News Round-Up

Harsha's father used to give "tuition" for free. 6:00 AM sharp. Good to know. Okay then, see you in the morning Mr. Bhogle. Frivolity aside, he raises some good points about BCCI but we are not all that sure about "benevolent" dictators. As the old saying goes: Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We don't trust one person running the show without any checks and balances. As another old saying goes: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Mukul Kesavan's take on GC's resignation. Good post. Might be worth your while if you are not too busy. This bit makes complete sense to us:

"It can be plausibly argued that the problem with Chappell wasn't his candour, it was his propensity to intrigue. Several cricket journalists I've read or spoken to (and this includes Chappell's protagonists) testify to his habit of sending sms messages to journalists leaking his views on players, selection and policy. The players who disliked him complain about how manipulative he was. They might be wrong and self-interested but it's odd that Indian journalists and commentators should find the stereotype of the straight-talking Australian and the truth-denying Indian easier to credit than the chorus of allegations that Chappell's preferred mode for communicating with the media was the modern equivalent of harem whispers.
Just as odd is the 'balanced' view that equates criticism of Chappell and his methods with a willful blindness to the structural problems of Indian cricket. I find no difficulty in holding in my head (at the same time) two related but distinct ideas: 1) that the BCCI presides over a mess and 2) that Chappell is a terrible coach. The need for structural reform and the necessity of making the best of what you currently have aren't contradictory goals..."

Brett Lee is planning to terrorize everybody. Not with his bowling but with his singing.

"The move into music and films hasn't just dropped into his lap; it's been in the making for the past six years. The first song was just scratching the surface. It wasn't a huge revenue-raiser in itself . . . (but) it was part of a broader plan to focus a lot of our energies on the music and movie business on the subcontinent. It's not just about cutting a record. It's far broader and longer term than that."

Just kill us now.

BCCI's schedule for the next two days:

Day One
10.30 am: Captain, coach, manager, selection committee chairman Dilip Vengsarkar to meet BCCI officials to discuss on the World Cup debacle. Coach and manager to submit reports.
3.30 pm: Board officials meet other Team India players, including Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly.
Day Two
Working Committee meeting:
To discuss on improvement of the domestic structure, make it on the lines of Australia’s Sheffield Shield, improve playing conditions.
Discussion on players’ contracts, revising them specifically to be performance-based.
To discuss with former captains of India on complete revision of the country’s cricketing profile and appoint an interim coach.
To discuss on Zee’s bid to launch the Indian Cricket League.

Another interesting quote from the article:

“Don’t expect a lot of decisions to be taken. But do expect a lot of talking to be done. It is a two-day meeting and not just a two-day affair.”

Okay. No decisions and lot of talking. Have to remember that. What does the third sentence mean? "Two-day meeting and not just a two-day affair." We have no idea. Please let us know if you know what it means, my dear readers.