Mani Shankar Aiyer, the intellectual sycophant

A few weeks ago I was at a dinner party where a very senior veteran journalist was also present. Election season was fast approaching, and inevitably the conversation veered around to politics. Over the last year or so I had developed an intense dislike for the congress politician Mani Shankar Aiyar. As soon as an opportunity presented itself, I launched a strong, emotional attack on Mr. Aiyar, flinging some choice abuses at him, and talking at length about his sycophancy with respect to the Gandhi family.

The journalist interrupted me after a few minutes and informed me that Mr. Aiyar was a good friend of his. Of course that didn't deter me from expressing my views, and I carried on after a gentle "Oh I didn't realize Aiyar is your friend, but...".

Eventually the journalist lost his cool and stomped off, but not before addressing the group and shouting loudly "You know, Narendra Modi is a hindu fascist"! He repeated this a few times before walking away.

I was flabbergasted! At no point did I ever mention Narendra Modi during the conversation. I was just expressing my (considerable) dislike for Mani Shankar Aiyar. So why did this journalist fly off the handle about Modi? I don't know for sure, but I can hazard a guess. The argument probably went like this...

You hate Mani Shankar Aiyar, who is a congressman. Mani is my friend, so I need to defend him. Since you hate a congressman, you must love the BJP. Narendra Modi is the most visible symbol of the BJP and an easy target for criticism. Therefore insulting Modi is a good proxy for defending my congressman friend.

I know this is pretty convoluted logic, but that is the best I can come up with.

Why do I feel the need to tell this story? Because journalists are human. They may have their own agenda, which means they can't always be objective. Therefore treat their opinions with a healthy dose of scepticism.

And remember this about Mani Shankar Aiyar. He is a former IAS officer, a man of immense intellect and potential. He hates Narendra Modi because of 2002, but absolutely drools over Rajiv Gandhi in spite of 1984. I am sure he can craft a very logical response for this anomaly. Just like our journalist friend did.

Hang on tight, here comes Narendra Modi

Narendra Damodardas Modi was sworn in as the 15th Prime Minister of India yesterday. He is a man who evokes strong emotions. You either love him, or hate him - it is tough to be neutral about the man. I have been watching him for the better part of a decade, and I have gone through a roller coaster of feelings about him through the years. So I thought it appropriate to write down what I think on the dawn of the biggest political change in independent India, with Modi leading the charge.

I believe Modi is an extraordinary human being, and most people who hate him or adore him fail to understand the man. He is not perfect - no one is - and he made one grave mistake in 2002. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that he is complicit in, if not responsible for, the deaths of many people. Most people think that since he has got away with 2002, he will be emboldened to commit similar acts on a larger scale. I disagree and believe that he will live the rest of his life atoning for that  mistake, creating a positive impact on a large number of people, leaving his legacy as a statesman.

2002 is the reason Modi has been unstoppable. He is a man on a mission, an extraordinarily intelligent and driven person, attempting to have people remember him for something other than Godhra. He knows he made a mistake, but he doesn't want that to be his legacy. It will take a lot over the next 5 to 10 years, but I don't underestimate this man.

He had to win the election, and win it convincingly to be able to drive his agenda as India's PM. The entire election campaign is the stuff of an HBR case study. He used every trick in the bag, touched the intellect and emotions of crores of people, and when he was sure of victory, pushed for that extra support to help him cross 300. He is not making this superhuman effort to be remembered as a Hitler or Jinnah. He is doing it for redemption. That is what makes him so compelling and powerful.

Modi is a man in a hurry. His first few days in office have seen more activity and intent than the first 100 days of the Manmohan Singh regime. The change from the pre-election street fighter to a post-election statesman is not just a pleasant surprise. It is an extraordinary transformation that has taken many people's breath away.

Very few doubt Modi's capacity for hard work and great administration. For all our sakes, I just hope that I am right about his intent.

Bravo Ajit Agarkar the commentator!

Ajit Agarkar could well become one of the best Indian cricket experts on TV.

I was flipping channels yesterday, and happened to see a news channel interviewing Agarkar and Dean Jones about the latest IPL matches. Agarkar has flair, is very composed, has great insights, and is surprising well prepared. I have watched most Indian cricket experts on TV over the years, and have been deeply disappointed at their mediocrity. Agarkar and Ganguly could be the breath of fresh air that we have sorely lacked over the years.

Shastri is suave and polished, but can't go beyond the usual cliches - he has learnt from the good ones, and has learnt well, but has no originality. The less said about Navjot Sidhu the better - whenever he appears on TV, I thank the inventor of the mute function. All others including Gavaskar are masters at stating the obvious. Sanjay Manjarekar had emerged as an outspoken commentator with good insights but has quickly joined the pack of the mediocre.

Will we have our own Ian Chappell, Barry Richards, Ian Healy, Shane Warne, or Nasser Hussain? Or will the Indian cricket commentary teams continue to wallow in mediocrity?

It is early days, but Agarkar is the best hope I have seen in years.

Bravo Michael Clark and the Aussies

Australia are back as the number one Test and ODI side in the world. Serious cricket followers knew this was coming, but perhaps not so soon after they imploded so visibly with crushing losses against India and England.

The one thing Australia know about winning Test matches is that the most important ingredient is aggressive, wicket taking fast bowlers. They pursue this principle with a single mindedness that is lost even on sides that have won consistently with this formula in the past. So Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, and Peter Siddle are the backbone of their side, with Clark, Warner, and Watson playing supporting roles. The key is the bowlers.

Unfortunately India have never figured this out. Our focus is always on batsmen. Our heroes are always the Merchants, Gavaskars, Dravids, and Tendulkars. Never Nissar, Kapil, Srinath, or Ishant. We idolize our batsmen, and once in a while throw a bone to the wicket taking fast bowler. That is why India will never be a consistent world beater in Tests and ODIs. Period.

Unless one of our administrators figures out this simple truth and focuses single mindedly on producing and nurturing aggressive, wicket taking fast bowlers. With the Tendulkars and Gavaskars playing supporting roles to help the side win.

I can't see it happening any time soon because it will take courage and conviction to take the necessary steps. We can't even raise a voice against a corrupt and arrogant BCCI chief like Srinivasan. We deserve to be mediocre.

Goodbye Sanga, Mahela, and Yuvi

The farewell to Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene couldn't have been scripted better. Yuvraj Singh's couldn't have been scripted any worse.

Sanga and Mahela decided to walk away from T20 cricket before the end of this tournament - two legends walking away from the game while still being good enough to walk into any side in world cricket. The one missing item on their resumes was an ICC world trophy in spite of several close calls in finals. Well, not any more. They accomplished that feat in their last game, both making significant contributions. I am sure these gentlemen will walk away from Test cricket ahead of their time as well.

Technically Yuvraj's international career isn't over yet. He is out of the Test and ODI sides, and was selected for the T20 world cup on past glory. However for all practical purposes, his international career is over. A legend like him didn't have to go this way, and Dhoni and our selectors are to blame for Yuvi's humiliation. The signs have been there for a while. Since Yuvi's comeback from cancer treatment, he has not been the same player. In the current tournament, he has looked slow, jaded, and completely out of his depth in all departments of the game. In the innings against Australia he appeared to be back, but that innings was an aberration against a dispirited opponent. Dhoni had no business to play him after his first or second game.

However let us not forget what an elegantly destructive cricketer Yuvi was. He, Kaif, and Azharuddin changed Indian fielding forever. He won us tournaments almost single handedly. But it didn't have to end this way. That is why I like to see legends walk away from the game when they are still on top of their game. I hope Yuvi is remembered for the good things he did for Indian cricket, and not for the one sorry innings, even though it might have cost India the tournament.

George Carlin on God & Religion

I am an atheist and frequently get into heated conversations with others regarding God and religion. I came across this video of George Carlin, the celebrated American stand up comic, where he talks about his views on the subject. I can't imagine a better articulation of my own views.

Grow up Virat

It has not taken Virat Kohli very long to transition from a world cup winning U-19 captain to a regular for India in all forms of the game. He has established himself with grit, determination, and a demonstration of unusual cricketing maturity in one so young. At the international level he has played stunning innings in the shorter formats, and he has ground out important runs in the longer format after some initial struggles.

However Virat Kohli has a lot of growing up to do. And he must do that quickly if he is to play for his country's cricket team with dignity.

Virat got into a needless confrontation with his India teammate Gautam Gambhir in an IPL game a few days ago. Apparently Gambhir said something after Kohli was dismissed, and it irked Kohli enough that he got into an ugly brawl with Gambhir. It took a timely intervention from Rajat Bhatia to separate Kohli and Gambhir.

A few days later the Mumbai crowd tore into Kohli for what they saw as unsportsman like conduct from the Royal Challengers captain. Kohli responded with incredulity. He could not understand why he, an India star, got such treatment in an IPL game being played at an Indian venue. After all, wouldn't the crowd cheer for him if he were playing for India at the same venue? "The IPL is not the end of the world", Kohli went on to say.

I have a simple question for Kohli. If he were playing for India, would he have blown up in similar fashion at a teammate like Gambhir? And if IPL is not the end of the world, why did he make a fool of himself by reacting like he did when Gambhir had something to say to him in the heat of the moment? I suppose all is fair when Kohli is dishing it out, but those giving him grief must be villains, even if it happens in the IPL, which is "not the end of the world".

Virat must realize that he is a very good cricketer, not the conscience keeper of everyone around him. He needs to look at seniors like Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, and Kumble, and realize that what makes these gentlemen who they are is not just cricketing brilliance. These men have played the game with such dignity, grace, and humility that everyone would want their kids to follow them as role models.

Over the last one week I have gone from being a great admirer of Virat Kohli to one who doesn't care very much for him. Even if Kohli goes on to become the best Indian batsman ever, I certainly don't want my kids to grow up to be arrogant like him. I will be a bigger fan of a humble and less successful cricketer than a haughty and wildly successful Virat Kohli any day.

Grow up Virat. The Bangalore brawl perhaps cost you a friendship. The Mumbai outburst certainly cost you a lot of fan following. If you carry on like this, it might jeopardize something bigger - your legacy. Cricket has given you a lot. Stop taking it for granted.

The worst captain in 50 years - an Aussie cricket fan's view of Michael Clarke

Yesterday I wrote a blog post titled "Bravo Michael Clarke". My Aussie friend Adam Davenport read this post, and sent me his perspective, which couldn't be more different than mine! That is what makes life so interesting. Same situation, the same set of facts, but a diametrically opposite view point!

Adam runs his own IT security firm and is based out of Sydney. He is a typical Aussie - funny, warm, fun loving, and candid. His birthday wish to me last year was like no other - "Happy birthday you old bastard". All in all he is a wonderful bloke. Here's Adam's take.
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Sitting in airport lounge on way to Brisbane.

Read your blog. Interesting perspective but not shared by many in Australia including me. Clarke looks after his mates. The best opening pair for 20 years was Watson and Katich. Katich doesn't get on with Clarke so he has never played test cricket again despite his average in first class cricket of 52 and a test average of 45. Cowan, Clarke's mate, is a no hoper with an average in the 30s. Watson and Clarke don't get on. Watson prefers to open, we need an opener. His best average is as an opener but Clarke insist he plays down the order.

The team travel to the 3rd test together, Clarke goes on a private side trip to see the Taj Mahal!

He's a great batsman, made to look even better as he is surrounded by a poor team but he is the worst captain we have had for 50 years.

Despite this I can't blame him too much for the decision to stand down the 4 players and send Watson home. He didn't make it.  It was made by Dovey the manager, a 31 year old former administrator of ASDA the drug admin body whose sporting experience is as a junior at Menai High School! He has no cricket credentials. The decision is appalling. Supported by Pat Howard who has similarly no cricket credentials. Apparently Clarke just went along with what Dovey wanted to do. Dovey used to manage the English rugby team. Apparently wearing the right uniform is pretty important stuff for the rugby boys.

These guys are a joke and should be thrown out. What they need over there is some mentors from the past and some tough team leadership. Deal with dissent internally, sit them down, talk to them. Not evict them without any discussion and in the glare of the world media. This guy Dovey thinks he is Barrack Obama. He loves the spotlight. I saw him giving a press conference like he was discussing invading Afghanistan. They didn't hand in their homework!

Tough team players like Border, Chappelli or Steve Waugh would have dealt with discipline issues internally. The Captain needs to get the team focussed on trying to solve some problems. Like footwork to spinners and how to build an opening partnership. Clarke is more concerned about his media profile and showboating with wifey like Lady Diana at the Taj.

There is a lot more to this story to come out. I think your praise of Clarke is unfounded. He is a great player but a sensitive soul when it comes to his team-mates, if they don't support him or criticize him in any way he gets them canned.

The actions of Howard and Dovey will set Australian cricket back 10 years in this country. I guess Clarke read about what was happening in the paper from his hotel room at the Taj Mahal.

Lets hope some of the great players from he past stand up and do something. There is certainly little support for the way Clarke has behaved down here and Dovey or Howard will do well to make it out of Sydney airport without being lynched.

The English are salivating. An Ashes tour against a leaderless rabble will be easy pickings. Bookies have them at short odds for a clean sweep. A similar result is inevitable in India now.

Just an unemotional early morning viewpoint!

Bravo Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke has been one of  international cricket's premier batsmen over the last two years. Now he has shown that he is also the best leader in the cricket world.

Clarke's action in suspending 4 of his key players for one Test Match has caused a huge uproar. It has polarized opinions both for and against his decision. The general argument against his decision is that it is too harsh, and will not help matters as far as the morale of the team is concerned. I agree with both of these arguments, and that is the reason I think Clarke is a phenomenal leader.

Clarke has made a decision that will invite a lot of criticism, and perhaps hurt his side in the short term. However he has made it crystal clear that interests of the team come first. The rules apply equally to every member of the team, and the bottom line is to help the team win. Michael Clarke could have chosen the easy way out and let things slide. He didn't.

For me the point is not whether Clarke's decision is correct or not. The point is that he made a very tough decision at a very tough time for the team, and he made it for the right reasons. Opinions about the decision may vary, but Clarke is in charge, and he carries responsibility for results - short and long term. And he chose to act in the interest of the team at great personal risk. I wish we had candor like this in Indian cricket.

Bravo Michael Clarke!

Why India have never been able to dominate Test cricket

After watching Vernon Philander decimate the New Zealand top order in the Cape Town test, I wondered where Philander stood in the career strike rate rankings among bowlers. A strike rate represents the number of balls a bowler has to bowl on average to capture a wicket. It represents the true wicket taking efficiency of a bowler. Philander has been a revelation since his debut and already has 67 Test wickets in 12 matches. Sure enough Philander is second only to the legendary Englishman GA Lohmann on this list.

As I browsed through this list of 126 bowlers, I started looking for Indians and was astonished not to find an Indian in the top 50. All the usual suspects from the great Test teams are on this list - the Windies of the 80s, the Aussies from the 90s and 2000s, the great Pakistani pace bowlers of the 80s & 90s. Marshall, Holding, Roberts, Garner, Walsh, Thomson, Lillee, McGrath, Gillespie, Clark, Willis, Botham, Waqar, Akram, Imran are all in there.

The full list is here...Best career bowling strike rates

The first Indian to appear on this list is at number 87, and that name is the much maligned Chetan Sharma! Chetan Sharma has the best strike rate ever for an Indian bowler in Test match history! The only other Indians in this list are Irfan Pathan, and Zaheer Khan. Amazingly spinners like Warne, McGill, Murali, and Swann are in this list, but no India spinner is in the top 126!

No wonder India has never been a dominant force in Test cricket. A great batting line up without strike bowlers will give you a lot of draws, but not regular wins. Spinners usually bowl a lot of overs for their wickets, and are seldom match winners outside the sub-continent. However what you need to win consistently world wide are aggressive wicket taking pace bowlers. And we have hardly ever had them except for Zaheer Khan recently. That is why India rose to the number one ranking in Tests briefly. India's decline has coincided neatly with Zaheer's decline in wicket taking ability.

So what do we need to do to become a force in Test cricket? Cultivate a culture of fast bowling, nurture these bowlers, and make them feel like heroes. To win consistently we don't need as many Dravids, Tendulkars, Laxmans, and Gavaskars. We need more Zaheers. We need to create conditions favourable for fast bowlers all over the country, particularly in the North where we have more of the athletic and aggressive bowlers. And then take care of them.

Otherwise we will keep wondering where the next Dravid or Tendulkar is going to come from instead of worrying about the next Zaheer Khan or Chetan Sharma. We will continue to throw our occasional wicket taking fast bowler into ODI and T20 cricket and burn them out. And always remain an average Test side that is unable to live up to its potential.