Question : Cricket is very much a human game and technology shouldn't interfere too much so as to take off the human element. What do you say?

Answer : Hi Srinath, as you said, not only the cricket but almost all games are very much human games but the exception is that cricket is more complex in nature in many aspects when compared to other games. While accepting the ultimate result either win or loose, obviously one would expect that the game should be fair enough at the end. In the present days of advanced technology is concerned, it is necessary to use the available technical systems to make the Cricket more and more transparent with a condition that the same should be more accurate than human judgment. Self satisfaction of players, fans, Criticism on game etc., are the ultimate outcome of the game. It depends up on how genuine or transparent or fair the game would be. In cricket, many judgments like run ours, bat and pad, judging the clean catches, touching the boundary rope by the fielder while fielding etc., are very accurately judged by the available systems because no human can judge those things precisely. As per LBW is concerned we can’t predict either manually or mechanically 100% so the same is with umpires only many times. In my opinion, it is necessary to use the technology to eliminate the human errors, to make the game more and more transparent, not always but if the things are beyond human control. VIEW THREAD

Question : Australians cricketers are always hungry to play better every time they play a match including bench strength like Bollinger, Voges, Mckay etc.What could be the reason? Is that their players are much superior than their opponents or they have killer instinct to win more matches

Answer : I think this is because of the competitive domestic arena that Australia has. Therefore, stepping into the international arena is not such a big leap. The competitive and rigorous system grooms the players as hard opponents. Also, the Australian system of selection is that a player must have vast experience in the domestic circle. Therefore, when they arrive at the international arena, they know what to expect. The players are not more talented than others, but they definitely have a better work ethic than most and the killer instinct. The killer instinct must be culminated by a team, and this can only happen when the team wins often in challenging situations, something the Australians are successful at. I say that they do richly deserve to be at the top in the ODI rankings. VIEW THREAD

Question : Recent series between Ind-Aus showed that Odi cricket is here to stay.Now Do you still think that T20 cricket is dominating the odi cricket?

Answer : I don't think T20 cricket has ever dominated any form of world cricket,so to speak.It has just drawn in more money,more thrills,more viewership and bigger hitting.According to me,T20 was just a beneficial extension to all the great things that CRICKET offers. So,ODI cricket is still a centre of attraction. T20 is just a by-product of the great game..a VERY GLAMOUROUS by-product,at that. VIEW THREAD

Question : Sir Don Bradman is inarguably the greatest cricketer to have graced the game. But Sachin Tendulkar, arguably the greatest batsman of the modern era, is a much better player, considering the enormous amount of cricket he has played, the different formats he has played and the length of time he has been nurturing the aspirations of millions. What's your opinion?

Answer : There is a simple way to measure Greatness. How much superior was Don's performance to his peers and you can see even in those days, there was nobody even close. The next highest test average was nearly 40 points lower. The next highest test average was 25 points lower ( Our very own Vijay Merchant). While Sachin can take credit for his longevity, he cannot outshine his peers in that manner. Ponting or Lara with the same number of test matches would be past him. Even Dravid with a lesser number of hundreds would give him a run for his money if he ends up playing the same number of tests. No, there is only one Bradman. VIEW THREAD

Question : If we refer the statistics for the past five years, 27 Tests have been played in Australia and only 2 matches have been drawn. In South Africa, 3 out of 29 games, in Sri Lanka, 4 out of 22 games only were drawn. But in India, recent Ahmedabad test was the 24th match in the last 5 years, and the 11th match to end in a draw. After observing these results, do you think that the BCCI is mainly responsible for the test cricket to loose its importance by making dead & useless pitches?

Answer : You have made some good statistical observations. You have considered the last five years in test cricket to make your point. But, going by statistics again, if you consider the last five decades in test cricket, only the last decade or so has been producing more results than ever before, whetever be the reason. However, more than 75% of the matches played before the last decade were ending up in draws. Even then, people flocked the stadiums for the sheer interest in the game and to see their stars play. Test cricket was the in-thing happening and not a lot of ODIs were played. Now, with the advent of T-20 and far too many ODIs being played, spectators have a lot of choices these days. We shouldn't be too much critical of Indian pitches. Last year, India were shot out for 76 against South Africa in a test match at Ahmadabad. This time, the curator of the pitch was very much cautious and 'overcompensated' for it by producing a batting beauty. As Ravi Shastri rightly said, "Even three more days of cricket here won't yield a result (at the end of the fifth day)". There are many other factors, apart from the pitch, which come into the picture, for a result to be produced. VIEW THREAD

Question : Which fast bowler do you think is the greatest of all time, and why?

Answer : Hi Sushant, it is really very hard to judge the greatest fast bowler of all time in cricket because there are many great fast bowlers in the history of cricket. Fast bowling is thought to be the earliest form of bowling in cricket. Many think that fast bowling means only speed but in my opinion it is not at all correct because becoming a fast bowler, he requires mastering a lots of techniques and arts like swing in the air, swing off the pitch, bounce, cutter, Yorkers, variation in technique etc. In cricket's history, many bowlers terrorized and troubled batsmen with sheer speed and guile especially West Indian bowlers. So many past and current fast bowlers excelled at their craft that picking the best fast bowlers guarantees that some great bowlers are omitted. Cricket is a dynamic sport and today's best fast bowlers may not maintain that esteem. Therefore, the best fast bowlers should be the best fast bowlers of all time. If we list them by keeping the word great fast bowlers, it is very lengthy to say. If we list say Glenn McGrath, Malcolm Marshall, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Harold Larwood Courtney Walsh, Michael Holding, Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Wasim Akram, Sir Richard Hadlee, Allan Donald, Kapil Dev….. still continues. To make the subjective task of picking the best easier, one must use relevant criteria. These criteria should be both subjective and objective, with due emphasis on statistics. I categorized the bowlers based on the following statistical criteria to choose the best fast bowler of all time. They are (i) Impressive Test statistics (ii) Genuine pace (iii) A good career average say Below 25.00 (iv) Number of matches or number of wickets. I feel the best fast bowlers should have either at least 50 Tests or 300 Test wickets (v) Strike Rate. The best fast bowlers are genuine strike bowlers say maximum 55. These criteria might have ruled out good fast bowlers who played a limited number of matches and many good fast bowlers from the 19th and early 20th century. So, my choice is Glenn McGrath is the best fast bowler of all time. Because, as a leading fast bowler on the all-time Test wicket-takers list he took 563 wickets, Glenn McGrath is indisputably one of the best. Apart from fulfilling all criteria, McGrath has regularly dismissed top batsmen of his time like Mike Atherton (19 times), Brian Lara (15 times), Sachin Tendulkar (6 times). VIEW THREAD

Question : Sehwag averages over 50 in test cricket. Once he gets to 100, he goes on to score big runs. Even though he lacks footwork, he has been able to score 6000+ test runs. There's a method in his madness. Whatever the critics say, he is easily India's most destructive batsman till date. What do you say?

Answer : When Virender Sehwag gets going, it's like you're watching a James Bond movie. He can drive a car over a cliff, dodge bullets, fight off 20 armed men bare-handed - all of it while wearing a crisp suit, which remains uncrumpled.Only that in Sehwag's case it is all for real: each of those strokes can get him out. On a more like-like for list, of contemporary top-order batsmen, Sehwag stands miles ahead. Sachin Tendulkar (12,917 runs at 54.73) has a strike-rate of 54.12, Ricky Ponting (11,400 runs at 55.88) scores at a rate of 59.41, Matthew Hayden (8625 runs at 50.73) got his at 60.10, and Brian Lara (11,953 runs at 52.88) at 60.51. Sanath Jayasuriya comes closest, with a strike-rate of 65.10, but his average is just over 40. But of course, numbers are merely the starting point. Greatness is judged by a number of other factors. Quality of opponents, versatility, the ability to score in different conditions, and most of all being able to turn up when it matters. Sehwag ticks all these boxes emphatically. VIEW THREAD

Question : It's amazing how India keeps delivering the goods at home, season after season. However, a good team is a good team, no matter in which part of the world they are playing. Why does India have a dismal overseas record (sparing the last few years)? Is it due to the lack of crowd support or just the fear that they are playing in an alien place or lack of preparedness?

Answer : Mate, I dont agree with your thoughts and comments and even the answer posted by someone just prior to mine. You have written in your question that barring the past few tears we had a dismal overseas record. This 'past few years' is a very important captaion here. This is the first time in the history of cricket that India has become number 1 team in the world. This is not only due to the wins at home but also the overseas wins. We have beates pakistan in Pakistan, SL in SL. We won one test each in SA and Aus. We have beaten England in England, NZ in nZ and WI in WI. What better you are looking out for. We are not at all dismal outside India. The guys are playing to win and really get disturbed after the loss. The have all the require killer instincts and are performing their tasks beautifully. India is a good test team irrespective of the part of the world they as playing in. VIEW THREAD

Question : Is Sehwag a more dangerous batsman in tests than in the limited over formats?

Answer : Going by the stats, it's very much true, especially in the sub-continent. In the ODI-format, all the players will be spread out for most part of the innings and when a player like Sehwag is kept quite for a while, he finds ways to get out. In test matches, the situation is totally different. For most part of the innings, there will be more close-in fielders which makes it easy for Sehwag to play the lofted shots. Moreover, when a bowler is bowling very well, he can take his time to get used to the bowler's bowling style, which seldom happens in ODIs. Whatever way you look at it, Sehwag is much better off in tests with an average of 50+ rather than ODIs where-in he averages just around 34, a below-par average for a batsman of his caliber and being an opener as well. Quite clearly, he is much more at ease donning the whites rather than the coloured clothing. VIEW THREAD

Question : Why batsmen are preferred over bowlers as captains in cricket?

Answer : If any player have a good leadership skills, it does not matter whether he is a batsman or a bowler or an all rounder. His ability to lead the team should be the lone criterion. Captaincy is a full-time responsibility when he would have to plan for others as well but he can handle the pressure that comes with the job. But as far bowlers are concerned, it is rare to see successful captains who are bowlers like Imran Khan, Anil Kumble etc. Because their first job is to take wickets and they need full concentration on their bowling rather than a batsmen who doesn't have his time and thoughts occupied by bowling which means he can concentrate on captaining the side. Basically people feel that bowlers will have too much on their plate if they captain their side. Apart from that, bowlers are prone to injuries more often than the batsmen and that might be one of the other major factor for not to choose the bowlers as captains. I feel both batsmen and all-rounders actually make good captains. All-rounders obviously bat and bowl in a match which means they are used to multi-tasking in a match, so all-rounders may be able to cope with the burden of captaincy better because they are used to being occupied with different tasks on a cricket field. If we look at the successful all rounder captains say Ray Illingworth, Kapil Dev, Saurav Ganguly, Wasim Akram, Shaun Pollock, Daniel Vettori etc., fairly good all rounder captains. The successful Batsmen captains are Ponting, Dhoni, Sangakara, Graeme Smith etc. So in my opinion Batsmen and All rounder captains are fairly having an advantage than bowler captains. VIEW THREAD

Question : Is it fair to ban the captain for couple of matches for slow over rate in the ODIs?

Answer : We Indians do have a tendency to crib when it comes on us. This rule is an ICC regulation and I feel that the Indian Skipper has been let off very lineantly. Seeing the past punishments of 4 and 5 Odi matches suspention, I feel BCI did the right thing by not appealing against the ban. Dhoni is the leader and he has to control the things in the field and go as per the rules or else be penalized. It is absolotely fair to ban him for the slow over rate. VIEW THREAD

Question : Many cricketing experts believe MSD is a lucky captain because it was due to the efforts of players like Ganguly, Kumble, Dravid in the last decade or so that made things easier for MSD. Do you agree with this point?

Answer : Captaincy doesn't ride on luck most-of-the-times. It is purely a skill like batting, bowling and fielding and probably, the toughest of them all. He exhibited leadership skills very early in his career and that prompted the selectors to assign him the role of skipper. Though the contributions of Ganguly and Kumble can't be ruled out, Dhoni has continued the good work, and more importantly, he has maintained consistency and India's performance in the recent past is a true indicator of it. Luck does play it's part, but leadership skills stand out. While on the field, he rings in changes quickly when nothing much seems to be happening and pushes himself up the order when the situation demands. Well and truly, he is already on his way to become the most successful Indian captain. Way to go MSD! VIEW THREAD

Question : Can we say Sehwag-Gambhir opening pair is better than Tendulkar-Ganguly according to every format of game?

Answer : sehwag gambhir seems to be best opening combination in world cricket today in all format of games.sachin-ganguly never opened together in tests and t20s.but they were very successful as an opening pair in one-dayers with both batsman having capability to score big hundreds.both pairs are right left combination which always forces bowlers to adjust to his line and length.so comparisons can be made only keeping one dayers in mind and viru and sehwag will have to score more runs abroad and that too at higer consistency rate than sachin-saurav.as for now sehwag and gambhir are best but to know if they are better than sachi-saurav we will have to wait for say next 3-4 years and then decide. VIEW THREAD

Question : People have already started referring to Gautam Gambhir as the 'Second Wall' after the original 'Wall' legendry Rahul Dravid. He has played only in 27 Tests as against Dravid's 137. I think it is too early for such comparisons. What are your views?

Answer : Is it not our usual mannerism to highlight one's achievements as the greatest? Irfan was the next Kapil Dev and now Gambhir is the next Dravid. We should wait for players to finish their careers and then 'try' to compare them. The comparison is never a good one as there are different parameters that change between the two players (opponents, pitches, conditions, fielding skills, etc). VIEW THREAD

Question : Virat Kohli is the latest kid on our Indian block. What are the chances that he will not go the 'Robin Uthappa' or recently 'Rohit Sharma' way? Does he have the capabilities to be the long-race horse?

Answer : Hi mate. We really can not predict the future and it will be very early to judge the performance of Viraat. He has been a consistent performer in the recent times. When we compare Viraat with the likes of Uthappa and Rohit Sharma, we can see that all the three have won matches for India in their initial phase but the biggest diference lies in the TEMPRAMENT. With all due respect, Both Robin and Rohit won matches for India when they bated down the order but Viraat on the other hand marched the Team when the chips were really down and a big score was bieng chased. Both of his match winning innings carried big partnerships, one with Gautam and the other with the skipper himself. In both the cases, Viraat, though lost his wicket, but got India out of the trouble. So I feel this Delhi boy has a long way ahead. Cheers VIEW THREAD

Question : world cup around the corner.india needs its great men for this moment.viu,sachin,gauatam,yuvi,zaheer and bhajji.we all know that injury to viru in ipl-2 caused him to stay out for almost3 months.now all i want to ask is if similar incident happens with any of these stars,then who wil be responsible for all this?should big players reduce unnecessary risk by playing in selected matches in ipl-3 cause country,s pride is more important than this showbiz?

Answer : Come on Yaar. Why single out IPL. No one ever questioned when our players went out to play the county cricket. IPL is been questioned as it has become a very big tournament in the cricketing world. All the players are professionals and know it very well the way they have to manage theselves. An Injury can happen any time - During practice, during sessions or during the match. I dont think that singling out IPL and stopping the players from featuring in all matches is gonna help any cause. If a player is travelling with the team, staying in the team hotel, coming to the field along with the team, It will be better to make him the part of laying 11 if he deserves to be and quiet obviously nothing is better that the match practice. VIEW THREAD

Question : Do you think that in T20 most of the shots the batsmen play are premediated or are they play on merit of the ball ?

Answer : No, it depends a lot on the situation of the game if d askin rate is high they will have to get runs fast and they will have to think hard there in the situation they premeditated shots and also if the ball is there to hit they will hit it on its merit but as t20 requirement is quick runs premeditation is also an important part of 20 over cricket.It sometimes helps in upsetting the rhythm of d bowler and helps getting balls in the areas the batsman wants by upsetting bowler's rhythm and making him ball all over the place.So t20 is a game of mental toughness and you have to work with the brain too and access the game and play accordingly VIEW THREAD

Question : Why the frequency of LBW decisions has been increasing over the years in test cricket? Because, as per statistics the number of lbws in Tests in the 2000s occurred at an average of 5.36 per match. It's marginally higher than the avg. in the previous decade, 1900s (5.25), and much higher than the two earlier decades, 1980s (4.68) and 1970s (3.68). Why is it so? Do you think that the umpires are becoming very harsh while judging lbws or something else? Please share your comments.

Answer : Well, the essence of the ‘LBW’ law has remained the same over time. So, why are we seeing an increase in the frequency of lbws over the years? Immediate question that comes in everyone’s mind is “Are the umpires not applying benefit of doubt in the same manner as before?” The answer is yes. In the early days prior to the neutral umpiring system, umpires were loathing to rule in favour of the bowlers. Neutral umpires were introduced in cricket around 1990. Have a look at these numbers. In the period since 1990 (after neutral umpires), lbw dismissals as a percentage of total dismissals have risen to 16.7% from 13% in the period 1930 to 1989. That is a 30% increase in the incidence of lbw dismissals in the last 20 years as compared to earlier years. It means, prior to 1989 (before neutral umpires), batsmen enjoyed a consistent and clear benefit of doubt on lbw with umpires. It was an unwritten rule for umpires that when a batsman played well forward, he would not be given out lbw. The one caveat about neutral umpires is that sometimes they are not able to judge the bounce as well as a local umpire would do knowing the conditions better. Another reason could be the advent of better protective devices which has helped batsmen often get in line with the ball and the stumps more regularly while playing, so that ball is hitting the pad more often. It has also brought to light some of the common errors umpires tend to make these days when adjudicating on lbws when deliveries going over the top of the stumps often fetch bowlers wickets because of misjudgment of bounce on the pitch. Sometimes, the mindset of the umpires has undergone a change with more marginal calls going in favour of the bowler also. The pressure on modern day umpires is becoming unbearable with every decision being cruelly dissected by Slo-Mo, Hawk-Eye, Snickometer, Hot Spot etc. So, it forces the umpires often benefited towards the bowlers in one or other way while deciding lbw. VIEW THREAD

Question : Local talents VS foreign coaches. Does nativity of coaches matter? If so,who do you think will be a better option? local coaches or the foreign coaches to coach a team ? What are your comments?

Answer : Answer: I agree to disagree with Mr D Srinivas's answer (not the question). The first two sentences of your answer sums up the coach's role as an advisory one and the limitations of impact on the players' technique. What is not clear here is how a coach like Gary Kirsten work with a genius like Sachin Tendulkar, What help can he be for a perfect technician such as Rahul Dravid? Then does a coach work with only the lesser mortals of the team? In my view at the highest level a coach's role with the team and the selection process of a coach needn't be as complex as you have described! I am more comfortable with the CI Editor's views a foreign coach brings with him an air of freshness and a sense of professionalism! They organise the practice sessions in a more meaningful and profitable way both to the individuals and to the team! Another significant aspect of why we always go for a foreign coach is the stars of today will not find it comfortable to be directed by our own stars of yesterera! VIEW THREAD

Question : Attendence figure has increased over 80% in KFC Big Bash T20 from last season. This simply implies that crowd is interested in T20 but our players say that they enjoy Test cricket. So according to you whose wish should be given weightage ,players who perform or audience for which they perfrom?

Answer : Will you kill the dolphin in the pool and wish to see a dolphin show. No it’s not possible. Completely eliminating test cricket will leave the game in danger. Test cricket exhibits the true strength & weakness of a player. So this format of the game must be preserved. A balance between test cricket, ODI, T20 will be the need of the hour. The game also needs the spectators to able to survive. But that’s doesn’t mean you need to concentrate on only one format of the game. Competitive teams with talented players who give their heart out to win will draw crowds for any format of the game. VIEW THREAD

Question : We have seen number of players (batsmen) who are specialized in a particular format say test player or ODI player and are confined to a particular format only? My question is, why not all batsmen are specialized in both formats of cricket say in ODI & Test? And what makes them to be specialized in a particular format? Comments please.

Answer : Hi Srinivas, A good player can play any format whether it is a test match or an ODI/T20. A solid techique and experience plays a crucial role for any player to play in all the formats of the game, just like a singer who should be perfect in sangeet to sing all kind of songs.The best example is Rahul Dravid or a Jacues Kallis, they can play any format of the game because of their excellent footwork and technique. Whereas a player like Suresh Raina or Yusuf Pathan have some limitations when it comes to sound technique, they can be best suited for ODIs or T20s. So it all depends on the player how they approach towards test cricket or ODIs/T20s. VIEW THREAD

Question : Apart from scoring 300+ runs by the teams batting first in ODI (which is very common nowadays), teams batting second have successfully chased the scores of 300 or above 26 times out of 215 (winning percentage 12% ) in the last decade. However, in the 1990s, this was happened only four times in 61 games (winning percentage 6.5 %). Clearly, the winning percentage while chasing big totals has been doubled (Approx) in 2000’s when compared to 1990’s. It means, nowadays 300+ scores are not a winning total many times. Why is it so? My question is apart from power plays, what are the other factors do you think responsible for the chasing teams to be successful while chasing big totals?

Answer : It is the psychological factor which helps the teams batting second become successful. The moment you get a bench mark performance you start to believe you too can achieve it! For years the world didn't believe that it was humanly possible to run a mile in less than 4 minutues. However when Roger Bannister stunned the world with a 3 minutes 59.4 seconds finish time in which he ran a mile on 06.05.1954 the world did get a reference point. The following year itself so many people ran the mile well below 4 minutes around the world! Same way,Hillary and Tensing climbed mount everest for the first time on 29.05.1953, a feat never achieved till then. Today, around 150 people reach the summit each year! What the champions do is the break the psychological barriers that keep preventing ordinary people from achieving extraordinary results! Once the barrier is destroyed then everything falls into place and what was next to impossible till then becomes very much possible! This enhanced confidence increases the percentage of accomplishing higher targets. In the One day series against Srilanka we almost lost even after scoring 400+! Srilanka knew because South Africa has achieved it against the mighty Australians already, they can also do it! And that was the reason they came so close to the target! Days are not far off when teams score 400+ totals consitently. With the T20 gaining popularity, I already can see a 500+ total in a 50 over match in or before the 2011 World Cup! VIEW THREAD

Question : The IPL teams are only playing T20s.How will it be if they play a Test championship and ODI championship?Won’t it be interesting if the players of different nations will play ODIs and Tests together as a team?Please share your views.

Answer : Hi Girish, just recall the test match played during 2005/06 and ODI matches during 2004/05 & 2005/06 between world XI and Australia. I think your opinion is more or less similar to the same concept. But the only difference is in place of Australian team you want another world eleven team. Anyway, in my opinion, each format say T20, ODI, Test need different team composition. Reason could be each format needs different approach. So, obviously the T20 team can’t suite for 50 over game or Test match. Because, the intension of T20 players always use to score as many runs as possible. For instance, in case of ODI, if three or four wickets have fallen early in just 10 or 15 overs, then it would be a very difficult situation for the remaining batsmen to bat for the remaining overs for the T20 players duly maintaining the run rate or setting a good target for the opposition. Another point is that in T20 teams, they may not have number of quality bowlers to bowl all the 50 overs and get the wickets of opposition team. Similarly in case of test match the approach is entirely different from ODI & T20. Test cricket needs more work from bowlers apart from batsmen to get all the 20 wickets of the opposition team. So, in my opinion the idea might be crazy to guess but not practically possible due to the above reasons. In other words a test team or ODI team may be suitable for T20, but T20 teams are not suitable to play either ODI or Test cricket. VIEW THREAD

Question : When most other batsman fail why gautam gambhir scores so heavily in second innings.?

Answer : Even though Gambhir played fewer innings, absolutely his second-innings performance easily the best when compared to the other batsmen. His first-innings statistics are not ordinary by any definition - he averages 54.20, but he takes it up a notch when he comes out to bat in the second innings. Gambhir has matured a lot with the experience he gained and his efforts are outstanding as he has moulded his game according to the needs of the team than most of the other players especially in the second innings. For example when Indian were battling to save the Test in Napier last year, Gambhir faced 436 balls to make 137, scoring at a strike rate of 31.42. In the next test when India was looking for quick runs he doubled that figure. Over the years, even many top batsmen have found run-scoring more difficult in the second innings than in the first due to a variety of reasons say tense match situation, deteriorated pitches, fatigue factor that sets in after spending several hours in the field etc. But none of the above factors affect Gambhir’s performance in any way. Apparently, his ability to score big scores or hundreds in second innings according to the situation i.e., to save the game or to score quick runs is especially remarkable. In my opinion the factors influence the Gambhir’s second innings success are (i) Gambhir is becoming psychologically and mentally very strong. (ii) Gambhir is in tremendous touch and his form has been excellent for the couple of years than other top players around the world. (iii) The next fore most favorable condition is his batting position as an opener which allows him more chances in the second innings than players who bat in the middle order. (iv) Perfect opening partner (Sehwag) releases him from pressure and allows him to play natural game with no pressure(v) Finally Gambhir has played and scored most of his runs on the batsmen friendly flat wickets in the subcontinent. eg: Among his five big hundreds & 97 which were scored in the second innings, except two hundreds all are scored on the batting wickets only. VIEW THREAD

Question : Will events like IPL and CLt20 and other t20 events be the downfall of the youngsters in the longer formats of the game due to aggressive attitude and not the composure to handle test cricket?Share your views on this.

Answer : You can’t dream of building a super structure without a strong foundation. Tournaments like IPL, CLT20, and other tournaments certainly affect the youngster’s game if they have little exposure to the longer version of the game. The foundation for all cricketers can be achieved only by playing the longer version of the game. Players have got all the time in the world to develop and sharpen their skills in the best possible way. The ability to build partnership, the ability to hold the innings together is not needed in T20 as it’s more of power hitting. That’s why a good Test cricketer is able to play any form of the game without much effort. VIEW THREAD

Question : First Test between SA and India was very fascinating.But it only a 2 test match series.Is it good to organise only 2 tests between top 2 teams? What could be more fascinating than watching the race b/w No. 1 and No.2?

Answer : This is one area where the organizers are working hard to set it right. With so much cricket being played today and also new tournaments like IPL , CLT20 being included in the cricketing calendar, last minute changes have been the order of the day. I guess even this tour of South Africa to India didn’t have a test series planned before. The problem with 5 test series or 7 is that it tends to dilute the interest levels and the spectators have an overdose. Players also are not able to cope up with their fitness and they are incapable of giving their 100%.Eventually 5 match test series were reduced to three matches and now it further truncated. The ideal would be a three match test series between the top two test teams in the world. With good sportive wickets, even a five match series is palatable. VIEW THREAD

Question : It seems both T20 and ODI require players who can play a better cricket rather than their experience and seniority. Despite absence of Gambhir, Yuvraj, Z. Khan, H. Bhajan etc., Indians could able to reach the destination. But when it comes to the test cricket no doubt it really needs experience. My question is in today’s cricket around the world; does the limited overs cricket (ODI & T20) really need senior & experienced cricketers? what are your comments?

Answer : Hi Srinivas, Though India went into the first ODI without the four regular ODI players they still had the other senior and experienced players to replace the missing players. As such there were no debutants for India in yesterday's match. There were young players but most of them were experienced. With Sehwag, Tendulkar, Dhoni, Nehra, Raina and Sreesanth there was no dearth of senior players as well. And as far as whether they are required in today's cricket. Yes they are very much required for cricket's survival if not for the team's performance. The common cricket fan follows the game only because his hero is playing the game. If we did a survey on why people turn up for a cricket match in huge numbers we would know the majority of them come there to watch the player who has been there for some time. This explains the fact why first class cricket doesn't attract huge crowd even if there is no entry fee. In world cup matches too we witness this lack of attendence when the clash is between minnows. Whatever be the format of cricket you still need the Sehwags, Sachins, Pontings, Muralis, Laras, Afridis and so on to bring life to the game! VIEW THREAD

Question : With a test average of 53.52 with 2 triple hundreds and more than 7000 runs in odis with a strike rate above hundred.These are numbers associated with virender sehwag.When it comes to T20 this prince of najjafghar has a different story 330 runs at an average of 24.07.Why do you think destructive sehwag struggles with the t20 format.

Answer : Hi Ashan, I think it is really too early pass a verdict such as 'Sehwag struggles with T20 Format'. He has just played 14 T20 matches and has batted in only 13 of them. He has already made 2 fifties and has a T20 career strike rate in excess of 150. He has hit 34 fours and 14 sixes in the 204 deliveries he has faced so far in the T20 format. He has been runout three times in this short span. And above all an average of 24.07 in T20 isn't that bad for an opening batsman in such a format. While it is true that players like Yuvraj Singh and Gambhir have better averages than Sehwag I think in the longer run this should average out! Let's not worry too much about the averages as long as Sehwag remains destructive. VIEW THREAD

Question : sachin has made almost every record on one dayers..when he was shifted to opening slot in 1993,he turned things around..is it possible for no.3 or no.4 to make those sort of records in onedayers,simply because opnere has chance to play maximum part in 50 overs and score more than any middle order batsman?

Answer : Just because you are promoted to the opening slot doesn’t guarantee you to score runs. Technique, temperament and attitude of the batsman are essential here. The numbers of overs under your belt is an added advantage to score more but still you will have play really well to create and break records. The batsman who can play spin and quickies well and one who can score all round the wicket with ease can make a mark as an opener. Having many shots in the kitty for a delivery and the ability to change gears at any moment are some of the traits that are required for the batsman to excel. Power plays, fielding restriction will help the opener cause and he must try to destroy the opposition bowling morale in order to give a clear advantage to the team. Openers in ODI are more likely to set records but cricket is an interesting game. You never know, anything is possible. VIEW THREAD

Question : IPL3 opened its account with a bang. KKR managed to squeeze in a narrow victory, thanks to DC batsmen who made a mess with weird shot selection. In T20 why do the batsmen go on a self destruct mode when they were in a commanding position? Is it because of spirited bowling by the fielding team or lack of application?

Answer : Hi mate, It is surprising that you asked a question like this? Isn't that the beauty of cricket? You slip down from a commanding position and cause an unexpected twist which makes the spectators sit upright! And then you catch up from behind and cause a turn-around from a hopeless situation! All these are part and parcel of the great game of cricket. Ofcourse it is the never-say-die attitude and spirited skills of all the players involved that enlivens a cricket game. In T20 especially the required run rate is almost always 6+ which makes the batting side to be under pressure even when everything seems to go their way. A few dot balls are sufficient to disturb the batsman and lure him into commiting a mistake. if it is a foregone conclusion that the team which is in a commanding would win, then will there be any life in a T20 cricket match? VIEW THREAD

Question : Two years ago, there was a lot of criticism from people about Kallis that he couldn't play T20 cricket. But, now in IPL3 Jacques Kallis is in excellent touch and his amazing run at the IPL continued as he made 65, 89, 44, 66 and is yet to be dismissed in the tournament. What really makes him to be too good in IPL despite people called him not fit for T20? And, how often we can see consistent performers like Kallis in an uncertain format of T20?

Answer : Hi Srinivas, I think Kallis is too good a player in any format of the game, he is probably the most underrated allrounder in the world of cricket. See a good test player can play any format to perfection. Kallis has just come in to IPL from the succesful domestic T20 championship in South Africa, he won the trophy for the team over there. So he is really in good form. And even the other Royal Challengers batsmen are doing favour in allowing Kallis to play his natural game i.e controlled aggression making his life easy. It is too early to comment whether he is at the peak form in T20 format, let us wait and see. VIEW THREAD

Question : IS the rich IPL forcing players to play and in order of doing that they get injured and are not able to represent their nation.DO you think money is getting bigger than national duties??Get in with your views.

Answer : I’m not sure why many like you think that IPL is the cause of injuries to many players. Players can get injured when they are playing in the nets, exercising or even while walking in their garden! Just because IPL is a pretty long drawn tournament doesn't mean that players keep getting injured frequently. It’s true that IPL is a big money spinner, but I think that they have taken enough care about player burn-out issues. All teams get enough rest between their matches and the rotational policies of all teams means that a majority of the players get optimum rest. Also, consider the amount of time a player spends on the field in the 195 minutes of action that occurs. Very few bat for the entire innings and each bowler can bowl a maximum of 4 overs, which, I think, is in no way a burden. T-20 format is taking rapid strides precisely due to this reason – the players wouldn’t have to spend the whole day at the stadium and even the spectators and television viewers need out sweat it out by spending their whole day at the stadium or stay glued to their television sets. The sponsoring brands get a lot of attention due to IPL’s global appeal and the team owners can rake in the moolah as well. Players earn well and it’s wholesome entertainment for the spectators and TV viewers. So it’s a win-win situation for everyone. The game of cricket always takes the centre-stage and money comes next. Playing for the nation will be the topmost priority for any cricketer and IPL is in no way trying to change that notion. VIEW THREAD

Question : Bowling short seems to be the new mantra for success to control the batsmen in IPL T20. Is it a good trait to follow given that batsmen look all at sea trying to negotiate it? Will this be something we will see more in the coming World Cup happening in West Indies which is known for bouncy tracks? What do you say?

Answer : Bowling short is nothing new in cricket. In T-20 cricket, bowlers soon realized that they can’t survive the onslaught of batsmen for long as the rules are structured heavily in favour of them. They wanted to come up with something not only to restrict the batsman, but also as a weapon to take wickets. As not all bowlers have the pace to rattle batsmen, most of them went back to the classical style of bowling bouncers. Very few batsmen can play the short-pitched stuff well. Batsmen, especially in the sub-continent, find it much tougher to handle it as they are not all that used to play on bouncy tracks. The usage of short-stuff in T-20 came to the fore in last year’s T-20 World Cup when many Indian batsmen were ‘bounced-out’ by opposition bowlers. Our batsmen were found lacking in the skill of handling such stuff and they had to pay a heavy price by being knocked-out early in the tournament. Bowling short is no mean task and it requires a lot of stamina. If the bowler gets it wrong, he can be pulled or hooked by the batsman. Also, the direction of the bouncers has to be precise. It’s good to see bowlers have their say in a few matches in IPL 3. I remember the days when the West Indies pace juggernaut used to pepper the batsmen the world over with sharp bouncers and found tremendous success. Instead of blaming the batsmen-friendly rules, bowlers need to think out-of-the-box to succeed and smart bouncers are one of their potent weapons. We will certainly see more of it in the Caribbean. VIEW THREAD

Question : When people want to see innovation on the part of the bowlers to contain batsmen in the IPL, the bowlers seem to have other ideas, they are keeping it pretty straight and simple. Yes, it is back to the basics, keeping to a good line and length, cramping the batsmen for room, bowling to the field, experimenting very little were strategies employed by the leading bowlers of the tournament such as Murali, Mallinga, Tait, Vass, Pravinkumar, Vinaykumar, & Nannes. All these bowlers have come to grips with the shorter version so effectively that one gets a feeling that the contest would become more intense between the bat and the ball soon. How do you view the situation?

Answer : Truly said Arul. In the name of innovation, bowlers are only belted for more runs than those who stick to the basics. The great advantage when a bowler chooses to bowl wicket to wicket is that when a batsman misses, he is immediately rewarded with a wicket. Slow balls have been useful in T20 but one must admit the usage has been on the higher side wherein the batsman is able to get away with it. IPL3 so far, there is something for the bowlers. Scores of 170, 160 odd have been hard to reach. We saw some close encounters when team chasing 160 or 170 runs. Bowlers who have the ability to bowl more in the block hole area have troubled the batsmen more than often. If there is a good fight between bat and ball in this format of the game, it’s always an added luxury. It will make the game more interesting and it would be a treat to watch. VIEW THREAD

Question : Each highly rated players were selected by each team and were given very huge amount for their contract. Considering the contribution by these players to their respective teams, it was not at all justified. Other young players were contributing much more than these players. Why can't we have a system for grading the players according to their contribution from next year onwards? The contract amount should also be fixed according to their contribution for their teams in the last three years. Won't this really help to have a realistic parameter in considering the contract amount for each and every player irrespective of their status?

Answer : Good Question, see all the money given to a player is not for performance but also brand building, attracting sponsors, getting in crowds and other stuff matters as well. For example consider Chennai Super Kings, it has a huge fan following in all parts of the country and it can largely if not entirely be attributed to MS Dhoni leading them, if not all , many of his fans support CSK. They might buy tickets for a CSK match in their city, buy merchandise etc as well. Would CSK have such a following all over India if for example Dinesh Karthik was its captain? But when players like Ishant and Co don't perform this question seems to be valid. KKR at present is playing U19 (Unadkat and Abdulla) players ahead of him! In my opinion there should be 2 components for the player pay packages and they should be updated each year rather than same salary for 3 years, like for example if a player gets paid 1 million dollars a year for playing for a franchise in the IPL, 50% of it should be fixed and 50% based on performance of the team as well as the individual. A robust system to judge individual performance has to be put in place. The franchises can add it as a performance bonus like football clubs do for winning titles etc, In cricket it is much easier to gauge the performance by numbers etc rather than in football, the sooner this is done better for IPL and the bigger starts cannot sit on their pay packet and rest, and also to counter the problem of smaller players getting lower performance bonuses there should be a minimum limit like say 20-30 lakhs which should be paid to a player for his performance ( a benchmark has to be drawn for this), this would definitely help the domestic cricketers If the IPL Governing Council implements the system it would be transparent rather than creating more conflicts between the players and the franchises It's a long shot, but even if a part of what i said would be implemented it would be a step in the right direction! VIEW THREAD

Question : No doubt that the IPL is getting popular and popular each day. But is it not right that it is taking a heavy toll on the players? I suppose the affect will be evident in the coming T20 World Cup.The day is not far when the top players shall not be that interested to play for their countries than they are for their franchises. Too much of anything is bad.

Answer : Players like Kallis and Steyn have said that the need for rest for players is very minimal in the T20 format. SO the IPL is taking heavy toll of the players is an exaggerated statement. Because we have matches on a daily basis it looks as though every player is involved but the fact is there is enough off-days between matches for all the teams. Also the physical strain of actual playing lasts only for about four hours. Out of the 14 matches for each team 7 matches are played at home grounds thereby reducing the need to travel. In span of 45 days travelling within the country for 7 away matches shouldn't be that big a problem. On the whole the format is not taking a toll and professional players can take the stress and manage themselves. IPL is fun for everyone involved without a doubt! VIEW THREAD

Question : Is IPL the initiation of an era of commercialized cricket entertainment? Well i fear that a time may come when players will prefer playing for their clubs than for their nations seeing the money,glamour extravaganza involved in the IPL. Recent statement by Robin Singh, the coach of the Mumbai Indians reaffirms the same. the IPL has as well benn called the Injured premiere league, with many indian and foreign players getting injured. What are your thoughts on it?

Answer : The world moves in the direction where it can find wealth, fame and all the other material benefits easily and in plenty. When the IT Industry was on a boom everyone wanted to become a computer engineer or at least have a certificate of some kind in computer leteracy. It is only natural. One always wants one's share of the cake! I don't understand why people should fear if players prefer their clubs rather than their nations. Afterall, cricket is a spot and not a war between nations. The purpose of the game is to provide entertainment to those who play and those who watch it! If IPL can provide the same excitement and intensity that we experience from a match between Australia and India, then I think there is no reason for anybody to complain. If a match can push you to the edge of your seat with unexpected twists and suspense, makes you jump with joy and forces you to scream with excitement, what does it mater whether it is a match between South Africa Vs India or MI Vs RCB? World has shrunk mate, if cricket is going to play a role in bringing down the national barriers we should only be happy about and not fear it! VIEW THREAD

Question : We have seen that now a days t 20 is happening too much all over. As the speed of the game is too fast. the players are getting too much stress and tournaments like ipl does not give players a time for rest. They travel one day and practice other day and play the game countinuously this will lead to injury to many players. players are of domestic or international but ultimately it creates loss to the cricket. So any rules regarding the number of matches played by each player should be fixed so that the fitness should be maintain and the game of cricket does not get loss of players?

Answer : First of all why people are trying to establish without sufficient evidence or support that players are getting too much stress and injuries, while the fact is players seem to enjoy the tournament and are excited about being involved in IPL tournament. The only people who are complaining are the players woh are rested. Look mate, a performer always wants action. And in India if you are a cricketer you want more action. You always want to be in the thick of the action. Players retired decades back want to join the IPL Mela. Such is the fun, excitement, money, fame, exposure the IPL is providing for all concerned. Even the people who hate T20 cricket (like me), do not see IPL as something negative to the cricketing community. Just take a look at the sports pages of any Newspaper today, you can see IPL-special columns by all the leading local, national and international stars. There is no need for any special rules or laws to regulate the players mate, they are professionals who know how to take good care of them. Only we the fans need to understand and accept the changes that are happening so fast in the game we love so much. VIEW THREAD

Question : The performance of Robin Uthappa is better than Murli Vijay, then why the board has selected Vijay for World Cup in the place of Sehwag?

Answer : I don't agree with you mate though I too would have preferred Uthappa ahead of M.Vijay in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup. If you are talking about their performance in IPL-3, M. Vijay's performance is slightly better than Uthappa's. While Uthappa has scored 374 in 14 innings at an average of 31.16 with a highest score of 68 not out and a strike rate of 171.55, M Vijay has scored 417 from 13 innings at an average of 37.90 with a highest score of 127 and a strike rate of 158.55. The statistical evidence clearly proves who was better. More importantly if you considered the qualitative parameters also Vijay outperforms Uthappa easily. Vijay had to open the batting in the company of Hayden who was bitterly out of form. On many occasions Vijay had to curb his tendency to play aggressively and see the side through in the company of Raina and Badrinath. Uthappa enjoyed a better and in-form batting line up that took so much of pressure off his shoulders which allowed him to play his natural game. While Uthappa kept the wickets beautifully for RCB (6 catches and 3 stumpings in 15 matches) Vijay was excellent in the out-field and took some crucial catches ( 8 Catches in 13 matches). I feel if performance in IPL-3 was a deciding factor then Vijay's selection is fully justified! VIEW THREAD

Question : Is Dhoni irritated by the presence of some senior players as they are potential threat to his captaincy ?

Answer : Dear Jagdish, Captaincy of the Mational team is the most a player can achieve and if he is successful in his stinct as captain, he will be remembered forever in the history. Dhoni like players are professionals and they are appointed as captain due to their ability to lead the team in all circumstances. Every individual is unique and different as the same for every captain. Every captain has got his own ideas and he implies it in the ground. Maybe at times this technique won't be successful and we blame the captain for the mistake. In a game, winning and loosing are part and parcel of it. Coming to your question, this is not the first Dhoni is leading a team with seniors. He had done it so many times in the past and had done a splendid job as captain. We should actually appraise Dhoni for leading such a team with lot of senior players as well as past captains(Sachin, Ganguly, Dravid, Kumble, Sehwag, Yuvraj) at a time in his side. The role of captain is very mportant and only a talented and bright player can do that with such an ease as what Dhoni is doing. So, I don't think that there is any tension in this regard. Everybody respect Dhoni as the Captain and the team performs as a single unity. VIEW THREAD

Question : T20 and fair play doesn't go together. Rajasthan Royals were not the best team of the tournament when they won the finals of the first edition in 2008. Yet, they still have the potential bomb Yousuf Pathan at their disposal that could shatter the best of the teams any day if explodes! That is why I say T20 isn't cricket! Do you agree with me?

Answer : NO. T20 has bridged the gaps between the teams significantly. There is scope for more upsets. No team can relax at any time against any opposition. This will help in globalization of cricket. Shorter is sweeter, smaller the better. That is the norm with any field these days. When huge computers can give way to/co-exist with smaller laptops and still smaller ipads, why not new shorter format innovations in cricket? With the new generation's attention spans getting shorter & shorter, I think T20 is a wonderful & innovative Next-Generation cricket that is here to stay. With ODIs/Tests being little more predictable, T20 helps us see why cricket is called a game of glorious uncertainties. VIEW THREAD

Question : M. Hussey proved beyond any doubt that nothing is impossible in T20 cricket until the game is over! Pakistan learnt the hard way that a team doesn't have the liberty to relax even if it enjoys the upper hand momentarily. The positional advantage vanishes into thin air in no time. As this is the reality as far as T20 format is concerned, can you think of any formula / strategy which can gurantee consistent success in T20?

Answer : Dont arrive at a conclusion after one close match. Cricket in any form is a funny game and the match can change within moments. We can not really predict the results till the last ball is bowled. I would like you to recall the 1999 WC Semifinal match between Australia and South Africa. Why so far, I would like to draw your attention to the ODI between India and Srilanka where India scored 413 odd runs and just managed a victory by 2 runs. how can you forget the ODI between India and NZ when India was chasing a meagre 196 and were comfortably placed at 181/2. The lost all but one wicket in their chase and just managed a victory. Can you recall the Chappel Hadlee trophy match which was won by NZ chasing 345 odd runs after being 44/5. These were a few ODI examples. Now let me come to the longer version of the game. India SouthAfrica Test in Feb 2010, India managed the last wicket with just 10 balls to spare. Can u really forget the 2 tied test matches. England SA 1st test in the last series when the Africans failed to get the last wicket in 20 odd balls. These all are some good examples of the fact that Cricket is really unpredictable till the last ball is bowled and the only formulae to be successful is to play as well as you can. VIEW THREAD

Question : AB de Villiers seems to be doing a great job keeping wickets for South Africa ? It also gives the option of having an extra batsman or an extra all rounder. So is this the end for Mark Boucher ? Does other teams follow suit for their preparations before the World cup in India ?

Answer : A skilled sailor is your best bet to get out of a rough deep sea. The significance of proper wicket keeping is undermined in world cricket today. This shows teams are only looking to strengthen their batting line up giving least importance to other department. When you have a stopgap wicket keeper, the possibility of taking wickets through stumping and effecting run outs takes a back seat. This can seriously dent the performance of the fielding team. Teams which tend to contain the batsman have been least successful than teams who would go for the kill. I’m a firm believer of specialist ruling the game. If your top 5 batsmen are not able to put the runs on board, then you can’t expect the others to score as well. AB de villers is not the best option for South Africa which has bowlers of the quality of Steyn, Morkel, and Kallis etc. Though AB performed well against a weakened West Indies side, I don’t find him keeping wickets against stronger oppositions. It won’t be surprising if other teams follows suit and do some experimentation until they strike balance. At the end of the day what really matters is winning and the best way of doing it is bestow the responsibility on your specialist players. VIEW THREAD

Question : Though India lost in T20 World Cup, people still pinning hopes on Team India. They are thinking of a sparkling win in the Asia cup. If India manages to win the Asia Cup, will it mean that India is a revival path for the World Cup?

Answer : As we say ‘Umeed pe duniya kayam hai’. Life is nothing but full of hopes otherwise it would have been hopeless. The same is true for sports & therefore in cricket also, despite poor & losing performance by Indian team in recent T20 WC 2010 the cricket loving people of the India & cricket fans will always hope that Indian team will bounce back & win the next match & next match.., may be series and also major tournaments. As far as Asia cup is concerned it is 50 over one day matches and therefore approach of the Indian team and the relevant authorities should be different than that of T20 WC 2010. It will be crucial & important how the present Indian Team performs in the Tri-series at Zimbabwe. It also needs to be seen which team is selected for the Asia cup to be played after the recent series in mid June 2010? The World Cup 2011 still app. 9 months to go and ample opportunity for Indian team & authorities to be back on revival path or winning path with number of matches schedule for all format of game. If India wins present Tri-series, thereafter Asia Cup and any other matches or tournament it should be considered a positive and winning habit should be maintained till & for the world cup. And if not a win, winning approach & fighting spirit to win every match will also be helpful to go & play World Cup 2011. Finally, it is our hope & wishful thinking for Indian cricket team that we are on the Castrol ExpertFanSpeak conversation. VIEW THREAD

Question : Tendulkar is the 'Jewel of India', M S Dhoni is 'Captain Cool', Dravid is the 'Wall' and Laxman is 'Mr Cricket', Sehwag is the 'Master Blaster'. We are satisfied with our past glories and care a damn about making improvements in every aspect of our game. We close our eyes to the outside world. England is making giant improvements in every department of its game, Zimbabwe is silently becoming somebody! Why, even Pakistan is attempting to plug all the holes in their sinking ship! Most of the competent teams are making positive changes and moving ahead confidently with an eye on the World Cup 2011. Are we in the right path as far as World Cup is concerned?

Answer : Dear Friend,first of all'Mr Cricket' is not Laxman,it's Dravid and Mike Hussey.Similarly,Sehwag is not 'Master blaster',it's Sachin.You have pointed out the positive side of England,Pakistan and Australia and meanwhile put the negative sides of Team India.These surnames are there because Cricket is the most popular in India unlike other countries where Cricketers are treated as god.A 2nd string Indian team that went to Zimbabwe,played wel to some extent.We lost that series but that does not mean we are not preparing for 2011 WC.Dinda,Ashwin were the find of the series and also we saw Rohit and Pragyan in outstanding form.After rest,the seniors are expected to perform to their potential and win the Asia Cup after 15 years.So,yes we are in the right path.But as far as team selection is concerned,Robin Uthappa should be given a chance after he is fit as he can be an opener cum wicket keeper.Also Irfan Pathan can be tested as he's the best available medium pacer cum all rounder in India at the moment. VIEW THREAD

Question : Noone since Bradman has built massive scores as often and as fast as Brain Lara.501*,400*,375,277,etc are huge figures that the world still looks back with pride and admiration.It isn't often that legends like Brain Lara are born to reserve a permanent place in the history books of cricket.His guidance will definitely help the West Indian team to perform well.Why is that Brain Lara not coaching the West Indian team ?

Answer : Brian Lara is a beautiful poem in the book of cricket. Renowned for his ability to play huge innings when on song. He crafts his innings with a touch of artistry and very few players can match that kind of pedigree. He is a once in a generation cricketer to have played the game of cricket and the emptiness that prevails ever since his departure from the international arena is hard to digest as a cricket lover. No one could replace him. Talking about West Indies cricket, they enjoyed their stint at the top of the mountain in the 70’s 80’s and after that just toppled. They are at the bottom of the mountain failing to analyze their root cause for their decline and also they are ignorant of the fact that the cricketing world has changed with the advent of technology and the related stuff. There is always a fight between WICB and the players even during Lara’s period. Personally I wouldn’t put the blame on the players. The region has produced athletes of the likes of Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell etc and that’s the breeding ground for some of the best sportsmen in the world. So it’s the administrators who are responsible for the state of West Indies cricket today. On Brian Lara coaching the national side, he would be of immense help to any side mate. Tons and Tons of experience from a player who single-handedly destroyed opposition bowling line-ups and his experience would be great help to budding young Caribbean cricketers. But his effectiveness would be limited if he is to act as a puppet of the WICB. The team will suffer if the coach and the cricket board have conflict of interest. Given the background of the infamous duels between Lara and WICB in the past, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lara turns down the offer. But in cricket you never certain, anything is possible. VIEW THREAD

Question : as we see indian team touch so many glory in past two years with the coach garry kirsten. At the time all players click well and getting praised by all. They get all the credit no one clapped for coach. But as soon as the darkness touch the team the coach suddenly come into picture for critisism. So don't you think that it is unfair for coaches because no one praise him in success but all critisise him in bad time?

Answer : Its Not That Coaches Go Unnoticed. Coaches Are Like The Bark Of A Tree. Without A bark A tree Wont Expand Hence Wont Give You Fruits. And When A Tree Doesnt Give You A Fruit What Do You Do. Cut Its Bark. Thats Whats Happening With All Coaches Around The world. If The team performs ( Giving A Fruit) The Coaches Dont Get The Credit. But If A Team Fails The Coach gets The Cut. In Other Words , When A team Wins Players Performance Overpowers the Coaches Contribution But In Case Of A Loss The Coach Becomes An Easy Target As It Becomes A Stratigical loss . And The Coach Is Always Responsible For Strategy. VIEW THREAD

Question : Lots is being debated about the preparation in run up to the ICC WC 2011. ICC WC 2011 tournament is one day matches – 50/50 over tournament. What according to you, selectors should focus on – player’s performance purely in one day matches or all-round performance of player in test matches, one day matches & also T20 matches? Whether only International performance of the player (ODI only or also other format) should count or focus should also be on domestic performance of any player? Why?

Answer : Well certainly everyone is looking around for "Hows INDIA going about its WC preparation " and selectors n Board I think are the one who are doing most of the thinking. Well ,if you speak about actions the team for ASIA cup says all. Here we have are our seniors who know how to tackle pressure along with youngsters who have performed at domestic circuit and made their way till here. Also there were speculations regarding fitness and fielding performance and the team management seems to have taken this issue seriously as well ( just read a report on indiatimes which says that change is seen in the ways things are going aroun in the indian camp ) . So we are certainly moving in the right direction towards WC 2011. VIEW THREAD

Question : ICC is keeping an eye on Cricket Australia’s experiment of split innings in ODI matches. Another possible change in the format of the game. Is it fair to keep changing the formats or playing competitive cricket would be more attractive? Where do we draw the line?

Answer : We already have T20. The prime reason for its success is the shorter duration and not the game. So if you start feeding nonstop double whammy for the paying audience, it will be an overdose and that will gradually diminish the interest in T20 too. Do not copy the format and try to kill the golden goose. Secondly, success of IPL is endemic and people really wait for it eagerly as its a once in a year carnival. Even we do find WC T20 is a pale shadow of IPL. On the other hand ODI will be played round the corner. So its foolish to assume that ODI in split innings format and copied in the line of T20 will make it interesting and a success. I feel that the changes should be made within the basic fabric of the format. Look into the concerns, analytically and also take a retrospective of the downfall. Cricket should be played in all three formats, TESTS, ODI and T20. They should be looked upon as three different levels of graduation. If T20 is schooling, then ODI is graduation and TESTS is the masters. And the whole problem is that those who administer the game are looking for short term gains. VIEW THREAD

Question : Yuvraj Singh was dropped from the Indian side for lack of form. And he hasn't done anything to convince the selectors that he has regained his form in the recent times! Also, he hasn't scored a century in his last 25 test innings and has made only two half centuries in his last 10 test innings. What is the logic behind recalling him for the test series in Srilanka? Doesn't it prove beyond any trace of doubt that the Indian cricket team selection is not done purely on merit?

Answer : Selectors did the right thing in reinstating Yuvraj for Test cricket. We need to remember that Yuvraj failed in 20-20 matches namely the IPL & the T20 World Cup. When there is a decision to have somebody given a long rope in Test Cricket as an "investment for the future", it makes sense that they stick to the plan when he has not failed in that format between the last Test that India played and now. Ask Sanjay Manjrekhar and Vinod Kambli.., both will agree that they lost their Test place after they failed in some of the ODIs. I am glad that the current group of selectors look at the different formats distinctly and don't mix things up. VIEW THREAD

Question : Records are made to be broken.........but still do you think these records are breakable..? * The highest number of international wickets in Tests and ODIs combined (1207 wickets) * The most 10-wicket hauls in a match at Test level (22). He is the only player to take 10 wickets/match against every Test playing nation. * The most 5-wicket hauls in an innings at Test level (66) * Fastest to reach 350 Fastest to 400 Fastest to 450, Fastest to 500 Fastest to 550 Fastest to 600 Fastest to 650 Fastest to 700 Fastest to 750 Probably will become Fastest to 800.. in terms of matches played. * Only player to take 10 wickets in a Test in four consecutive matches. Murali has achieved this feat twice.-probably the most difficult record to break * Only player to take 50 or more wickets against every Test playing nation. * Muralitharan and Jim Laker (England), are the only bowlers to have taken 9 wickets in a Test innings twice. * 7 wickets in an innings against the most countries (7). * Most Test wickets taken bowled , stumped caught & bowled * Bowled by Muralitharan (b Muralitharan) is the most common dismissal in Test cricket (excluding run out). * Most successful bowler/fielder (non-wicket keeper) combination - c Mahela Jayawardene b Muttiah Muralitharan (62). * Most number of Man of the Match awards in test cricket (18), jointly held with Jacques Kallis.

Answer : When asked about his record being broken in furture Gavaskar said immediately after scoring 10000 test runs ' Records are meant to be broken; but I will remain the first batsman to have reached the summit (of 10000 test runs). Same way all of Murali's records might be broken in future yet he will be remembered as the first one to have captured 1000 international wickets! Nobody can touch this record from him! VIEW THREAD

Question : Without any doubt Sachin is best batsman ever in both formats of game.And those who were suspicious about his ability to play in T20 had to eat their words.He was highest run scorer in IPL3. Now comes the real question, Indian team tumble like cards in T20 World cup,Now whats the use of all those runs Sachin made in IPL. He retired from International T20 but if he can play 40 day long tournament and over 15 matches in IPL,Couldnt he play 5 to 6 matches and serve the country ? I m great fan of Sachin but to be honest dont u think that he should have given more preference to International cricket rather than Domestic tournament?

Answer : Well its a fact that "IF" Sachin would had played the world cup then his performance in IPL would had certainly helped INDIA greatly . But the person we are talking about is Sachin ; whos playing for past 18 yrs now n I think whatever his decision was ; it was the best for the country . Also one point to be noted that Sachin was also not present in first T2o world cup . Now whether he opted out or team mgmt wanted to play youngsters still remains a topic of suspence . Also we need to consider the difference between IPL n WC 1.Amount of pressure on self since every game is virtual knockout ( Not the case with IPL ) 2.WC was in different nation . Hence you have to stay with team n away from home for a longer time . ( Dont know what happens in IPL camps ) So in short i think everyone does the things that he thinks are the best . So dont worry ..cheers ...He's definitely playing WC 2011 VIEW THREAD

Question : This is last world cup to play for Sachin.Sachin have talent of cricket, national respect, seniority, experience,records ..... Is he deserve to given a chance of captainship for upcoming world cup?

Answer : Sorry dear, first of all we really don’t have any words to describe the success of “God of Indian Cricket”, look as we all know this is going to be the last world cup for sachin, now the condition is that, he is having his dream to win world cup for India and also he knows that this is the his last opportunity. Now he will be in great pressure because of following things. 1. Winning The World Cup 2. Performing In front of home crowd 3. His Last World Cup 4. and last but not least he knows the expectations of the Indian Fans to HIM. Then you ask to give him captaincy? No way dear how can we put him under more pressure by giving him this task. Let him free to play his natural game and perform his best of the best in his last world cup. VIEW THREAD

Question : While playing the cricket ,it is always known that one team could dominate throughout for many years like for eg.Australia(2003-2007) and westindies(1975-1979), to maintain that status is almost difficult for any playing team.What could be the key to maintain the dominant momentum in the history cricket?

Answer : Any team needs to be well versed and should be in good form in all the department of the game, bowling, batting & fielding. Team needs to be extra-ordinary in atleast one department, like West Indies were in bowling department during their good times in the history of cricket. The pace attack of West Indices was fierce, with blowers like Holding, Andy Roberts, doing the damage to opposition batting side. In Recent past, Australia dominated the game of cricket with all round performance in all the formats of game. Australia has topped the "Test Championship Table" and "One-day International Championship Table” consistently in the 2000s. Team needs to have good quality players giving consistent performance and less prone to frequent injuries, assuring place in team. Above all professional approach toward the game as a team is important. You need to have team performance rather than piecemeal performances by couple of players. You also need to have a good coach and capable captain to lead the team for perpetual successes. So from good coach, to selection of team, captain having leadership quality, performance as a team on field, everything is important to maintain the dominant position in the history of cricket. Beside all the above factors, cricket team & the board should not be indulged in the off the field controversy, which is the problem for sub-continent teams. I think cricket team & respective authorities’ needs to concentrate purely on game of cricket to maintain the top position or dominant place for long spell in the history of cricket. VIEW THREAD

Question : With the current bowling options that India have, it is clear we would struggle to keep our No 1 position in test matches. When it comes to bowlers I think India should pick the best bowlers available in the country for test matches. I think we are not in a position to classify bowlers into test / ODI / T20 bowlers as Australia or England do! Afterall, we run into trouble if one Zaheer Khan is injured! The best option is to have the top four or five bowlers in the test squad. What's your take on this?

Answer : Classifying bowlers into Test/ODI/T20 can work only if we have enough talent pool. All our bowlers seem to get very tired after a year or two of International Cricket. Of the bowlers pool we have presently, Nehra and Munaf are Injury prone. Sreeshanth doesn know to handle himself and is prone to be erratic. Praveen seems not be the favourite dont know if it's Captain's or Coach's unwilling to play him. Ishant which ever format you play seems we cant count him for a bowler in current form.Irfan Pathan has become a forgotten name.So who else? Probably we should let our 'A' Team and reserve pool bowlers to play County and other club cricket to give better exposure and match practise so that they would be in match readiness. If this process begins now, I think one or two years down the line, we would have a pool to classify our bowlers to different formats. VIEW THREAD

Question : The event is over! We have lost. It is not as if the sky has fallen on our heads by just one loss, yet the way we approached the test match is very unbecoming of a No 1 ranked test team! We didn't look like the number 1 side either while fielding or while batting! We dropped as many as 5 catches and when batting we collapsed from decent positions in both the innings! Subtle aspects such as rhythm, communication, concentration etc. were visibly missing! Team India didn't seem to be enjoying the game right from day one and the team didn't look like a single entity! What do you think India should focus on to come back strongly into the series?

Answer : FIRST OF ALL HARBHAJAN SINGH SHOULD BECOME AN ATTACKING BOWLER AND NOT A DEFENSIVE BOWLER.RECENTLY HE IS BOWLING A LOT OF SHORT BALLS WHICH ARE BEING CUT WHICH IS NOT A GOOD SIGN FOR A SPINNER. HE HAS BECOME A BIT DEFENSIVE.THE TAIL HELD OUT IN THE SECOND INNINGS.IT IS STRANGE THEY HOLD OUT ONLY WHEN TRYING TO SAVE A MATCH.THIS PROVES THEY CAN BAT AND SHOULD TRY AND BAT THE SAME WAY IN EITHER INNINGS.DHONI MADE A MISTAKE MY SAYING HIS BOWLERS LACKED EXPERIENCE.MITHUN BOWLED BETTER THAN HARBHAJAN INSPITE OF BEING NEW.IS MR SINGH STILL INEXPERIENCED ? DHONI ALWAYS PUTS THE BLAME ON RIDICULOUS FACTORS LIKE HE DID IN THE T20 IN WEST INDIES. A CAPTAIN SHOULD INSPIRE INSTEAD OF GOING ON A FAULT FINDING MISSION. VIEW THREAD

Question : As far as test cricket is concerned, taking five or more wickets in an innings by a perfect bowler & scoring a hundred and above by a quality batsman. Which is difficult to achieve & why?

Answer : In cricket irrespective of any format along with the rules supporting the batsmen. Easiest thing to do is be a batsmen and score the runs. If this is not true why only few bowlers are there in test achieved three hundred wkts marks - 37 bowlers (if i remember it correctly).Bowling is the toughest job in cricket. There is nothing like perfect bowler and batsmen dear in cricket. Its the skills attitude determination and luck to be a performer be successful in Test like Kapil,Kumble,Murali,Akram,Waqar etc.... For example Irfan Pathan is a classical example he likes batting as it is easier and not bowling. Second is Atul Wassan,now a commentator,Kapil Dev was surprised to see his action changed season to season and his remarks was these bowlers doesn't work hard and practise bowling day in day out, Wasim remarks regarding Pathan - " Bowl three hours continously in the nets to get your rythem and action perfect". Hence bowling is not everybody cup of tea...... VIEW THREAD

Question : The Indian bowling line up has almost always been regarded as the weak factor. In the past it failed in matches abroad, but of late the bowlers have failed to deliver at home too. Have a look at these facts. Last year Sri Lanka scored their highest total 760 for 7 declared against India in India. In February 2010, South Africa rattled up 558 for 6 declared on their way to an innings victory on Indian soil. On the other hand, away from Indian soil in the process all sorts of batting records have been established by opposing batsmen against Indian bowling attack. In July 2008, Mahela Jayawardene and Prasanna Jayawardene broke a famous 73-year-old world record sixth wicket partnership held by Don Bradman and Jack Fingleton by putting together a stand of 351. Sri Lanka also hammered 600 for six declared while registering a huge innings and 239-runs victory with as many as four batsmen getting centuries against Indian bowling attack. The above facts clearly tell us the depth of Indian bowling. My question is, why Indian bowling always been a major concern as far as test cricket is concerned not only away from India but also even on Indian soil? and why we are unable to overcome this weakness? Please share your views

Answer : Indian bowling does appear very weak in the current series. No doubt about that. But to say that it is traditionally weak is not correct in my honest opinion. Bowlers have bad days, and sometimes it gets compounded by batsmen friendly wickets and poor fielding/catching. Tall scores are not confined only when India is bowling. This happens quite a lot in countries such as Sri Lanka, West Indies (since 2000s), Pakistan, and some specific grounds such as Sydney (day 1, 2, 3) and Adelaide. The number of batting records that have been broken recently are fairly high. Remember that Lara's 400 or 366 or Hayden's triple hundreds were not against India. And by the same yardstick, we have Veeru score two triple centuries. My theory is that tall scores have surfaced due to: a. Pitches have become extremely dull because of too much of cricket with cricket being played in all seasons and not enough juice left in the wicket to replenish itself. b. Bowlers are not innovative - thanks to restrictive bowling style needs of ODI and T20s c. The 90 overs per day limit set by ICC does not give fast bowlers any breather and in the process they try to preserve themselves and ultimately has killed bowling fast in tough conditions. VIEW THREAD

Question : Why doesn't India produce match winning bowlers anymore? For a nation of a billion which considers Cricket as a religion finding a great fast bowler like Kapil Dev will not be that difficult but in India it is just the opposite........and they have one Zaheer Khan who is always unavailable, i dont even remember the last time when Zaheer played for India in a test. It is no bad to lose but the way India approaches matches it saddens me.

Answer : BECAUSE OF FITNESS PROBLEMS AND MORE LOAD ON BOWLERS DUE TO T20 AND ODI CRICKET. WE NEED TO HAVE SEPARATE BOWLERS FOR EACH TYPE OF CRICKET TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE.FITNESS CONCERNS ARE A MAJOR PROBLEM AND THIS CAN COME ONLY WITH DISCIPLINE. IF A PLAYER LIKE SREESANTH WANTS TO DANCE ON REALITY SHOWS THEN WE SEE THE RESULTS. SREESANTH WAS TALENTED BUT BEHAVED WITHOUT RATIONALITY. INSTEAD OF FINDING OUT HIS WEAKNESSES HE WAS MORE KEEN TO SEARCH ELSEWHERE.THE WICKETS IN INDIA NEED TO BE MORE SPORTING TO GIVE THEM THE CONFIDENCE.OUR OVER DEPENDENCE ON SPIN IS A SERIOUS FLAW.LOOK AT HARBHAJAN AS A STRIKE BOWLER. HE IS LESS EFFECTIVE AS A STRIKER AND IS CONTAINING BATSMEN MORE.WE NEED TO KEEP OUR BOWLERS IN A BATCH FOR DIFFERENT GAMES. THE BEST BOWLERS SHOULD BE FOR TEST MATCHES AMD WE CAN HAVE PRAVEEN KUMAR ,ASHISH NEHRA FOR THE SHORTER VERSION.USE AND DO NOT ABUSE VIEW THREAD

Question : What could be the reason for this? Sehwag succeeded where bowlers like Bhajji and Mendes to name two, failed! Is this just a fluke or is there something to it? Is he a good enough offcial for test matches?

Answer : If you watch Sehwag's action carefully, you would notice that he has the basics of an off spinner's bowling action absolutely right. His pivot, follow through, flight etc. are all good. Sehwag indeed has bowled a lot for Delhi and I remember his first man of the match award in an ODI vs Australia at Bangalore where he scored a 50 and then also picked up 3 wickets. It's somewhat a mystery that he has not thought of himself as a complete all rounder nor have the successive Indian captains treated him as one. May be it was all to protect his body / shoulder. Whatever be the reason, it's indeed India's loss that Sehwag potential as a spinner has not been utilized to its fullest. To answer your question.., I don't think Sehwag's wickets were just a fluke. It is a tribute to his abilities that he & his captains have not taken seriously thus far! VIEW THREAD

Question : Dhoni says, 'it is very important to switch off from cricket, because 365 days in a year, you can't be thinking about only cricket'. However, when you take up something as your profession, is it not mandatory you give your 100% to that profession, irrespective of whether it is cricket or software or even road sweeping? While the statement by the India skipper might look valid on the surface, but to me it portrays a diminishing passion for the game! What's your take on this?

Answer : Cricketers need to give your 100% when they are on the field playing or practising. But it does not mean they should forget or ignore other aspects in life. And thinking only Cricket and nothing else might be an easy one when Cricketers are on a successful ride but during defeats it would affect their morale badly.Switching on and off from anything for that matter Keeps you interested in things.You cant be in the shoe of Software Engineer all day or all the life, So are the cricketers. Here the question of passion does not arise, So what Dhoni calls is right and absolutely sensible thing to do to be a successful cricketer and a sane human being VIEW THREAD

Question : People are seriously thinking about who would play at No 7 for India in the forthcoming World Cup 2011. Irfan Pathan may not make it to the squad and Ravindra Jadeja did not live up to the promise! But I have always wondered why we never considered Harbhajan Singh for that position seriously? He has always been underrated as a batsman. Do you think he doesn\'t fit in at No.7 ? Please share your views.

Answer : There are times when you need to mistrust the obvious and explore a bit deep. What meets the eye may not always reveal the truth friends. I did a small analysis on Harbhajan after reading that interesting article 'Who will bat at No 7 for India' in Cricinfo website. I was astonished to see that we have grossly under utilized this talented cricketer as a batsman in One day Internationals. Here are some facts about Harbhajan's ODI Batting Career: Batted in 112 innings so far for his 1083 runs in ODIs. His strike rate is 82.10 and he has mainly batted in 8,9 and 10 positions and only once at no 6. His career average in ODIs is an unimpressive 13.20, not a promising one for a proposed no 7? Wait! There is another interesting statistics which made me believe he has it in him if people are ready to provide the right opportunities. Here is what I found: out of the 112 innings he has batted 10 deliveries or more on just 47 occasions, scored 889 runs at an impressive (for a no 8,9 or 10) average of 26.94 with a strike rate of 88.91. This finding about Harbhajan made me believe he has it in him! The surprises just do not end there. This later average (26.94) is second only to Imran's career average (33.41)if you consider Kapil, Imran, Hadlee, Ian Botham and Irfan Pathan. And his strike rate of 88.91 is second only to Kapil Dev's 95.07 from that elite group of all-rounders! However, my idea is not to compare Harbhajan with the past greats and belittle their giant achievements, rather I am trying to drive home the point that here's a potential which can be tapped to benefit Indian cricket. Sometimes we get carried away with what we see on the surface the goldmine might be just one foot away! VIEW THREAD

Question : How do you think the shuffling of players for test matches, ODIs and T20s is going to affect Indian team settling down with the best composition for the World cup 2011? Do you think the players will have tough time getting together as a team?

Answer : Whatever may be the planning about team composition for WC2011, it seems that focus on present scenario is now more important with many Indian team players struggling with injuries & fitness problem. Players are complaining about hectic schedule & feel tired. If things will go on like this & Indian team keeps on loosing, lose badly or play badly even shuffling of players or rotation of players will not work to have an in-form players for the world cup. The reason is that you are not playing matches in run up to the WC2011 with confidence & positive mind set, what morale will be built during the WC2011? Definitely players will have tough times getting together. When you don’t know which players are going to play when & where, who will be replaced for whom, what will be batsmen+bowlers combination, Shuffling batting order now & then, who is really fit to play, who is to be rested etc., things are becoming more complicated. I think we have enough numbers of international players who can be categories for 3 different formats and planning should be done accordingly. Keeping some players common for 3 formats & keep shuffling them as per the demand. Eg. Players like Dravid, Laxman should play more tests. Sachin can play both Test & ODI. Shewag,Gambir, Raina, Dhoni can play all 3 formats. Different bowlers can be utilized thru rotation policy as per demand. VIEW THREAD

Question : There is a great sense of urgency worldwide to save test cricket, the traditional format of the game. What drives the whole world to stand by the oldest format of the game and fight so hard for its survival? Do you see other reasons than sentimental ones for why Test Match cricket should still exist? Can we not do with just one format of the game (preferably the T20 format) which would mean the players, coaches, administrators, why even the fans would be relieved from having to change gears and adopt to the different demands each format throws on them? If you have just the T20 format then I think Cricket can compete with football and can become a global sport? What are your views on this?

Answer : Any religious follower of the game of cricket would agree to the fact that test cricket is the mother of all forms of the game. There might be ODI, T-20 and even T-10, but the essence of test cricket is unmatched by any other form of the game. If you think that sticking to one format like T-20 will make the game more popular globally, the uniqueness of the game would be lost. Cricket can't be like football. It's an altogether different ball game. While a player's skills, fitness and stamina are tested over a period of five days (may be four days in the near future) in test cricket, in football, it's a matter of 90 minutes to 120 minutes. T-20 may be drawing more crowds and filling up the coffers of many cricket boards, but test cricket will always be near and dear in all the players' hearts and earning a test cap for the country is still considered the highest achievemnent by a cricketer. Also, if you take into account the scores of cricketers who have played for their respective countries, only those who are into test cricket have had long careers at the highest level. As far as ODI specialists are concerned, one bad series and they find themselves out of the team. The only way they can make a comeback is by performing well at the domestic level, which, again, will be three-day or four-day fixtures. Whatever way you look at it, test cricket is still very much the king and all those efforts going in to save the format is vry much worth it and it's our duty as well. VIEW THREAD

Question : People are seriously thinking about who would play at No 7 for India in the forthcoming World Cup 2011. Irfan Pathan may not make it to the squad and Ravindra Jadeja did not live up to the promise! But I have always wondered why we never considered Harbhajan Singh for that position seriously? He has always been underrated as a batsman. Do you think he doesn\'t fit in at No.7 ? Please share your views.

Answer : Let the things be simple and don't make the issue as hypothetical and complex. As per my understanding by watching cricket, pick the best specialist batsmen bowler spinner and wicketkeeper. When out top specialist six batsmen perform decently the role of the seventh eighth doesn't arise at all friends. We Indian are very passionate and hence circumspect of the situation. When top batsmen doesn't do there job and win for India what can the other can. Hence we shouldn't be complaining about it and expect the best specialist in form who can deliver at tough times should be selected to get us till semi final of 2011 world cup. Job is done rest is lottery for all the four teams. If I get the luxury of selecting the best batsmen the list would be like Sehwag, Gambhir, Sachin, Youvraj, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, Badrinath, Rohit Sharma, Virath Kohli. Dhoni being the captain selects himself. These are the specialist experienced and attitude hence having a all rounder in the team doesn't requires at all. Fully fit bowlers having right attitude should be selected like Ashish Nehra, Praveen, I Sharma, Amit mishra, Ojha, Harbajan VIEW THREAD

Question : Do we pick the side with emotion or practical wisdom? Can we really hang onto past experiences hoping that these players will fire?

Answer : Hi Loveen, I think no selector in the world will pick a player purely due to emotional reasons. No matter what the past records say, the current form of a player is most often the clinching factor. Only a player of Tendulkar's stature can pick themselves up in the team, even if they have had a poor season. Stellar performances in the domestic circuit or playing well for the country's junior team can be a direct ticket to the national team for many. The simple formula to pick a side would be to blend youth and experience, though it's easier said than done many-a-time. The selectors have to make sure that they give a player enough opportunities at the highest level, before they discard him. Remember, some of the greatest cricketers in the world have had very poor starts to their careers. Some wise selectors persisted with them and their persistence paid-off big time. It's not only important to infuse young blood into the team, it's equally important that they get good exposure and invaluable time with senior cricketers who could well be their role models. Sharing the same dressing room with the stars can do wonders to youngsters and will help them mould themselves through sheer inspiration, dedication and hard-work. Picking a team of green horns by totally ignoring experienced players can be detrimental to the game and can put the future of the game in that country in jeopardy. Zimbabwe is the perfect example which comes to my mind, even though the senior players had a different reason to stay away from the team. So the selectors can either make or mar a player’s future by the decisions they take within closed doors. They have to be very good judges to fit into their roles well. VIEW THREAD

Question : Does playing together as a team for longer periods or the lack of it would have any notable impact on the out come of a T20 game? For instance, Stephen Fleming the CSK coach says they play in the IPL for about two months as a team then disband and he sees it as a great challenge to again re-group as a team in 5 or 6 days and play top class cricket!

Answer : Styles change over time but there is no option.The system has to be allowed and there is no time in the calendar. Players are expected to do well as they are being payed well. They do play in the year and are cricket players first, T20 is not the same as Test cricket. No long partnerships and understanding of the mind. They may regroup in just a few days but they know what T20 is about. We just cannot have longer periods in the current scenario. If there is an option then play the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE just a few weeks after the IPL. But other countries also have their own T20's according to climatic conditions. T20 is spaced out. The IPL can be reduced in length to about 3 weeks. This will give respective countries an option of rescheduling their own tournaments. But the biggest danger is that we have forgotten about Test Cricket and its importance. Test Cricket needs more priority and we cannot bow down to T20 and its whims and fancies. We have to choose either of the two as more important. VIEW THREAD

Question : What went wrong for the Mumbai Indians? How can one come across a more irritating performance from a side which boasts of so many international stars?

Answer : Mumbai Indians performance is very similar to Real Madrid performance in Spanish League. They have all the international stars in the team but fail to play as a team. Though am a huge fan of Sachin Tendulkar I have to accept the fact that he continues to disappoint as skipper. Why would someone not reserve atleast two overs at the death for Malinga particularly when the opposition is going strong. VIEW THREAD

Question : Do big names make the perfect IPL team? Teams from Australia have quality players who may not be stars. But they do play sensible T20 cricket. Is the IPL using big names for financial reasons rather than anything else? Is there a lesson to be learnt from this CL T20 ?

Answer : If names were brought in to attract crowds ,then we would automatically choose teams. Big names like Flintoff in the past simply did not live upto expectations.We saw Ishant brought in at a fancy amount but he was not really effective for the KKR. A side should be made up of players who perform.Look at the Redbacks.Every player contributed later on to overtake MI. IPL owners should look at utility value because winning players finally augment the business model. Kevin Pietersen did not do well for RBC as compared to a Manish Pandey. Names cannot be the only criteria unless they perform. Look at what S Tiwary has done for MI. The Australian teams play together because they are a compact unit made up of players who match each other. They are used to each other and like a well oiled machine they run smoothly. The IPL has matured and team owners have to use their bucks well. It is better in investing in a quality player who will deliver. The name can be used to pull in crowds but finally every team fan wants victory in the end. The pressure from the media on a big name can also adversely affect the think thank. VIEW THREAD

Question : Dhoni is captain cool but it seems he does 'crack' under pressure. His decision to bowl Ashwin in the superover was a bit strange. Why not Muralitharan who had bowled quiet well during the innings. What was the reason behind this decision. Was it a technical ploy or just a shot in the dark?

Answer : The tragedy of life is that if a bold decision goers wrong, then every human looks at it as a flaw. We all want to be heroes and sometimes transgress into superhero zones. M S Dhoni was probably thinking with a different view. Everyone would have wanted a Bollinger or a Murali but Dhoni was going on the experience of the past few days.Dhoni had opened the bowling with Ashwin and had reaped the rewards. He thought that the SUPEROVER is like just another opening over. But he should have realised that it being a do or die situation, the batsman would take greater risks. Ashwin simply could not outhink the batsmen. This is where a thinking bowler like Murali or Bollinger could have been preferred. In a crux situation you have to bowl with your mind. Murali has experienced a similar situation a lot of times and he probably would have bowled with his mind. Ashwin is a good bowler but sometimes one needs to think out of the box. Bowling as an opening bowler is not the same as bowling a death like SUPEROVER. VIEW THREAD

Question : Are Indian batsmen confused about how to handle good short bowling? They just cant decide whether to attack or defend and this double mindedness is landing them nowhere and worsening the situation. Steve Waugh knew he was not best puller and hooker, but still he is one of best test batsmen of all time because he played within his limits. Should Indian batsmen take an example from him?

Answer : Meet head on rather than staying away from the problem. Let face the truth that Indian batsmen are vulnerable to short pitched stuff. Instead of confronting the problem our players have avoided it as much as possible. Our batsmen have the technical capability to deal with any kind of delivery; it’s just that mental blockade that prevents them to come out of the shell. ICC T20 world cup in the Caribbean was a testimonial to this fact. They very well know that they will face short pitch music in the Caribbean. A little bit of practice and mental preparedness would have done a world of good to their performance in the Caribbean. Not all the blame can be directed towards the players. In India we hardly have any sporting wickets and mostly we play bilateral series against Sri Lanka (test or ODI or T0) where the conditions are similar. Now that we have the Australian tour of India coming up shortly which will put India into a real test. The Aussie bowlers will try to dismantle Indian batting lineup with short pitched stuff and I hope that Indian team is up for the challenge. VIEW THREAD

Question : Who will be 2010 T20 world Champ?

Answer : Frankly T20 is a 3 hour game and cannot be predicted. So, we can't say the actual winner. The team that performs on that day will be a real winner . According to my analysis if a consistency in performance is considered, the AUSTRALIAN Team will emerge as a new champions of 2010 T20. VIEW THREAD

Question : Ricky Ponting feels if they get Sachin they have a very good chance to win the game. Do you think a line-up that has Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Raina, Dhoni and Pujara in its ranks still revolves around the Little Master?

Answer : The opposing teams love to play mind games. They know the image built up in India and how much Sachin has been the pivot of the team in the last 2 decades. This is true upto a point but statistics always have shown that India has won a lot without Sachin being a major factor. His very presence has inspired the team to better goals. Dravid, Laxman and now Sehwag have won a lot of test matches for India. India has always been psyched by the media and feels that India without Sachin is weak. This only puts extra mental pressure on other talented players. Had the pressure not been put, maybe things would have been different. But Sehwag and Laxman can see India through a crisis. If Sachin gets out early then the tail can combine to provide that 70-80 runs which itself balances out his loss. Having Sachin in the middle is like a feel good charm and hence India gets apprehensive. For youngsters to have Sachin is like a school. This is where Raina and Pujara will benefit. Yes, mind games are happening and India has to just think straight. They should not be fooled in being pressurized. The others will deliver because they are no more just youngsters. Experience of the last 10 years has made them stronger. VIEW THREAD

Question : Do you think test matches are real beauty? The mode of the game and the momentum is changing session by session. In one session one team looks in driving seat and suddenly two or three quick wickets change the game. So do you think this is the real beauty of cricket?

Answer : Test cricket is the perfect combination of pleasure with skill challenges. It may look boring at some time but even in the football WC, we did see some dull and boring matches. It gives a chance for both teams and fortunes change. The contest is even between bat and ball and it requires skill and mind control. The batsman is given a fair chance and so is the bowler. The wicket changes from fast to slow and so do the climatic conditions. This brings out the grit in players and also challenges captaincy skills. This form may not appeal to the 2020 generation but, we cannot pander to everyone's fancies. We need the real thing and this is what test cricket is about. One session can change the fortunes of a team and it gives a losing team every chance to recover. Just look at the current test match and all doubts will be answered. A fast bowler with 4 slips and a gully and a spinner with 2 close in fielders is the beauty of the game. The shorter version may be fun but skills are less. Standing in the hot sun and then batting brings out character and grit. Less chance and more of skill is required. 5 days have 5 different shades and the final winner can be anyone. Just because kids do not fill up the stadiums does not mean the game is dead. Even Sachin values Test Cricket more and he is an idol. We may live in a world of fast food, fast cars and fast relationships but we need to look at our soul. We may enjoy T20 because of the instant excitement but Test Cricket will teach us a lot about life. VIEW THREAD

Question : Is it time to look at the rules again. If a batsman can have the luxury of a runner, then we will have semi-fit batsmen playing. They will hardly field but will use a runner to bat. Laxman has done this more than once. Is this really fair ?

Answer : There is no real need to look at the rules with respect to the subject in question. The rules are pretty clear as to when a runner will be allowed. I reproduce what the laws of cricket say on this for the benefit of Castrol Cricket Expert fans: 'If the umpires are satisfied that a player has been injured or become ill after the nomination of the players, they shall allow that player to have i) a substitute acting for him in the field ii) a runner when batting.' The law goes on to explain ' Any injury or illness that occurs at anytime after the nomination of the players until the conclusion of the match shall be allowable, irrespective of whether play is in progress or not.' There are further clarifications on that rule in the law book. Law 2 of the 'Laws of cricket' deals with this. The catch here is the injury or illness must have occurred after the nomination of a player in the playing eleven. So it is very clear Laxman (or whoever for that matter) cannot carry the old injury or illness that he suffered during the first test into the second and expect the umpires to grant him the use of a runner. There have been many instances where a runner has been refused to injured batsmen citing this interpretation of the law! Adequate laws are there mate to ensure fair play! We needn't worry on this account! VIEW THREAD

Question : Murali Vijay has always been considered a stop gap opener. He has batted well but will lose out once Gambhir returns. But India is persisting with Gambhir despite frequent injury problems. Should India play Vijay for the 3 test series against NZ to give him a fair chance of really proving himself?

Answer : The past history of cricket has shown that due to wrong timing, a great player never gets to display world skills. We had the example of Padmakar Shivalkar. He was a great spinner from Mumbai but never got a fair chance. The reason was that he was in a era where the Indian team had the famous quartet of Bedi, Chandra, Venkat and Prasanna. Today Murali Vijay faces the same unique problem. Talent in a team filled with stars. Gambhir is not in the best of nick but will bounce back since good batsmen recover with one good innings. The selectors do not have an easy job. They can groom him for the number 3 spot which would mean dropping Dravid. It will be a bold decision and need conviction. We have to sometimes listen to the mind and not the heart. Dravid is not having a very good run. Do we wait for that big innings or give Vijay the chance he deserves. Being a selector may not be easy but wisdom sometimes appears as light in the shadows. VIEW THREAD

Question : Test cricket changed drastically in last few years. Earlier defensive cricket forced drawn matches. But the scenario is changed now as teams are playing positive and aggressive cricket. Do you agree that this change will help to last test team in the time of T20s and ODIs?

Answer : Today Test cricket is more about getting runs fast. Even a score of 475-525 in the first innings is no more a safety net. Teams are chasing big scores in quick time and are looking for a result. They are no more in playing for a draw but are looking for a result. This attitude is good for players like Murali Vijay who can adapt to all 3 types of the format. The game getting attractive is good for the crowds and a relief for everyone. The skeptics who mocked at Test Cricket being boring have been silenced. The fear of loss is less as teams look for glory. Batsmen are attacking over the top and leading to new ways of captaincy ploys. Sehwag has given India the impetus and this is seen in the confidence of newcomers. Purists are enjoying the game despite the change of pace. 5 days are full of fluctuations and this creates more thrill. A team can recover or lose it all. They can adapt to both forms and are playing aggressive but sensible cricket. Tendulkar can build the innings in a test match and destroy the bowling in T20. In T20 fast singles are as important as 6's. Running has improved and so has the fielding. We just need to space out the formats so that all can be relished. Bengaluru was full and this was a sign that fans will be faithful. The Test match was as exciting as a last ball finish T20. Maybe Test cricket is no more for the weak at heart. VIEW THREAD

Question : It seems the final battle for a place in the WC squad is on. With Virat, Yuvraj, Raina all in fine form the selectors will have one of the toughest choices. Is form against weaker sides a real reflection or do we have do be more prudent?

Answer : It is actually a good problem to have for the selectors. With all of them in good form it will give the selectors more options to choose from. These players will have to be at their toes and perform in every match that they play because a slight drop of guard could cause them their world cup ticket. Performance is necessary as professionals no matter who you face. If you don't perform against weaker teams then you will face more criticism than before and that may leave you stranded. So performance must be the basis of selections and not so much the opponent because once your on the field performance is all that matters. VIEW THREAD

Question : Who has been the best Indian captain when we consider the strength of the team.The current team is strong but we often forget captains who won with relatively weaker teams. This will give us a fair idea of actual skills. Dhoni is a good captain but do we even talk about Ajit Wadekar. ?

Answer : We are seeing Dhoni as a winning captain and this often makes us forget good captains. When one has a strong side winning will come easier. To get victory out of an average side by making tactical decisions makes a great captain. When the team is mature, everyone knows his job in the team. The bowlers take the wickets and everything else fits into play. When Wadekar went to the WI and England he had an inexperienced side. No one had given his side a chance. He led from the front and the batch of youngsters play well and was inspiring. India won the series and a new chapter had begun. WI and England were stronger sides and both the sides were beaten on their home turf. Gavaskar and Vishwanath had just started their careers and India had an OK pace attack. This team emerged as winners against all odds but no one actually was concerned about captaincy skills. Wadekar was a great captain but in 1971 things were less vocal. Kapil Dev was a captain who led from the front and the way India won in 1983 was due to his spirit of leading from the front. He did not have a deadly team of bowlers but he used them with skill and conquered giants like Australia and the mighty WI. This is what a captain can do. His 175 at Trentbridge Wells changed India's path and this is a captain who also delivered. Dhoni had a ready made team and this made things easier. Other sides are just regrouping and India has the best team in test cricket. So captaincy skills have never been stretched and things are smooth. We will know Dhoni only when the current team retires in 3 -5 years. The new team will be Dhoni's baby and we will see a new battle. But we need to remember that Wadekar and Kapil Dev were fantastic captains. VIEW THREAD

Question : Why has Harbhajan never been groomed as an allrounder .He has improved his batting and is more useful than Jadeja. When Harbhajan has the potential to bat if he puts his head down ,then why the quest.Are we judging Harbhajan more as a bowler because he started off as one.He has improved and matured as a batsman.He does throw away his wicket at times but maybe the urge can be contained ?

Answer : It has been hard to really define the term allrounder in todays context. Once upon a time we had genuine allrounders like Sobers, Botham, Kapil Dev and Ian Botham. The trend today is not quiet the same. Shane Watson started off as an allrounder and today he is more of an opener. Irfan Pathan started off as a fast bowler and was expected to bat. But both aspects did suffer. Mitchel Johnson started of as a fast bowler and groomed his batting skills. For Harbhajan the case was the same. He was considered a spin bowler. Later he took batting seriously and he is batting well in all forms of the game. He is useful in Test Cricket and can explode in T20. But we never considered him an allrounder because we had not defined his role. We expected Jadeja and Yuvraj to be allrounders but they lost touch due to other reasons. The question is what do we expect? Should an allrounder consistently excel with bat and ball or alternate the skills. Shahid Afridi started off as a genuine allrounder and today he is in the middle zone. This has created confusion in the minds. Harbhajan can be a bowler who can bat and that will serve the purpose. He has to be a blocker as a batsman and a pinch hitter in T20.We are not seeing a genuine allrounder. Even Kallis is more of a solid batsman today rather than a fast bowler. Genuine allrounders are difficult to define today because of the trends setting in. Harbhajan will definitely be called a bowler who is a useful bat. This role is same as an allrounder but without the tags. VIEW THREAD

Question : Were the critics a bit too harsh on Dravid on day one? They found faults and made statements without analysis. We saw Tendulkar and Laxman also struggling. Maybe the innings of Dravid was more deeper than we judged?

Answer : The Indian team has a great bench strength and the player who all are in team has a pressure of performing and they know if they don`t, any younger guy is going to take his position so there is a pressure situation for all who are there in the team. Rahul is representing the team in only one format that is test cricket VIEW THREAD

Question : New Zealand woke India up and this alarm was necessary. We had assumed the Kiwis would be easy meat but the Kiwis have taught India a nice lesson. It is good for cricket when the underdog wakes up the favourites. Was this wake up call good for India or is it just an aberration?

Answer : India did not expect such a game. This is the reason, why cricket is such a leveller. We took the Bangla series as a yardstick and somehow expected a weak side. But cricket is a game that shows character and the NZ team did just that. It had nothing to lose but everything to prove. This is infact good for cricket because we need more sides playing a tough game. It will improve competition and prevent one sided encounters. NZ was always a good team and we have to realise they are in rebuilding mode. We learnt a lot about grit from players like Ryder and Williamson. This may not be a regular feature on turning wickets but it showed that Gambhir is still struggling for form. This test match will make Dhoni more aware before he boards the flight to SA. We are the number One team but there are other teams chasing us. This spirit keeps the game alive. We may save the Test match but finally the moral winners were NZ. They fought and played sensible cricket. Having a captain like Vettori augurs well. Thank you NZ for fighting and making the series competitive VIEW THREAD

Question : Who stands more dominant no.1 in your eyes - India now as no.1 or Australia when they were no.1?

Answer : India looks more dominant because the other sides are not winning enough. We are winning more because our team is the strongest at the moment. It would not be really prudent to compare 2 teams. The cycle of cricket history shows that when one team is strong,sometimes other teams are rebuilding after a string of retirements. This creates an imbalance and a good team like India has matured over the last 3 years and become the force it is today. While India is peaking other teams are on a plateau and ebbing. In such instances, the challenge is not that strong. Look at WI today. It is as strong or as weak as a team like Zimbabwe or Bangladesh. Australia were a good team and they encountered weak teams who may have been ebbing. India will probably look stronger at the moment but every period as its rulers. VIEW THREAD

Question : There is an appreciable vacuum in most of the international sides for superstars in the recent times, owing mainly to retirements. From the 70s till recently, say till 2005-06, we have had enormous number of great players in each of the teams. The presence of such stars made games competitive and exciting. Do you feel the absence of great players is a major reason for the lack of quality of play in today's cricket?

Answer : My friend, departure of one great leads to the formation of another. If greats like Warne had kept playing who would have seen Hauritz; if Dada won't have retired we wouldn't have recognized Raina's test credentials; if Shaun Polock wouldn't have retired who knows we may not have known the ruthless Steyn. This is the dice of life which rolls on and never stops you don't make greats from heaven they also achieve, achieve and further achieve more to be called greats. If greats were to stay who would have taken interest in becoming a cricketer for that matter any other sportsmen. Today also the world has many great cricketers namely Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, Virender Sehwag Mohd Yousuf and many more who will go on and become what the Bradman's the Lara's and the Warne's are considered in today's world. Younger players will adore them just like the present generation adores Viv Richards or a Richard Hadlee for that matter. Today's cricket is equally or even more qualitative than before. Its just that the time has changed, the playing skills have changed somewhat with time. Too much cricket may be another reason for today's cricket looking less qualitative. With the addition of new formats and other things cricket has changed in the way it is played but the quality still exists. Every thing has changed with time and so has cricket. Nothing is permanent except change! VIEW THREAD

Question : Harbhajan Singh's recent batting performance with one fifty (69) and two consecutive centuries (115 and 111*) have been wooing the world of cricket globally but his bowling performance since 2009 have been certainly below par. He has taken just 60 wickets with average of 30 and 45 and strike rate of 63 and 97 in 2009 and 2010 respectively. What do you think is the cause for this downfall?

Answer : Harbhajan noticeably has been bowling a bit short. Batsmen are going on the backfoot and cutting him. One notices that Harbhajan was a more confident bowler when Kumble was around. After his retirement, it seems the burden of being the main strike bowler has affected his game. He needs to watch his own videos. We also need to remember that wickets have been flat at home. Harbhajan is more effective on turners and the home advantage has not been exploited. His batting needs to be commended but it has come on flat wickets against weak attacks. Let us judge him on fast wickets of SA before going overboard. We also need to remember that Harbhajan is in the team as a bowler and not as a batsman. We need to allow him to enjoy batting instead of trying to give him a tag of an allrounder. We oven get overjoyed and lose sight of the basic purpose. There is no downfall except going back to your flaws. Batsmen are reading him better and playing him off the backfoot. Maybe Dhoni needs to give him a more attacking field. Dhoni do get a bit defensive and this can jeopardise a wicket taking run. VIEW THREAD

Question : The most comprehensive word to explain cricket in one word is uncertainty, because on any given day any of the top teams can be defeated. When something like that happens the top teams get criticized a lot. Don't you think that a defeat should be considered as a bad day in office? Share your views

Answer : Loss is natural but it hurts when we see players throwing their wicket away or not putting in efforts. Test level is the highest level and playing for the country is more important. The player is not bigger than the game and when they ignore this fact and lose, then we feel the bitterness. Losing with an honest fight is not so bad. India is a country where cricket has been projected bigger than everything else. This creates pressure on players who believe India is dependent on them. This may seem unnatural but is too true. Victory in cricket could be the single most happiness a poor Indian can find. Life may deceive him or her, so they look to cricket as a solace. They forget it is a game and show anger when a loss occurs. Players are paid fantastic sums and spectators believe a win justifies the money spent. They get brands and rake in crores. The expectations are high. The Indian team has a responsibility that no other sport in India has. They have to win and it means putting in an effort. When a wicket is thrown way it hurts. Loss is natural but it is the way we lose. Spineless performances deserve the wrath. At least play to win with spirit. No player is above the game. VIEW THREAD

Question : How important is the Ashes in the future of cricket. Australia are the underdogs and that too at home. England has regained its strength and made inroads. It won the T20 WC and now is looking for Test glory. WI is showing new vigour under Sammy. Are we entering the renaissance period of Test cricket where teams rediscover magic?

Answer : When Kerry Packer entered Cricket with his concept, he brought about change. Coloured clothing, day-night encounters and professional Television - cricket evolved and we saw more spectators getting involved. Then came T20 and the IPl. The IPL looked great but we realised it was not clean. When dubious money enters a system, then how can we say the game is not affected? Money is a driving factor and ensures professionalism . Then came the bad news of bowlers like Mhd.Aamir indulging in match fixing. When a young promising cricket player indulges in this behaviour, we sense that money has changed values. The ghosts of Cronje, Gibbs etc came back and every cricket player and fan was asking 'what is real and unreal'. Most of cricket is clean but the whole system has to be clean. Now we are preventing the Pakistan players in the IPL. Maybe this is not the best way because sports should be open to everyone. Test cricket was beginning to look so out of place.3 very good teams at the top and then a huge gap. With players coming back and teams striving to improve, the climate looks promising but not entirely cloud free. We still are not allowing Pakistan in 2011 IPL and we need to address this issue. How long will isolation take place? It will not be fair because every Pakistan player is not a fixer. We need to clean up the game and let it rediscover its honesty. Not only Test cricket but every form has to be pure. T20 is important because it could be the face of cricket across the globe. Test cricket is still restricted in popularity amongst nations but T20 has the promise. IPL has to be about honest dealings. Finally the game is still greater than the players. VIEW THREAD

Question : We all are talking about Sachin, Ponting, Kallis but will the World Cup throw a new superstar from the blue?

Answer : Yes dear world cup 2011 will have few superstar in the making. Currently Virath Kohli is showing excellent form and most successful batsmen this year. Saurav Tiwary is not far away either. Suresh Raina will make a mark this time. K Pollard and Bravo are ready to perform. Not only young players Mr Cricket is eager to make the impression and have a lasting impact. We have seen his act in T20 world vs Pakistan in the semi finals. Hashim Amla is excellent this year in both the format and a surprise. Kevin Peterson along with Alister Cook will be having blast in sub continent condition. But bowlers are going to have a very tough time just like the 1996 world cup. Curtain for many players as this is the last chance to contribute for the winning cause. Hence very eager to see a excellent display dominance of batsmen. Never to under estimate the bravo display of Dhoni VIEW THREAD

Question : The rotation policy is on but we are seeing a lot of players getting one match and then making way for another. Sometimes too much rotation can lead to players not getting a fair chance of a look in. Is too much talent available or do selectors still have a problem in finding the perfect side .

Answer : There is a paradoxical situation in the team where about 20 players are capable of playing in the 11 but only 11 of them can. With the amounts of talent youngsters who get a chance have to make the most of it to keep themselves in contention for the world cup and if they don't take care of the chances got the selectors should move on to other talents in the queue. Every one's bidding for a place in the team and there is enough competition now without Sachin and Sehwag in the team it would be whole lot tougher when those two come in. Every chance given should be valued as gold by the players and they should give nothing less than their 100% and even then they may not get the nod for the final 15. Performance is the job of the players and result is an afterthought. This is not the team that used to go by records about 10 years ago a simple theory exists 'perform or perish' no matter whether its Yuvraj, Raina or Kohli whether you are an established member of the team or not selectors will judge only at your performance. Every match is like a knockout stage for the players where if you don't perform you get knocked out. With so many lads looking for a spot in the team selectors have no option but to rotate the team quickly. VIEW THREAD

Question : Do you think a player playing his natural game fetches best results for himself and team? MS Dhoni got back his form by playing his natural game. So do you agree that a player should play his natural game in all conditions?

Answer : Most players who play their natural game have been successful by playing the way they normally play. On the contrary there are hardly any players who have changed their natural style of play and have become successful. The exception of course was Navjyot Siddhu who at the beginning of his career was a strokeless wonder at the crease and later changed his style to be one of the most aggressive batsmen. Players do change their style depending on the circumstances in which their team finds themselves in but this is only temporary and they are better off playing their natural game in all conditions. VIEW THREAD

Question : Key players like Dravid, Kumble, Ganguly and Gambhir are shown the doors by their respective teams. The players themselves have been the integral part of their respective teams might feel out of place in a different team! It takes everything away from the fan and the players as well, the belongingness, the commitment, the pride etc. How do you see this turnaround and what would be the consequences overall with respect to the ultimate success of IPL-4? Please share your views

Answer : Yes u r correct, retention of players like Sachin, Dhoni, Sehwag, Warne and Watson will do a world of good for their respective franchise. But still player's auction is there and there is a great possibility that players will be picked to their previous teams itself. In one way if u see this the bonding between the players will not be disturbed if the same team is picked and the other way to see this is that if players go to newer teams it will bring lot more excitement. For example say Yuvi is picked by Chennai and is playing against Punjab with whom he had some bitterness in the previous editions. U may witness 6 6 6 6 6 6 in an over or even more. And what I feel is the franchise owners will have an understanding between them and will pick the players who were playing for them in the previous editions. Anyway whatever happens there is cricket to make us enthrall and great players like Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly and other guns like Dhoni, Yuvi will give us the sheer joy of exciting cricket. VIEW THREAD

Question : Once upon a time the world had really fast quickies who terrified batsmen. Then we saw a change of rules which reduced the armoury of the fast and furious. WI today does not have the fire power of the past. Today we have medium pacers prevailing and less of tearaway quickies. Why has this taken place? Are we seeing the end of the 'paarfum bowl' that was a trademark of the WI battery. Why even Australia is struggling to produce a quickie?

Answer : People change, nature changes, countries develop and so does the sport from generation to generation. With the change in rules, playing fields shortened bowlers restricted heavily and helmets for the batsmen make bouncers less threatening. It has changed into a batsmen friendly game and for bowlers to survive they have to change. If they keep bowling the short stuff the batsmen with their big bats will hit them for runs in T20 mode. Its the survival of the fittest bowlers needed to change in order to feel a part of the game. Slower balls, slower bouncers are the weapons taken to protect himself by a one day bowler. Because if you continue with the old death bowling stuff batsmen can predict and manipulate your bowling. Death of sporting pitches adds further misery to an already wounded bowling era. Bowlers are against all odds and if they do not adopt to the new bowling form survival is next to impossible. VIEW THREAD

Question : A captain is as good as his team. It’s true even with a captain like Ricky Pointing who used to win every game that he played but now it’s a completely different story. So people who criticized Sachin’s captaincy or Brian Lara’s captaincy can now understand the fact that Captains are not super heroes or superman who brings glory, they are only as good as their team. What do you think?

Answer : As long as there is an insatiable hunger for victory every time you play, the memory of a hundred match or a thousand matches lost can be erased with a single win... as long as there is an insatiable hunger for victory!!!!!!!!! it is also what makes that match be it cricket or any damn game worth watching... I believe this!! VIEW THREAD

Question : Sunil Gavaskar in his last few years of his career played a more attacking kind of cricket as a batsman. With his impeccable technique he succeeded too in both forms of the game then! Do you think Rahul Dravid must think of a similar kind of adjustment to his game rather than playing the waiting game!

Answer : Every batsman has his own style and technique. Rahul Dravid is a class act and doesn't need to do too many things to prove his class. He might not be in the best of forms right now, but there's no need for him to resort to attacking cricket at this stage in his career. Moreover, he was pretty aggressive in the ODI format as per the needs of the game and succeeded to a large extent as well. Now that he has been confined to test cricket, we need someone like him who can play the role of a sheet-anchor. Most of the top-order batsmen in the test squad are stroke-makers and attacking batsmen in their own right. Dravid needn't try to match them. India needs his solid defensive techniques, more than his attacking form of cricket. Gavaskar might have resorted to attacking batting as he might have felt that there weren't enough aggressive batsmen in the team and he needs to change his game. There's absolutely no such need for Dravid to do so. He is better-off at what he is doing right now. Players themselves know better than anyone else as to when to be attacking and when to be defensive. VIEW THREAD

Question : Indian team has many injuries in the year 2010. Zaheer, Sehwag, Gambhir, Laxman are still suffering from injuries and many other players also got fitness problem. But after all the problem India faces is to retain the number one Test status. Do you think it shows the India's strong bench strength. And do you think it's going to be prove an extra edge in the near future of Indian cricket?

Answer : Yes it is true that India team is passing through good time as India has good secondary players. We have seen that we have replacements for almost all the positions. If we got an opener injured M Vijay is there. If we got any one injured in the middle order we have Yuvraj, Raina, Pujara to adjust from and if bowlers are get injured we have options of Sree, Ishant, P Kumar. If we talk about spin there are three spinners Harbhajan, Ojha, Misra. So we have very good bench strength we have today at least 20 to 25 players to play around and shows the future of the team as there are no downfall if a player get injured or retire. And injuries are part of game and it occurs to anyone but due to a strong back up team India's future looks in no problem and looks so bright. VIEW THREAD

Question : The on-going battle between the top two test teams has been phenomenal. The quality of cricket displayed had outplayed any other series by-far. Yet the drama on the field let it be between Sreesanth and Smith or Prince and Gambhir or the emerging Shree and the crowd can't be neglected in any terms. Sledging has been the part of modern-day contest and everyone enjoys it but don't you think its bad for moral values? How do you take sledging in the present cricket scenario? Give a thought you'll definitely find some undoing.

Answer : What exactly is a moral value? Batsmen do not walk any more and grumble whenever given out. They never accept that the umpire is human. It is seen in any form of modern sport and sledging is common through the universe. Cricket maybe called the gentleman's game but it is more of a game than actually being gentle. Sledging is fine as long as it is within limits and bad language and personal attacks are avoided. Today cricket is about huge money and the boys are no more sissies. What you give is what you get back. We may question the moral aspect but sledging is here to stay. It is about testing the nerves within limits. Even a Sachin does not walk anymore. The game is about hardcore results and pride. Bowlers love to indulge in playing tactics but the umpire is there to supervise. We can have the red card system in case things go too far. Tennis has a point deduction and Football has the yellow and red card system. Cricket is a sport and players are colourful. But we need a limit and this is where we have laws. Let sledging be upto a limit and if overdone give the players a warning and then implement the card system. VIEW THREAD

Question : India vs South-Africa test series had some of the heroic performances. Sachin scored his 50th test century, Kallis hitting his first ever double hundred and the heart-taking or heart-breaking (for Indian fans) bowling from Steyn, all were superb. Which effort do you think was the most phenomenal?

Answer : A series between top two nations has the expectations and this series has fulfilled all of them. Yes the top team must contain top players and when top players are in the game you can expect top performances. Yes one can simply say that there is no wonder in scoring a century or a double. But when we check the circumstances we would come to know these centuries are being hit in a tremendous low scoring match and that's why the value of the century increased. Yes both Kallis and Sachin has achieved a milestone. Kallis has reached to his 40th test match hundred and overtook Ponting and also score first double of his career. While Sachin got to his 50th test century and it's a big big milestone and also he made his 51th. So both the performance are important for their teams. And yes Styen's performance is brilliant and he is delivering his life time spell. There is an inspiring performance by Bhajji, Sreesant, Morkel, Zaheer etc. All have performed according to their grade. And when a series being phenomenal it's difficult to find any one phenomenal performance. VIEW THREAD

Question : Indian players have gone at so much hiked prices. Irfan and Sreeshant priced beyond Zaheer in the auction. We have also seen that Rohit Sharma despite of going through a bad form goes for $2 mn. Do you think that less of strategy is shown by the team owner?

Answer : A price is something that is not determined by normal terms but about utility value.This format is a model structure about investments and looking at value building up.It needs sponsors and money will always chase a product from which mileage can be got.Zaheer has frequent injuries and this could go against him.Will he be able to play all the games.Rohit and Sreesanth are crowd pullers and young.They are marketable and will increase value for team owners.Rohit Sharma may not be a perfect batsman but his game is perfect for T20.Pedigree equations are different for these formats. T20 is on a different playing field and requires a certain type of player.We are looking for instant starters who can bring in crowds and money. Cricket is still played but the nature is about the bottom line.We will have a new breed of heroes in T20 and most of them will never get to play for India in Test Cricket. VIEW THREAD

Question : Why is it so that Indian players are injured while playing for national team, and fully fit while playing for IPL? Some thing is seriously wrong?

Answer : May be coincidence, may be conscious decision. I don’t think any player who is selected in national team and has a long career in national team will do such gimmicks – means avoid playing for nation and more opt for IPL. If any player is only interested in money and has short term objective about his cricketing career will adopt such techniques. No player can survive his cricketing career just on IPL. It is only national and international performance fetch big prize in IPL. I don’t think there is something seriously wrong, may be we can say players individual approach to give importance to IPL. It is only national and international good performance that brings player in limelight and makes him popular worldwide and than only he can be categorized legend. If player is only interested in IPL and not taking part in national team, I think he is having short vision about his cricketing career. This time IPL bidding showed that you need to perform at various levels and not just in IPL. Even in IPL player has no permanent place and there is risk of not being bided. No cricketer will be remembered for long time to come just playing IPL, to be cricketing icon his first preference should be play for the nation all along his career. VIEW THREAD

Question : Has India won the second ODI or South Africa lost the match after being in command for most of the match?

Answer : I would say South Africa lost the match. Morkel and especially Parnel need not have played those shots. All they had to do was push the ball for safe singles. If Parenel had taken a safe single in the ball in which he got out, two great things would have happened for South Africa compared to what really happened. 1. Scores level 2. Parnell would have retained strike shielding Tsotsobe. India never left any stone unturned in the bowling department and field placings, but I would say South Africa lost the match. VIEW THREAD

Question : India registered a glorious win. Many match winning performances and we can say that almost each and every player has contributed. Do you think that India has shown why they are the no1 test site and a strong contender for world cup?

Answer : Look India has shown the world over the last year that they are why the no nation in the game of cricket. We should appreciate in this team now as they are now moving towards the dominance factor. We all know that Australians are known for winning each and everything. Even though they have low score they defend it an also they chase big totals too. Team India has shown that determination to not give away games and fight back till end and also they have snitch away many close games. Also the team looks great one a combination of the experienced and youth players. India has won two close game and it really help them in future plans and yes indeed performance of Indian team on SA's soil displays why they are the best at the time in the world cricket. VIEW THREAD

Question : We observed the brilliance of Yusuf Pathan. But he had only the tail for support. This means that he can run out of partners. Why not play him at 5 followed by Yuvraj and Dhoni. He can be Lance Klusener for India. Will number 5 make him a better batsman with more responsibility?

Answer : Some things are better-off if left untouched. Yusuf Pathan is one such guy. You can't tell him to do this, do that, he just goes by his instinct and that's all that matters for him. He is more of a crisis man and on many occasions, when India have been going great guns with the bat, he fails miserably! A player like him should be used according to the situation, more like a floater. That's when he has been more effective and that's how he will be. VIEW THREAD

Question : With all the countries announcing their final-15 World Cup squads, which team do you think is the most-balanced unit?

Answer : Most balance team is the term that is very hard to decide and also it is completely subjective thing to do. Because there are many issues that have to be taken into consideration when we define the term most balancing team. Uncertainty is the biggest element in cricket and any team can be a winner on any day. But if we assume no shockers in this tournament then we have actually seven big teams to think about namely India, South Africa, Australia, England, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand. But if we look at Pakistan and New Zealand we can easily eliminate these two teams as their recent past has not been impressive at all. Now we have to consider the other five teams and if we look at Australia and South Africa they both look on a equal in the formation of the team. Both team's strength is pace bowling and both have some star batsmen too. If we talk about Sri Lanka they also have star players like Malinga, Sangakara, Jaywardhane and many more like them. England has a very good combination of spin, pace and also they have good batsmen in their team. If we talk about India, India has the strongest batting line up in the world at a current stage. Bowling department is also filled up by some experienced players but sometimes they failed to perform. So all the five teams are on a equal platform and it is hard to find more balanced team. The team wins whose players perform and vice versa. So definitely these top five teams has equally balanced teams. VIEW THREAD

Question : We all know that we have many big names in our team like Sehwag, Sachin, Gambhir, Dhoni, Yuvraj. But all of the five have been not impressive at all. We have seen that Yuvraj and Dhoni constantly fail to play a big innings and Sachin, Sehwag and Gambhir has struggled and battled with the fitness for the whole year. Do you think India's top five player's performance and fitness worry Indian fans?

Answer : Yeah, your point is valid. But the point is that these people have so much experience behind them, they know how to handle these situations. Sachin will work out his fitness concerns without a doubt. Sehwag knows only one way to play. So again, no prices for guessing. But his bowling may be hampered because of his shoulder. Yuvraj and Gambhir are known to build on good form. Its just a matter of one solid innings. Yuvi is like a volcano. He stays dormant for a while, but when he gets going, there is no stopping him. Dhoni, I believe will be at more ease now because Pathan has showed signs of maturity and character. So some pressure is off Dhoni's shoulders. So I think we will see him churn out some good runs. All in all, form is not a worrying factor, fitness is. So as spectators, all we can do is pray and hope for the best. VIEW THREAD

Question : All going good for India in the recent times. Batsman are making runs and bowlers are taking wickets too. But all of a sudden all Indian batting line up collapsed. Do you think it is a wake up call for the Indian players as they go overconfidence after winning series against Australia and New Zealand at home?

Answer : Happens sometimes in between due to hectic schedule and the regulars missing out. The 15 member squad is announced and the regulars making into it..it is all about how you manage the players for the matches, keeping them fit mentally and physically for such along tournament and moreover the rotation of players depending on the situation in GROUP stages.The warm-up matches before WC(vs Aus and NZ) will help the team to set in the final composition and then its anybody's game. VIEW THREAD

Question : We may call the ICC weak but finally they have delivered. The Pakistanis have been punished and this will set the tone right. Are the ICC finally getting tough or is just a one of incident? Will this ruling make the game cleaner and fair? Is the ICC finally waking up and bent on being assertive ?

Answer : First of all we have to understand the whole situations. We all know ICC has the ultimate right but we all know that the decisions are influenced by many other boards and mostly dominated by BCCI. We all have known that due to only BCCI the UDRS system has been not introduced on the same grounds. So any decision making is influenced by many other factors like fans, board, player's popularity etc. We have seen case of Harbhajan - he has been charged for many sensitive claims. But due to the power of BCCI and his own reputation he escaped from it. So we have to understand a thing that the decisions are affected by many factors. In this case also the PCB has tried and save their players but due to strong evidence the harsh decision came from ICC. Yes indeed it sets the example for others who try and spoil the image of the game by this type of unrecognized activity. And it will help them to clear future matters like this if it appears. But we have to understand the all pressure and has to say that we need to give time to ICC to reach on any decision and to apply it. VIEW THREAD

Question : If India are able to lift the cup who would be more creditable, Gary for the invaluable work he has done for Indian cricket in his tenure, or will it be MS who has led the team with great composure?

Answer : Success doesn't come out of a single person. If India wins the world cup there are many players and people who are there for appreciation. First of all we have to start with selection procedure that the selectors have selected the proper team combination. And then it is due to coach as he trained the team well and guide them to a victory. Then it is the captain who lead and guided the team on the ground. And ultimately the players who play and win for team. So If India or any other nation wins there is not a single person that is appreciated but it is a whole process and a chain that includes many. So it is a process and we can say there are more than individual who are there in a win. VIEW THREAD

Question : Is the variety in the SL attack the biggest edge over India's attack? Will this be the final difference? Both have good batting and bat deep. But the SL attack is more mixed. How can Dhoni vary his attack to be equal?

Answer : Indian bowling has the mix of bowlers like Zaheer who use the new ball and others like Nehra and Sreesanth who are erratic. We have 4 main bowlers. Maybe Dhoni can play Piyush chawla instead of a seamer and play Ashwin instead of Harbhajan. Munaf is learning well and bowling wicket to wicket. Sreesanth is bowling without using the conditions. This is where Dhoni will have to be alert. He will have to take brave decisions and may have to drop Sreesanth. The part timers like Raina and Pathan need to be used less. If Piyush comes in, it will add the variety and create the desired mix. VIEW THREAD

Question : Yuvraj Singh had bowled 7-8 overs in the SA series in every match. Our middle order still looks a bit fragile with Raina and Yuvraj Singh struggling. With this in mind is it possible that the Indian Team plays only three frontline bowlers in Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Shreesanth and have Yuvraj bowl 10 overs? Sehwag, Pathan and Raina can chip in with 4-5 overs each. The limitation in the proposition could be the beating India may have to take in the batting power play as they play with only three specialist bowlers. Will Dhoni take chances and play with this composition of the team?

Answer : The fun of cricket, more often than not, is the bowlers who win the game rather than the batsmen. So, playing with three front line bowlers will take an important element out of the team and you never know, that removed element could be the deciding factor (especially when we are thinking about leaving a regular spinner out). In Indian lineup the part time bowlers have a regular responsibility of filling up the space of the fifth bowler. So, it will be unfair to add further pressure on them. As far the batting point of view, we must show some trust on the batsmen as well, as they should deliver what they promised. They are in the team primarily because they can bat and they must prove it. 7 batsmen along with a Harbhajan Singh down the line is a strong enough batting lineup that should not need any further fortification. If we can't have trust on them, a day will come when we have to think about 11 batsmen and all part time bowlers in a team. VIEW THREAD

Question : BCCI asked media to stop creating hype for INDIA to be the favourites of world cup. Many Indian players have also said that pressure of being the favourites for the world cup will affect their chances. Do you agree with the view?

Answer : No, I don't agree. As fans of the Indian team, we have high hopes from them. Their current form puts them in a good position to win the world cup. There is nothing wrong with them being tagged as the favourites as the world cup is conducted on Asian soil. As a champion team, they should learn to handle the pressure and deliver. VIEW THREAD

Question : When to use batting Powerplay is becoming a key strategy for teams in this world cup, as it can be a game changer for any team bowling or batting. What do you think is the right time for taking batting powerplay:- Just after 34th over or in the last 10 overs?

Answer : I think the mindset of the batsmen in the Powerplay overs is bringing about their downfall than the match situation. Batting team generally takes the Powerplay when it has 2 set batsmen at the crease. If batting first, taking batting Powerplay in the 34th over is a good option if the team has wickets in hand and as the second new ball taken will come to bat more easily which would help the batsmen to time them and get value for their shots with the field restrictions and fast outfield on. But while chasing, having two set batsmen, both with the capacity to wield their willows to score heavily should be the priority of choice. Chasing team sometimes leaves it too late to opt for the batting Powerplay, thereby having too much job to do. As a result they try too much in these overs and end up losing too many wickets and the match ends up as a no contest after these overs. VIEW THREAD

Question : Why do we always criticize the Indian bowling attack? In South Africa when we were all out for just 190 it was our bowlers who brought us back into the game. This is only the latest incident I could think of. Can't we for once keep faith in our selectors?

Answer : Well there will not be criticism if the Indian bowlers had defended 338. Again when all the other teams are getting purchases from spinners we are gaining only from Yuvi - while our frontline spinners are failing in our own backyard. Forget not that in sportive pitches Indian pacers have done well right from the days of Srinath and co. Selectors did a reasonable job of going with the right combination but it is the performance that matters. VIEW THREAD

Question : When to use batting Powerplay is becoming a key strategy for teams in this world cup, as it can be a game changer for any team bowling or batting. What do you think is the right time for taking batting powerplay:- Just after 34th over or in the last 10 overs?

Answer : I think the batting powerplay should not depend on how many overs have elapsed in the game. But should be on basis of which players are on the crease. According to me each team should have atleast 2 batsmen well trained specially for the batting Powerplay. It can be a middle over batsmen or a part time batsmen. But in training they should be trained for Powerplays only. As soon as they arrive on the field within 2 overs the batting Powerplay should be opted. I think it can give the best result for Powerplay. VIEW THREAD

Question : All the critics of cricket say that most of the times Sachin scores a ton India loses the match. Should Sachin score zero in every match so that India could win or is this that when Sachin scores a zero India definitely wins?

Answer : I don’t think that the statement is true though it’s the opinion of most of the cricket fans. It doesn’t mean that Sachin should score zero in every match so that India could win or when Sachin scores a zero India definitely wins. Whatever it may be the sport including cricket, fans specifically bother only when their country on losing side irrespective of their past winning streak. This is more pronounced situation with Indian cricket lovers where cricket is being treated as a religion. So automatically criticism will come into picture only when their country is on losing side. Especially in India, we just can’t believe the quantum of criticism comes out of cricket fans especially when their favorite player performed well but the team on loosing side. In my opinion, here there are two kinds of criticism. One type of criticism comes when their country/favourite country on loosing side. The impact of this criticism is not much severe. But the second kind of criticism comes when their country on losing side despite their favorite player performed well or made a hundred. When the second type of situation arises few times, fans start criticizing like any thing and forget about the past winning situations of when their hero or favorite player performed well or made hundred. Now a days media also plays a dominant role while highlighting such criticism. Here we can see how while there would be the Tendulkar bashers and critics who say that India lose a match whenever Sachin scores a century, the statistics prove otherwise. Of the 48 ODI centuries that Tendulkar has scored so far, only 13 such occasions only have ended up in a losing side for India, while in 33 matches, where the cricket god has gone past 100, India have won the matches. One match against England in July 2002 saw a Sachin ton yield no result while the recently concluded match against the same side resulted in a tied game. Clearly out of Sachin’s 48 ODI tons occasions (as on date), 28% occasions/matches only have ended up in a losing side for India and in remaining 72% occasions/matches India have won matches. How funny is it that fans and cricket lovers bother much about the out come of 27% rather than 73%. In my opinion, it is not the fault of the great cricketer that India ended up on the losing side when he performed well but its just an emotional feeling and weakness of fans who believe and treat it as a superstition once the situation arises one or more times. VIEW THREAD

Question : Why are the teams unable to utilize the Powerplay of 20 overs in total out of 50 overs? What is missing - planning, implementation, big shots, players getting excited and throw there wickets? Which is the most important contributing factor? Share your thoughts

Answer : Powerplays are actually included in the format for the BATSMEN to go for big shots, increase the scoring and thus also entertain the spectators. But the failure of the teams to utilise these Powerplays should be attributed to the wrong notion of the batsmen that they can topple every ball of the bowlers, thus undermining them. They also tend to play unorthodox cricketing shots to score sixes and boundaries. Every ball should be played as per its merit. And the batsmen should stick to the basics and play good shots. VIEW THREAD

Question : Why do we always criticize the Indian bowling attack? In South Africa when we were all out for just 190 it was our bowlers who brought us back into the game. This is only the latest incident I could think of. Can't we for once keep faith in our selectors?

Answer : Theoretically, when the batsmen are scoring in abundance and bowling is incompetent to restrict the opposition, bowling is to be blamed. Factually, it is partially correct. There are three parts to the reason: Bowling: Apart from Zaheer no one looks overpowering the batsmen. We lack the second aggressive pacer. Bhajji is happy containing the opposition than taking wickets and put pressure. With Ashwin's presence against Windies, it was a different bowling unit. We somehow managed to find a fifth bowler in Yuvi but the one of the main four is not performing as per expectation. Fielding: You drop one catch or mis a run out and then the guy scores a ton, you can't blame the bowling. With the better sides, you have to latch on to all the chances. Momentum: Once you are 267 for 1 and get out for 296, the opposition morale is sky high and the mindset puts you in the driver seat that this was a 350 wicket and you managed to bowl them out under 300 and 300 should be a cake walk. VIEW THREAD

Question : From here its, anybody's game because its knock out for the top 8. On a given day the better played team will move ahead and the loser returns home without getting a second chance to amend. Is this justified? Can a 50 over ODI World Cup be treated like this?

Answer : The term "cup" in itself signifies a knockout competition. It's not a league by any sorta of imagination. Its an exam, where the student's efforts throughout the year is tested, similar is for the WC. If you have prepared well you will perform on the D-Day as well. It's not at all unfair. Teams have got enough chances in the league phase, which I would term as "Class-tests" and now its time for the FINAL EXAMINATION. Cheers!! VIEW THREAD

Question : Is this the most wide open World cup in the history of the game? No-body's a favorite!!

Answer : Yes absolutely! This World Cup is the most open World Cup because every single team has certain flaws. The 3 time consecutive champions Australia didn't have any spinner worth his salt in these conditions. Teams like South Africa and Sri Lanka have been plagued by lower middle order concerns which has already cost the Proteas. India is dogged by poor bowling, fielding and Pakistan hardly have a batting line-up to boast about. Teams like England and West Indies never had enough quality cricketers to give teams sleepless nights. All in all the imperfections of all the teams has made this the most open and fascinating World Cup ever. The team which is able to mask its flaws the best should emerge as the eventual winner. VIEW THREAD

Question : There are two types of captains - One leading from the front and other calm, composed and thinkable. Dhoni might not perform well but he is calm, composed and thinkable cricketer. Do you think Dhoni has that distinct and different element which makes him unique to bring the World Cup 2011, like he did in T20 World Cup?

Answer : Dhoni is calm and composed when things are going according to plan but he can panic and do mistakes when things are not going according to what he has planned. Infact he had given upon the England match but luckily Zaheer Khan got wickets. He gave up in the last over of South Africa game too and allowed 12 runs to be scored! Thankfully the team is playing as an outfit, which is getting them these wins. Dhoni needs to learn to be calm and composed *even* when the chips are down! Let's get this straight mate! It is always the team that performs and wins tournaments, never the captain! The captain plays a mentor's role and guides the team as required! The captain is given too much importance in cricket and in India even match winners are sidelined to put Dhoni in the limelight! If Dhoni can't perform well with the bat and behind the wicket then he is not adding any value to the team as a skipper alone! Our progress so far in the World Cup has been smooth and successful because all the key players (except Dhoni and Harbhajan) are contributing reasonably well! Sachin, Sehwag, Yuvraj, Gambhir, Zaheer, Kholi, Ashwin and even Raina (in the crucial quarter finals)have performed very well in the tournament! That's what has reserved a berth in the semi finals for Team India and not the composed and calm captaincy of Dhoni! You can give credit to people for what they do and not for what they are! Dhoni will win this world cup east or west Dhoni is the best VIEW THREAD

Question : Dhoni has achieved almost everything as a captain. But during all this, his batting talents have taken a back seat. Dhoni the batsman is lost somewhere. Is it not now the right time for him to do justice to his batting talents?

Answer : The problem has been not about his batting but what he wants to do. He has to decide where he wants to bat and how much he can graft an innings. He has been throwing away his wicket and this can be curbed. He is captain and has to finally accept his responsibility. He came good in the WC final and this is what we expect. We cannot expect a 50 or 100 in each innings but we need to look at his average and how often he scores. One innings in ten outings is not acceptable. The problem is that he is a winning captain and hence selectors find it hard to replace him with a more consistent bat. Dhoni has to realise that he cannot play the occasional knock. We need 3-4 good innings in 10 outings. He has the talent but he needs to be responsible. He can have no excuse that captaincy is affecting him. In the past we saw what happened to Tendulkar and Dravid. Dhoni knows that he is a good batsman but maybe he has been taking things a bit casually because Sachin, Yuvraj etc have delivered. But will he be under the scanner for his batting because of his captaincy record? VIEW THREAD

Question : In the past 30 years we have seen eras of domination. First we had the Windies and then Australia. Now it looks like an Indian era. But is India on the right track in the bowling department. Apart from Zaheer, no other pacer looks good. Without Zaheer, the bowling attack looks feeble. Where does India go from here?

Answer : The biggest problem is how do we ensure rotation and prolong careers. We need to look at Brett Lee and see what he has.He plays only T20 and ODI and has given a new life to his careers. Do Indian bowlers have the same thought. They want to play everything and yet we have Dhoni complaining about excess cricket. The BCCI should ensure that we balance our attacks and have the best attack for Test Matches. The T20 matches can be about the other bowlers. Zaheer gets injured and look how India performs. Sreesanth despite having talent is wasting himself. It is high time Dhoni gets strict and lets Sreesanth know the limits. The biggest worry is that bowlers are hiding injuries and making things worse. This will be important to get reliable bowlers. Money should not lead to greed and harming the career. The selectors have to draw the line and finally get serious. Why burden Zaheer in every form of cricket. Give him rest because finally quality will sustain. Fast bowlers are sitting on the bench because of selection policies. Ishant was not considered for the WC but we need him as a Test bowler. We need to think and not just emotionally. Have a plan for the future and not just one year.Injuries are more common and wickets are helpless for bowlers. Cricket is a batsman's game due to factors a