I have a huge respect for ICL, since they released the players from the narrow options they had and especially from the whims of the selectors. Also, by promoting T20 they got a lot of interest going in a new format. Today if a player has potential he can be approached by any of the Leagues. And what can show this better than the public owned IPL teams which went for some not so known players like Shane Watson to bring them glory.

However, we all know that ICL has been under pressure to somehow get the crowds into the stadiums, which they have not been able to. So, it is quite reasonable that they’d try a few new tricks. However, they announced a “9″ (Niner). A Niner is explained by them as a hit which crosses 90m mark.

Well, finally as per current rules, what is the maximum number of runs that can be scored on a ball?
The answer is 6 can be awarded for cases like “lost ball” besides any penalty if the ball is illegal. For more details read this:

When ‘lost ball’ is called, the batting side keeps any penalty that would have been declared if the delivery was not fair (see no ball and wide) plus 6 runs, or whatever they have in fact run before the call of ‘lost ball’ was made.

A call of ‘lost ball’ is unusual in professional cricket, and nowadays only really happens in recreational games where cricket fields may include rabbit warrens, molehills or the like, or where there is a tree in the field of play and no local rule about what happens when it is hit. Previously ‘lost ball’ could only be called when the ball could not be found. This has resulted in some ridiculous local games where batsmen scored a large number of runs whilst the fielding side fetched a ladder to climb up a tree the ball had got lodged in. (The ball not being lost as it was readily visible.) The current version of the Law prevents this, as now ‘lost ball’ can also be called when the ball cannot be recovered without outside assistance.

So far so good. I expected a lot of discussion on that in the Newspapers, however they’ve been silent. Anyway, even if you allow for invention, it should be technical correct in all senses, even if it extends the logic to cover more than 6 runs on a shot.

However, I understand that a 9er is a technically incorrect option!!
But I am surprised that no one has pointed that out. I tried to speak to a few ICL people I could reach and got a “silent” response.

There seems to be a technical inaccuracy in this. OK, let us start from here –

Q. why are there 4s and 6s?
A. So that the batsmen don’t get exhausted running away all the time, and also the fielders don’t have to keep looking for the lost ball while the batsmen run too many runs (like the good old days in school cricket). So, they devised 4s and 6s to grant automatic scores to the batsman on guard.

However, the 4s and 6s are granted keeping in mind that the batsman remains in crease as if he’d run those runs. However, 9 being an odd score means that the batsman should end up on the other end of the crease unless otherwise he would become a scorer’s nightmare. So, either the batsman would have to legally give up his strike after hitting a 9 and walk to the other end, or illegally stay on and bat! So, is this a faux pas by the ICL?? And that at a time they want to become another ICC!

Well, I hope they don’t implement this rule. But, if they want I can help them out of this situation. Is ICL listening??

Popularity: 19% [?]

Hayden said Indian complain because they’re losing every game they are playing
The pair (Hayden and Harbhajan) clashed during Sunday’s CB Series game at the SCG when the Indians complained that Hayden had called Harbhajan a “mad boy”.
Hayden played down the incident, accusing the Indians of complaining because “they are losing every game they are playing,” adding: “I called him a bad boy.”
“He took offence to that, I thought that was quite funny. I said mate, you should be flattered, it’s a clothing range.”

What Hayden tried was a flat joke, since no one in India is aware of a local clothing range that Hayden is fond of. Well the Indians have shown the writing on the wall to Aussie players and it’s the Aussies who’ve been complaining to the umpires all the time. Thumbs Down.

Hayden called Harbhajan an “obnoxious little weed”
Well an unprovoked statement about a person is really going to get Hayden in the docks though presently he is saying that outside the cricketing arena and only CA (Cricket Australia) can do something about this. And it is about time they acted. Thumbs Down.

Well then, what was the Joke?
Symonds on getting out asked Sharma,”Hey thanks, where’re the restrooms?”, causing Sharma to point his fingers towards the pavillion. Well, that’s how he got reported by Ponting. Well trapped!

Peter Nielsen said, “We know where the line in the sand is.”
Sure, It does seem that the line is behind them and they’re just checking out if the umpire is watching. Thumbs Down.

Dhoni said,”Sledging is an Art form perfected by Australians.”
This is not a college JAM session. We’re playing in an unequal field where English natives are using the official language of ICC to manipulate the opposition. The intended meaning is that English is the native tongue of the Australians and they can manipulate words much better to avoid any word in the English dictionary of ICC. However, ICC has a much stringent dictionary for Hindi, whereas a sledge in Hindi is neither provocative but still more acceptable as a hurt to the ICC. Thumbs Down.

Andrew Symonds provoked Sreesanth, Harbhajan and Ishant Sharma. Ponting, Hayden and Hogg all tempted the Indians through words they are aware are unacceptable to Indian minds. Sure they fell into the trap laid for them. But they are young and unable to fathom why the ICC dictionary has lesser blacklisted words of English and more in Hindi? Anyway, it is quite brave though foolish to go ahead and pay the fine and then show the way to the Pavilion to the Aussies. Way to go! Thumbs Up.

We’ve all discovered in this series the stuff the Australian players are made of. We’ve seen them cheat to get ahead and the players who cheated included their Captain Ponting (called a wild dog by none other than Peter Roebuck – but coming from their own, this is surely more acceptable than being called a monkey by opposition), Andrew Symonds, Clarke and others who took advantage and claimed bounced catches besides other clear dismissals while batting. Thumbs Down.

Popularity: 61% [?]

India vs Australia ODI match Brisbane 3 February, 2008 – A Fun Report

These were the other possible headlines:
- Sachin digs his heels in – too far for comfort
- Dhoni shows he can bat as painfully as Ravi Shastri (Champion of Champions)
- luck’s dalliance with Tiwary
- India batsmen fall in line – a lesson in discipline
- Harbhajan Singh gets turned on by Brett Lee carnage
- Rain God furious at Duckworth and Lewis

The Brisbane ground had a huge cloud cover and prediction of rain.

India won the toss and opted to Bat first and an immediate mini collapse ensued. Well we remember T20 was a practice match – the dress rehearsal and this was going to be the real show. So you alreayd knew what was going to happen.

Sehwag got out to a quick start towards the pavillion. Sachin dug his heels well, actually too well. And he didn’t notice that he had dug his heels so well that they upset his stumps. It didn’t exactly hurt as anyway India were quite slow off the blocks.

Gambhir and Rohit Sharma dug their heels in (careful enough not to dig into the stumps like Sachin). Australia were happy to allow them since they were ready to go on slowly. They dropped Gambhir twice in an over to make their point. But Gambhir sensed something was wrong. He understood the scheme, so he went and all batsmen followed him – Rohit, Tiwary and Uthappa. If they’d have gone after the Aussies bowlers with such speed, we could have seen a great match.

Now began a laborious chapter. Dhoni being the captain assumes that he needs to bat slow in crisis and Irfan like a dutiful sub-ordinate obeyed HMV. It was a painful restoration of the Indian score as they kept trading the scoring rate for aggregate increase. Harbhajan Singh got turned on by Brett Lee carnage but he avoided the temptation of patting him on his back. So, he patted his bat with the same intensity. It was the always irreverent Harbhajan who slashed at everything sent by Symonds and his pals. He was pulling so well today, that he even pulled his own hamstring to show us, and then hopped around for runs till an idea struck him. He started hitting 4s!! Well I do wish Symonds curses everyone in the Indian team so that everyone turns Harbhajan. Sreesanth and Ishan timed their innings well to finish with the 45 overs they were allotted. No one can complain that India didn’t use their complete battery.

India ended at 194 all out in 45 overs. Brett Lee got 5 wickets.

The Australians were laughing. Another sitting duck after T20. Irfan Pathan who had taken 51 balls to score his 21 runs, gave away 27 runs in just 12 balls. Australia was on a roll! Well, the way Hopes started, it looked like he wanted to keep Hayden out of the scheme of things longer than his captain would like. Then an astonishing thing happened, something that Ponting hates. Adam Gilchrist walked! Now everyone walks after being out, but they prefer to be given out and told to leave.

Let us pray to God to restore more Gilchrists to the game. Amen.

Well Hopes was dashed, or may I say Hopes were dashed. He was heart broken (by Ishant who broke his wicket). Ponting proved once again that neither Harbhajan nor Ishant have got his mickey. He left before they came. Wow! What a man! What pride!

Now at 51 for 3 in 7.2 overs it began to rain once again and the Duckworth Lewis gave us their amazing stuff by reducing the target to 141 off 26 overs. However, God has stopped loving the D/L method and he goes for a complete washout. The match was washed out.

It was a funny match and it seems that India had a narrow escape and so did Australia since you never know if they could’ve won or lost from this situation however to be fair Sreesanth was not happy since he was just starting to enjoy what could’ve ended as one of his best outings.. he didn’t even get to dance.

(the above are written in a funny mood and not intended to hurt your sentiment – i doubt if any actual players gets time to read – so please don’t (get) hurt yourself defending them

Popularity: 14% [?]