Quote featured on The Hindu: Thoughts on the IPL Auction

When Delhi swooped in and signed Yuvraj Singh for 16 Crore, it made be question their rationale.

Below are my thoughts, quoted in a Hindu piece by KC Vijay Kumar.

It is not an enthusiasm that everybody shares and Ramanujam Sridhar, a seasoned brand analyst and communication consultant, who is the CEO of brand-comm, countered: “I strongly believe that the picking of Yuvraj, be it the RCB earlier or Daredevils now, is an irrational choice. Too much is being made up about him and honestly in terms of match-winning skills, in recent times players like James Faulkner or a Glenn Maxwell are far better. The thing is Daredevils, after releasing 13 players, were flush with cash, and they could afford to splurge. Now to the question of brands cashing in on Yuvraj’s appeal, even there I beg to differ. To be fair, he is not in the Virat Kohli league. Kohli has a personality now, Yuvraj lacks that and plus he is not doing too many endorsements like Kohli. Be it Yuvraj or even Dinesh Karthik [RCB, Rs. 10.5 crore], the prices they got just cannot be justified. I guess the need for Indian players has skewed their rates because you can only field four foreigners in the playing eleven and that could well be the reason for someone as talented as Aaron Finch [Australia] going for just Rs. 3.2 crore [to Mumbai Indians].”


Read the full article here: Cricketers and their face value

How big are the Ashes?

“Its humongous” says Brad Haddin, “it is huge” says Michael Clarke, “it is awesome” says Hussey in the promos preceding the first Ashes test at the Gabba which are still on ESPN. My mind goes back to 1960 and the first test, though not an Ashes test but arguably the greatest test of all time between Richie Benaud’s Australians and the gentlemanly Frank Worrall’s West Indians. Now that was big! Compared to that the much hyped “clash of the Titans” (if you can call the no.4 and no.5 teams that) has been a damp squib to equal some of our firecrackers from my childhood in the November rain of Madras. On the 16th of December the teams will move to Perth, the scene of former bounce and pace. But if the first two games are any indication, Australia is dead and buried, caught between the confusion of old versus new, plaintive appeals for Shane Warne’s return which remind me of his own fervent efforts in his bowling days to get umpires to nod, Ponting’s struggles making us realize the value of Sachin Tendulkar’s longevity, spinner after Australian spinner being chosen only to be dropped, Hauritz giving away his test kit… What a time to be a pom!! “Are you England in disguise” is the barmy army’s cry and how apt it seems. Australia’s stuttering efforts remind me of the 1992 world cup that was held in Australia- arguably their worst world cup ever, perhaps only to be rivaled by what is going to happen to them in India in February, if their current losing record is any indication. Of course Australia may still win if James Anderson after his paternity leave takes a flight to Atlanta instead of Perth, Swann fractures his spinning finger on the day of the match, Hughes scores a century before lunch and Ponting bats like 2003, 2004, 2005 or 2006 and Australia fields like we all know it can. Now what are the odds of all of this happening mate?

On to the real big game

On the same day in South Africa, the number one and two teams will lock horns- South Africa and India. Even with the confusion surrounding the ratings (Australia moved up a notch after losing the Adelaide test by an innings) there is no doubt that these two teams are superior to Australia at least, by far. South Africa is doing many things right and has its batsmen in form. Of course its ability to get twenty wickets will be in sharp focus, what with our best batsman (or at least the one with the best averages in the last series) batting at no.8! Their bowling against the Pakistanis albeit in the dust bowls of the Middle East was found wanting. They have in their own modest way pointed out India’s none too flattering record in South Africa to an ever obliging media which has lapped up every word. They are talking about Sehwag which is always a dumb thing to do – never sledge the opponent lest they make you grovel as Tony Greig discovered to his horror! Of course they can do one better; they can sledge Sachin and then be forever consigned to no.2 before England dislodges them!

Boring test matches, the order of the day

If Australia had not lost three wickets for two runs (what an achievement) the Adelaide test too would have been a dull, boring draw like the test match at the Gabba, the ones in Sri Lanka and the first two against New Zealand here in India. As sponsors get greedier and insist on matches not being decided in less than five days, draws are going to be the order of the day. Batting averages are going to be inflated to 55 instead of the 50 some time ago and people like me are going to switch off our TV sets. Mark my words, this series against South Africa is not only critical to these two warring teams but to the entire cricketing world. I do hope the wickets give both bat and ball a chance. If South Africa is dumb enough to produce wickets that will aid seam and swing they need to remember that Sreesanth when he is not consumed by madness, can be a force and Zaheer is arguably the best left arm seamer in the world. But it could well be a series dominated by batsmen – whether it will be Amla, Kallis or DeVilliers or VVS Laxman, Sachin and Sehwag who will call the shots will soon be known. But at the risk of stating the obvious, the team that will get twenty wickets will win and one hopes that we set to rest all the doubts that are constantly being raised, not without reason, about us being “lions at home and lambs abroad”.

Here is my prediction

I know how dumb it is to make a prediction before a ball has been bowled. India is going to play the first test without even the benefit of a practice game and we all know how lethargic we are as starters of test series. But I still believe that the Indian team like the English team in Australia has self belief. It has done many things that was only associated with the Australia of old. I think India will scrape through and if Sehwag clicks as he is bound to then we will win in a canter.

Whatever happens, I do hope that it is a darn sight more interesting than the Ashes.

Ramanujam Sridhar
CEO
brand – comm.
Read my blog @ http://www.brand-comm.com/blog.html
Facebook: facebook.com/RamanujamSridhar
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Thank you Steve Davis!

What is it about Australian umpires that cause the more self-restrained people to raise eyebrows and normal human beings to raise their voices? I have been watching and following cricket for a small matter of 51 years and wonder whether any cricket related topic has created as much heat. From the days of the immortal Frank Worrell’s tour of Australia which resulted in the unforgettable tied test to yesterday at Ahmedabad there has been discussion about Australian umpires and most of it unfavorable on TV. For one Simon Taufel, there have been several Steve Davis over the years. In the past it used to be laced with veiled comments about partiality while yesterday it was time to question the competence of the umpire who is the hero of this piece.

For months now the BCCI has refused to see what was obvious and apparent to most cricket lovers and commentators - the crying need to accept the UDRS system. I am what is a needless species as far as the BCCI is concerned - a cricket fan. A humble cricket fan and I may not know as much as some of the exalted people who run the game in India, but I can challenge them on one simple aspect. I sincerely believe I have watched and continue to watch more cricket than any of them. For I have a sneaking suspicion that most administrators, players and even commentators here do not watch cricket other than what India plays in. I have the dubious distinction of travelling to different parts of the world to watch cricket and more importantly watch every cricket match that is happening in the world of cricket and many of them which happen outside this country use the UDRS, and in my opinion the UDRS works . It would have worked yesterday for VVS Laxman who would have got a richly deserved century. It would have worked for Ishant Sharma when he got a raw deal and most certainly for Ricky Ponting when Ojha was plumb in front of the stumps in what would have settled the match. It will save us from the vagaries of Billy Bowden’s crooked finger and Steve Davis’ short sightedness!

Well done Steve

The fifth day of the first test between India and New Zealand was arguably Steve Davis worst day. In one memorable five ball over he did not see that VVS had a huge insight edge and Zaheer had another that was only slightly less intense. He promptly gave both of them out lbw of successive balls. He must have been so happy with his own umpiring that he called the over in just five balls. But Steve Davis I hope has given a rude jolt to the slumbering BCCI officials. I do hope that some of the BCCI officials were watching. I wish Virender Sehwag would just saunter to one of them and say “I told you so”. Clearly there is divided opinion about the UDRS and its efficacy within the Indian team and “God“ is against it. God maybe the greatest batsman that ever trod the post war cricket ground, but he has got it completely wrong this time around.

All the talk about technology not being adequate is pure hogwash. Technology will never be perfect but it would have certainly avoided the blunders of yesterday. Let’s go with what Ravi Shastri said about UDRS. It prevents blunders like what we saw yesterday at Ahmedabad. Let’s not let the same blunders happen in South Africa when we travel there for what is ostensibly the world championship of cricket. Picture this - Wayne Parnell pitches the ball six inches outside the leg stump there is a huge shout and Sachin is adjudged lbw! Hashim Amla smashes one to Dhoni and despite fervent appeals by the entire Indian team is given not out!. VVS Laxman again inside edges to be given out lbw! Who knows Steve Davis and Billy Bowden could well be the umpires we might have for that series while Aleem Dar is officiating in the Ashes and Simon Taufel is officiating in some state game in Australia. India has always been lazy in understanding new concepts - it was the most vocal critic of the T20 and now it’s most ardent follower. Let’s hope that the same thing happens with UDRS.

Ramanujam Sridhar
CEO
brand – comm.
Read my blog @ http://www.brand-comm.com/blog.html
Facebook: facebook.com/RamanujamSridhar
Twitter: twitter.com/RamanujamSri

Is the BCCI finally learning?

I have never been a great admirer of the BCCI. The organization {?} is one that you normally associate with “chaos’, ‘confusion’ and even ‘corruption’. It has been known for email leaks, irresponsible media interviews, lobbying and a whole host of undesirable activities. Of course my major grouse with them has been the fact that they do not give a fig for the ultimate consumer, whether he is a person who pays hard earned money to watch matches live or sits religiously in front of the TV set. I recently went to watch the India Australia test match at Bangalore (what a match it was) and was appalled to see the condition of the seats. And mind you these were member’s seats. Of course the World Cup is around the corner, but then in India we specialize in doing things at the last moment, don’t we! Just ask Kalmadi!

The times they are a changing

Yet, the BCCI seems to have woken up to the fact that the Indian test team is number one in the world. They suddenly realized that they could lose their number one status without playing too much test cricket as other countries are busy playing with each other. So the BCCI quickly changed the seven match one day series against Australia to two test matches and three one day internationals. Despite Ponting’s bleatings that this was hardly the ideal preparation for the Ashes, the BCCI had its way. Thankfully, both the teams ensured that this was one of the finest short series that one had seen and the Australians were graceful losers and India got a good lead in the ICC points table.

Of course India bashers are fond of saying that we are lions at home and lambs abroad. The truth as always is somewhere in the middle. But full credit to the BCCI for realizing that the series against South Africa in South Africa could well be the true test championship of the world. Of course Indians have known to be indifferent travelers and much is at stake. So it is proposed that the key Indian players travel early to South Africa to acclimatize. Of course in today’s hurly burly world there is no time for practice games. Incidentally, we need to remember that England is scheduled to play three tour games before the first test at Brisbane.

Be that as it may, I think the first Indian eleven for the first test in South Africa should move earlier to the country to acclimatize. Who knows the BCCI could even request(!) the South African test team to play a practice game against this team at the Wanderers and they might even accept! Of course being an Indian fan, I do know that nothing is certain till it actually happens and this may just be Kirsten’s zeal which may well be nipped in the bud! And who is to prevent some smart sponsor from getting in a few days of commercial shoots with our celebrity cricketers!

Let’s keep hoping and praying that the BCCI is finally understanding its role as something beyond money and sponsorships!

Is this the best Indian batting side?

A few months ago I had an unexpected visit from my nephew who teaches Finance at Columbia University. “You had better take a break from your blog” he suggested. When I asked him why, his response was quick and brutal like the batsman he was talking about “You had predicted the decline and {cricketing demise} of Sehwag and look how he is batting now”. Like all good writers I do not read what I write and I also have a selective memory, but took his word for it. In deference to his wishes and the chaos in the economy I took a break from cricket writing for some time. I am back perhaps not with a bang but hope it won’t become a whimper either like the New Zealand bowling.

Sachin speaks the world listens

Sachin is not one who talks idly, just ask Glenn McGrath! He usually lets his bat do the talking. Yet he stirred the hornet’s nest (or at least a lethargic blogger to action) when he said that this current Indian batting side was the best that he had been part of. I guess there is a lot of truth in the statement, made as it is, by someone who knows what he is talking about. Whose 43rd century, just a few days ago, shows that the old fires are still burning in his fatigued body, which has done yeoman service for his often unappreciative countrymen. Then Sehwag blasted a century, in just 60 balls off a hapless Kiwi attack that did not know where to hide. In fact, Vettori, in the post match press conference, quipped that 500 might have been a match winning target against the rampaging Indians. Yes Indian batting and cricket too is at all time high and when Sachin makes a statement the cricketing world sits up and takes notice.

Blistering batsmen ruling the roost

There is no doubt that the Indian top three in the one day version is easily the best in the cricketing world, and its value is perhaps best realized by a team like England, whose top three is perhaps the best indication of what such a line up should not be! But with Sachin batting with all his old skill and renewed vigour, with Sehwag in the form of his life, Gambhir bringing his own brand of improvisation, Yuvraj batting in the one dayers with the same abandon that he exhibited in the T20s, Dhoni being the binding stability that the middle order badly needed and dashers like Yusuf Pathan floating around, one can afford to be euphoric. Make no mistake; this is one helluva batting line up. I am not sure that any other team in the world has this ability, experience and potential amidst its ranks. Yet having been a disappointed Indian fan, who has been traveling around India in ‘96, England in ‘99, South Africa in 2003 and West Indies in 2007 on unsuccessful world cup campaigns, I am reluctant to celebrate just yet! Are we overreacting to our exploits on the wickets of Sri Lanka and the miniscule grounds of New Zealand? Seriously the ICC should do something about the sizes and shapes of cricket grounds in New Zealand!

A look at the past

India has at least for the last decade had an amazing batting line up. Sachin, Ganguly, Sehwag, Dravid and Lakshman have made runs in every condition, against every opposition and not only at home. Maybe some of them did not have the strike rates of the current lot. But to counter that they had to contend with the McGraths, the Warnes, the Bonds, the Wasims, the Waqars, the Donalds and the Pollocks in their prime, often on wickets that were not as benign as they have become universally today. In fact, it is a sad truth that despite the fab four making hordes of runs as often and as consistently as they did, never did we capitalize on that to win a world cup or be the best team in the world. This current team has the capability to do that and it seems certain that Sachin is pacing himself for the 2011 world cup.

A time for optimism

While I am not able to stick my neck out and say that this is the best batting side ever, I can certainly say a few things with a fair degree of confidence. This team has no fear. It has no ghosts from the past to handle, or any mental scars from repeated defeats like the English cricket team. Nor is it a bunch of ‘chokers’. It is full of confidence and can chase down any total under the sun or under lights. It has already won the T20 world cup. While one can argue about the batting, there is no debate about the fact that it has currently the most balanced bowling attack we have ever had. Zaheer continues to torment the best of batsmen, while Ishant is a handful, not to forget Harbhajan and our underrated fifth bowlers in Yuvraj and Sehwag, who can be invaluable in the world cup in 2011 played as it will be in India at least, if not in Pakistan. Yet I always remember what Geoffrey Boycott used to tell Ravi Sastri when he used to get too excited about the Indian team’s performance “Raavi, Raavi,” he would say,” don’t get ahead of yourself”. That is perhaps my message for the Indian cricket fan who borders between total arrogance and complete diffidence and does not realize that there is a happy medium in between. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but enjoy the moment and remember that 2011 is a long, long time away. Let’s just pray that our players remain modest, despite their phenomenal success. Let’s hope that they remain fit, what with so much cricket being played. And let’s hope that they field better than we are currently fielding or else the best batting line up will consistently have to chase down 400!

(Ramanujam Sridhar is CEO, brand-comm, and the author of One Land, One Billion Minds.)

The last frontier or the end of an era?

The Australians are here to play one more test series against India and the two teams will compete for the Border Gavaskar trophy once again in what we hope will rival some of the epic contests in the Australian bid for the final frontier in the recent past. Steve Waugh retired from test cricket without climbing the final frontier while Ricky Ponting who is probably playing his last test series in India was able to climb it vicariously (being sidelined through injury} as Australia won the last time around under the captaincy of Adam Gilchrist. Will this series hold the same thrills and excitement that encounters between the two sides have been arousing in the last few occasions? Will it be the last hurrah or a painful farewell to some of the ageing stars in both sides? We will know soon enough.

Australia who?
Several of the Australians who made their team such a dominant force in world cricket are no longer around. The pugnacious Langer, the metronome McGrath, the legendary Warne, the aggressive Gilchrist and the graceful Martyn, not to forget Jason Gillespie’s who had the unique feat of scoring a double century in his last test, will not be in display this month, making this series likely to be definitely less watch-able than the ones we have witnessed earlier. Only four of the present lot have played test cricket in India and Ricky Ponting has been a real bunny here rather than the raging kangaroo that the rest of the world knows him as. And yet despite the relatively new look to this Australian team, it has its fair share of champions like Hayden who loves Indian curry and Indian conditions, Brett Lee who with his speed and newly acquired reverse swing could upset more than one Indian batsman, not to forget the Husseys and Clarks of the world. Australia as always will compete and for once may savour the underdog status that media is conferring on them.

What about India?
Normally what should have been a cake walk for India against this depleted side is now assuming a fair degree of uncertainty as the fab four as we know them are in their last year of test cricket if not on their last legs .Ganguly is living on borrowed time while Tendulkar’s injuries are always a cause for worry though he has just announced himself fit. Laxman despite his tremendous talent is never a certainty in the side while Dravid seems to be searching for that sublime touch which was his for the asking for years on end though he soldiers on manfully. Kumble too seems to be showing his bowling age. Of course Sehwag is in the form of his life, Gambhir is waiting to explode while Harbhajan (in case he does not lose his head) can run circles around the opposition. Nor can we afford to forget the old head on young shoulders, Dhoni, waiting in the wings for the captaincy of the test side. Yes we have the capability to win despite a new selection committee and lack of co-ordination within the BCCI as one never knows how the pitches will turn out to be.

Preparation the key
One of the key things that one can learn from the Australians is perhaps the seriousness with which they have approached India and the tour. They have come to India a week earlier than originally scheduled, have roped in Greg Chappell and the Rajasthan cricket association even as their A team has just left the shores of this country after winning the tournament. Throw in the IPL experience that people like Shane Watson have got, then one can see that Australia have put their best foot forward and if they are found wanting then it cannot be put down to lack of preparation. Maybe the cash rich BCCI should remember all this when we tour England, Australia or South Africa the next time around. Yet a word of caution is probably relevant here. The series despite all the media hype could turn out to be a damp squib if either of the two teams fails to live up to its potential.

The last hurrah for test cricket?
Rivalry between India and Australia has now assumed enormous proportions and the Australian players compare it with the rivalry of the Ashes which has a rich heritage of over a hundred years. The tests between the two countries have in recent years thrilled audiences in both countries and have had phenomenal viewer ship. Yet the whole environment has gone through a sea change in the last year or so with the increasing attraction of players for IPL which has been India centric. Test cricket may no longer be top dog for players and most certainly for spectators in this part of the world who are hooked on to the shorter version of the game thanks to its brevity and our new found success in it. So in many ways this series can be far more important than merely throwing up a victorious team, it could be a make or break exercise not only for the ageing stalwarts on both sides but for the venerable institution of test cricket. Who will win?
Your guess is as good as mine.

‘’Back to the pack’ in thirteen years

Way back in 1995 Australia the emerging champions dethroned the long time champions West Indies in the Caribbean to annex the Frank Worrell trophy. Last night Ricky Ponting’s Australians beat the West Indies in a series again and proudly held the same Frank Worrell trophy after winning the series 2 -0. The Australian team has been on top of the cricketing heap for so long to the extent of making test cricket boring and one sided. The only teams to have pushed Australia in this period have been India and England in the 2005 Ashes series. Yet this series, just concluded, demonstrates the shift in the balance of power and perhaps signals the end of Australian dominance. If this series was any indication, a lot more teams will certainly be able to draw more matches against Australia, if not actually beat them. Australia without the belligerence of Gilchrist and the bludgeoning of Hayden and the unorthodoxy of Justin Langer not to forget the silken grace of Damien Martyn are struggling to score at the frenetic pace that they used to score in, thereby giving their top flight bowlers enough and more time to take twenty wickets. And while even this is manageable as the batting replacements like Katich have kicked in and people like Hodge and Marsh have not even gotten a look in, the real problem is in the bowling with only Brett Lee and Stuart Clarke being truly effective and the matches have been much closer despite West Indies being currently ranked eighth in the ICC test rankings. All of this led Ricky Ponting to grudgingly accept that his bowling has gone” back to the pack”- some admission from the normally cocky Australian captain.

Test cricket is the real McCoy

India in particular and the world in general had been sucked into the glitz and glamour that the IPL provided .The IPL had gotten in a new breed of viewers who admired the shortened format and perhaps the attendant entertainment in the grounds. Some even predicted the death of test cricket. At Bridgetown, the West Indies made a gallant effort at chasing down 475.They fell 87 runs short, but the match and the series made for excellent viewing even if some of the grounds were empty .Shivnarine Chanderpaul demonstrated what a difficult batsman he is to dislodge and not surprisingly was the man of the series even as the slightly stodgy Simon Katich scored two centuries and conceded sportingly that he may not have a place in the Australian team once Hayden returns for the Bangalore test against India. What an embarrassment of batting riches and how enormously frustrating for people waiting in the wings like Watson and Marsh who had such a fantastic IPL season. But the bowling is where replacements are harder to get and this is where the once mighty Australians are suffering and this is where the rest of the world can take heart from and actually capitalize .The next test match that Australia will play will be here at Bangalore at the lion’s den and the “last frontier” that Steve Waugh never conquered. This could well be the beginning of the end for Australia. Mind you it will not be a quick demise like the one in the eighties when Marsh, Lillee and Greg Chappell retired in one go. Australia will move from flamboyance to percentage cricket, which will make them a lot less attractive to watch if not easier to beat. Teams will gain confidence from what the lowly ranked West Indies showed the rest of the world. While the ranking may not do justice to the West Indies’ current ability, there is no going away from the fact that they are still ranked eighth. Teams no longer to have play the reputation of the Australian team, they just have to play the team and beat it.
Will we show the way to the rest of the world or get caught in our own hype?