Harbhajan to the Rescue of the Mentally Diseased

Harbhajan - A modern day Messiah!!

In an important press release, a leading mental health research institute of the country has announced that patients of clinical depression in the most advanced stages are responding positively to treatment after reading the latest news report that Harbhajan Singh has declared his fitness to play and desire to make it large. The accompanying report contains data from the trials conducted on the most hopeless of the patients who had found no relief for their mental agitation even after being administered with elephant tranquilizers. Reportedly, these candidates showed immediate signs of improvement after reading Bhajji's proclamations. “A few of them slept like babies” – said the beaming lead researcher.

IDEA - India Finds A Way To Win

BCCI, ever the evangelist, has come up with a revolutionary new format to bring uniformity of play in Cricket matches. The technical committee, which rushed in for an emergency session after learning that major sponsors have threatened to take their money to Hockey after India’s deplorable performance in England, has drafted a bill that suggests that all Test and ODI matches be played in a format where both teams will face the same bowling attack.

A spokesman informed that the different pitch conditions, varying weather and especially those inhumanly fast seam bowlers are seriously undermining India's prospects. To address these concerns, the board will co-ordinate a clandestine effort to replace pitch curators around the world with Indian expats who will ensure that India-like pitch conditions are enforced in all cricket grounds. This along with the new proposed format will make India absolutely invincible, if the sources are to be believed. "Weather though, still remains beyond our control" - admitted the spokesman.

A Cricketer & A Gentleman

A sombre backdrop of dark grey hue, a pregnant and threatening cloud looming in the horizon, a dusty gust of wind resonating the ring of a death bell, many a valiant warriors falling to their travails against an enemy far powerful – and you walk in. Somewhere in the minds of a billion countrymen, a bagpiper assumes a steady crescendo to the tunes of that immortal song, Amazing Grace. 

Answer To Indian Hockey’s Woes

The Angry Stick

A profoundly unemployable MBA graduate, after hearing about the shoddy treatment meted out to the players of the Hockey team from TV, has come up with a revolutionary plan to bring Hockey to the same level of popularity and prosperity as Cricket. He has charted out an exhaustive action plan to introduce reforms in the game, its marketing and broadcasting. He, of course, predicates the success of the venture on his own appointment as the CEO of Hockey India. When questioned about his experience in any form of sports management that would qualify him for the top spot, he replied that the sports body needs a fresh pair of hands to set it’s affairs straight, not some old snot. “Besides, the present guys are suffering from some form of arithmophobia. Otherwise, who could imagine that money even existed in denominations of 25000s. For getting some big money, they need a guy like me” ­– quipped the self styled consultant. We learned on further research that this fellow had managed to stay unemployed while all his classmates had netted 1.63 offers each by answering some of the most rhetorical B-School interview questions in the most unusual and absurd manner, namely -

The Reason Why Indian Team Skipped The ICC Award Ceremony

A misplaced punctuation mark and a small typo has created an international diplomatic controversy of the magnitude not seen since the time of World War II. As reported by multitude of Indian news channels with enthusiastic energy surpassing the limits of human, the Indian cricket team has snubbed the ICC by turning a No-Show in the ICC Awards ceremony. A delayed invitation was reportedly the reason behind this. But as the ICC has come up with irrefutable evidence of having sent the invite well in advance, the Indian management is now revealing the real reason behind this act.

India's Loss - Explained

You can find the audio post of this article here.

In a shocking disclosure to The Cricketist, an important member of the Indian team on conditions of strict anonymity has admitted that Stuart Broad is the only Englishman responsible for India’s disastrous tour. When The Cricketist incredulously enquired how could one person be blamed for this monster of a horror show that the Indian team has put up when each member of the English team has managed to invoke his own version of terror on them, the member grinned bitterly and pointed at an oddly pasted, semi-torn poster of Justin Bieber on the patch of wall visible from his hotel suite window and said in a broken voice, “He is responsible and so is his lookalike, Stuart Broad”.

Shocking Revelations - Munaf Is A Rock!!!

A group of extremely nerdy Indian Cricket fans, incensed by India’s latest surrender to the English in the meekest of manners, carried out a very extensive fact finding mission to determine the reason behind their beloved team’s continued misfortune. They were particularly disturbed by the mindblowingly nonchalant bowling, batting and fielding display of Munaf Patel, who according to leading psychologists of the world, needs immediate anger management lessons along with urgent help in such advanced cricketing techniques as holding a bat, throwing a ball and standing behind the stumps after having bowled a delivery. Well, the nerds managed to sneak into the dressing room after the match and got hold of some of Munaf’s saliva sample from the face of an unconscious Parthiv Patel who was severely bitten and lacerated by Munaf for having misfielded on one of his deliveries. While the nerds were collecting the sample, Parthiv mumbled in agony that he had never run faster in his life and that for all the dhoklas in the world couldn’t have dived harder to stop the boundary. Parthiv also moaned that Munaf could be a werewolf which the self styled sleuths immediately rejected as Parthiv’s injury induced delirium. One of them observed that if Munaf had even one strand of werewolf DNA in him, he would be faster than Arjuna Ranatunga. As the nerds made a clandestine exit from the dressing room, Parthiv requested them to tell his story in case he did not survive.

You Must Be Joking, Mr Hussain

Dear Mr. Hussain. As a representative of my species I must register my deep disappointment with the absolutely unfair comparison you have made between the Indian Cricket team and us, the donkeys. I have been further anguished by your continued defiance in the face of strong criticism that you have received from the public of India where me and other members of my species are held in no less esteem than the rulers of the country. You must understand that when you compared the Indian team with us, you also compared them with the politicians of the country. I will leave it to you to decide who should be more aggrieved, the cricketers or the politicos.

Parthiv Patel–The Little Big Short Ball Expert

What a summer it has been for the Indian Cricket team in England. A summer of misery, misfortune and ignominy. Not only has the fall from the top of ICC Test ranking humbled the mighty Indians, it has also left them battered and bruised both physically and mentally. There have been pulled hamstrings, twisted ankles, broken fingers and  bumped skulls. Those will be healed in time, mended back as the Lord made them. But the dents in the mind will be for there to stay. Suresh Raina will have nightmares about the booming bouncers, Sehwag will wonder why his bat kept on fishing outside the off stump, Yuvraj will not know if his any good at the five day stuff and Harbhajan Singh will search in vain for answers to his lost fang. As the tour has progressed the casualty list has grown longer but not longer than the faces of millions of Indian fans. As if the whitewash in the Tests had not been a wound deep enough, England managed to push the dagger further still with a thrilling win in the lone T20. Perhaps given this disaster raised to the power ten performance of the Indian team one cannot blame Sanjay Manjarekar for sounding out the defeatist statement that it is not fair for the Indian team to win the ODIs. In the back drop of this dark and sombre past when Parthiv Patel roars down the pitch to pull a towering Tim Bresnan out of ground imagine how many beats do the heart of the Indian fan skip. More than one for sure.

If size mattered in Cricket, Parthiv Patel would be playing a different game. Thankfully, it is the vertically challenged that have set Cricket grounds on fire. When Parthiv first came into the Indian Test team at the tender age of 17, commentators and viewers alike had him confused for a lost schoolboy. Navjot Singh Sidhu cut many jokes at the expense of the little man to great applause. He did not disappoint anyone but neither did he make himself proud. In spite of the trust of the captain he could not quite make a case for himself. Then Dhoni appeared on the scene and the wicketkeeper position of the team was permanently occupied. Since then chances have come in trickles and Parthiv has been ordinary at best. But this is not an article to discuss the Parthiv the wicketkeeper who failed to keep his place, this is a tribute to Parthiv the batsman who sneaked into the team and took everyone’s breath away, Patel style.

Do Parthiv Patel and Suresh Raina look alike? Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson certainly thought so, hence the short stuff came thick and fast…and went higher and faster. Anybody watching the Durham rubber when Parthiv was playing might as well have thought Brian Lara has decided to don the Indian colours. For a moment millions back in India wondered whether it was the same English attack that had India running short of tourniquet supply only a week and a half ago! It certainly was the same as Rohit Sharma found to his pain and agony. But before that, when Parthiv occupied the crease, it was as ordinary an attack as any. For once the English bowlers were not sure of their line and length and the ability to bowl 90 mph did not look like such a good thing. In a clear hangover from the Test matches they stuck to the idea of banging it short only to see the tiny Indian swivel like a helicopter rotor on his heels putting snorter after snorter away to the boundary. For all those who had their spirits low because of the absence of Gambhir and Tendulkar, these strokes must have come as unexpected bonus. And as if the disdain with power was not enough, the stylish manoeuvres towards third man showed that Parthiv Patel was not all brawn. When this mincing of the bowlers was going on one felt oddly surprised at the repeated mention of the big nought in the 100s columns in Patel’s record book, in all forms of one day cricket. How could someone who can pummel these first rate English pacers with such consummate ease not have scored a century against the weak Indian provincial bowlers on the batting paradise of Indian pitches is indeed a case to ponder on. Equally peeving was the commentators mistrust on Patel’s ability to clear the boundary. The first complaint could have been taken care of but for a mere five runs. The second one though did not go abegging.

Come Rose Bowl, Southampton and Patel Scope was extended to sixes. Tim Bresnan came steaming in, downed a short, saw Patel come steaming at him back and heave; ball crosses the boundary, all aerial. Tim Bresnan walked back, an unhappy big man. But it would go on to happen to him once more in the same over, four balls later. This time the ball does not rise as much, so Patel gets under it, pulls it up like a master, bisecting deep square leg and deep mid wicket. Brian Lara couldn’t have done it any better. Commentators, the pocket rocket can launch cricket balls out of big grounds, mind it.

It is sweet Karmic justice that Parthiv Patel is finding his touch in the same place where he first entered international arena, England. Getting selected at 17 and dropped at 19, Parthiv was always a story unfinished. He is still 26 and has just got wings under his arms. May this be the second beginning of a dream that had turned comatose.

Flickr Tags: Parthiv Patel

First Class Domestic Championships of India

With all the high profile international action going on all around the world, domestic tournaments often get relegated to the secondary citizen status in almost all media channels. Indeed, even when there is no international tournament going on but a humble Ranji trophy match being played somewhere in India, it is highly unlikely to find a report anywhere but in the most obscurest corner of the sports page of a newspaper. The lesser said about the coverage of such tournaments in the TV media the better. In the glare of of all the fanfare accorded to the big boy tournaments it is often forgotten that the players of that high stage come through the lowly grounds of regional and zone championships. Until the Indian team faces a crises of the magnitude as we are seeing now with half of the stars convalescing, Ranji performers are hardly discussed in drawing rooms. Here is an attempt by the Cricketist to acquaint its readership with the various domestic tournaments organized around the world, the structure of play, the rules and the regulations with a touch on their history. In a series of articles, we intend to cover the domestic cricket structure of all the Test playing nations. The first one is for dear motherland, India.

As an Indian, one must have heard of the following terms at random times, mentioned in passing, Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, Vijay Merchant Trophy, Cooch Behar Trophy, Ranji Trophy, NKP Salve Championship etc. Ask an average guy about these various championships and the most that he might actually be knowing is that Team India is selected from the best performers of the Ranji Trophy. But hey, isn’t that the domestic tournament of the longer version of the game? How do ODI players get selected on the basis of their performance in a 4 day (yes, a Ranji match is a 4 day affair) tournament? And what about the players who come from states that have never won a Ranji match yet are big names in the Test line up including our Captain himself. Moreover, how do the State teams get selected, from the clubs, eh? But hold on, clubs don’t play 4/5 day games. Well, do not worry if you have such questions in your mind. By the time you have read this post, you will be wise enough to hold your ground on all these topics and then some more.

STRUCTURE OF FIRST CLASS TOURNAMENTS

Click to expand

RANJI TROPHY

This is perhaps the most well known of all the domestic cricket leagues in India. The tournament is named after one of India’s first cricket legends Maharaja Ranjit Sinhji. This is the oldest cricket tournament played in India having being played since 1934-35. Every year this tournament is played between 1st of October and 15th of April. Unlike popular belief, this tournament is not played between states but different boards that are affiliated with the BCCI. That is why certain states like Gujarat and Maharashtra have more than one teams playing in the Ranjis.

Currently there are 27 teams in the Ranji league. The top 15 of these play in the Super League for the Ranji Trophy while the bottom 12 compete for the Ranji Plate. The league matches are played for points. The point distribution being as below:

Scenario	Points
Win Outright	5
Bonus Point (for innings and 10 wicket wins)	1
1st Innings Lead	3 *
No Result	1
1st Innings Deficit	1 *
Lost Outright	0

* For a drawn match. Source: Wikipedia

The interesting rule in this tournament is that while Plate and Super League matches are played separately at the league levels, at semi final stage, the topper of the Plate group gets automatic promotion to the Super League. Thus the Ranji Super League semi finals are played between the top 3 teams of the Super League and the winner of the Plate. Last years champion Rajasthan were not a part of the Super League but got a promotion by virtue of their first place finish in the Plate. At the end of each season, the bottom two teams of the Super League get relegated to the Plates while the top two of the Plates enter the Super League.

DULEEP TROPHY

This tournament is named after the nephew of Ranjit Sinhji, Kumar Duleepsinhji Jadeja. No less an illustrious cricketer than his uncle, this was what The Wisden had to say about him “In natural gifts of eye, wrist and footwork he is certainly blest far above the ordinary measure.” This tournament has been in place since 1961-62.

This is the zone level championship, one notch above the Ranji Trophy in terms of representation. The whole country is divided into 5 different zones viz. North, South, East, West and Central. This tournament is mostly played after the end of the season’s Ranji Trophy. Players for different zones are picked based on their performance in the Ranji. Unlike the Ranji trophy, this is a knock out tournament. All the matches except the Final are 4 day rubbers. The final is a 5 day match.

From 2003-04 season till the 2008 season the BCCI had experimented with a 6 team format, the sixth team being a foreign provincial side. Some of the teams that participated in the tournament were Sri Lanka A, England A and the national team of Bangladesh. The idea has since been dropped.

IRANI TROPHY

This is the pinnacle of first class domestic cricket in India. It is a one off match between the reigning Ranji Trophy winner and the Rest of India side. Quite naturally, this is one match where most of the test players participate, most often as a part of the Rest of India squad. This is also a five day match. Named after the late Z.R. Irani, this tournament has been played since 1959-60 to commemorate the silver jubilee year of the Ranji Trophy. This is the domestic season opening tournament in India where the Ranji champions get a chance to hone up their game before starting on their title defence.

Now to answer the question raised before, how do players from affiliates that have not performed well in the Ranji get to show their calibre. Well, the Duleep Trophy is the answer for that. As the Zone teams are picked up by selecting the best players from the constituent states, even a player from a lesser ranked team can get a chance to play along side the best in the business by playing for his zone. Then the question of the selection of the state teams. The states pick up players young from the Cooch Behar Trophy (Under 19) and the C.K. Nayudu Trophy (Under 22) tournaments which are the Ranji Trophy equivalents in the respective age groups. So a player who performs well in the Cooch Behar trophy will get a chance to represent his state in the C.K. Nayudu trophy. A good performance here will promote him to the Ranji squad thence to the Zone squad and finally to the National team. Sometimes, the order is not followed strictly though, especially for a Sachin Tendulkar.

Well, this post has discussed in detail the First Class tournaments played in India. We will look at the various One Day, called List A at this level, tournaments in the next post. Keep an eye on this page and wish luck to the beleaguered Indian team in England for the second ODI. Au Revoir.

The Curious Case of Praveen Kumar

For a bowler whose fastest delivery does not cross the 135 KMPH barrier to be called even a medium fast bowler is an overstatement, but for him to be considered the most potent offensive bowling option of an international side is even more unusual. Unless one has the prodigal swinging abilities and combative street-smartness of a Praveen Kumar, these are unlikely epitaphs to earn and difficult reputations to protect. For someone who has gained most of his exposure from T20 matches and the IPL to breach into Test cricket and be labelled unplayable by unsympathetic commentators, Praveen Kumar has indeed achieved a lot in a short span of time. So much so that in the absence of Zaheer Khan, it is not the heir apparent Ishant Sharma that earns the captain’s trust but this relative rookie who gets the ball tossed his way during hours of crises. Perhaps it is only befitting that when the world has decided to crucify the IPL for its derisive effects on Indian cricket a product of the same system is finding acceptance in not only the ODIs but Test matches as well.

So what works for this diminutive cricketer? The answer lies in his ability to generate swing in the most unhelpful of situations. A look at his domestic record will give a fair idea as to how this skill has served him so well in the dust bowl pitches of India.

Type	Mat	Inns	Balls	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
First-class	44	82	10129	199	8/68	10/160	23.44	2.76	50.8	12	14	1
List A	105		5156	151	5/32	5/32	26.34	4.62	34.1	4	2	0

Averages of 23 and 26 in Ranji Trophy and Championship matches respectively for a bowler who does not spin are worth an applause. It takes a smart cricketer to understand that bowling express in India is not likely to translate much into dismissals as the sheer deadness of the pitches nullifies whatever force may have been given to a delivery by the bowler. Movement off the pitch is also minimal thanks to the extreme fondness of Indian curators towards inflicting baldness. That leaves just one trick with the bowler to get a wicket, moving the ball in the air. Kumar must have realized this early in his career as he firmly focuses on bowling those banana swinger with no regards to lack of pace that subjected him to much criticism at the beginning of his international career. Given the nature of pitches that he has shaped his technique on, it is unwise of anyone to gainsay the sacrifice of speed for enhanced swing. In a horses for courses world, “whatever works” must be the philosophy to adhere to.

Swing bowling is no less an art form than Spin bowling which often gets venerated as more intellectual. Be it the normal In and Out swingers or the relatively modern Reverse swing, the recipe for these lethal concoctions are not for amateurs to master. It requires a unique combination of grip, wrist position, study of wind direction,  a reading of the moisture in air, ball conditioning and controlled pace to generate a particular movement in the flight path of the ball. A reverse swing cannot be delivered unless the ball is delivered at a high pace while an in swinger might come about too early to be effective if the pace is above a threshold. Those beautiful parabolas that we saw being drawn on the pitch by past masters like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younus and present performers like Jimmy Anderson or Zaheer Khan are the results of some very meticulous planning and sharp execution by the bowler. But no one delivers them with the ease of Praveen Kumar. Indeed, if he delivered those curves on the dry and lifeless Indian pitches, he must have mastered the fundamentals.

It is highly unlikely to expect India to produce tearaway fast bowlers of the Brett Lee Class any time soon. Any such bowler who may come up the ranks by virtue of domestic success would most likely have an inflated record fuelled in no small measures by the traditional frailty of Indian batsmen against genuine fast bowling. The likelihood of such bowlers finding success against more conditioned international batsmen will much depend on their ability to mix aggression with guile. In the backdrop of this, a military medium pacer like Praveen Kumar is an ideal fulcrum for he can bowl long miserly spells as he has already shown and cause corrosive damage by moving the ball like a pendulum. It will also be much wise if the coaching staff focuses' on his batting skills. He certainly has a talent for slogs but if that could be developed into a more consistent skill, India could earn an all rounder in Tests that they so badly miss. These are still early days for this cricketer but going by his exploits, we might be witnessing the birth of a true match winner.

To Hawk Or Not To Hawk…

While the Australians were busy in the business of humbling the Sri Lankans at Galle, there was a bunch of wise men sitting not very far away from the stadium discussing the effectiveness of the wonderful modern technology called HawkEye. Nothing wrong with that except the very fact that the seminar was necessitated fairly puts in question all the vociferous arguments in favour of invasive implementation of the technology in cricket. The report submitted by the wise men, top umpires of the game, did not make a good case for the technology in question either. Going by whatever is available in public domain about the findings of the report, it can be construed that the umpires are not great fans of HawkEye themselves. If the judge’s confidence on the evidence is not without a shred of doubt, the case is usually dismissed in a court of law. Cricket, funny game that it is, has other ways.

Before passing a judgement on the veracity of HawkEye, it would be wise to understand the beast. HawkEye was initially researched at the Roke Manor Research Ltd. funded by The Television Corporation. After its implementation during the 2001 Ashes series by Channel 4, an eponymous company was spun off to market the technology. Since then, the technology has found acceptance in decision making processes of Tennis and Cricket. The way this technology works is not much unlike the GPS system. Only, instead of the satellites we have TV cameras placed at strategic locations around the stadium to track the movement of the ball. The idea being, based on the behaviour of the ball before impact as captured by the cameras from different vantage points, its flight path can be reconstructed from the point of impact till the natural end of the projectile. There are many sources and documents available on the internet that say that at a minimum there must be six such cameras capturing action at 230 FPS or more for HawkEye to successfully predict the trajectory of the ball. As anyone who has studied graphs in a mathematics course would tell, a curve is best drawn when there are maximum plotting co-ordinates available. The six cameras referenced here are the source of those plot points. The FPS rate decides how many assisting co-ordinates are available for the software to predict the trajectory of the ball once its natural motion has come to an end.

Technorati Tags: Hawk Eye,Hot Spot,UDRS

Now the reason why the world is divided over the usage of this technology in the UDRS is because of the cameras used in the live telecast of the matches. Under ideal conditions, the Hawk Eye should not be dependent on the live feed provided by the telecasters at all. There should be special standardized HawkEye cameras located as per guidance provided by the technology provider that capture the action independently and ensure that no matter where the game is played and which broadcaster is involved, Hawk Eye works on its own. Sadly, the extreme competition in cricket broadcasting business mandates that the only cameras used for a given match are the ones that the broadcaster uses. Different broadcasters use different cameras. So, HawkEye has to deal with varying standards of inputs provided to it  to make the all important decisions involving LBWs. The issue here is, different broadcasters use cameras of different standards. The difference in quality is obvious when you find certain channels offering High Definition as well as normal quality telecast while others do not. The difference in quality of cameras used means the FPS specifications are different thereby severely affecting the quality of decision made by Hawk Eye. This perhaps also explains the reason why BCCI has placed itself firmly against the inclusion of this system. Please remember that all matches in India are broadcast by Nimbus whose broadcast quality certainly leaves a lot to be desired. What with long term broadcast contracts running into millions of dollars, who is to say that this business aspect of the game does not play a role in certain cricket boards’ aversion to the technology.

Then again, there are the many cases of erroneous predictions outputted by Hawk Eye even when working with best broadcast conditions. The most recent one was in the first test match between Australia and Sri Lanka where an LBW appeal against opener Philips Hughes was referred to the UDRS. Naked eyes all around vouched for the turn that came after the ball had pitched but not Hawk Eye. Since Ten Sports, the broadcasters here, are not so far behind when it comes to quality of broadcast, this prediction raises further questions on the veracity of the extrapolations that Hawk Eye makes.

Even as this post goes live, there has been another fiasco of sorts in the ODI between England and India. This time though the technology in question was Hot Spot and implemented on one of its more frequent customers, Rahul Dravid. The ever so enthusiastic Stuart Broad appealed for a caught behind to umpire Doctrove who decided against it before being challenged with the UDRS. Hot Spot replays showed naught for a nick as was the slow motion trajectory of the ball, which was sans any deviation as ball crossed the bat. The only dissenting evidence was in audio. The third umpire, without the assistance of the snickometer which has been kept out of the UDRS for it takes a long time to reconstruct the Snicko images, had only the Hot Spot and the slow motion capture to go by and inexplicably declared Dravid out. The quick justification given by some of the English commentators, no less enthusiastic about UDRS than Stuart Broad, was that the audio evidence was conclusive. Here are two questions:

•    In a live cricket match, a sound could come from anywhere. Can such an input be treated as bonafide? Case in point, when Dravid walked in the test match mistaking the sound from his shoelaces for a genuine nick, had the referral been asked and audio input been available, would he have been declared out even though all other evidences pointed otherwise?
  
• If audio evidence is to be the deciding factor, isn’t it best left to the on field umpire to take the call on that as he hears and sees action from the closest proximity?

One of the observations in the Umpire’s Seminar in Sri Lanka was the lack of uniformity in the decision assist systems used in different matches. While at some place Hawk Eye is in, it is Hot Spot elsewhere and Snicko in some other match. This, along with the inconsistent quality of feeds, makes the life of all concerned very difficult. The BCCI, in spite of all its inverted intelligence, might be right in suggesting not to use such technologies until they are deemed fool proof. The premature implementation of technology not only makes the present controversial but also creates an atmosphere of mistrust for technologies of future. In an effort to fix what ain’t exactly broke, technology may become its own slayer. So, when the next time David “Bumble” Lloyd goes on to defend such highly debatable decisions simply because he is a believer he better realize that in his defence he is undoing his case.

UPDATED 10 Nov, 2011
A. FPS rates affect the quality of projection of the HawkEye system quite a bit[6]. This is not a wild conjecture as accused by some fans of this technology in a particular cricket forum.

B. HawkEye cannot correctly predict the ball trajectory if the distance between the ball's pitch and impact is less than 40cm[7]. This has been admitted by HawkEye innovations in the aftermath of the Hughes dismissal fiasco in Sri Lanka earlier this year.

C. HotSpot's fallibility has been brought under focus once again in the first test match Australia and South Africa at NewLands, Cape Town in the appeal for a caught behind against Peter Siddle off a Morkel delivery. Siddle tried to play a cross batted swat shot off the ball and missed it with Boucher pocketing it safely. Morkel's appeal for a caught behind was denied by the umpire before being referred for a UDRS. The slow motion replays did not reveal a conclusive nick but there was a faint noise as ball crossed bat. A HotSpot image would have nailed it but surprisingly there was none. Per TV commentators HotSpot was not "within the range"!!!!! Why on earth nobody specified what "ranges" does HotSpot operate within? Sadly, the commentators will not discuss it for a moment even.

D. HotSpot also happens to be terribly expensive as inconclusive. The most "accurate" 4 camera setup costs the organizers USD 10,000 per day, meaning $50,000 for a Test match. Many broadcasters do find this exorbitant[8].

Sources
1. http://virtualeye.tv/index.php/the-news/75-virtual-eye-response-to-hawkins-open-letter
2. http://www2.geog.ucl.ac.uk/~mdisney/teaching/1006/papers/collins_hawkeye.pdf
3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12670063
4. http://www.hawkeyeinnovations.co.uk
5. http://www.howitworksdaily.com/technology/top-five-facts-controversial-hawk-eye-moments/
6. http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/523336.html
7. http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-australia-2011/content/story/531324.html
8. http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/content/story/470808.html

In A Distant Land Called Zimbabwe

Publicity is like money, the more you have the more you make. With two high profile cricket series going on with four out of the top five cricket nations battling, it isn’t surprising to find little mention of equally competitive but a far less glamorous team called Zimbabwe getting back to reckoning. Nevertheless, there are some bright young cricketers in this team too who are making a name for themselves by fighting it out with their more established counterparts from Bangladesh and Pakistan. Not only have they won the one off test match against Bangladesh, their first after the self imposed suspension from Test cricket, and the ODI series against the same team, but their performance against a much stronger Pakistan team on the first day of the Test match raises much hope. Among continued player exodus and debilitating politicization of cricket administration, such positive results are much cherished.

Long back during the hey days of Andy Flower, Heath Streak, Paul Strang and the likes, Zimbabwe used to be a serious ODI unit. In fact, they used to be fairly decent in the test format too. India, in particular, has seen many close skirmishes with the perpetual underdogs and have lost a few too. It is hard to forget the exploits of a fresh Henry Olonga in Sharjah or the resolute and defiant centuries by Andy Flower in the test matches. What is today marketed as the “Dilscoop” was first brought to life by a buccaneering Douglas Marillier hitting none other than the legendary Anil Kumble behind the wicket for fours. That team by no means was pushover. Between 1995 to 2001, they have beaten every major ODI team except for Australia. From that to the chaos that reigns today, it has been one accelerated freefall for the Zimbabweans.

However, the last series against Bangladesh has rekindled a lot of hopes. From a pure statistical angle, the result does not look astonishing. Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have an almost 50:50 win loss record.

But one most look at the result from a relative perspective. Bangladesh in recent past have effected some upsets in the ODIs. As such, one would expect them to have assumed a natural ascendancy over the still regrouping Zimbabwe. But the ODI series proved that they still face considerable inadequacies while under pressure. Even in the Test match, it was Zimbabwe that has shown that the Asian underperformer’s test status is still questionable.

That series has also brought to focus some exciting new prospects for Zimbabwe. The young left arm paceman Brian Vitori took to five for hauls against the visitors in the ODIs. Although it is too premature from a statistician’s point of view but the young man’s record does look impressive after the end of the Bangladesh series.

Bowling averages	Mat	Inns	Wkts	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w
Tests	1	2	5	24.4	3.21	45.6	1	0
ODIs	3	3	11	8.63	3.22	16	0	2

Similarly, Masakadza and Taylor have helped themselves to handy centuries while Mawoyo has been good in the opening position. Mawoyo has carried forward his good form into the test match against Pakistan with a watchful 82*. His contest with the guile of Saeed Ajmal has drawn hesitant comparison with Alistair Campbell’s handling of Saqlain Mustaq a decade earlier from commentators. You can read one article here. Credit must be given to the Zimbabwe team for holding out against a quality international bowling attack with a decent finish of 245/4 at the end of the first day after being put in to bat.

Zimbabwe’s woe has been the inability to retain talent. The players cannot be blamed for seeking livelihood in the English Counties or the Australian domestic league for there is little to lure them in the cash starved country of their birth. Over the years many promising Zimbabwe players have chosen to seek international glory under foreign flags. May be, the international cricket bosses can make a positive contribution here. One way could be getting some of the top players sign up with the IPL franchises. That will give them the much needed international exposure as well as some financial relief. In turn, they can be asked to stick to their national team. Similarly, arranging an international league of provincial sides where top teams from the emerging nations can complete in the domestic leagues of the test playing nation could be contemplated. After all, if we want to see more competition in the game, nothing would serve the cause better than more number of competitive teams in the fray. This will surely help bottom of the table countries like Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Ireland in preparing their players for the big stage. Meanwhile, best of luck to Zimbabwe in their test match against Pakistan. If they can hold the match to a draw, I guess they would have won a big psychological battle.