though. I feel they will struggle under Domenech and an early exit for France would be justice for Ireland. The farther that France goes the more will it hurt. I hope they are drawn alongside either Brazil or Spain with USA or Ivory Coast for company. With Capello at helm, England appears formidable if they can keep the squad injury free. This is going to be my team in South Africa and I would root for them all the way.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philminshull/2009/12/spain_can_finally_end_europes.html
Since the World Cup started in 1930, no European nation has won the trophy on another continent. Spain has the potential to change this forever in July 2010 provided they have some luck and they keep their top players fit. A lot would depend on Torres’ goal scoring ability and Spain would need him fit and firing. They have talent all across the pitch and for the first time in years they also appear to have the resolve to go far. This Spanish side plays fluid and sumptuous football and is the team to watch out for.
What about the other European powerhouses? Germany and Italy are big match teams and they have the knack of producing their best when it matters. They will be a threat as always and have a fair chance of going deep into the tournament. I would not be able to say the same about France though. I feel they will struggle under Domenech and an early exit for France would be justice for Ireland. The farther that France goes the more will it hurt. I hope they are drawn alongside either Brazil or Spain with USA or Ivory Coast for company. With Capello at helm, England appears formidable if they can keep the squad injury free. This is going to be my team in South Africa and I would root for them all the way.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philminshull/2009/12/spain_can_finally_end_europes.html
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Arsenal to go shopping for a striker
Arsene Wenger is out shopping for a striker. January transfer window would be an ideal opportunity in wake of Van Persie's injury.
Wenger's interest in the Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh is well documented, although a January deal appears unlikely. His other targets include André-Pierre Gignac of Toulouse, Milan's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Mario Balotelli of Internazionale. Sampdoria's Giampaolo Pazzini is another Serie A striker on Wenger's radar. Arsenal have bid €30million for Inter striker Mario Balotelli, but Jose Mourinho wants Cesc Fabregas as part of the deal.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/01/arsene-wenger-buy-striker-january
Wenger's interest in the Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh is well documented, although a January deal appears unlikely. His other targets include André-Pierre Gignac of Toulouse, Milan's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Mario Balotelli of Internazionale. Sampdoria's Giampaolo Pazzini is another Serie A striker on Wenger's radar. Arsenal have bid €30million for Inter striker Mario Balotelli, but Jose Mourinho wants Cesc Fabregas as part of the deal.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/01/arsene-wenger-buy-striker-january
2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: The Pots revealed
Following are the pots for the draw coming up this friday the 4th:
Pots for Friday's draw: eight groups of four countries to be drawn, each group containing one country from each pot.
Pot 1 (seeds): South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England
Pot 2 (Asia, Oceania and North/Central America): Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Mexico, Honduras
Pot 3 (Africa and South America): Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay
Pot 4 (Europe): France, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Greece, Serbia, Denmark, Slovakia
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8390084.stm
Pots for Friday's draw: eight groups of four countries to be drawn, each group containing one country from each pot.
Pot 1 (seeds): South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England
Pot 2 (Asia, Oceania and North/Central America): Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Mexico, Honduras
Pot 3 (Africa and South America): Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay
Pot 4 (Europe): France, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Greece, Serbia, Denmark, Slovakia
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8390084.stm
2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: Seeds are out!!
The seeds for next year's World Cup are out today. Previously FIFA had used a combination of previous 2 world cup performances alongside current rankings to determine the seeds. This year however, FIFA decided to go with the October rankings alone.
The seeds for this year’s draw are:
South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England
In one of my previous posts I had made some firsthand calculations based on previous world cup draws to arrive at the probable seeds. Check below for more details:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8390084.stm
The seeds for this year’s draw are:
South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England
In one of my previous posts I had made some firsthand calculations based on previous world cup draws to arrive at the probable seeds. Check below for more details:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8390084.stm
Friday, November 27, 2009
Federer crowned ATP World Tour Champion 2009
Roger Federer added another feather to his cap by regaining the year ending #1 rank for the fifth year. Federer now joins Ivan Lendl as the only players to have held, lost and regained the ATP World Tour Champion title in the history of the ATP Rankings (since 1973). He has been crowned ATP world tour champion for 5th year and is now only behind Sampras' 6.
Roger has had a remarkable year and he was candid about it too. He said, “It means a lot to have returned to No. 1 and to finish the year again at No. 1, it was an incredible year for me both on the court and off the court and to be able to break the all-time Grand Slam record and finish the year on top is amazing.” To be able to achieve this after the heart break in Melbourne at the start of the year is an amazing feat.
Federer clinched the 2009 ATP World Tour Champion title by beating Andy Murray at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals group stage tonight. Federer and rival Rafael Nadal, the 2008 ATP World Tour Champion, had entered the prestigious circuit finale at The O2 in London locked in a two-man battle to conclude the season atop the 2009 ATP Rankings. While Nadal has been on a decline since Australian Open, Roger has only gone from strength to strength. He reached all 4 grand slam finals and is now poised to win the ATP tour finals to cap an eventful and fulfilling year both on and off the court.
The 28-year-old Swiss held the World No. 1 ranking for a record 237 straight weeks from 2 February, 2004, to 17 August, 2008, before Nadal ended his streak. Federer reclaimed the top rankings spot on 6 July, 2009, after winning a record-breaking 15th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.
For more read on:
http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/rogers/news/newsdetail.cfm?uNewsID=993
Roger has had a remarkable year and he was candid about it too. He said, “It means a lot to have returned to No. 1 and to finish the year again at No. 1, it was an incredible year for me both on the court and off the court and to be able to break the all-time Grand Slam record and finish the year on top is amazing.” To be able to achieve this after the heart break in Melbourne at the start of the year is an amazing feat.
Federer clinched the 2009 ATP World Tour Champion title by beating Andy Murray at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals group stage tonight. Federer and rival Rafael Nadal, the 2008 ATP World Tour Champion, had entered the prestigious circuit finale at The O2 in London locked in a two-man battle to conclude the season atop the 2009 ATP Rankings. While Nadal has been on a decline since Australian Open, Roger has only gone from strength to strength. He reached all 4 grand slam finals and is now poised to win the ATP tour finals to cap an eventful and fulfilling year both on and off the court.
The 28-year-old Swiss held the World No. 1 ranking for a record 237 straight weeks from 2 February, 2004, to 17 August, 2008, before Nadal ended his streak. Federer reclaimed the top rankings spot on 6 July, 2009, after winning a record-breaking 15th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.
For more read on:
http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/rogers/news/newsdetail.cfm?uNewsID=993
Tiger Woods Injured in car accident!
Tiger Woods has been injured in a car accident in Florida, according to reports from the US. It was initially feared that his condition was serious, but his agent has since been quoted as saying he is "fine".
Details about the incident remain unclear as per BBC.
Details about the incident remain unclear as per BBC.
Liverpool's champs league exit: The Financial implication: Part 2
European clubs participating in champs league earn a combination of participation fees and income from TV rights, the latter contributing a larger chunk.
Here is a breakdown of how much participation money is at stake for every Champions League game. This is just the participation fees.
Group Stage:
-Reaching group stage: €3.8m
-Participating in group stage: €550k per match, x6 matches = €3.3m
So that’s €7.1m guaranteed. Now the results of each group game also matter as below:
-For a win: €800k
-For a draw: €400k
Knockout Stage:
-Playing in Round of 16: €3m
-Playing in Quarters: €3.3m
-Playing in Semis: €4m
-Playing in Final: €5.2m
-Champions League winners: €9m
As I had mentioned earlier, another chunk comes from the market pool (TV audience size in home country of the club). These figures are even higher than the participation fees and would be even more skewed for EPL sides owing to the enormous TV audience.
Here’s how UEFA puts it: "In addition to these sums, the clubs receive a share of revenue fixed in accordance with the value of the TV market of the country they represent. If an association has more than one representative, the amount received by each club depends on its position in the national championship in the previous season and the number of matches played in the current season’s Champions League."
Last night ESPN Sportscenter put things in perspective when they mentioned that overall loss for Liverpool could be anywhere in the region of 25-30 million if they fail to qualify next year. The figure suggests that Rafa and the owners need to put their best foot forward to finish in top 4 this season else the club would in real bad shape. If they fail to qualify for next year they would potentially lose a lot of top players including Torres and maybe even Gerrard.
Source: http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/uefa-champions-league-200910-prize-money.html
Here is a breakdown of how much participation money is at stake for every Champions League game. This is just the participation fees.
Group Stage:
-Reaching group stage: €3.8m
-Participating in group stage: €550k per match, x6 matches = €3.3m
So that’s €7.1m guaranteed. Now the results of each group game also matter as below:
-For a win: €800k
-For a draw: €400k
Knockout Stage:
-Playing in Round of 16: €3m
-Playing in Quarters: €3.3m
-Playing in Semis: €4m
-Playing in Final: €5.2m
-Champions League winners: €9m
As I had mentioned earlier, another chunk comes from the market pool (TV audience size in home country of the club). These figures are even higher than the participation fees and would be even more skewed for EPL sides owing to the enormous TV audience.
Here’s how UEFA puts it: "In addition to these sums, the clubs receive a share of revenue fixed in accordance with the value of the TV market of the country they represent. If an association has more than one representative, the amount received by each club depends on its position in the national championship in the previous season and the number of matches played in the current season’s Champions League."
Last night ESPN Sportscenter put things in perspective when they mentioned that overall loss for Liverpool could be anywhere in the region of 25-30 million if they fail to qualify next year. The figure suggests that Rafa and the owners need to put their best foot forward to finish in top 4 this season else the club would in real bad shape. If they fail to qualify for next year they would potentially lose a lot of top players including Torres and maybe even Gerrard.
Source: http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/uefa-champions-league-200910-prize-money.html
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Sreesanth: Coming Back to Life
He was hailed as the next big thing in Indian cricket when he burst onto the international scene in 2006. Johannesburg was the ideal setting for a young and sprightly Indian and Sreesanth announced himself to the cricket world in style. He had the pace, the swing and he was moving the ball both ways- he was an enigma that Indian pace bowling had always lacked.
South Africans were humiliated in their own backyard and India did it with pace spearheaded by Sreesanth. The commentary team of experts scrutinized his bowling action, seam position, wrist position and myriad other positives to hail him India’s “Richard Hadlee”. That comparison in itself was ill conceived as Sreesanth would do well to be capped as many times as the number of scalps Sir Richard Hadlee had in ’85 series against the Aussies.
He however was every bit as good a bowler as he was hailed to be and he had the aggression too- well a little too much I guess. He had a rare streak of an entertainer too and he showed that with the “Dance” routine after hitting Nel for a six and then with the Amla incident for which he was quickly reprimanded.
It was clear as early as South Africa that this young lad had some temperamental issues to sort out. He needed some counseling and support from the people who run the sport but I guess he received none. India was still in SA when Sreesanth was criticized for his demeanor and his sometimes over the top on-field antics. While I was watching him closely those days I could sense trouble brewing slowly but surely. Sreesanth the entertainer was taking over the bowler in him and it hit the rock bottom with “Slapgate”. His scuffle with Harbhajan made him infamous and he soon lost confidence of the selectors- he had gone too far for their liking.
A young man was left distraught and he cried his way to cricketing obscurity after being slapped by his India team mate. He had a few injuries thereafter and he was all but out of India reckoning. He did not really help his cause as he made one headline after the other- none for cricketing reasons. He danced his way to reality television and was soon all over the print and television media with his dance show, celebrity linkups and brawls. He was more on page3 than where he belonged – the sports page.
It all went from bad to worse when he failed to turn up for Kerala camp following which he was given the final warning - for repeatedly violating the code of conduct. BCCI too issued a final warning in October 2009. All hope must have waned for a young and talented fast bowler and I am sure he would have been at least as surprised as I was when he was recalled to the India team. I would be lying if I said I was all hopeful for him as I was completely amazed to see him in the playing eleven.
Today, in a single day of test cricket, this young maverick has put all my doubts to rest- cricketing or otherwise. He has shown he still has the pace and movement he once flattered with. He has come alive on a slow track and has all but won the test match for India. How many fast bowlers have done that for us in the years gone by?
I am sure a lot of his detractors would still cast a doubt on his temperament but for me he is a different Sreesanth. His celebration after completing his 5-for was subdued as if to give out a signal of his true intent – of playing cricket to win matches for India. If Sreesanth is a changed man as he confessed after getting the elusive India call, he is making it amply clear and rightly so. I am doubly sure he now knows the importance of making quick amends and he has taken important steps today –not only by being superb with the ball but by also being restrained in his demeanor. Entertainer has taken a back seat and rightly so. Cricketer Sreesanth has finally arrived.
South Africans were humiliated in their own backyard and India did it with pace spearheaded by Sreesanth. The commentary team of experts scrutinized his bowling action, seam position, wrist position and myriad other positives to hail him India’s “Richard Hadlee”. That comparison in itself was ill conceived as Sreesanth would do well to be capped as many times as the number of scalps Sir Richard Hadlee had in ’85 series against the Aussies.
He however was every bit as good a bowler as he was hailed to be and he had the aggression too- well a little too much I guess. He had a rare streak of an entertainer too and he showed that with the “Dance” routine after hitting Nel for a six and then with the Amla incident for which he was quickly reprimanded.
It was clear as early as South Africa that this young lad had some temperamental issues to sort out. He needed some counseling and support from the people who run the sport but I guess he received none. India was still in SA when Sreesanth was criticized for his demeanor and his sometimes over the top on-field antics. While I was watching him closely those days I could sense trouble brewing slowly but surely. Sreesanth the entertainer was taking over the bowler in him and it hit the rock bottom with “Slapgate”. His scuffle with Harbhajan made him infamous and he soon lost confidence of the selectors- he had gone too far for their liking.
A young man was left distraught and he cried his way to cricketing obscurity after being slapped by his India team mate. He had a few injuries thereafter and he was all but out of India reckoning. He did not really help his cause as he made one headline after the other- none for cricketing reasons. He danced his way to reality television and was soon all over the print and television media with his dance show, celebrity linkups and brawls. He was more on page3 than where he belonged – the sports page.
It all went from bad to worse when he failed to turn up for Kerala camp following which he was given the final warning - for repeatedly violating the code of conduct. BCCI too issued a final warning in October 2009. All hope must have waned for a young and talented fast bowler and I am sure he would have been at least as surprised as I was when he was recalled to the India team. I would be lying if I said I was all hopeful for him as I was completely amazed to see him in the playing eleven.
Today, in a single day of test cricket, this young maverick has put all my doubts to rest- cricketing or otherwise. He has shown he still has the pace and movement he once flattered with. He has come alive on a slow track and has all but won the test match for India. How many fast bowlers have done that for us in the years gone by?
I am sure a lot of his detractors would still cast a doubt on his temperament but for me he is a different Sreesanth. His celebration after completing his 5-for was subdued as if to give out a signal of his true intent – of playing cricket to win matches for India. If Sreesanth is a changed man as he confessed after getting the elusive India call, he is making it amply clear and rightly so. I am doubly sure he now knows the importance of making quick amends and he has taken important steps today –not only by being superb with the ball but by also being restrained in his demeanor. Entertainer has taken a back seat and rightly so. Cricketer Sreesanth has finally arrived.
Ritchie Benaud sets retirement plans aside.
I switched on the TV to watch some sport early morning and while I was not really keen on Aus v WIndies test match that started today, I was hooked to the channel for a few minutes. The reason was Ritchie Benaud behind the mike and I remembered that this could be his swansong. Soon I was surfing the web and found that the man has decided to stay put for another 4 seasons albeit only in Australia. I am sure cricket followers across the globe would welcome his decision and hope he continues for as long as possible. Read the complete story at:
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,26350949-948,00.html
Benaud had earlier expressed his desire to quit commentating after the Australian summer this year. Benaud had said: "I’ll be doing Australian cricket next year – 2010 – but I don’t do any television at all anywhere else now and when I finish next year, then I’ll be doing other things. But that’ll be no more television commentary."
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/richie-benaud-retires-from-all-television-commentary/story-e6freuy9-1111118890878
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,26350949-948,00.html
Benaud had earlier expressed his desire to quit commentating after the Australian summer this year. Benaud had said: "I’ll be doing Australian cricket next year – 2010 – but I don’t do any television at all anywhere else now and when I finish next year, then I’ll be doing other things. But that’ll be no more television commentary."
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/richie-benaud-retires-from-all-television-commentary/story-e6freuy9-1111118890878
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
How European leagues make their money?
This is how the different leagues in Europe make their money. Check the link for more details:
http://sportsbizfreak.blogspot.com/2009/11/europes-football-finances-200708.html
Indian cricket sponsorship receives “lukewarm response”
What is going to happen to other sports is the big question?
http://sportsbizfreak.blogspot.com/2009/11/indian-cricket-sponsorship-receives.html
http://sportsbizfreak.blogspot.com/2009/11/indian-cricket-sponsorship-receives.html
Liverpool's champs league exit: The Financial implication!
Liverpool has crashed out of the Champs League as was widely expected and there are some serious financial implications for an already beleaguered club. It leaves a huge dent on Liverpool's yearly earnings which are far more dependent on UEFA's contributions than other top clubs in England - Chelsea, ManU and Arsenal. Reason is simple, they lose out on the chunk that UEFA shares with the teams from its television rights and that money is significantly higher for knockout stages. The financial hit from failing to qualify for the knockout stage is substantial, although not as calamitous as it would be if they fail to qualify for next year’s Champions League. To put things in perspective, Liverpool are expected to suffer a shortfall of 2.4 million as a consequence of group exit. The figure would be much higher if fail to qualify for the next season.
One thing is clear, Liverpool needs to get its act together swiftly towards resurrecting their premiership season failing which they might have to put a lot of top players up for sale. I just hope they can somehow make a strong statement in the remaining EPL season and resist selling Torres because that would be a complete disaster.
Listen to what Rafa had to say after the exit. His job appears to be quite safe.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/8377734.stm
One thing is clear, Liverpool needs to get its act together swiftly towards resurrecting their premiership season failing which they might have to put a lot of top players up for sale. I just hope they can somehow make a strong statement in the remaining EPL season and resist selling Torres because that would be a complete disaster.
Listen to what Rafa had to say after the exit. His job appears to be quite safe.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/8377734.stm
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
France Ireland replay - well not quite...
Sepp Blatter has called for a crisis meeting of FIFA chiefs to deal with the fallout created by the 'Hand of Henry'. It however changes nothing for the Irish since a senior Fifa source told the Press Association: "A replay is impossible. It would be against the rules of football."
The idea of having an extra referee's assistant behind each goal, as is the case in the Europa League, might well be discussed. This would mean another human eye behind each goal line as early as the World Cup.Wait and watch this space for more.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8375320.stm
The idea of having an extra referee's assistant behind each goal, as is the case in the Europa League, might well be discussed. This would mean another human eye behind each goal line as early as the World Cup.Wait and watch this space for more.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8375320.stm
2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: Part 3 - An English perspective
England has received a seed boost ahead of the final draw. They are amongst the top 8 and I believe they deserve every bit of it. If England keeps their best men fit, they would surprise a lot people including themselves.
A lot would depend however on the draw and there are umpteen possible permutations and combinations for the possible groups. The two most alluring possibilities for England lie at the opposite end of the spectrum. If England comes out really lucky they could end up with teams like - Switzerland, New Zealand and Algeria which would nearly guarantee a safe passage through at the top of their group. If the draw however is unkind, they could be pitted with the likes of Portugal/Netherlands, Ivory Coast and USA in what could arguably be the group of death. Most likely outcome would be somewhere in between the wide range of possibilities and the 3 Lions would be mighty relieved to avoid both Portugal and Netherlands upfront.
I just wish to see England go the distance this time because this could be their best chance for a lot of years to come, considering most of their top players wouldn’t be around for too long.
A friend of mine has put an interesting spin on the current England squad and what lies ahead. Check it out at:
http://sportsbizfreak.blogspot.com/2009/10/for-england-and-fabio-road-does-not-end.html
A lot would depend however on the draw and there are umpteen possible permutations and combinations for the possible groups. The two most alluring possibilities for England lie at the opposite end of the spectrum. If England comes out really lucky they could end up with teams like - Switzerland, New Zealand and Algeria which would nearly guarantee a safe passage through at the top of their group. If the draw however is unkind, they could be pitted with the likes of Portugal/Netherlands, Ivory Coast and USA in what could arguably be the group of death. Most likely outcome would be somewhere in between the wide range of possibilities and the 3 Lions would be mighty relieved to avoid both Portugal and Netherlands upfront.
I just wish to see England go the distance this time because this could be their best chance for a lot of years to come, considering most of their top players wouldn’t be around for too long.
A friend of mine has put an interesting spin on the current England squad and what lies ahead. Check it out at:
http://sportsbizfreak.blogspot.com/2009/10/for-england-and-fabio-road-does-not-end.html
Monday, November 23, 2009
2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: Part 2 - 'French' connection and the 'Host' factor
In my previous post I talked about the formal procedure that could determine how FIFA would seed the teams before final draw happens on Dec 4. We saw the 8 lucky ones who would be seeded and therefore avoid each other at the group stage. Amongst the unseeded teams, Portugal could be feeling the most aggrieved because the 'French Connection' has cost them an entry to the elite group.
While 'Hand of Henry' has sunk Irish hearts the most it has also meant that Portugal have moved to the second tier of teams. If it was Ireland who had qualified, the points system would have meant a seed for Portugal and Ireland would have taken their place amongst the second rung.
Another aspect about the seeds and how they would impact the final draw is the host country. With none of the top 8 countries hosting, SA have been auto drafted into the elite group to make sure they play the opening fixture as part of Group A. This again means that another top nation has lost on the elite spot. This time Netherlands suffer as they miss out on the top tier and together with Portugal would pose the greatest threat to the top 8 teams.
If both these anomalies were eliminated, we could have had both Portugal and Netherlands in elite group thus making life much easier for the top teams - including England.
While 'Hand of Henry' has sunk Irish hearts the most it has also meant that Portugal have moved to the second tier of teams. If it was Ireland who had qualified, the points system would have meant a seed for Portugal and Ireland would have taken their place amongst the second rung.
Another aspect about the seeds and how they would impact the final draw is the host country. With none of the top 8 countries hosting, SA have been auto drafted into the elite group to make sure they play the opening fixture as part of Group A. This again means that another top nation has lost on the elite spot. This time Netherlands suffer as they miss out on the top tier and together with Portugal would pose the greatest threat to the top 8 teams.
If both these anomalies were eliminated, we could have had both Portugal and Netherlands in elite group thus making life much easier for the top teams - including England.
2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: Part 1-The Basics
Speculation are ripe about the formula that FIFA could use to seed the teams before the draw on Dec 4. FIFA’s World Cup organising committee are expected to confirm the eight seeds at a meeting in Cape Town on December 2, two days before the draw. These 8 seeds would then avoid each other in the Group Stages.
If we consider that FIFA would use the same formula as for 2006 world cup where last two worldcup performances and last 3 years FIFA rankings are taken into account, then following is the list of teams that would be seeded as follows:
Seed Team
1 Brazil
4 Spain
7 France
3 Italy
2 Germany
5 England
6 Argentina
8 South Africa
Note: The seeds were calculated using the exact formula that FIFA used in 2006.
These 8 teams would make it to Pot#1 of the draw with each group headed by one of these teams. Rest of the teams would not be seeded and 4 pots would be used to group teams from every continent such that no more than 2 European teams end up in the same group and no more than one country from South America, Africa and Asia is in any group. Pot# 2 consists of all the remaining European nations and the third and fourth pots will divide the remaining qualifiers from the CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, African, Asia, and Oceania regions. Based on the above, following are the four Pots for the final draw. Exactly one team from each pot would make it to each group.
Pot 1: South Africa, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, France, Argentina
Pot 2: Portugal, Netherlands, Switzerland, Slovenia, Greece, Denmark, Serbia, Slovakia
Pot 3: Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Ghana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Algeria
Pot 4: South Korea, Japan, Australia, North Korea, Mexico, USA, Honduras, New Zealand
With one team to be picked from each pot to form a group, draw would be of enormous scale for each of the top teams.
Following are the list of references used to calculate exact seeds and rankings:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_FIFA_World_Cup_seeding
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_FIFA_World_Cup_full_team_ranking
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ranking/
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/293526-world-cup-draw-2010-england-set-for-seeding-boost
If we consider that FIFA would use the same formula as for 2006 world cup where last two worldcup performances and last 3 years FIFA rankings are taken into account, then following is the list of teams that would be seeded as follows:
Seed Team
1 Brazil
4 Spain
7 France
3 Italy
2 Germany
5 England
6 Argentina
8 South Africa
Note: The seeds were calculated using the exact formula that FIFA used in 2006.
These 8 teams would make it to Pot#1 of the draw with each group headed by one of these teams. Rest of the teams would not be seeded and 4 pots would be used to group teams from every continent such that no more than 2 European teams end up in the same group and no more than one country from South America, Africa and Asia is in any group. Pot# 2 consists of all the remaining European nations and the third and fourth pots will divide the remaining qualifiers from the CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, African, Asia, and Oceania regions. Based on the above, following are the four Pots for the final draw. Exactly one team from each pot would make it to each group.
Pot 1: South Africa, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, France, Argentina
Pot 2: Portugal, Netherlands, Switzerland, Slovenia, Greece, Denmark, Serbia, Slovakia
Pot 3: Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Ghana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Algeria
Pot 4: South Korea, Japan, Australia, North Korea, Mexico, USA, Honduras, New Zealand
With one team to be picked from each pot to form a group, draw would be of enormous scale for each of the top teams.
Following are the list of references used to calculate exact seeds and rankings:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_FIFA_World_Cup_seeding
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_FIFA_World_Cup_full_team_ranking
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ranking/
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/293526-world-cup-draw-2010-england-set-for-seeding-boost
Ferguson picks Brazil for 2010 - writes England off
“I can’t see past Brazil, actually,” Ferguson was quoted in the Daily Mail. “They are going to be the ones in South Africa.”
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1229939/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-insists-Fabio-Capellos-England-wont-win-World-Cup.html
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1229939/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-insists-Fabio-Capellos-England-wont-win-World-Cup.html
Sunday, November 22, 2009
ATP world tour final- Fight for #1
ATP tour final kicks off this weekend and it promises to be one hell of a tournament. Tennis season has hardly been as eventful over the past decade and while Nadal just about slipped from being completely in control, Federer has made it one of his most memorable by adding the only missing piece of silverware - the French title.
Australian open saw Nadal completely overwhelming Federer and the post match tears could have meant the end of Federer era, but it wasn't to be. Roger has been one the greatest tennis champions and he showed exactly that by bouncing off the psychological low of Melbourne to such an extent that he has all but closed the argument about the "Best" player in the world.
I witnessed the dethroning of my favorite champion in Australia and while Federer shed his tears it made Nadal's dominance complete. Rafa at that time was threatening to completely wipe Federer off and he looked poised for a brilliant year with people even mentioning "the Grand Slam". Federer comeback was least expected on the red clay of Paris but it started when he defeated Rafa on clay just before French Open and then grabbed the French title that has almost tilted all scales of greatness in his favor. I would have to agree that Soderling did Roger a favor by eliminating Rafa in the quarters but since then Rafa has shown nothing about him being the same player as he was at the start of the year. It appears that his physical style of play has taken some toll on his body and now it's time for him to make a comeback of his own.
While Nadal has been struggling since the French open, Federer has gone from strength to strength and has added another Wimbledon to his tally. Alongside the ever simmering rivalry of these two champions we have seen the arrival of some of the future tennis stars and all of those would be playing in the year ending ATP masters tournament starting today.
The lineup for this tournament is brilliant and it's hard to find an easy game in the draw. The format is also different to the conventional Grand Slam tournaments and every game promises to be as good as a slam semi-final/final. Though slams are still the most sought after prizes in tennis, master finals would make sure no single match is a walk in the park. I wish to see Federer and Nadal face off at the finals but it's going to be hard to even get there for both of them. All in all I am hoping for some fine tennis action over the next few days to close off the brilliant year in style.
For details check - http://www.atpworldtour.com/
Australian open saw Nadal completely overwhelming Federer and the post match tears could have meant the end of Federer era, but it wasn't to be. Roger has been one the greatest tennis champions and he showed exactly that by bouncing off the psychological low of Melbourne to such an extent that he has all but closed the argument about the "Best" player in the world.
I witnessed the dethroning of my favorite champion in Australia and while Federer shed his tears it made Nadal's dominance complete. Rafa at that time was threatening to completely wipe Federer off and he looked poised for a brilliant year with people even mentioning "the Grand Slam". Federer comeback was least expected on the red clay of Paris but it started when he defeated Rafa on clay just before French Open and then grabbed the French title that has almost tilted all scales of greatness in his favor. I would have to agree that Soderling did Roger a favor by eliminating Rafa in the quarters but since then Rafa has shown nothing about him being the same player as he was at the start of the year. It appears that his physical style of play has taken some toll on his body and now it's time for him to make a comeback of his own.
While Nadal has been struggling since the French open, Federer has gone from strength to strength and has added another Wimbledon to his tally. Alongside the ever simmering rivalry of these two champions we have seen the arrival of some of the future tennis stars and all of those would be playing in the year ending ATP masters tournament starting today.
The lineup for this tournament is brilliant and it's hard to find an easy game in the draw. The format is also different to the conventional Grand Slam tournaments and every game promises to be as good as a slam semi-final/final. Though slams are still the most sought after prizes in tennis, master finals would make sure no single match is a walk in the park. I wish to see Federer and Nadal face off at the finals but it's going to be hard to even get there for both of them. All in all I am hoping for some fine tennis action over the next few days to close off the brilliant year in style.
For details check - http://www.atpworldtour.com/
Liverpool's slide continues
Since the last time I wrote just before their Champs League match, Liverpool's season has gone from bad to worse. Champion’s league season is already out of their hands and premiership hopes have waned faster than the injuries to some key players. It's clear that without both Torres and Gerrard on the pitch, Liverpool lacks inspiration and last night’s draw against City was ample proof of lack of overall talent. Benayoun was the savior this weekend just when it appeared to be all over after Adebayor and Ireland had struck in quick succession. Last week they had managed a point against Birmingham thanks to the referee.
Liverpool's performance all through the season has been scratchy to say the least and now they find themselves hard pressed to even secure a Champs league birth for next season. They find themselves in the seventh spot with Sunderland breathing down their neck after a fine win over Arsenal. Liverpool can now forget about the top 3 finish but the fight for the title is alive with ManU and Arsenal both looking good to challenge Chelsea. If I have to take a call now, I would stick with Chelsea as the title favorites with Arsenal and ManU close behind.
Liverpool's performance all through the season has been scratchy to say the least and now they find themselves hard pressed to even secure a Champs league birth for next season. They find themselves in the seventh spot with Sunderland breathing down their neck after a fine win over Arsenal. Liverpool can now forget about the top 3 finish but the fight for the title is alive with ManU and Arsenal both looking good to challenge Chelsea. If I have to take a call now, I would stick with Chelsea as the title favorites with Arsenal and ManU close behind.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Irish hopes dashed by the HAND of GOD
Ireland have been cheated and it's sad to see such crucial matches being decided by the 'hand of God'. England suffered at the hands of Maradona some 23 years ago and it's ireland now. The sad part is that we have learnt no lessons in more than 20 years.
I understand that human errors are hard to eliminate and that referee's would continue to have bad days at office once in a while. I also completely disagree with the 'moral' arguments made by some pundits blaming Henry and France of being the cheats. The article in Telegraph does just that and puts all the blame on Henry. I found it hard to find even one logical point in the entire article. Read for yourself and decide.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/republicofireland/6609355/Thierry-Henry-must-be-banned-from-playing-in-the-2010-World-Cup.html
There has been a lot of hue and cry about technology in sports and about the shortcomings of some of them, a simple video replay would have settled this issue in not more than 15 seconds.
Check the video at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2D6LdNakzE
I understand that human errors are hard to eliminate and that referee's would continue to have bad days at office once in a while. I also completely disagree with the 'moral' arguments made by some pundits blaming Henry and France of being the cheats. The article in Telegraph does just that and puts all the blame on Henry. I found it hard to find even one logical point in the entire article. Read for yourself and decide.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/republicofireland/6609355/Thierry-Henry-must-be-banned-from-playing-in-the-2010-World-Cup.html
There has been a lot of hue and cry about technology in sports and about the shortcomings of some of them, a simple video replay would have settled this issue in not more than 15 seconds.
Check the video at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2D6LdNakzE
Thursday, November 19, 2009
World Cup playoff's are over
Finally the playoffs have ended and though I could not catch last night’s matches live on TV, from the reports it appears Ireland got a raw deal and Russia missed out much to my disappointment. I just love Andrei Arshavin and would have loved to see him play the world cup - a chance every footballer plays for. We know some of the biggest footballers who have never been to a final and there are some great names - Gigs, Cantona and Best- to name a few.
Well the good news is that we have the final 32 teams for arguably the biggest sporting event in the world and it’s going to be one hell of a ride. I just wish I could be there in the stadium cheering for England..
Well the good news is that we have the final 32 teams for arguably the biggest sporting event in the world and it’s going to be one hell of a ride. I just wish I could be there in the stadium cheering for England..
Ridiculous BCCI
It’s hard to believe but its true – BCCI does not seem to have an official website. There are throngs of other sites with same or similar names to add to the confusion. Now either BCCI is completely unaware of the utility of hosting on the web or they don’t really care. If I would have to a take call I would go with the latter. BBCI is notorious for being run unprofessionally and this is just another simple proof. It is completely disgusting for world’s richest cricket board and the one which dictates all cricket played in the world to have absolutely no interface on the web. Do you know of any decent sports body that is so utterly unabashed?
Unprofessionalism of our cricket board is an oft publicized phenomenon and the overall state of sports in India is perfectly well reflected by the actions of our cricket board. Indian cricket is lucky to have fanatical fans that make a beeline for third class cricket stadiums and completely chaotic experience of watching a match at one of our grounds. There is complete lack of world class infrastructure barring few new grounds. Average Indian cricket fan is often taken for a ride and there is absolutely no doubt that BCCI is a money guzzling authority that cannot care less for the poor Indian fan. Time and again we have heard voices advocating a professionally run organization at the helm of Indian cricket but sadly sports management in India is an offshoot of politics and that in itself is case in point of inefficiency and unprofessionalism that plagues our country.
Unprofessionalism of our cricket board is an oft publicized phenomenon and the overall state of sports in India is perfectly well reflected by the actions of our cricket board. Indian cricket is lucky to have fanatical fans that make a beeline for third class cricket stadiums and completely chaotic experience of watching a match at one of our grounds. There is complete lack of world class infrastructure barring few new grounds. Average Indian cricket fan is often taken for a ride and there is absolutely no doubt that BCCI is a money guzzling authority that cannot care less for the poor Indian fan. Time and again we have heard voices advocating a professionally run organization at the helm of Indian cricket but sadly sports management in India is an offshoot of politics and that in itself is case in point of inefficiency and unprofessionalism that plagues our country.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Big day for Liverpool’s season!
It’s quite obvious that Liverpool’s season is in tatters and it could be more so if they fail to produce a win tonight at Lyon. What a debacle it would be for 5 times champions of Europe if they were to get knocked out at the group stage itself. Rafa appears to be short of answers and has made some undeniably woeful decisions this EPL season and it could get from bad to worse if his team fails to gather 3 points tonight.
There are problems aplenty for the reds and it would be interesting to see the starting lineup for tonight’s big game. The injury list has grown stronger and Rafa is going to have tough time getting a fit and confident team up for the game. Based on the form of its players and more so it’s manager, I would be more hopeful than confident to predict a positive result tonight for the reds.
While everyone seemed to suggest that the win against United was the turning point for the reds, last week’s loss to Fulham has all but put an end to their premiership hopes. While a whole lot of football still has to be played and loads of surprises still in store this EPL season, Liverpool's championship chances are remarkably bleak as early as November. Europe could again be the saving grace however it could be rather optimistic to suggest so at this time. One more loss in Europe could spell doom and the game tonight is going to be huge in terms of where Liverpool ends this season. Silverware appears to be distant though it would be great to see the team advance through the group stage. I hope they do because they are a formidable force and great to watch when in full flow. I am hoping for a great display tonight from one of Europe's foremost clubs.
There are problems aplenty for the reds and it would be interesting to see the starting lineup for tonight’s big game. The injury list has grown stronger and Rafa is going to have tough time getting a fit and confident team up for the game. Based on the form of its players and more so it’s manager, I would be more hopeful than confident to predict a positive result tonight for the reds.
While everyone seemed to suggest that the win against United was the turning point for the reds, last week’s loss to Fulham has all but put an end to their premiership hopes. While a whole lot of football still has to be played and loads of surprises still in store this EPL season, Liverpool's championship chances are remarkably bleak as early as November. Europe could again be the saving grace however it could be rather optimistic to suggest so at this time. One more loss in Europe could spell doom and the game tonight is going to be huge in terms of where Liverpool ends this season. Silverware appears to be distant though it would be great to see the team advance through the group stage. I hope they do because they are a formidable force and great to watch when in full flow. I am hoping for a great display tonight from one of Europe's foremost clubs.
Sad state of sports reporting!
It was a good game of cricket and as usual one team had to lose. The reason I am writing this post is beyond what happened on the field and is more about what happened on Indian news channels soon after. Aussies fought like tigers and produced some fantastic on field cricket to beat India in a close game.
Soon after the match was over I flipped to a news channel and I saw some cricket experts blaming the loss on a poor umpiring decision. Mr. Expert was so vehement in his approach and so unreasonable in his argument that no amount of reasoning from the news reporter could have changed his position. The argument went something like this:
News Anchor: So "expert", do you think a bad umpiring decision cost India the game?
Expert: (screaming) the decision was poor and this is not the first time as this happens all the time to our team. Sachin was so close to taking India to a fantastic win and to get to his landmark 17k but for a disastrous decision by Asoka d'Silva. He has been giving poor decisions against us for a long time now and has to be stopped. ICC needs to make sure such incompetent umpires are not allowed to officiate in big games.
News Anchor: But don't you think it was the failure of our middle order that was responsible?
Expert: Don't underestimate the importance of losing a set batsman who was anchoring the innings and the umpire made a blunder so he should be thrown out of the elite panel.
So I sat there wondering about the state of sports reporting and the incompetence of so called 'experts'. It appears that most channels and their expert commentators are so fraught with the idea of sensationalism that they completely overshadow the basic inspiration of reporting – TRUTH.
The truth part is conspicuous by its absence in every form of news reporting these days and sensation is so prevalent around news and entertainment channels that the real story is actually lost. The story I could not understand from last night’s news was that India lost a closely fought and thoroughly entertaining game of cricket to a superior opposition on the day.
Soon after the match was over I flipped to a news channel and I saw some cricket experts blaming the loss on a poor umpiring decision. Mr. Expert was so vehement in his approach and so unreasonable in his argument that no amount of reasoning from the news reporter could have changed his position. The argument went something like this:
News Anchor: So "expert", do you think a bad umpiring decision cost India the game?
Expert: (screaming) the decision was poor and this is not the first time as this happens all the time to our team. Sachin was so close to taking India to a fantastic win and to get to his landmark 17k but for a disastrous decision by Asoka d'Silva. He has been giving poor decisions against us for a long time now and has to be stopped. ICC needs to make sure such incompetent umpires are not allowed to officiate in big games.
News Anchor: But don't you think it was the failure of our middle order that was responsible?
Expert: Don't underestimate the importance of losing a set batsman who was anchoring the innings and the umpire made a blunder so he should be thrown out of the elite panel.
So I sat there wondering about the state of sports reporting and the incompetence of so called 'experts'. It appears that most channels and their expert commentators are so fraught with the idea of sensationalism that they completely overshadow the basic inspiration of reporting – TRUTH.
The truth part is conspicuous by its absence in every form of news reporting these days and sensation is so prevalent around news and entertainment channels that the real story is actually lost. The story I could not understand from last night’s news was that India lost a closely fought and thoroughly entertaining game of cricket to a superior opposition on the day.
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