IPL and it's date with trouble!

With IPL 3 round the corner, I had to write about cricket’s most talked about event. IPL returns to the shores of India once more after a short journey in South Africa. The IPL brings with it a carnival environment, non-stop action and of course superstars of cricket and bollywood. The event has been a huge success and hats off to Mr.Lalit Modi for organizing this event. I am not a big fan of Modi, infact I am a fan of cricket so I can never be a fan of Modi but I would like to give credit where it’s due. It’s the first major franchise level tournament in cricket to get so much recognition. Cricket has always been over the years a country level sport unlike other sports such as football and basketball. Cricket has never been a sport blessed with financial riches but IPL has changed that. It gives our domestic stars a chance to make a living out of cricket. But as much as I am a supporter of this event, I am a vehement opposer to the way the event is being run. This blog is not to tarnish the image of IPL but to make it an event that is acceptable to all.

This year’s IPL has been marked with controversy. It all started off with the non-inclusion of Pakistan players. I am not here one min to say Pakistan players must be involved. IPL is India’s domestic event gunning for global acceptance. In that case, if there were security issues or politics running between the BCCI and the PCB, the BCCI should have never asked Pakistan players to apply for visas. Why make them do all the work and then embarrass them by not including a single player in the event. For heaven sake, they are the T20 champions and the likes of Afridi, Asif, Gul and Ameer would find a place on any squad. Mr.Lalit Modi ensured any tiny bit of unknown hatred didn’t go unnoticed. If the boards have a problem, they have to deal with it but embarrassing players is certainly not on. What is IPL without cricketers? Can Mr.Lalit Modi bring about IPL success without playing talent? He should realize that players are the lynchpin for success of any sport. I just feel sorry for all cricket fans because they are going to miss the most mercurial of talents in this year’s IPL.

The next issue was the Telangana issue. I do agree that major security issues exist in conducting a match in Hyderabad. Yes, relocation seems an ideal decision but again there is a way of doing it. You can’t go about relocating matches to Nagpur and Mumbai and announce the decision in the press. The franchise need to be consulted, the fan base has to be taken into account among other issues. The most illogical decision was to relocate to Mumbai and Nagpur. How much more is Mumbai and Nagpur safer than Hyderabad? I guess with the idiots of the Thackeray family ever present, Mumbai is more prone to attacks than Hyderabad. Other alarming aspect of the decision is to ignore the importance of a fan base. What is sport without fans? Fans pay money that help running of this event. Mr.Lalit Modi again shows his notorious capability to exercise the use of power. Power in management is like a weapon. If it is in the right hands, peace and happiness exist but if it falls in the wrong hands, it could cause havoc and chaos. Mr.Modi has assumed indefinite amount of power and I can’t help but compare him to any of the most feared dictators of the modern era.

Another burning issue that remains to be sorted out is the presence of foreign players in this year’s IPL. How can any player come confidently to India after one of our most renowned politicians have issued statements that would make Osama proud? Yes, the Thackeray’s fighting a losing battle for existence in Maharashtra makes daring statements that if any common man had made would be arrested for indulging in terrorist activities. IPL has every right to stay in India but my point is every foreign cricketer has a right to decide whether to participate in this year’s IPL or not. Mr.Lalit Modi can’t punish players for refusing to come because of security grounds. Did India go to Pakistan when there was a definite security threat? Will Sachin, Dhoni or other Indian stars dare to set foot on Pakistan soil now? Again, Mr.Modi has to realize that players make IPL a success and not his money and cheer girls. He should learn to be considerate and try and find a neutral ground on this issue.

How important is foreign media to the success of the event? Mr.Modi seems to be making more enemies than friends in this world. A media boycott of the IPL looms large over this glittering event. How can anyone pose so many sanctions on the media and expect the media to comply with these unrealistic rules. This episode takes us back centuries to the da vinci’s and Galileo’s time where freedom and free thinking were suppressed by the powerful church. How will IPL be famous around the world if news agencies and television channels are going to boycott this event? I guess ignorance is bliss for power frenzy dictators. As history has shown us in the past, a dictator unless benevolent in nature, will never have the last laugh. I just hope that all the good work that Mr.Modi has done with the IPL doesn’t bite the dust because of his arrogance.

Let’s come to the cricketing aspect of the IPL. It’s high time, IPL be recognized as a global event and finds a place in the Future Tour Program of the ICC calendar. The likes of Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist have been constantly airing out their opinion regarding this issue. No IPL fan wants to lose out on seeing the best players in action. The likes of Ponting, Clark, Johnson and Hussey are players that fans would pay money to watch any day. We only have to go back to last year when Gayle left KKR for international duty and the team never recovered from that. I am sure fans like me would love to watch Gayle smash the bowlers around in every game of the IPL. This is one area I feel Mr.Modi has been soft with the ICC and he needs to try and find acceptance for this proposal very soon.

As I mentioned before, this blog is not a scathing attack on Mr.Modi or the IPL but dangerous facts that could seriously dent the public image of the IPL. Management and organizers of the event have to realize that any sports event revolves heavily around players, fans and the media. Ignoring or disrespecting any of these powerful sources would certainly lead to destruction and chaos. Hope organizers of the IPL pay little more respect to all of these sources and work with all of them to make IPL a grand success. I can’t wait for the event to start!

3 Lions and their South African safari!!!

An overwhelming response to a Facebook status message made be realize that there were so many supporting the English at the World Cup in South Africa. I have always been an England supporter and at most times been the lonely one. England has always been a team of superstars who have under achieved for ages now. We would need to go back to 1966 to cherish an English world cup triumph. Bad selection of managers, overly cautious play has cost the English dear over the last decade. We would all remember the courage or the lack of it I must say from Sven-Goran Eriksson at the world Cup in 2002 and 2006. Of course many might say England were unlucky in WC 2006 losing to Portugal in the penalty shoot-outs. But as any football expert will tell you, England were overly defensive and invited pressure at most times.

The European Championships were a disaster as England was knocked out at the qualifying rounds. A loss to Russia on a cold wintry evening at Moscow put an end to England's hopes. But we must not forget the manager who was at the helm. Steve McLaren, a former manager of Middlesbrough FC was given an assignment that was way past his ability. I still remember what Sir Alex had to say about the appointment. He said, English don't have a wealth of management talent but he was the best among them. The English FA acted so prematurely that the appointment came even before England team left to the WC in Germany. They had time on their hands to pick and choose a manager capable of bringing the best of the star studded players England had. The strange thing about the appointment was that McLaren was the only interviewed candidate for the position. Anyway an appointment that came with low expectations ended with heartache for English supporters.

The misery of not qualifying for Euro 2008 was probably the best thing that could have happened for team England. The FA started to look for a manager with proven credentials. In Capello, they got a tactician, a winner and most importantly a man who would not accept any nonsense from his players. Soon the England team became Capello's team. Rooney's meteoric rise coinciding with Capello's regime comes as no surprise. England's professional attitude saw them qualify for WC 2010 without any trouble.

Everything seemed smooth and comfortable for England until the John Terry saga. Suddenly team England had been rocked again but Capello again handled it brilliantly, moving John Terry out of the limelight. It still remains to be seen how team England are going to cope with the latest setback. To make matters worse, Ashley Cole breaks his foot forcing Wayne Bridge, the other gentleman dragged into this saga to play alongside Terry in defense. All eyes will be on the pair during the friendly against Egypt. It was this status message that overwhelmed me with responses about the England team selection. So I decided to go ahead and come up with this blog about the 23 men who will represent England in South Africa coming June.

Let’s start from the goal keeper of the England squad. Unfortunately, England doesn’t have the talent some of their European counterparts have in this department. Spain and Italy have a wealth of goal keeping talent. Victor Valdes, Barcelona's Mr. Consistent might not be on the flight to South Africa. England doesn’t yet have a number one. David James at 40, is supposedly to be England's first choice. We all know about how brilliant he can be on one day and how poor he can be on the other. Coupled with injuries and the plight of Pompey this season, there will be question marks about him. But nevertheless, he is a certainty in the squad. The second and third choice gets really interesting. Robert Green, Cris Kirkland, Paul Robinson, Joe Hart and Ben Foster will all make their claims to be on that flight to SA. But anyone who is an ardent Premier League fan probably knows none of them come close to the likes of Pepe Reina or Victor Valdes who are Spain's likely second and third choice. Hmmm... Capello has a real headache that he needs to sort out quickly. Having seen Capello selection in the past, Robert Green and Ben Foster might make the final cut. The friendly against Egypt will give us a clear picture.
The defense is another area that Capello might have decisions to make. Injuries to key defenders around the league are another big problem for Capello. Rio Ferdinand's injury woes and dip in club form are well known. But having been named the captain, he and John Terry will continue at the heart of the defense. The form of Wes Brown along with his capabilities to play at right back makes him a certainty. The fourth defender could be tricky. Mathew Upson has been in good form for West Ham and has played a fair bit in the Capello regime. It certainly gives him an edge but Jolean Lescott back from injury, with his areal presence at both ends of the field could prove to be a real competitor for the final spot at the center of defense. Coming to full-back, Ashley Cole is probably the best left back in the game at the moment and should be a certainty to make the squad. But breaking a foot which effectively rules him out for 3 months might keep Capello on his toes. It could be a race against time for him. Capello would be hoping he plays for Chelsea again this season. The second choice of left back gets us back to the John Terry saga. Wayne Bridge was probably a certainty and probably still is to occupy that spot. But with John Terry's affair with Bridge's ex-girlfriend, the situation is far from being straightforward. Capello stripping the captaincy from Terry has certainly helped the squad and Bridge in particular. Nevertheless, the speculation of unrest in the dressing room if both players are selected refuses to go away and names likes Leighton Baines and Steven Warnock have been thrown in. However, knowing Capello, It’s hard to imagine him naming a new left back for such a prestigious event. Glen Johnson has made the right back position his own even though doubts still remain over his defensive skills. It remains to be seen if Capello will indeed pick someone as cover for Johnson. With Wes Brown in the squad, Capello has the flexibility not to include another right back. Brown is equally effective at right back as he is at the center of defense. If Capello decides to take a back up right back, it remains to be seen who is in pole position to occupy that spot.

The mid-field pose far less questions for Capello as most personnel pick themselves. Gerrard, Lampard, Barry and Carrick are obvious choices at the heart of mid-field. Capello plays Gerrard on the left, with Barry and Lampard at the center. Lennon with his current form is the first choice right winger. The 3 other mid-field spots open bring with it intense competition. Joe Cole would have been a certainty but for his injury prone season. Having recovered from knee damage, Cole has yet to hit top form at Chelsea. Ancelotti is doing no good to Cole’s cause by not picking him in the starting eleven. This has made completion for the spot of left winger intense. Stewart Downing has occupied this position for England in the past but he too is feeling his way back to full fitness from a long injury layoff. This has given Ashley Young an opportunity but being a right footed winger playing on the left might prove a major pitfall for the young England international. With Gerrard playing on the left, Capello might want a left winger who is left footed. It will be interesting to see who gets picked. Moving to the other wing, Lennon will be the first choice with 3 other names fighting to get picked as the second choice. Walcott, with his pace and guile will certainly pressure defenses but a long layoff due to injury and a dip in form has virtually put him out of reckoning. The other diminutive right winger would be Shaun-Wright Phillips. SWP like Lennon and Walcott is a bundle of energy and has great speed and guile. But the final delivery into the box might lack that extra bit of quality at times. This is where probably David Beckham would outscore the three others. His free-kicks need no description and may be these factors along with his 100 plus caps could prove too much for Capello to leave him out. It would be unfair if I don’t mention James Milner in this discussion. Capello has heaped praise on this Aston Villa youngster for his ability to play anywhere in mid-field.
The last but most important department would be the strike force. Capello must be delighted with the way Rooney has been scoring for Manchester United. His play has certainly lifted the expectation of the English supporters and in my opinion will be carrying England’s hopes on his young shoulders. Emile Heskey has probably won the heart of Capello with his work rate and is likely to partner Rooney. However, his finishing requires a lot to be desired. This puts additional pressure on Rooney to score. It also brings the question whether he should start an important game where chances might be few and far between. Crouch and Defoe have been good for Tottenham this season but have unproven records at international level. Defoe has all the skills required but is erratic at times and lacks composure during important phases of the game. Crouch gives something different to England with his height. However, the lack of a proven goal scorer apart from Rooney might support Micheal Owen’s inclusion. However, his injury record and his lack of playing time at Manchester United may prove to be his disadvantage. Calls for Owen to be included will continue because of his predatory instincts which might be essential in an important game. I personally feel taking the 5th striker will do England no harm and might prove the difference in a tight game. With Wes Brown more than capable at playing right back, Capello can take that risk of not naming a 2nd right back and including Owen in the squad.

England has been the perennial under-achievers and will be hoping Capello’s magic can help shed this tag. As with so many of the previous England squads, there is no shortage of quality but whether this squad can show character that previous squads have lacked remains to be seen. There are a few months to go to the world cup and English fans will have their fingers crossed when it comes to injuries to key players. I can’t wait for the World Cup to start and hope to be cheering England to glory this time around.

My Probable Squad:
Goal Keeper: David James, Robert Green and Joe Hart
Defenders: Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Wes Brown, Mathew Upson, Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge
Mid-Fielders: Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Gareth Barry, Aaron Lennon, David Beckham, James Milner and Joe Cole
Strikers: Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey, Peter Crouch, Jermaine Defoe, Michael Owen