New Style of Madras cricket club

The 165-year-old Madras Cricket Club is all set to get a new look with authorities planning to demolish the old structure and get a new clubhouse and a sports complex in its place. Also, the historic club and the stand above it will be redesigned so they will be in line with rest of the renovated stands at the MA Chidambaram stadium. “We have applied to the CMDA for permission to demolish. We are in talks with the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) that has come forward to do the work,” says a senior club official. The stadium was recently renovated with the rest of the portions having light roofing, air-conditioned boxes and increased seating. The TNCA has offered to replace not just the stand but the club so the entire stadium will look uniform.

The reason cited for the demolition is the need to repair the Madras Cricket Club (MCC) terrace seating at the MAC stadium in Chepauk. “The roof showed signs of weathering three years ago. We reinforced the pillars,” says the official. But the move to demolish MCC, a listed heritage structure as per the E Padmanbhan committee, has raised questions. Parts of the club and the grand pavilion built by British architect Henry Irwin in the late 1800s was pulled down in 1981, writes S Muthiah and V Ramnarayan in A Pictorial History of The Madras Cricket Club’. “The MAC stadium was built over and around portions of the original club. But the look of the old pavilion with its Hanbury clock was retained by having a similar tiled fascia,” says architect Sujatha Shankar.

Former Indian cricketer and Krishnamachari Srikkanth still recalls the good old days. “We had our pavilion right where the club is when we played Ranji trophy matches in the 1970s,” he says. N Ramachandran, president of World Squash Federation and club member, recalls the thrill of seeing legendary West Indies cricketer Gary Sobers walking out of the pavilion to save the match for his team. “The original facade is gone. But I think the existing one should be retained as it is history,” says Ramachandran. Established in 1846 by British civil servant AJ Arbuthnot, the club remained the preserve of Europeans till India became independent. In the late 1960s, TNCA entered the scene. By the late 1970s, the green surroundings of the Chepauk stadium were replaced by a huge concrete stadium built by TNCA.

The club allowed the construction and remained on grounds leased from the government. Some of the older portions that remain include the billiards room, the multi-purpose hall above it and the two squash courts in the adjoining building. Not to mention the honour rolls of past cricketers “scrolled on gleaming wooden panels” at the bar, writes Muthiah in All in the Game’. The proposed plan includes a sports complex with multiple courts for squash, badminton and other facilities. “I understand the need for modernisation. But the place captures the history of the game, just like the Lord’s cricket ground in London. Lord’s has retained the heritage pavilion while evolving into a state-of-the-art stadium,” says architect Sujatha Shankar. And if MCC could do that, Ramachandran says it would be the perfect value addition.

Kolkata got victory in zonal finals for Gully Cricket

Kolkata Team emerged as the winners of the Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal Zonal Finals of Gully Cricket Championship. Moradabad Team emerged as the runners up. The cricket championship was inaugurated by Former Indian Cricket player, Jyoti Yadav and Rajan Sharma, Sales Manager, Lucknow, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd.

The exciting match ended in favor of Kolkata Team amidst accolades and cheering from the fans. This year, the new season of Gully Cricket Champs involved participation from around 5,00,000 cricket players from 11 states, 27 cities across four zones in India. As a part of the initiative, each city hosted an independent tournament involving 32 teams playing a Knock-Out Tournament.

According to Rajan Sharma, Sales Head, Lucknow, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd, “Through Gully Cricket champs, we aim to unearth cricketing talent amongst youngsters and encourage them to take up sports as career.” Winners selected from city league matches from 27 cities received a MEGA prize of Rs 1 lakh while runners up team was awarded cash prize worth Rs 50, 000. The zonal winners from the matches received a MEGA prize of Rs 5 lakh.

Duncan Fletcherb – NewIndian cricket coach

Duncan Fletcher, who has never played a test match, will be the new coach of the Indian cricket team which will play tough series in the West Indies, England and Australia this year in its quest to retain its world No. 1 test team status. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the appointment following a working committee meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday. Fletcher will replace South African Gary Kirsten, who quit as coach after a three-year stint. Kirsten led India to the top position among test playing nations and to a World Cup win earlier this month after a gap of 28 years. He refused an extension citing personal reasons.

The 62-year-old Zimbabwean Fletcher, who has coached England with mixed results from 1999 to 2007, will train the Indian team for a two-year period, said a statement from N. Srinivasan, BCCI secretary and president-elect. The announcement came as a surprise as BCCI had given no indication that it would name the coach on Wednesday itself. “The contract with Fletcher is for two years. He may not join the team in the West Indies (in June) as he has some prior commitments,” Srinivasan told reporters after the meeting. Eric Simmons, who was the bowling coach during Kirsten’s tenure, would continue in the same position, Srinivasan said.

Fletcher, who captained Zimbabwe during the 1983 World Cup and played just six one-dayers during the African nation’s pre-Test days, guided England to an Ashes triumph over Australia at home in 2005, inspired their first series win in West Indies in 36 years and took England to the third spot in Test rankings. Experts said that Fletcher has a tough job ahead of him as he replaces the amiable South African Kirsten, who set a high benchmark for the Indian team. “Fletcher is a good man-manager and has done well with England. Kirsten took the team further ahead from where John Wright left it. In that sense, he (Fletcher) does have his job cut out,” said Atul Wassan, a former Indian cricketer and a cricket commentator.

But Wassan expressed his doubts on whether Fletcher will be able to fill Kirsten’s shoes. “The job calls for someone who has played contemporary cricket, it demands new skills. Cricket has changed so much in the last few years with the inclusion of Twenty20 format. It requires a different sensibility to handle 20-21 year olds, who are multi-millionaires and deal with huge egos. I’m not a big fan of the (cricket) board’s decision. I was keen that they pick someone like Justin Langer.” Australian Langer, a former opening batsman, former Zimbabwe wicketkeeper and now England coach Andy Flower and former New Zealand captain and coach of Chennai Super Kings team, Stephen Fleming, were some of the other names that were reported in the media as contenders for the spot.

“The team is right on the top, but maintaining that position will not be easy,” said Balwinder Singh Sandhu, who does not remember much of Fletcher as a player from the time the two were on opposite sides in the 1983 World Cup. “The moment the team slips, he will be criticized. He has probably also been appointed because we have a series in England (in July), where his experience will be useful in conditions where the ball swings.” Sandhu and former wicketkeeper and selector Kiran More agree that Fletcher’s main job will be to groom players for the future as a lot of players such as Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, V.V.S. Laxman and Rahul Dravid are nearing the end of their careers.

In his brief career involving limited overs matches, Fletcher’s greatest achievement was to lead Zimbabwe to a famous upset win over Australia in the 1983 World Cup match with an all-round display. “One would imagine that the main reason BCCI appointed him, was that he came highly recommended by Gary Kirsten,” says Indranil Das Blah, chief operating officer, Kwan Entertainment and Marketing Solutions Pvt. Ltd, a Mumbai-based agency. “He was not a cricketing great, but he has proved himself to be a good behind-the-scenes strategist and analyst. His working style is said to be similar to Kirsten, in the sense that he takes a back seat, and is a good team manager. While Andy Flower would have been a good choice, Fletcher is a good bet if BCCI is looking at continuity.”

Akshay informs Dhoni and our boys will shine

Akshay Kumar thanks the cricket team for bringing India into the World Cup Final; predicts a win Akshay Kumar is in the middle of promoting his April 8 release Thank You. But he is not obsessing about it as much about India’s role in the World Cup final today. Says the cricket enthusiast, “Like every Indian, cricket is a religion for me. From the time I was a young boy, I have never missed a single opportunity to play the game — from gully cricket to playing on my porch. Even during shooting, if I have a half hour break, I pick up the bat and start a game in the studio compound with the cast and crew. You will find a cricket kit in the boot of my car always.”

Khiladi’s predictions for the World Cup final are no different from that of any other Indian. “My heart says India will win the cup and recreate the 1983 magic,” he grins. Adding, I can even make you an exact prediction that India will bat first; they will make around 260 runs. Now these 260 runs may not seem such a formidable score, but our boys will take the cup.” Akki says that he has been making a close study of the game and everything around it. “The astrological conditions in 1983 are similar to those in 2011. That calendar year and this one are similar. The stars are in our favour and that’s why I feel MS Dhoni and our boys will shine.”

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His face lights up when he talks of MSD and his gang, “The youngsters in our team, be it Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Munaf Patel or any of the other young guns play so well. I admire Dhoni. I want to thank him for bringing India into the finals. He has got India out of such dark situations and made her win. When they were playing with South Africa, we saw Dhoni’s genius. Even during this World Cup, he showed his prowess on many occasions. I sincerely wish to say ‘thank you India’ for bringing us into the finals.”

Bangla’s new poster boy – Imrul Kayes

Imrul Kayes wanted to play football. His father, Baniamin Biswas, was a cricket buff. Their small house in Meherpur in Kushtia district did not have a television, but Baniamin would never miss a cricket match on the radio. Finally, the father prevailed and Imrul was given his first bat. But including his son in the team was a ‘costly proposition’. Imrul would most certainly hit the ball out of sight. The road from gully cricket to the national team has been long. And even now, with the likes of his opening partner, Tamim Iqbal, and captain, Shakib-Al Hasan, the chances of hogging the limelight for players like Imrul have been few and far between.

On Friday, Imrul and his equally introvert team-mate, Shafiul Islam, emerged heroes of Bangladesh’s memorable win over England. And, just like the post-match media conference after the victory over Ireland, Imrul repeated what Tamim – the ‘Man-of-the-match’ against Ireland – had said: “I think Shafiul deserved this award more than I did”.

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“This is my first Man-of-the-match award,” Imrul muttered towards the fag end of the session. Skipper Shakib patted his shoulder the moment Imrul spoke his first words, even as the gathering – that also included the ICC media head, Colin Gibson, who did not quite get the language but the drift – broke into laughter. Imrul had scored 76 against England in Bristol when Bangladesh last beat them. But a 60 in difficult conditions and on the biggest stage will definitely be his most memorable innings, even better than his century against New Zealand last year. “The Bristol win was a turning point, and I started believing in myself that I could do such a thing again,” Imrul said

Final reckon

PHILLIP HUGHES could be forgiven for being the only NSW player to sleep uneasily last night after throwing away a century in the Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the SCG. Hughes, nearing the end of a forgettable summer, missed a golden opportunity to strike a much-needed ton when he was caught down the leg side for 54 – but his misfortune was the only negative on an otherwise successful day for NSW. The Blues began yesterday with only a slim chance of hosting next week’s final but a spirited revival inspired by their inexperienced attack combined with Tasmania’s batting collapse in Adelaide have reignited NSW’s hopes of avoiding a trip to Hobart.

In pursuit of WA’s 382, the Blues, thanks chiefly to another century from the much-improved David Warner, reached 3-230 shortly before stumps last night. If a team were judged solely on how they responded to adversity then this NSW outfit deserves a high rating. Just when it appeared injuries had caught up with their depleted attack, they conjured up a spell that will convince them they can take 20 wickets should they not earn hosting rights for the decider. With Marcus North and Mitchell Marsh seemingly immoveable in the middle, WA were destined to post a total in excess of 500 but the reliable Trent Copeland breathed life into the game.

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Marsh’s dismissal for 111, caught at gully off Copeland’s bowling shortly after he completed maiden first-class ton with a snick through slips, triggered a collapse in which the Warriors lost their final six wickets for just 35. Copeland, spinner Stephen O’Keefe and debutant Nic Bills each finished with two wickets, while 17-year-old quick Pat Cummins claimed three in another encouraging performance. Despite a dreadful run of outs this season, Hughes treated WA’s inexperienced attack with disdain. He reached his half-century off just 53 balls but failed to convert it into anything more significant against an attack consisting of a debutant and three players in either their first or second season of Shield cricket.

But the 22-year-old can at least be satisfied with how his formline has curved upwards since his dumping from NSW’s Twenty20. Simon Katich and Phil Jaques, Hughes’s main rivals for a Test opener’s berth, did not enjoy prosperous days with the bat. Jaques was caught at gully for just 13 while Katich (1) fell to a brilliant catch by wicketkeeper Matthew Johnston, off Adam Voges. Warner was the unlikely saviour with the bat for the Blues, hitting his century just before stumps. He played second fiddle to Hughes in an 85-run opening stand then withstood a lively spell from Nathan Coulter-Nile, who captured the first three wickets to fall.

Kunal’s Cricket Gully

Apparently the G3 lad is so hooked to the game that he religiously follows every match no matter where he is.  Kunal also makes it a point to step down into his neighbourhood park or gully and play some cricket with the local boys whenever he gets a chance.

Well, how about buying a stake in an IPL team, Kunal?It is great that you actively play the game along with watching it. Doing a cricket movie is a good idea too. On an aside, Kunal Khemu and Soha Ali Khan have gone public with their relationship. Kunal will start filming for Shanghai in which he has a supporting role and he has also signed on for Golmaal 4.

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Om Cricketaaya Namaha

If cricket is a religion and Sachin is God, then that makes us devotees of that all-encompassing phenomenon fervently chanting and praying for winning the cup this year. Last Sunday’s World Cup match between India and England was an absolute nail-biting game. Not a single soul could be spotted on the streets especially when India was bowling the last 10 overs. When England was left with one last ball with 2 runs to win, no one could have known what the end result would be. No scripted scenes, pre-planned action sequence or created milieu like a cinema shooting. It was as real as it could get with such live exhilaration and between the penultimate and the final ball being bowled, heart-beats pounded faster than one could handle. That, as you would agree, is the power of this enticing sport and I’m sure No movie in any part of the world in any genre could be as compelling as a game like this. Or is there?   

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A decade ago, we did come across a film close to that titled ‘Lagaan’ which required the guts of a man like Aamir Khan to go ahead and put his heart, soul and money into the script. By just taking one small leaf out of history, a whole movie was brilliantly created to make us watch a film for four full hours. It’s a shame that Americans couldn’t even understand the emotions behind the most-riveting cricket-based Indian film ever made and skipped the Oscar for that year. But we cricket lovers know the depth of the sport’s greatness and the sheer excitement or anything associated with it that brings along. Chennai 28 was another good regional cinema’s attempt with gully cricket as the backdrop of a well-told story. ‘Iqbal’ by Nagesh Kukunoor was of course more about him and his passion for cricket than a team’s story. It was nevertheless one of the most moving films ever made about a small town boy making it big against all odds and the politics he faces in the process of being chosen for the national cricket team.

We would revere Hollywood films, compare our Indian directors to Woody Allen and Steven Spielberg, we would nonchalantly want to date a Tom Cruise kind of guy (ok a taller version I guess) or even get settled abroad (only to later realize where you belong and come back for good in the event of a political instability). But when it comes to anything desi, be it desi ghee, desi gaana or desi game (not in the sense of national sport but nation’s popular sport), we just lap it up instantly. So I wonder why directors don’t make more cricket-based films and tell a slightly engaging story than boy meets girl, falls in love and wins her against family struggle or David, the hero triumphs Goliath, the villain kind of films.

While the World Cup season lasts, the world of cinema is bound to lie low with its releases and publicity. And barring a couple of releases, there’s no exciting Tamizh film that’s worth watching currently. While there’s not much for the film buffs, this is the time for all production houses to be involved in pre-production, planning for shoots, schedules, finalizing star casts, directors flying down to other states and signing up mega stars, artists listening to stories and finishing up their dubbing work, commencing new project’s shoot etc. Quotes from all celebrities galore on this season’s World Cup almost everyday in some newspaper or the other. Even their comments on the recently announced Budget found a special corner on what they think of it. And if you had noticed, there are currently no new sensational rumors and affair link-ups that are being reported by the media. The audience thankfully is any day more interested in bringing cricket to their living room than peeping into the cinema clan’s bed room.

It’s not that cricket is more popular than politics or when the lion in this jungle of game roars, cinema tucks its tail inside. In a country where cricket, cinema and politics drive the nation’s interest most, cricket certainly becomes the biggest unifier of all actors, activists, fans, voters and politicians. You can choose to ignore watching formulaic Tamizh cinema or not participate in the state’s ruthless political system (besides voting and choosing the lesser evil of the two in the state) but cricket, on the other hand, takes over you and owns your time and attention till the final game is over. If we can’t win this year with such a solid team, it’s not going to happen anytime soon in the coming years. So let’s give Rajnikanth’s cut-out a break from his Paalabishegam and stop building temples for mortal humans who just happen to be popular in the acting profession and instead unitedly hope for our team to create the magic of 1983. Until Subha Mangalam, the mantra to be chanted is Om Dhoniye namaha, Sachine Namaha, Cricketaaya Namaha!

Ludhiana honours local boy in Canada cap

While England’s Monty Panesar may have been the inspiration behind Akshay-starrer ‘Patiala House’, the list of successful expat cricketers from Punjab does not end with him. With at least a couple of them playing for different countries in the ongoing cricket World Cup, the neighbourhood cricketer dreaming of making it big in foreign shores has all of a sudden emerged the strongest follower of the game, and Ludhiana’s Model Town Extension boys are no exception.

It’s in house number 15-A here that one Jimmy Hansra used to pad up for gully cricket not more than a decade ago, and is today part of the Canadian World Cup team. The excitement is all over the locality even as Jimmy’s extended family gather here for a rare get together to celebrate the success of this boy news door. Though Jimmy’s family is settled in Canada, his father and brother have made sure not to miss the action and would be accompanying him across the venues. In fact, even his second cousins here have made a plan to see all the matches being played in India just to give him moral support.

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Seventy-year-old Pritam Kaur is unable to describe her feelings on seeing her grandson on television playing cricket for Canada. Herself a cricket fan, Kaur does not want to miss even a single match played by him. ”Jimmy had called me on Sunday night that I should definitely see the match between Canada and Zimbabwe,” she said. Proud father Avtar Singh has no words to describe his happiness and is so overwhelmed with the success of his son that he is narrating his story to all relatives coming to the house. ”I had moved to Canada in 1999 along with my family but there too Jimmy never stopped playing cricket and it was his devotion that he achieved his goal,” he said.

For his uncle Jagtar Singh, it is because of their native relations with Kamalpura village falling in Ludhiana district that he developed taste for cricket. ”All our relatives are calling us from various parts of the country just to inquire whether it is their son who has been selected in the Canada team because only a few people are having the surname Hansra,” he said. ”I have especially come from Canada with my father to see matches in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore because my brother is playing in the World Cup,” said younger brother Rajbeer Singh. For Jimmy’s teachers at Sacred Heart Convent School too it is a proud feeling that their student was playing in the World Cup. ”Jimmy was a bright student and I am very much happy for him,” said his teacher Nandini Sharma.

World Cup promotions

There seems to be no getting away from cricket mania this season, as businesses from quick service restaurant chains to malls to movie halls look at ways to attract consumers and sales. Such so-called “out-of-home consumption” includes everything from watching a game at a PVR theatre or a Barista Lavazza outlet to choosing from cricket-inspired menus at KFC or Café Coffee Day (CCD) or participating in promotions being offered by consumer companies and retailers. Depending on the category, marketeers are spending anywhere between 15% and 50% of their World Cup advertising spends on out-of-home retail activations, said Ashish Bhasin, chairman and managing director, Aegis Media, a media solutions firm with clients such as Philips, Adidas and Reebok.

For instance, regional incense stick brand Cycle Agarbatti is running a “faith-and-hope” television campaign that prays for the victory of India’s men in blue. For on-ground activation, the firm has a mobile van that will travel to over 100 cities, asking fans to enter the van and write their prayers. A sample pack of agarbatties will also be distributed. HyperCity Retail (India) Ltd, a hypermarket owned by K Raheja Corp., has transformed its premises into a gaming zone, and partnered with brands such as Head & Shoulders for “Bull’s Eye”, a cricket-based dart board game. Competitor Big Bazaar is running a gully cricket tournament.

The growing importance of organized retail as well-rising incomes are some reasons why promotional activities related to the World Cup have grown, explained Atul Nath, chief executive officer and managing director, Candid Marketing, a below-the-line specialist agency whose clients include Hindustan Unilever Ltd, PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd and Nissan or Hover Automotive India Pvt. Ltd. World Cup promotions attempt to draw crowds into retail stores and malls at a time of the year when school and college examinations usually lead to less crowded shopping aisles. Ironically, World Cup television broadcasts are also responsible for fewer customers at malls. “Doing retail activations transforms the space beyond shopping as brand marketeers engage with consumers,” said Sanjeev Agarwal, joint chief executive officer, Big Bazaar, part of the Kishore Biyani-led Future Group.

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If done well, the number of customers coming into malls and department stores can increase by 20-25% during events, says Esha Anand, head marketing and visual merchandising, HyperCity. Social media has also been brought into play. Yum! Restaurants (India) Pvt. Ltd, which operates Pizza Hut and KFC in India, expects a 10% increase in sales over the same period last year. Pizza Hut is the official pizza partner for the International Cricket Council (ICC) this year. The pizza chain has started a free meal campaign through Facebook that offers meal coupons on the social networking site to Pizza Hut and cricket fans based on runs scored by batsmen. “Footfalls actually decline at the stores during match telecast. We are not screening the matches at the outlets, but drawing consumers to the stores with this campaign” said Anup Jain, marketing director of the company.

He added that the company has invested around Rs. 3 crore on the promotion that offers 12,000 free meals in all. To improve occupancy, coffee store chain Barista is showing matches in its outlets. “Cricket is religion in India. The matches are being shown at our ‘Barista’ outlets and consumers will be offered attractive special cricket combos,” said Saurabh Swarup, marketing head, Barista Lavazza India, declining to share expenditure details. CCD and Gloria Jean’s Coffees chain are expecting their special cricket menus to help them increase sales over the same period last year, when they ran similar special menus for the football World Cup. “We are expecting a 20% increase in sales this season compared to the same period last year,” said K. Ramakrishnan, president marketing of CCD, a division of Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Co. Ltd. The coffee chain has already 450,000 fans for its special menu on Facebook.