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
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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!