Minnows with Superstars

I often used to wonder "Who is more incompetent? Bollywood or Indian Cricket Team?" Actually I owe a couple of sorries for this. First to bollywood for comparing them with "Team India" and second to "Team India" for rating them way too higher.

To some this might appear as a result of frustration due to a humiliating defeat vs. Sri Lanka. But actually I am quite happy that this team is unlikely to make it to super 8. I think it will be a grave injustice to teams like SA and Aussies if they have to play "Men In Blue". For several reasons - they play cricket which the good teams used to play about 15 years ago. There is no intensity, no fitness and just exemplary display of incompetence.

The question I would ask myself if I have been playing cricket for 15 years and doing nothing else is -

1. Should I make the same mistakes time and again ?
2. How did I improve over last 15 years?
3. Should I really be playing (reminds me of Damien Martin who took a voluntary retirement, the reason he gave "There are faar too many players who are more committed than me. I really don't deserve to be there.")

A lot of cricket fans feel that the players don't play for the team or country, they play for themselves. What I'd say is "Don't play for the team or country. Play for yourself and that requires a great deal of self-respect. If I don't play well - I can't look at myself in the mirror and say I am doing a good job or atleast doing a job for which I am being paid!"

While watching the Aus vs. SA match, I was thinking lets count the number of runs we'd have gotten less than the aussies or the number of runs we'd have saved. After third over I stopped counting, its just apples vs. oranges. You just can't compare Indian team with them. Sorry, just can't.

If one looks at the kind of games the so called minnows play during the world cup, there is a distinct similarity between their play and the way MIB play. There is no strategy, there is no application, there is no plan (forget about Plan A or Plan B. Interesting to note - When Sangakara came forward to Vaas' second ball, we had no clue how to go about it? and juxstapose it with the way Hayden or smith played - against arguably the best bowlers in the world!)

It simply means Team India is plain "incompetent". And there is no reason to feel bad about it, sometimes the facts are too hard to believe. They may be talented - but competence is not just about talent - it's about fitness, stamina, application and a certain degree of confidence that only comes with hours and hours of hard work.

But thats just not the problem of Team India. Its the terminal problem of Indians as a whole. We just don't work hard enough.

Thats the reason I call this team a "Minnows with Superstars".

Before I conclude - I pray that Bermuda don't come up with a surprise against Bangladesh. Mostly my prayers will be heard. If they are not - I think aussies and SA should consider giving a walkover to India in super 8. They just don't belong there.

The joy of reading your favourite song in your language..

बीडी जलाइले जिगर से पिया जिगर मा बडी आग हैं.
धुवारा निकालियो लब से पिया ये दुनिया बडी खाक हैं|

ना गिलाब ना लिहाफ थन्डी हवा भी खिलाफ ससुरी
इतनी सर्दी हैं किसीका लिहाफ लै ले जा पदोसीके चुल्हेसे आग लै ले!!
बीडी जलाईले....

ना कसूर ना फतूर बिना जुरम के हुजूर मर गई|
ऐसे इक दिन दुपहरी बुलाइ लियो रे बांध घुन्घरु कचहरी लगाईलियो रे ||
अंगीठी चढाइले जिगर से पिया जिगर मा ... आग हैं|

ना बुलाया ना बताया माने नीन्द से जगाया मर गई
ऐसा चोखें लिहाफ में नसीब आ गया वोह इलायची खिलायके करीब आ गया|
कोयला जलाइले जिगर से पिया जिगर मा बडी आग हैं |

[written in paahijen - ScratchPad: http://www.paahijen.com/scratchpad ]

एक सुप्त ईछा पूर्ण..

बरेच दिवस आपल्याला मराठी मध्ये blog लिहीता आला पाहिजे असं वाटत होतं. म्हणून हा प्रोब्लेम स्वतःपुरता fix करण्यापेक्षा इतरांनाही काही उपयोग होइल म्हणून आम्ही एक application develop केले आहे. 'paahijen ScratchPad' जिथे मला english मध्ये टाईप केल्यावर मराठी मध्ये दिसते आणि ते मी कुठेही Cut-Paste मारु शकतो.

हळू हळू थोडेसे गुजराथी पण शिकीन म्हणतो!

लहान मुलाला एखादं नवीन खेलणं हातात दिलं कि त्याची जशी अवस्था होते, तशी माझी झाली आहे!... उगाचच फुकट आहे म्हणून काहिही type करत सुटलोय!! :-)

मजा आली!! पाहिजेन!!!

written in http://www.paahijen.com/scratchpad

On Rave Party

It is my usual habit in the morningto open the door grab the newspaper, as soon as I get up and just browse through it.... I was really startled by a news that made headlines today about a certain rave party near pune where police raided and arrested 280 youths... I was not surprised at the careless manner in which the people were enjoying, but I was surprised by a trivial yes trivial offense like this making headlines......

There is usual ruccous - Blah Blah.. etc.

What I don't really understand is having a rave party is wrong, but having bhang on mahashivratri is not wrong. Dancing in front of ganesh idol during immersion procession (where admittedly most of the people who are dancing are drunk.) is not wrong or obstructing traffic for a Goddess procession is not wrong.. I think this is sheer double standards...

Carrying and seeling drungs is illegal offence in India and the people should nie MUST be punished for that and that should be end of story. This is certainly not worth making headlines... there are thousands of criminal offenses happening in our city everyday do they make major headlines?

Atleast, these people where minding their own business away from the city, so their offence to society was marginal compared to the offenses mentioned above.

What I would like to see is one of those who were partying to stand up, show the guts and say "Yes we were partying in a manner we liked and while doing that we ignored the law of the land and we deserve punishment for that and that alone...." But a lot of these people were ashamed to show their faces? Are you ashamed of your way of enjoying? Then you have no moral right to "enjoy" in the manner you were....

Microsoft.. Again...

A week back I was having a discussion with a friend of mine, about what could be dangerous for Microsoft? having their development tools at a premium. What opensource is actually doing is - it is driving a lot of "smart" developers away from Microsoft, and that could be a big threat to Microsoft in the long run. I told him, what will be a stroke of genius from Microsoft will be to make their development tools free. (even free as in beer would do!)

and I read today about this news. where they have launched a Beginners site for MS platform and some of the development tools they have their it free.

A really solid move by Microsoft, the effects may not be immediately visible, but will help them in the long run.