Columnist Peter Roebuck has put together a World XI based on performances in 2008. It is statistically accurate, and therein lies the problem: Team composition can't be determined by numbers alone.
For instance, he keeps Virendar Sehwag out because Gautam Gambhir hit a purple patch and Graeme Smith scored better than Sehwag in crucial fourth innings situations. The logic is flawed. In my estimate, all three would have to play... and Gambhir plays at No.3 because he can contribute more on form than Hashim Amla.
The other glaring bloomer is omitting Sachin Tendulkar because Pietersen had a more lucrative year in terms of runs. Facts don't show how well Tendulkaer played in 2008. Again, both must play in the world side. And so, Chanderpaul in my reckoning must make way though he has more runs to show.
Lastly, how can anybody leave out Ishant Sharma? Even if the wickets column don't show it, Ishant created enough pressure at one end to benefit the bowler steaming in from the other. Both Ishant and Zaheer Khan must play. It's a toss up between Zak and Steyn who has had a fabulous year. Experience does count here, and so Steyn must wait.
It's one of my oldest propositions: numbers don't supply the complete picture. And 2008 vindicates that. What a year it has been for Test cricket. Rarely does an Australian skipper lose two Tests at Perth, leave alone that both occurred in the same year. It is unbelievable that Pakistan doesn't produce world-class cricketers anymore. It's even more staggering that there are six Indians in the squad of 12. We have come a long way. This year may turn out to be the tipping point of a wonderful fight between Sri Lanka, South Africa and India, each of whom are eroding Australia's advantage as incumbents. Ashes 2009 could throw up another new fighting unit.
Here is my team for 2008
V. Sehwag
G. Smith
G. Gambhir
S. Tendulkar
K. Pietersen
A. Symonds
MS. Dhoni (c)
I. Sharma
A. Mendis
M. Muralitharan
Z. Khan
12th man: D. Steyn
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Few things can better knowing that I am working on a special report, which will take me through the beloved winter of New Delhi for three days, Pune for three days, Ahmedabad for three days... And what better way than to begin in Bangalore from December 30th until January 3rd. Couldn't have asked for a better way to begin 2009! I am the anchor of my own ascension... Tell me I'm the tourist in the fouth dimension.
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WHAT AN ANECDOTE!?
In 2006, A B de Villiers was opening the batting and arrived in Kwazulu Natal following a couple of low scores in the 1st test in Cape Town. He was edgy. He was nervous. He was hyperactive and in need of a score. All of those attributes compounded the issue and concluded in one of the more extraordinary tales of an international sportsman. The night before he was due to bat (against Australia) on the 25th of March against the likes of a potent Lee and Warne, he decided some extra hours of shut eye were warranted. After a draining day in the field watching a Ponting century, he retired very early to the private sanctuary of his beachfront hotel room around 8 pm. Restless sleep followed as the batting demons played havoc with his mind and he exhausted himself with visions of the challenge the following day. He eventually awoke in a startled state, riddled with apprehension about the day ahead. A quick glance at his watch escalated the anxiety. It was 10.30! He suddenly realised he was late for the start of play on Day 2 and massive panic immediately set in. He dived into the shower, hurriedly donned his team tracksuit and rushed to the breakfast room to douse the flame of hunger that was burning away at his stomach following a meal void previous evening. As he arrived his worst fears were confirmed. The staff were clearing the service and he was too late for food. He knew he would be in Graeme Smith’s little black book forever for sleeping in during a Test match. He snatched a slice of bread from the nearest table and bolted for the elevator to scramble for a taxi to Kingsmead. Upon arriving in the foyer in a dishevelled and horror filled state, he realised his folly. It was still dark outside! He had actually awoken after only two hours sleep and it was in fact 10.30pm, not 10.30am! His watch combined with his fretful psychological state had succeeded to lie to him....
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Read the whole Mike Haysman ode to young de Villers here.
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Pearl Jam live-performance recordings are:
#1 Pinkpop Festival, 1992
#2 Ed Sullivan Theatre, 2006
#3 Reading Festival, 2006
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"How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd..."
-- Alexander Pope, Eloisa to Abelard
These are the times when I know why I am here, why it is now. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind plays at my film society on Sunday. I am going to be watching it on the Big Screen!
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How the words of famous men enter the common lexicon:
The new office boy answers to the name, Ramdas. I meet him in the elevator most mornings, and manage: "Hey Ram!"
He is a fabulous and "proactive" worker who anticipates the needs in office. So, a printout anyone sends from their terminal promptly finds itz way to the respective desk. (It's fun when a printout lands up on the wrong desk.) Then, Ram loves to help out before lunch with the plates and glasses. His manners are. ahem, impeccable. He is already such a valuable player in our office space that I can't overemphasize a Das Capital as such.
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| 2008-12-11 23:41 |
| Sand Shore |
| Public |
 indifferent |
| Pearl Jam (Pinkpop '92) - Once |
The sight is beautiful from where I stand. The time now reads 29 years, 12 months and 11 days. The signboard in the horizon flashes '30', and I want to embrace it in all its warmth.
When it once read '10', I was in love with this curly-haired cricketer aged 16 ready to take on Richard Hadlee, Malcolm Marshall, Imran Khan and Ian Botham playing alongside Kapil Dev. When the board had flashed '20', I knew I had seen the last of that boy's genius and abundance of natural stroke play as he began to grow.
It's a path we all will take, albeit less gloriously.
On my part, there is an iron lung to forsake, some words to graft, and many a mile to run. And it all seems worth the effort of having experienced the years in the wilderness.
To the year of living dangerously, Touché!
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| 2008-12-11 18:38 |
| I Love Zaltzman |
| Public |
 apathetic |
| Eric Clapton - She's Waiting |
If ever cricket appreciation needed Monty Python, here stands he: Andy Zaltzman.
Among his various funny bones of contention is this: "Should India be targeting Monty Panesar more than any other batsman?" in a blog post titled 'Facts + Maths = Truth'. Here is how he makes his case for Panesar.
"In all, Panesar has passed 10 only four times in his Test career – but in those matches, he has taken 23 wickets at an average of 24, with three five-wicket innings. In the 29 Tests when he has not excelled with the bat, Panesar’s bowling average balloons to nearly 34. Clearly, he is England’s most important wicket. India’s bowlers should be targeting Panesar more than any other batsman. England, for their part, should be giving Monty round-the-clock batting coaching. It must be worth the ECB’s effort and funding – let it not be forgotten that Panesar had a better batting average after his first 12 Tests than Don Bradman, Len Hutton or Viv Richards had after their first 1. (Or Graham Gooch after 2.) (Or Mike Gatting after 3.) (Or Martin Crowe after 4.) (Or Jacques Kallis after 5.) (Or Bill Edrich or Wasim Akram after 8.) (Or Marvan Atapattu after 9.) (Or Kenny Rutherford after 12.) (The list goes on.) (Probably.) (Until: Or Courtney Walsh after 132.) (Where it ends.)"
But today's post takes the cake for me. It has this pearl of wisdom: "As I write, the loser-takes-all New Zealand v West Indies clash has just begun, with bragging rights as Test cricket’s second most useless team up for grabs."
I am lovin' it!
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... is the new music video by The Verve titled 'Rather Be.' The sound has been sanitised and made too clean. If only recording studios understood that the noise of Nick McCabe's guitar is not an everyday phenomenon. Right now, I have to strain my ears to catch McCabe's guitarwork. [He has more freedom while playing live.] Still, 'Rather Be' is a decent pop song, as was 'Love Is Noise'. The Verve has stepped back from their rock sound, I fear. We all have grown up.
Coldplay's album release 'Viva La Vida' earlier this year was okie-dokie, again. A decade after the ripe phase of Brit rock (1992-98), I wonder if studios are taking less risks. Barring The Kooks, Arctic Monkeys and Kaiser Chiefs in the past two years, I am yet to come across a Brit band that is breaking lyrical and sound ground. Even Oasis has gone pop (with the repetitive electric guitar chords). The melodies are gone. Travis continues to be my hope, when it comes to melodies.
All this reminds me: I have to write an ode to 'Be Here Now' -- the last effort of the original Oasis line-up. It's been a decade since BHN had released. It probably reined in the beginning of the end. Just want to cite a couple of repeated thought patterns in the Brit band lyrics this year:
"I just got lost
Every river that I've tried to cross
And every door I ever tried was locked
Ooh-Oh, And I'm just waiting till the shine wears off..."-- Coldplay, 'Lost'
"I was blind - couldn't see
What was here in me
I was blind - insecure
I felt like the road was way too long, yeah
Cause love is noise and love is pain..." -- The Verve, 'Love Is Noise'
The bands have to tread new territories. Here is one that sets the bar for me:
"We chased our pleasures here
Dug our treasures there
But can you still recall
The time we cried
Break on through to the other side" -- The Doors
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Here is an Eddie Vedder outburst, immortalised as the 'Quarter Rant' during a Pearl Jam performance at Mansfield, 1998, to promote 'Yield':
"Hey! Listen you asshole, one more fucker throws a fucking quarter out here again and we are out of here. I am telling you. Fucker! What the fuck you doing is you’re fucking everybody. Hit me with a fuckin’ quarter again and fuck it, I am outta here. We’re all out of here. Fuck you! If anyone sees someone throwing fucking change (and you’re) right next to him, you have my permission to beat the fucking holy shit out of him. Thank you very much. Fuckin’ idiot!
"Ah! What the fuck. (smile of relief) Thank you… 'State of Love and Trust'..."
OBSCENITY COUNT: 14 in just more than a minute! :-) But this quarter rant happened a decade ago.
It's hard to believe Vedder is the same today, considering how much he weighs his words now at concerts. In fact, the vocalist urges crowds at the end of every concert to be responsible and safe. His change perhaps started after the death of eight youngsters in a stampede at a concert in Year 2000. Vedder wrote a song called 'Love Boat Captain' for those who died and their families. He hasn't been the same since at live performances, though he does keep his beer below the microphone. What is creditable is that he has retained his sense of anger and applied it for larger causes like the one I posted in my last entry.
I am convinced that applying anger is essential! Not always. But it has a divine purpose: anger can be a fire to test the truth of a moment... even that of a universe.
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