Cricket's Overdose -- Killing the Goose?

Life can be tenuous at times and with an increased workload, things can work up minds. Cricket is not alien to these pressures. In an era, where professionalism has come to dominate the game, cricketers have added responsibilites. Not just to play in different parts of the globe, but also adjust to the climes and surfaces. With hectic tour schedules, many cricketers have very often complained about the slog they had to undergo. With more and more LOI matches along with the new found manna of T20 being the flavour, the workload of cricketers have been an onslaught leading to burn-out of the players. Australians have often voiced their concern in this regard. Indians too have opined the same at times.

Indian LOI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the least complaining on this entire issue, as he often stated that being professional cricketers, these demands of the game's expansion have to be met them. Hence, there had to be no complaints by the cricketers, whose earnings had also concomitantly increased with professionalism. But the non-stop cricket played by Dhoni since the England tour in July 2007 saw him miss only the last test against Pakistan in Bangalore in December of the same year. He undertook the team Down Under and lead the team to win the CB series. Later, he got on to the T20 jamboree of IPL captaining Chennai Super Kings in all their 16 matches including the final against Rajasthan Royals.

Such a strenuous regimen finally caught up with Dhoni, and he complained of the format of the Asia Cup where India often had to play back-to-back matches. Even during the press conferences, he was not critical of his bowlers for leaking runs. Neither did he found faults with his fielders for the sloppiness in catching. He reasoned all this due to the effect of non-stop cricket. As India lost the final to the exploits of Ajantha Mendis, Dhoni finally broke open and finally opted out of the test series in Sri Lanka. This drives us to the larger question of such blind following of the international commitments. Though the Future Tour Programme calendar of the ICC has to be followed, the unmindful acts of the BCCI also have to be questioned. The timing of the tournaments in Bangladesh and Pakistan have really found no water. With Dhaka in the midst of the monsoon, and Pakistan in the height of summer, both the tourneys were ill-timed. The searing heat in Lahore and Karachi saw even the fans giving matches a skip. Even Indo-Pak encounters failed to fill the stadia. Compounding this were the lifeless wickets in both tourneys. 300 runs were scored and also chased successfully in almost all matches. The bowlers were made mincemeat and the fielders sent on leather hunts. The months of April-May, which earlier were the periods to rest for the tired legs and bodies have been eaten away by IPL. Such an overdose of cricket with sponsorships, endorsements, marketing and television rights and revenues have not only devoured the physique of the players, but also their minds. For a healthy body a mind is paramount. Cricket is also more of a mind game and positive thoughts have to be finely implemented to see larger success. The increasing demands for Sandy Gordons and Paddy Uptons exemplify this fact.

The recurring injuries resulting from such overkill of the game also dampens the spirits of the teams as well as of their fans. Due to such heightened professionalism, the players have also sought to hide their injuries and strains to meet the increased demands. Thus, cent percent commitment is often compromised. Though it may be a vicious circle, it is important that the responsible for well-being of the game take cognizance of this concern and initiate measures to remedy such plaguing ills. This would only refresh the hearts and minds of the players, thus saving them from monotony as well as preserving their bodies from wounds.

Ajantha Mendis -- Unearthing a Rare Breed

It is not always that with patriotic allegiances ruling our hearts and minds, we appreciate the talents and exploits of the opposition in all sporting activities. Cricket is no different; every time Team India gains the upper hand, the expectations of the fans rise sky high. Ever since Dhoni has started captaining India in LOIs, their exploits have led them to even defeat the world champions, Australia in their own den. So, with all these preconceived notions that 'our' team was virtually unbeatable, the Asia Cup proved to be an eye opener.

Though the Lankans dominated the final proceedings against India, the bowling of Ajantha Mendis require all the praise. Thus, it becomes natural that you put your hands together to applaud in genuine terms, the rise of such a champion. Perhaps, there is something in the water and soil of Sri Lanka, that they produce such multi-talented cricketers. The 1996 World Cup triumph under Arjuna Ranatunga reinforced that fact. Mutthaiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda De Silva, Roshan Mahanama, and later Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, and Lasith Malinga. Now, Mendis just produces beauties. Claiming 6/13 in the final at Karachi, he scythed through the strong Indian batting line-up. Bamboozling the Indians with his varieties of deliveries just made him unpredictable. As Dhoni later admitted, the batsmen just failed to pick him. Getting enough tweak and turn from the surface, he just showed that it was not just the batsmen, but even bowlers could dominate in the current Asia Cup.

On a wicket which produced 300 runs on an average in every match, Mendis' efforts are really breath taking. Earlier taking a 5-for against the Pakistanis, he repeated the same effort on the right time against the Indians. In the final, Jayawardene marshalled his resources well and used Mendis with care. His deliveries opened up the chinks in the Indian armour. Deceiving Sehwag with one that went the other way leading to his stumping, he then got through the defences of Yuvraj and Raina with straighter ones flicked from the back of his hand. Further, he trapped Rohit Sharma in the front with another straighter one. While in the 1st spell, he gave just 8 runs in the four overs to earn these four wickets. He later returned in the 2nd spell to finish the game with 2 more wickets, especially the one of R.P.Singh with a classical leg break.

Possessing all the weapons in his armoury, Mendis bowls six different deliveries in an over. Thus, he has the top spinner, off-break, leg break, flipper, wrong un, the doosra, googly, slider and drifter. All these are showcased with remarkable ease, with subtle variations in his wrist action. Along with this, he also effortlessly changes the position of his fingers to bring about the desired variations in the flight and trajectory. This is done brilliantly by him through camouflage, thus making batsmen to pick him off his hand as the only way to deal him. However, in the demanding game at the LOI level, long levels of patience is not a virtue for the batsmen. However, not only in the air, he is also unpredictable off the pitch. Thereby, he has all the essential armaments of any spinner, whether its an off-spinner or leg-spinner. His special though, is termed as the Carrom Ball, that he delivers using his middle finger with the thumb as the back up, similar to playing carrom wherein one uses the same action to use the striker to hit other coins on the board. Playing for the Sri Lankan Army, Mendis was picked up for tour to West Indies and there, he displayed his talent at the international level for the first time. With the Indian tour to Lanka coming up, Mendis is set to play a big role for the home team. Such exceptional talent has turned Mendis to be one of the gems for the Lankans.

As said in the beginning, genuine talent should always be praised, irrespective of team affiliations. Mendis with his bowling varieties has come out as once in a generation cricketers. As laptops and analysis software descend to decipher his wizardry, science tries to master art. However, his success would be ensured, if he continues to mask his art with mystery in spite of such heightened vigilance and surveillance of electronics on him. If properly nurtured, the game of cricket would be the biggest beneficiary, with such enormous and exceptional talent. There are times when you feel that it is art that is more superior to science and bio-mechanics. Mendis' night with the ball at the National Stadium in Karachi justifies your insights in this regard. Ajantha Mendis is indeed a very rare breed.

Homecoming

Today I woke up early..........the morning mist is still hanging in the air, the ground is wet and the trees are washed clean...........the nandyarvattam has blossomed, with the flowers standing with full glory.......the cows in the manger have woken up too, as the tiny bells around their necks ring merrily composing jingles.....the sleep is taking its own pace to leave the dreariness of my eyes.....the sky is still grey, but the rains have stopped. The milkman's cycle spins out a sound too!! As does the cuckoo in the midst of the mango leaves, letting out its sweet cry!! The village is slowly waking up from the deep slumber. The thechi has also blossomed.........its fragrance strikes me in the face!! Tomorrow, I am leaving from here.............to another world, where money and time are bound together, not necessarily, harmoniously!! Homecoming has brought with it all the native sounds and fragrances.......As I walk on the soft earth, the tender dew on the grass caresses my feet. Will these fragrances and sounds accompany me in my journey? The thumbapoo just stands similing..................

The Textbook Issue in Kerala: Exposing the Ulterior Motives

For the past few days, Kerala has been on the boil. The political oppostition, especially the students organizations of the UDF and RSS, along with socio-religious groups have been taking to the streets protesting against what they call attempts to 'inject atheism and communism' into school education, through textbooks. The KSU(I) and MSF, the student wings of the Congress(I) and the Muslim League have joined hands with the Christian-Muslim groups as well as the Hindu caste groups like the NSS to tackle such 'communization' of the textbooks. Before going into the entire debate, a mere glance through the Class VII Social Science Text Book, which has been picked up for such 'naked atheism', would make any average Malayali understand that such a ruckus is nothing but a mere attempt to take the people for a ride over a complete non-issue. This also unmasks the hidden face of the Opposition, to play upon the people's religious sentiments and galvanize them to spread instability and chaos in the state.

Titled 'Mathamillatha Jeevan', ,meaning a person with no faith, the chapter in the text book is in the form of an interview, wherein a school headmaster interviews a child named Jeevan and his parents, for admission to the school. Asked to fill the blanks in the application form for his religion and caste, the parents in turn ask the headmaster to leave those spaces blank. The headmaster then ponders over it thoughtfully and asks "what if the child grows up and feels like adopting any faith"? The parents calmly answer that in such a case, when he grew up, he could choose any faith he wanted to. Other than this conversation, the book also contain chapters detailing the religious tolerance and harmony prevailing since age old times in the Kerala. At a time, when communal frenzy and politics of hate has been viciously pursued by the right-wing forces, the need to maintain secular values gain paramount importance. In fact, the aim of our education system has to be to inculcate these values to build the future citizens of this country. Working unhindered against superstitions and blind beliefs, it is also important that the our school and university educational systems raise the rationality and scientific temper of the students, thus enabling them to analyze things much more deeply and question the decadent values and traditions. Going through these text books, yours truly never found one bit of 'communist injection' or attempts to question religious faith. In fact, the chapters in the said text book has only spoken for the need to respect all faiths, thus building common harmonious bonds. To illustrate this, there are verses quoted from Mahabharata, Bible, Prophet Mohammed and Guru Nanak. There are also various assignments and projects suggested to understand these matters further. If this is so, why is the opposition creating such mayhem?

To analyze that, it is important to also look at the political history of Kerala, where the Left has had a significant role. Education has proved to be glue for all forces to stick together and corner the Left. Such a situation that exists today, finds its ripples in the 1st Communist government to be elected anywhere in the world through ballot in 1957 under EMS Namboodiripad. The very same forces, who have taken up the cudgels to protect the sanctity of faith had then come together to unleash a vicious campaign against the communist government. Launching the 'Vimochana Samaram' or the Freedom Struggle, the Congress led opposition joining hands with the same socio-religious groups was able to establish a "make you believe" world, which sought to portray the Left as anathema to the state of Kerala, that had to be unseated at any cost. Aided by the designs of Indira Gandhi who was literally running the show behind Nehru, President's Rule was imposed in the state. Later, it was also been established that the CIA had worked in tandem with the centre in the move to dismiss the EMS government. A crucial fact that needs mention is that even then educational reforms had proved to be the galvanizing point for such rightist and anti-democratic mobilization against the Left rule. The then Education minister and litterateur, Prof. Joseph Mundassery had brought in measures to curb the overarching powers of managements and bring them under the government net. This was vehemently opposed by the managements, most of them being under these very socio-religious groups acting on vested interests. Strong attempts are being made today to make Kerala face a second Vomochana Samaram. Even the media has not spared any space to lash out against the ruling Left Front Government that has completed two successful years in office. The rabble-rousing media, which has always found the Left to be its beternoire, has come out forcefully in its diatribe,thereby displaying its class interests.

Yours truly has always believed that the Education Ministry in Kerala has to be handled by a national party and not be given to smaller, fractious parties, to be used as their fiefdoms. In the era of coalition politics in the state, both the UDF and LDF had earlier left such a crucial ministry in the hands of such smaller parties, which led to the pursuit of erroneous policies and immobilization of the entire sector. Ever since the present LDF government was given a massive mandate by the people of Kerala after having borne the brunt of the misrule of the UDF, the attempts have been to come out with a real alternative for the people. The CPI(M) took over the Education Ministry, with MA Baby having the charge. The Private Managements like NSS, SNDP, and other Christian as well as Muslim groups had virtually eaten up the self-financing sector of professional education. Charging exorbitant fees and making education a privilege for the common man, these managements sought to frame their own rules and thereby, establish their own authority by overriding the state's directives and holding it to ransom. Claiming more than 50% percent management seats, they also sought to trespass into the government seats too. Getting the help of an insensitive judiciary, they sought to call the shots. The LDF government, unlike the UDF refused to be cowed down and brought in the Self-Financing Colleges Act to fix fees and regulate the managements. However, this progressive step was overturned by the state High Court, and gave the managements the decision-making powers, thus handicapping the government. Not only in this issue, but also progressive steps of the government like to make the local bodies in charge of overseeing the school functioning, making sex education part of the curriculum, appointment of teachers in aided institutions under the state Public Service Commission and removing the hurdles to make the seating arrangements of boys and girls together have been opposed. Many of the steps have been remarked as "working to spread sexual anarchy" in the educational institutions by the religious groups. The managements felt threatened by these measures that could erode their sweeping powers have manufactured farce logic such as attempts to bring in atheism into the society. Pastoral letters and sermons, along with communal campaigns have been launched by the right-wing in all faiths. They have been goading people to join in large numbers against such a 'faithless and atheist government' that had to be unseated.

Therefore, the latest protests over the textbooks have to be seen in this light. The opposition UDF under the Congress bereft of any real issues have sought to stoke people's passions. Kerala has a remarkalable long-standing legacy of communal amity and tolerance. Several legends have been found, wherein the rituals and religious ceremonies have bound the communities in the state together. To quote an instance, the pilgrimage to Sabarimala to get the blessings of Ayyappa is considered incomplete without a visit to the shrine of Vavar, a Muslim saint. Also, the base camp of Sabarimala, at Nilackal has been built on the land donated by the Church. In another case, many Christians have practiced Hindu practices in celebrating their church festivals. The state is replete with instances of temple festivals starting with blessings from a church or mosques. Thus, the state's religious tolerance has been such that the communal RSS despite its presence in the state, has never been able to make even a foothold in the state legislature and has been unable to send representatives to the Parliament from the state. The education ministry in the state has courageously decided not to recall the said books. The minister M.A.Baby has repeatedly assured that the government was ready to initiate technical committees to study the books for any technical corrections, but any fundamental change in the curriculum was not possible. This decision is commendable, for the fact that this would help in unmasking of the communal forces that were behind the violence and riots against the Sikhs in Delhi and Muslims in Gujarat before the students. Despite this, many teachers' organizations of the Opposition have issued blatant threats to not teach these books. Such threats only reinforce the notion that any brave attempts to inculcate rational values has been opposed by such groups with vested political interests. Our young generation has been disallowed to 'grow up'. This trend is not only unhealthy for their future in terms of character building, but also seeks to negate the fundamental duties of the state to provide a rational and scientific education system devoid of decadent values and superstitions. This would only go on to bind them in the age-old practices and thus, defeat the very purpose of pursuing education.