Harbhajan v/s Sreesanth

Finally, the two enfant terribles of Indian cricket came face-to-face. The Sikh from Punjab allegedly slapped the malayali boy. The cameras didn't catch the alleged slap; they could only capture the malayali crying.

 

Both these players shared a dressing room in the past and will definitely be sharing a dressing room in the future. So, what caused this fracas?

 

Its time BCCI started being tough. BCCI proved its muscle when it held the Australian Cricket Board to ransom during the Procter-Symonds-Bhajji tamasha. This time also, it has to flex its muscles. If Bhajji did slap Sreesanth, then Bhajii should be banned from the IPL. However, despite the hype, IPL is domestic tournament. BCCI should also ban Bhajji for 3 Tests / 5 ODIs or whatever the maximum punishment is for bringing the game into disrepute. Cricinfo, in one of its column, suggests that Bhajji cannot be punished twice (by the IPL and BCCI) for the same crime. However, in the interests of the game, Harbhajan should get the max punishment. Ban him for 10 games in the IPL (effectively ruling him out for the remainder of the tournament) as well as a ban by BCCI for international matches as per the ICC rulebook. Moreover, the franchise owner should not only not pay Harbhajan any amount of the $ 800,000 that was bid; but Harbhajan should be asked to pay a penalty for getting out the tournament in this manner, when his team needed him the most.

 

However, Harbhajan wouldn't have done whatever he is alleged to do without provocation. Sreesanth should also be taken to task for needlessly abusing and giving an earful to the batsmen. Sreesanth should be reprimanded / fined and given a 3 match IPL suspension and a 1 Test / 3 ODI suspension for his behaviour. We desperately need to ask Sreesanth to concentrate on bowling to the exclusion of everything else. If BCCI doesn't act now, it will be sending a wrong message to the rest of the team and to the millions of children who are keen to emulate these stars. Its these future generation of cricketers who needed to be given a clear message.

 

In the interests of the game, both these players need to be given the strictest punishment possible.

 

 

No more dinner dates? Can we have a breakfast date, please?

Morning sex has so many virtues, so we need to make sure that our partner stays in bed after dinner till breakfast the next day!

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/mar/11sex.htm

Before you start jumping and visualising (and planning for) hot steamy sex everyday morning to be served along with breakfast, make sure you don't miss the last line!

"However, the researchers have also warned that having sex more than three times a week can have a negative impact on our immune system thus lowering its resistance."

Ah! Well!

Caste equations in Karnataka

  An article from The Rediff.com about the caste factor in Karnataka

 

The Lingayats and the Vokkaligas have been dominant in Karnataka since time immemorial and the tussle for power between these two communities is no secret. Karnataka has till date had five chief ministers from the Vokkaliga community, and six have been Lingayats. There were three CMs from the backward classes while Brahmins managed to hold the top spot in Karnataka twice. These statistics clearly show the dominance of both the Vokkaligas and Lingayats in Karnataka.

It is now evident that it these two communities will tip the scales once again in the forthcoming assembly elections. The Vokkaligas, who comprise 15 per cent of the 5 crore-odd population of Karnataka, are spread mainly across Bangalore, Mandya, Hassan, Mysore, Kolar and Chikamagalur. The Lingayats comprise 17 per cent of the population of Karnataka and are dominant in the central and northern parts of Karnataka.

The Dalits in Karnataka comprise 23 per cent of the population, Kurubas 8 per cent while the Muslims make up 10 per cent. The rest of the population comprises Christians and others.

Though the Dalits outnumber the Lingayats and Vokkaligas, it is the two communities that matter in the state's politics.

Over a period of time, it has been noticed that the Vokkaligas and the Lingayats vote for a leader and not a party. So if a chief ministerial candidate is from their community, they will vote for that person's party.

Moreover, there is a fear among both communities that the other will try and outsmart them. Hence a constant tussle between the two castes to ensure that their leader gets the top spot.

 

Sad day, when the caste of the leader decides which party you support as opposed to the ideologies of the party. Read the full article at http://in.rediff.com/news/2008/apr/21spec.htm

The IPL tamasha will be a hit!

Snatched a few overs from two of the IPL matches in the first two days. I reckon the IPL is going to be a hit.

I was one of the many that were hoping that the IPL would be a damp dud. We preferred the Tests to the limited overs variety and didn't see how a 20 over tamasha can display the best that cricket has to offer. However, I think I'm being gradually converted. Just as the ODIs made the tests very interesting, maybe the T/20s would make the ODIs also very interesting.

Some quick points I noted.

1. Ishant Sharma is a class act. His bowling in both the matches of Kolkota KnightRiders was top drawer stuff. We need to handle him with care and ensure he is not lost to injury or ego clashes

2. Robin Uthappa seems to be a 2 stroke wonder. The hoick over midwicket and the scoop over fine leg. And he seems to be more keen on playing the scoop rather than any other shot.

3. Brendon McCullum's innings showed what good batsmen can do. Sure, there were some top edges and miscued shots which 10 years back would have ended the innings - here these shots sailed over the fence.

4. None of the Indians (except Ishant) have fired so far. Its been the foreigners who are livening up the domestic tournament.

5. Ponting and Ishant celebrating Dravid's wicket was a gem. Just two months ago, this would have been impossible to imagine. Will we also have Symmo and Bhajji celebrating together? Unfortunately, both are in separate teams.