not a good year for defending champions

As summer sets in, two major setbacks for defending champions can be sited this week. First is Nadal pulling out of Wimbledon this year, starting this week, because of his injury. This diverts the media to Federer, who will now be increasingly pressurized to break the record of # of grand slams of a previous great of the game, Sampras. Murray would definitely give him a spirited fight if they clash. These games are getting so very increasingly competitive. Well, that’s why may be they’re International isn’t it.

Secondly, what a heart-break for a billion fans of Indian cricket! Defending champions, who looked rusty all throughout their title defence, were relieved of their pain by being knocked out comprehensively. And the gung-ho of the media channels throwing personal slurs at individual players. People in general and x-cricketers hired by tv-channels giving nonsensical reviews and blaming. Fans burning effigies. These are very common after a major set back for the Indian team. This forces, and quite rightly so, for international spectators like Mike Artherton to make comments like - Indian cricket fan is very immature.

Optimistically though, think of the billions of man hours saved which otherwise if they would have made it to the semis or finals would have been spent glued to the TV or websites! We've all bunked school or college or called sick or worse saw matches at offices! Productivity during interesting cricket matches takes a definite hit. Hence as the motto of life says, whatever happens, happens for good. This time it's for the world GDP!! When I write that I am torn between whether the TV ratings and the next world cup broadcasting right bids would be effected by it at all! It was interesting to know from Harsha that 90% of revenue for ICC comes out of India and that only four cricketing countries' boards are self sufficient namely - Australia, England, South Africa and India! Rest all are funded by ICC, so effectively India. Hence BCCI is A lobbying group at ICC events coz they know that if they pull out of it, largely cricket comes to a stand still.

Anyways, we have the T20 finals today and we have Pakistan playing against Srilanka. Both the teams are good, Srilanka slightly more dependable than Pakistan. But its cricket, so you never know. If Afridi and guys are fired up, they do have the potential to win this time around. Haah, what a coincidence it'll be, if last runners up for T20 & Wimbledon win this time. (Pakistan & Federer) ;)

In the fever of cricket, I got a chance to play in a tailored version of T20 called Last Man Stands! I regret to say that we were convincingly defeated by a professional looking side. We looked like school boys playing after years - well actually to be fair, it was months for most of us. Noteworthy contribution to the side was an over from me 6 4 6 6 Wd 4! Well in retrospect, it looks like contribution to the opposite side! Lot of running around! But positively sound sleep. Well, I am blessed with sound sleep through heredity anyways!

The pain that the body goes through after a gruelling day is enormous, particularly if you’ve toiled after a long time. As your muscles cramp up, you concede to the thought that the schedules for the actual players of the game are so gruelling. You literally go to the bathroom and come out and bam – there’s another world cup. Its easier for us to comment saying – thats their job and they get paid for it, but actually deep inside we know that its very difficult. We always want a Yuvraj to dive desperately for every ball that whizzes past him and we always want an Agassi to pull out a unbelievable picturesque shot between his legs. But, it surely takes hard work of a lifetime of to reach to a stage where the world audience expects something from you. But its very easy for the world audience on the other hand to expect a “lot”, hence...

Respect