Who will be the AZTwenty20 Champions?

Dare to Vote?
Cavaliers: Probably the most consistent team of the Arizona Cricket Association in the last couple of years in the 40-40 overs regular season League.
Intraedge Kings: Champions of AZTwenty20 from the last two editions.

Who will be the AZTwenty20 Champions?

Cavaliers Intraedge Kings

Which four teams would qualify for the AZTwenty20 Semi Finals?

Which four teams would qualify for the AZTwenty20 Semi Finals?
	Intraedge Kings
	Metro Stars
	Cavaliers
	Taverners
	Metro Suns
	Tucson Cricket Club
	Phoenix Cricket Club
	Arizona Vipers

Talk about a favorite in T20?

Probably T20 is still in its nascent stage at the international level and probably things will change further in the years to come, but a few basic things that have emerged out of T20 world would probably remain the same. And I hope so, because that is good for cricket. One of such things is the end of dominance of a few teams over others. Compare it to Test Teams and the One day teams, where we have definite favorites going into a series or tournament. Agreed, upsets are a part in those formats too, but not to the same extent as we have been seeing in T20. After all, Australians have ruled the world of Test and One day cricket for almost a decade now.

Look at these facts. In IPL-2, the last year’s bottom ranked teams, Deccan and Royal Challengers were the finalists. Only three days into the World Twenty20 and one of the Kings of cricket teams thus far is out of the tournament. An associate member of ICC, Ireland easily Pushed Bangladesh out of the second round and England the host team were galloped by the nascent Netherlands in the opening game. Another finalist for the last World Twenty20 is struggling to move to the second stage.

So who is your favorite for World Twenty20? Yes, now you have the luxury to keep Australia out and probably by tomorrow you would also be comfortable to keep a few good teams out. But the question is, coming into this tournament, how many of us believed that Australia would crack like this? How many of us believed that Netherlands would punish a Team that is considered to be the father of this format? How many of us thought that Pakistan would be so unsure about its place in the second stage? Do we still dare to have a favorite?

One of my favorite writer, Harsha Bhogle, recently mentioned in his article about the impact of the duration of a game by saying “If football was played over 20 minutes Manchester United and Barcelona may not have been in the final.”. This is the underlying difference between a T20 and other fatherly forms of cricket. When the game is reduced to shorter duration, the strategies must change and at the same time, it adds an element of surprise into it. It is easier to play at your top level for 3 hours, but not so easy when you have to stretch the same to over a day. At the same time, there is a little room for making mistakes when you are up in the short format, since there is a little room for recovery. In the longer format of the game, even if you make some mistakes, there is time for you to recover, your team and the captain can plan out counter attacking strategies. But such luxuries are not accepted by T20. Such basic things have allowed us to see surprises more often which in fact are not surprises, because there have been far too many. This probably is the core of T20. And probably this would be the reason for T20 to be a huge success.

Cavaliers clinch Arizona playoffs - By Anand Kumar

Cavaliers clinch Arizona playoffs - Dreamcricket News

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Gilly the blaster and the IPL regional loyality

As Gilly’s thunderstorm knocked off the only north Indian team that could make it to the semis this year (as opposed to three last year, Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan), the second edition of IPL has become even more interesting with mouth watering possibility of a final between two worst teams of the first edition of IPL, Deccan and Royal Challengers. Will that happen? Will resurgent Royals challenge the Super Kings tomorrow?

We will have to wait for another 24 hours to know about this, but for now, let us concentrate on the Special Gilly punch that stormed Deccan into the finals of IPL-2 and what Tishani Doshi mentioned as a north vs south divide in her cricinfo column even before the first semi final started, cautioning Daredevils with a “MIND IT DELHI”.

If you have followed the one day career of Gilchrist, today’s knockout punch would not come as a surprise to you. Be it the finals of the world cup 1999, 2003 or 2007, he has always attacked the opposition out of the game in no time and has produced his best when it mattered most in the so called big game. Today was no different. Most of us believed that Deccan was in for a good chance this time around and the first three consecutive wins only reinforced that belief, however when they wandered in the later part of the tournament winning only 3 of the last 10 league games, that belief was somewhat getting subdued.  Gilchrist probably was aware of that and leading from the front, he rose to the occasion and batted Daredevils, the most consistent team of the IPL-2, out of the tournament as he carved 21 off the very first over including 5 consecutive boundaries, 17 off the third over from Sangwan and the massive 24 off the 6^th over from the daredevils captain Sehwag. All packed in within 30 minutes of play and it looks like a keypad operated computer simulation of cricket game. His brutal attack had such massive impact on Delhi, that failures of Gibbs and Symonds from Deccan in this game have gone completely unnoticed. What Twenty20 fun!! Hats off to Gilchrist for a Twenty20 masterpiece. The message must have reached strongly in the Challenger and Super Kings Camp.

Given the outcome of the first semi final of IPL-2, Tishani Doshi’s article on north and south divide as far as cricket is concerned, would not have come at a much better time. On a funnier note, my own north Indian roommates have been after me because I have been supporting the non north Indian teams (Chennai, Deccan etc) so far. Looking around within my own cricket club, it is easier to find people being loyal to the IPL team that is related to their native place. Some of them have started becoming crazy to the extent that they become arrogant at times. Suddenly it comes to my mind, what a great idea it was to have City based teams in the IPL given the Indian set up. Probably this was the only way for a quick loyalty build up around the teams. Hats off to Modi and Co on this idea.

I would still be wondering, why it is tough to support a team based on the quality of cricket it is playing? And hence, how conveniently people would be able to switch loyalty back to the national team immediately after the IPL is over for the second edition of T20 world cup?

Cricket once again seems to be winning over Glamour in IPL

After Kolkata kicked defending champions Rajasthan out of the second IPL today and Chennai almost shut the door on Punjab’s possibility of making it to the semi finals (mathematically they still have a remote chance), I wanted to have a look at the current standing in the IPL-2 as of now and could observe an interesting pattern. If you look at the below colorful points table, there is a reason why the last 4 rows have been marked yellow.

 

Team	Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts	Net RR	For	Against
DelhiDaredevils	13	9	4	0	0	18	0.251	1812/237.5	1788/242.4
Chennai	14	8	5	0	1	17	0.951	2086/255.3	1855/257.1
DeccanChargers	13	7	6	0	0	14	0.265	1953/252.4	1927/258.1
Bangalore	13	7	6	0	0	14	-0.253	1824/256.0	1869/253.2
Kings XI Punjab	14	7	7	0	0	14	-0.483	1787/251.2	1887/248.3
Rajasthan Royals	14	6	7	0	1	13	-0.352	1688/253.1	1810/257.5
Mumbai Indians	13	5	7	0	1	11	0.401	1732/236.2	1636/236.1
Kolkata	14	3	10	0	1	7	-0.789	1757/248.5	1867/237.5

 

 

Together with Bangalore, these four teams, Kolkata, Punjab, Mumbai and Rajasthan Royals would probably make the glamorous group within the IPL.  The common notable points about these teams: 

1. The ownership was mostly individual.
2. The running was mostly glamorous

Seeing these teams at the bottom of the table, came to my mind, could this be a basic lesson for those owners? Did cricket at the end seem to emerge as winner over the glamour yet again for the second time in a row? Is this game more than the individual and glamour would hardly fetch success on the field (off the field, probably yes)? If yes, when would the likes of Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta understand this?

 

Rajasthan was a much unknown team last season but with success came the glamour in the form of Shilpa Shetty and Co. and the team couldn’t make it to semis. Story about Punjab (Preity), Kolkata (Shahrukh), Mumbai (Neeta Ambani) and Bangalore (Vijay Malaya) is well known to everyone.

 

Probably these things are not directly related to the positions of the team as much but they sure have played a part.  Cricket is not an individual game and this fact puts cricket in a different league altogether among other sports. This is very much a team game and should best be left to those who play the game on the field in the real time. By making close and unnecessary presence in the dugouts and other places, the owners might just have made mistakes. Such things might have put extra pressure on the players to perform or the tempting glamour around might have just distracted them a bit from their focus. Who knows what exactly, but there was a correlation in the last IPL and there seems to be a definite correlation in this IPL as well.

 

This theory does lack to explain the Bangalore’s possible semi final spot, however on a funnier note, we can take that as an exception, given that Katrina Kaif only cheered her team from India this time, a mark able difference from the ways of other celebrities.

 

This feeling is also reinforced by the teams like Delhi, Chennai and Deccan making into top 4, where we didn’t see the owners’ presence onto the field area and these teams seemed to play like a proper cricket team. It still remains to be seen who finally will clinch the Mega Trophy, but the glamorous ones have been shown the door once again.

 

Disclaimer: This blog could seem to be illogical and furious to few, but it is intended to those who would find it logically funny.

Why KKR has been losing from close Quarters?

Many must be wondering about the last two losses KKR saw from perfectly winning positions. Against RCB, they not only couldn’t defend a very defendable target of 173, but also lost from a position when RCB had to score 52 off the last 26 balls. Similarly, today against the Chargers, they couldn’t defend a target of 160 and they lost despite the fact that chargers needed 33 off the last three overs with two new batsmen at the crease. What about the last over when they needed to defend 20 runs?

A loss for KKR is no longer news even for the die hard KKR fan because they have been loosing anyways. However the manner in which they have lost the last two games must have baffled many a KRR fans. I mean, it is hard to lose from those comfortable winning positions even in a Twenty20 game when you almost have the game in your hand and the only thing that you needed was probably to keep calm and follow the basics. I mean, it requires something on the part of the bowlers to leak so many runs consistently with ease. I had heard about team’s finding different heroes to win the games, but finding “heroes” (Ishant, then Agarkar and now Mortaza) to lose the games has been a revelation. 

More than the buzz around “Multiple captaincy theory “and “Talk of Racism”, it seems to be related to the after effect of all these. More than the on field cricketing decisions, in my opinion, it has to do more with the team’s mentality and state going into the game. They have only won a single game and that too thanks largely to the DL Rule and after that they have been losing game after game and as many as 10 games in a row. No matter how good a player you are, losing game after games does have its impact on you. It tires your mind more than it tires your body. You are constantly going into that negative zone where you believe that winning the game is tough. Remember, the old saying “make winning a constant habit”. The dressing room environment is not positive, it is mostly negative. The lack of wins would hardly infuse any positive thinking for the future and it might just be about going there and playing, well as we say, trying your best, without much plan for the game or the future. More so when you are already out of the semis hunt.

When you as a team are in this zone, it is going to be disastrous even during the better moments. The losses do not surprise you any longer as they have been a habit so far and the so called comfortable positions surprise you as they have been tough to come by and probably the team didn’t expect to be in such positions. When a team is surprised by the rare sight of win, it is not hard to feel the pressure and make mistakes. It is very normal to have shaky hands and feet when you needed to defend 20 off the last 6 balls and suddenly someone carves a few boundaries and rubs with a huge DLF maximum onto that. It happens.

KRR should keep this in mind and go into the last two games of their IPL stint thinking they have nothing to lose now. Sometimes, going into a game with this mindset does its own good because it relives the pressure of the outcome and gives you a chance to give your best. Why not try this ways of winning at least a game before we call it “Thanks IPL”, after all we have nothing more to lose anyways now?

Happy Birthday Sachin

As you turn, 36, we wish you a very happy birthday, a great cricketing calender ahead and a great life. Not that it really matters to you as you being the little master we all worship, but nevertheless we all do.

You undoubtedly have millions of fans and deservedly so. Over the past 20 years, as you have been rigorously involved in highest level of cricket, your fans have watched you with utter passion, love, awe and surprise at times. You have personally seen ups and downs in your careers despite ruling the game for most part of your career. I have been one of your fans who has watched you as much as I could and have also watched and kept an eye on your fans. This has allowed me to personally classify your fans among three broad categories.

Category -1 : Mad about Sachin: No matter what you do, how you play, how you perform, it is all about you for them. You are the boss and hence you are always right. When you are criticized, it hurts them and they think, someone is tarnishing your image and questioning your commitment. They madly defend you, sometimes to the extent of talking by the collar of the other person. They you to win all matches, score a 100 everytime and take wickers whenever you bowl and when you don't, they feel defeated and low.

Category-2: Sad about Sachin: They are exact opposite of category-1 but nonetheless they are your fans in equal measure. Afterall they follow you and they do so with the same intensity as the Category-1 fans do, only that they belong to category-2. They at times, invest more time than the category-1 fans. This category of fans, try to look for mistakes you might make which you are entitled to as a cricket player as well as a human being. When you score the first 90 runs with a strike rate of 100 and then take 18 balls for the next 10 runs, they rant about it declaring you play for your personal records, even though 100 of 108 balls overall still is a good score. They analyze you more than the category-1 fans and in fact force the category-1 fans to spend more time analyzing you, and hence they deserve attention. They also expect you to win all matches, score a 100 every time and take wickers whenever you bowl and when you don't, they get a chance to open their mouth.

Category-3: neither-mad-nor-sad about Sachin: They are more mature and probably understand the thing practical way. They know that as an individual's roles and responsibility changes over time one grows up, you also have changed and your roles and responsibility have changed over the period of time. They know that you can't play like a 16 year old kid when you are 36 and you are not supposed to. They know that you have to play like a 36 year old sachin among the younger Raina's, Sharmas and others, guiding them and helping the team achieve a balance. They are happier when you score runs, but not sad when you do not. They accept you, the way you are.

All are your fans and I know you accept them all because deep within you, you know that there has to be a balance in everything. As much as adulation is required, at times a bit of criticism also helps in keeping the feet grounded. Most interesting thing is, very few individual have been just one all the time. For example, I used to fall in category-1, then I also fell into category-2 for a while but now I certainly fall into Category-3. Most of your fans have been like that.

On your 36th birthday, Category-1 fans are sad about your future as they know you have added one more year to your life and you won't be playing out in the middle for long. They can't see cricket beyond you. Category-2 have been ranting about it ever since you crossed 30 anyways, but you proved things wrong many a times. They will do it more no matter what you do, but you have never cared for them as you know it better. I am sure you are going to continue the same way. As usual category-3 is not thinking anything, they are just enjoying your new role, your new responsibility and want to enjoy your contribution to the game as long as you play. And you are the BOSS as all of us say, so you must decide when the time comes. You only have the right because none of us, asked you to play so well over a period of 20 years.

Here is wishing you again, most success, many ODI and test centuries and victories for your loved team, India that is, and also for Mumbai Indians. A very happy birthday :-).