Excelling in society is different from sport...IPL T20

Privatisation of cricket is here to stay in a big way. The Indian Premier League has succeded in creating 8 teams of market value. Now cricketers will know what responsibility and accountabilty are, is what all are saying- since so far they reported to national and state governing bodies, who perhaps accept defeat or lack lustre performances as part of the game.

But the private owners also have to understand what it is to compete in sport vs other walks of life. I have disucssed this issue in my Cricket book in the preface. In most careers and industries we all have to excel- but we need not be the top 5 or even top 100 worldwide, to earn a great living. In sport Anju Bobby George who was amongst the top 5 long jumpers in the world was always seen by the media as returning with her hands empty. Sania Mirza, beats the competition back home by a mile and is amongst the top 30 odd women tennis players of the world. Most Indians see her as a glamor icon. Just remember that Anju, Sania and so do our cricketers are measured amongst standards worldwide. Not many of the very best engineers, lawyers, doctors, film stars and industrialists are likely to be in the best 100 of the world but get respect and fame (and fortune) as top class citizens.

Coming to the point- Dr. Mallya now owns Bangalore's IPL Cricket Team. He is known to be one of India's pioneering and competitive industry leaders with guts to own an airline as well- apart from a beer brand. He well and truly deserves the respect he gets for being a proactive industialist and having a vision to try new ideas.

However, are his airline or his beer in the top 8 of the world? The fact of the matter is that they need not be. In all walks of life you can get away being just about good or above par not just internationally but even locally. How many of them has Dr. Mallya fired because his brand is perhaps not amongst the most desired brands in say Germany (which would be like beating Australia in Australia in cricket).

Most of us in society have not competed perhaps a tenth as much say Anju or Sania, because we do not need to. Excelling in Society is different from sport- because you can get away with being just very good and that too not in an international sense.

Surely Bangalore Royal Challengers deserve and should have done better. But being 'last' or 8th in sport is again a fact which comes under the radar in sport. But not even trying to be amongst the top 10 or 100 in the world in other walks of life will perhaps not even be expected.

Welcome to the World of Real Competition Dr. Mallya. Not this year, but in coming years your Bangalore Team may win or be a top team. Will your beer be the best in the world too? It most likely will not matter.

Saumil
Mumbai, 14 May 208
btw- I do not drink alcohol, so I would not really know. But you need not be the best 10 bloggers even in your own neighborhood to blog...

Delhi Daredevils miss out on Nimzo-prophylactic, Kolkata IPL, 13 May 2008

Delhi Daredevils did a brilliant job to restrict Kolkata Knight Riders to 133 in 20 overs. Just over 6 an over is not difficult in T20. In fact the only way to lose from here would be if Kolkata could run through the top order (especially since Delhi has a weaker middle order).

If the opposition has only one or few ways to win, howsoever improbable they might be, it is best to remove those options if feasible. And it does not take an expert to arrive at the fact that Shoaib Akhtar has an ability to run through with a bunch of wickets.

But a bowler can only take 3-4 wickets if he first gets one! Delhi should have shut the doors on Shoaib and seen off his 3 overs. But Sehwag gifted his wicket trying to square cut a ball with a bit of width but not that short. Gambhir fell slashing to Shoaib when the score was 17 in little over two overs. Till then he had played innovative shots along the ground. AB de Villiers tried to pull Shoaib when the score was 28 in 4 overs. And even when some risks were taken to reach 28 of 4 overs, you could hold your serve rather than go for a break! Manoj Tiwary was the only wicket Shoaib earned on a defensive shot!

Delhi missed a chess style Nimzo prophylatic! Kolkata had ony one option- to get 2-3 wickets up front to have an outside chance. They got exactly that.

Compare this to Tendulkar when he made 2 off 22 against Pollock-Ntini in an ODI against South Africa chasing 160 (India, 2005-06 and Gambhir took risks then!). Then too South Africa could have won only if they ran through 2-3 wickets up front as they had no real spin threat. That was shut by Tendulkar who made sure he hit nothing till 8 overs.

The IPL has surprised every purist- T20 may not be a sound format, but some aspects of bat v ball in 22 yards will remain the same just as in rapid chess- the moves are same after all.

Saumil
Mumbai, India