Thursday, September 11, 2008

ICC Awards

It should be morale booster for Youraj to have been chosen the T20 player of the year when he is struggling to get runs in the ODI. Dhoni has been fantastic with all aspects of the game in the ODI format and no surprise that he got away with the ODI player of the year. It has become a habit of taking the best umpire award for Simon Taufel, its the 5th consecutive time he has won the award. He has been brilliant in the middle with near perfect decisions even the pressure on umpires is getting too much with all the technology and the harsh comments from the former cricketers sitting in the comforts. Having said that it also raises questions on the ability of the umpires in the elite panel.Chanderpaul won the all important ICC cricketer of the year award.

If you guys remember, there was a english cricketer with 40 thousand runs with over 100 hundreds and 250 fifty's in the first class cricket Greame Hick , he is calling it a day this week after such monumental contribution to his county team. Sadly for Hick and the cricket lovers all over the world he was not able to produce the magic of scoring big runs in the International Arena.


Ganguly back in Bengal Ranji Squad.

Ganguly the fighter is back to basics and is in the Bengal team for the Ranji trophy, he has also made it clear that he has 2 more years left in the international stage. As we all know he is a fighter and could make a come back but IMHO this is time for him to retire with some respect and dignity, rather than announce his retirement when people would have forgotten him at the international level. I also feel the same way for Kumble, even though he has couple of years more as a player in the test cricket but its better for him to call it quits as captain now and make the transition for Dhoni smoother. I feel its the same for Dravid and Laxman to announce them self not available for ODI, it will be better for them and the selectors to not feel bad for leaving them out of the team even though they have already been side lined.

Some how it has not been the case with the Indian cricketers calling it a day when they are in their prime. Australians,NewZeland and England cricketers do that to an extend, take the case of Border, Marsh, Taylor, SteveWaugh, Gilli, NasserHussain, Gower, Bothem,Flemming and so many other examples. Its time our cricketers follow the same and bow out of international cricket when they are performing.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Vasu, its interesting to see that Sachin is in only ICC's ODI squad and not in Test squad !.

Shankar.Nash said...

Correct vasu... Dhoni has been bagging some awards or recognitions quite regularly off-late. Just hope that he maintains his form and most importantly his foot firm on ground after all these appreciations.

Regarding Ganguly, its true that the chances of him coming back into the side is very feeble. Its high time he has to retire when his head is still held high. May be the selectors, can give him a last chance (like Sanath Jayasuriyas case in Tests) and ask him to announce that series as his last so that he can retire gracefully and receive a warm farewell from the crowd and players, for all that he has achieved over the past decade.

Vasu said...

Yup BCCI can provide a stage for ganguly to retire with grace. Its been the practice ion most of the other international teams.

I am reminded of Brain Lara when we think of retirement, he is one of the great batsmen in the modern era of cricket and it was sad that he left the cricketing scene with out a great celebration.

Shankar.Nash said...

Yes Vasu. Brian Lara deserved a far better farewell for all his achievements and the role he played in WI cricket. IN his last ODI innings, that too in WI, he was run-out, due to a mistake of Samuels. He could have very well sacrificed his wicket for Lara. In the test too, his farewell was not all that grand compared to what was done to SteveWaugh, Gilchrist, McGrath ... etc.