There you go - another gem from Neo Cricket

Neo Cricket have managed to drop another gem on us through their pre and post game shows during live cricket telecasts. This time it is the hapless Venkatesh Prasad.

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Prasad had earned a lot of respect for his stint as the bowling coach of the Indian Test Cricket team, and rightly so. It was during his tenure that Zaheer Khan became the bowler he is now, and Ishant Sharma came through as a potent weapon. Prasad got a fair amount of sympathy for his unceremonious sacking as the bowling coach of the team. Some of that sympathy has faded away during his current stint as an expert on the TV show, and I for one, have begun to wonder if he really has the intellectual capacity to be an effective coach of an international team.

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His partner on the program - Lance Klusener - is no great shakes either, but looks pretty good since he has Prasad sitting alongside him. As a serious cricket viewer, my expectation from an expert who has played at the highest level is very simple - provide some insights into the game and situation, that many of us are likely to miss. I have not heard a single such insight from Prasad.

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I have said this before and will say it again - does the TV channel have a screening process to bring on these experts on their shows? Or do they just check them out for basic English language skills, and drop them on an unsuspecting viewing public?

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Neo Cricket, seriously, you need to get your act together. You have found a wonderful anchor for these pre and post game shows - do not spoil the show with these sub-standard "experts".

A good Ad is a good thing!

A second-tier Indian public sector bank has been running a fascinating advertising campaign on some TV channels recently. I noticed the ads during the telecast of the recent international cricket matches being played by the Indian team.
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The key message being delivered by Bank of India through this campaign is their understanding and respect for different types of relationships. I can't remember an advertisement ever giving me goose-bumps, but two of the ads in this campaign did. In one of the ads, two old men go through a ritual of drinking tea at a roadside "dhaba", sharing a newspaper, and not a word is spoken between them. The relationship between these two retired gentlemen jumps out at you, and touches your heart.

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Am I going to run to Bank of India tomorrow, and start an account with them? Not really. Even though this campaign has done wonders to the recall value of the bank's brand, it will not sweep away the baggage of inferior service associated with the public sector anytime soon. It will take a lot more for me to take my business to them. Perhaps a recommendation from someone I trust might be a good start.

Why is the rain delay in the Eden Garden Test Match a good thing?

With India pushing for a very likely victory, almost 50 overs of play was lost on the fourth day of the second cricket test match against South Africa. While there was tremendous frustration in the air, I felt that the loss of play was a good thing for Indian cricket. I must be crazy, right?

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Well, India are battling not only to win the match and square the test series, but they are also fighting to retain the No. 1 Test Match ranking in world cricket. What kind of a No. 1 team do we want to be? The kind Australia was, dominating everyone, winning in just about all conditions, and coming up with plans and personnel for every situation? Or the kind that will get in and out of the No. 1 spot with patchy performances - brilliant in one game, and ordinary in the next? I don't think we are in the former category at the moment.

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I am happy because the loss of play in the current match gives India the opportunity to raise their game on a fourth day track, and dismiss 7 South African wickets in about 70-80 overs to win the match. This is a much more challenging proposition than having to take 3-4 tailend wickets on the last day in 70-80 overs.

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There is a lot on the line, and it remains to be seen if this talented squad can raise their game to force a win. I believe they can and will.