The Celebration

We live at a time when things happening around make us morose. One opens the newspaper only to find a nation plagued by controversies galore. Not that I mind controversies; but they should be of a stature that can enlighten and not the petty abominable things that are actually happening. The sports page offers more solace and so I turn to that first!

The other day I was thinking what has become of us - tolerance is a word that has become taboo. Nobody can tolerate anything. We cannot stand the sight of something that is against our ingrained sense - never! How did we become so apathetic? For anything and everything  we drag religion into the crux of the discussions and that takes all respect and civility out of the window. We somehow want our religion or our caste to come out trumps! Everybody else is inferior! A sigh is all I can muster at the end of my rumination which was disturbed by a very pleasant sight and so refreshing.

I was commuting to office and was in an area where a lot of construction was happening. As I neared one construction site, I could make out some decorations on an unfinished floor of an apartment or hotel. There were balloons of all colors and party ribbons. With a little effort, I could also make out that music was being played, for some workers in the site were dancing to a tune. The construction workers were dressed colorfully and were truly in a celebratory mood. I'm not sure if it was a birthday, or someone getting engaged, or someone leaving for better pastures. Whatever it was they were celebrating, it was amazingly honest and a delectable sight for the eyes. I was suddenly in high spirits - this site was a mini India with workers from different states and ethnicity coming together and celebrating. This was not a group that would be bothered by the pandemonium of the controversies; they were making merry! I realized there is hope after all.

By nightfall, as I commuted back home, I made it a point to check the construction site again and apparently all had dispersed. But there were the remnants of the celebration - some of the balloons had burst and pieces were strewn to the ground, some of the ribbons had snapped from the walls. Yet, like the part of the ribbons that had not come apart, hope lingered in my mind.

The grandiose politics of the Nobel Peace Prize

As the Nobel Prize week unfurled, I was only concerned about the Literature and Economics prizes, for those are areas which are closer to my heart than many others. The other areas on which the prize is awarded does not usually pique so much of interest but I do track the winners and their contributions. Over the past several years, many distinguished men and women have graced the prize for their impeccable contributions to the disciplines of Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace and Economics. I had a hunch the deliverance of the Literature and Economics prizes this year would be surprising affairs. My hunch came true but it turned out that for the first time in quite a few years, I would pay a great deal of attention to the Peace prize.

Last Friday, as the news of the Peace prize winners trickled in, I was in high spirits that children’s rights activists had won albeit I had never taken notice of Kailash Satyarthi before. Malala Yousufzai was a more prominent name thanks to the antics of Pakistan and Taliban.  During the course of that day and later during the night, I comprehended several notes, news items and anecdotes on Satyarthi and his Bachpan Bachao Andolan which was doing a first-class effort in trying to nullify child labor, a derisive evil. Apparently, Satyarthi and his team have saved more than 80,000 children from the bonds of slavery so far, which is very creditable.

There is no doubt Satyarthi and Yousufzai are worthy winners of the prize, not just together but even standalone. Nevertheless, the fact that they won the prize together raises a few eyebrows. In the lead up to the announcement of the prize, the relationship between India and Pakistan was following a tumultuous course and probably entwined towards an ugly war. The Nobel Peace prize committee members were very sentient of this and by deciding to award the prize to an Indian and a Pakistani, they have doubtless conjured antagonism among the fundamentalist/terrorist groups who do not fancy a seamless India – Pakistan relationship. It is highly improbable that the religious undertone in the award would be disregarded by these fundamentalist groups. Satyarthi’s aspiration to work with Malala in the future is also prone to add to the pressure in the region.

Yet another intriguing facet is the presence of Islamic fundamentalist groups such as ISIS in Norway and Sweden. It is extensively whispered that two Norwegians occupy leadership positions in ISIS and report directly to its supreme leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. Curiously, a group calling itself Ansar Al Sunna, which could be an offshoot of ISIS for all we know, threatened in August 2014 that if a section of Oslo was not converted into a Sharia compliant nation, they would launch an attack on Norway far more barbaric than the 9/11 attacks. Their eyes are towards the area of Gronland, which is extremely close to the heart of the Norwegian Government. Gronland is only a tip of the iceberg and there certainly is an ostentatious vision behind all this.

It would also be interesting to pay attention to Anders Behring Breivik’s dastardly attack on Oslo on 22^nd July, 2011, which consumed the lives of 77 people. Remarkably, it is believed that Breivik is anti-Islam but nothing could be far from the truth. The Breivik Manifesto talks about collaboration with Islamic terrorists and it would appear that ISIS /Ansar Al Sunna are merely following in the footsteps of Breivik!

When this year’s Nobel Peace prize jury, some of whom I suspect are clandestinely ISIS/Ansar Al Sunna members, awarded the prize to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousufzai, they were really arousing the Pakistani community in Norway and particularly Oslo (they are one of the largest migrant communities in this Scandinavian nation). For a staunch Pakistani extremist, there is nothing that resents him/her than the mention of India. This instigation of anger among the Oslo Pakistanis, some of whom may already be members of Ansar Al Sunna, is a cunning ploy to lure them to attack Indians in Norway (only about a third of Pakistanis but greatly increasing in number) and thereby try to upset the apple-cart of the Indo-Pak dialogue and veer it into a more overwrought relationship. Such an attack would also bring the Indian and Pakistani governments into the picture, thereby creating a huge awareness on the ISIS/Ansar Al Sunna Islamic state propaganda in Scandinavia and perhaps other regions of the world. The Taliban, Al Qaeda, the Hisbul Mujahideen and the likes of Breivik would only be too pleased to sponsor and further this cause for a larger Islamic occupation of the world.

This is the grandiose vision of ISIS/Ansar Al Sunna. There are news reports about a merger between Taliban and ISIS as I write this. All this could connote only one thing – an imposing Islam Fundamentalists Axis (IFA) vs. the rest of the world led by the US, UK, India, Japan and Australia. The Nobel Peace prize committee may have just implanted the seeds for this. Only the wheels of time will reveal to us what is in store for humankind.

The questions we should consider (Book Review – The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng)

War stories are inherently captivating. It offers great insight into the characters and their tribulations through war time. It is not an easy period to live in, more so when you are constantly threatened by the prospect of losing your life and that of your loved ones to a brutality that only man could have invented. The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng is a war story. But it is more than that as well. The Malaysian author’s debut work is a beautifully crafted sculpture of prose and an emotional roller coaster to boot. This one will definitely tug at the heartstrings of anyone who lays his/her hands on and reads the 500 odd pages of the book.

The story is mainly set in Penang, Malaysia (then Malaya) during the period 1939-1945 and then a time period 50 years after the war ended. It traces the trials of Philip Hutton, the son of a wealthy businessman in Penang, and his relationship with a man seemingly innocuous but, as Philip comes to realize later on in life, keeping a secret so powerful and unimaginable that it uproots his very own conscience. The man was Hayato Endo, a Japanese diplomat who befriends Philip after acquiring a plot of land that belonged to Philip’s family. Their relationship evolves into a strong bond of friendship and Endo teaches Philip the art of aikido which only strengthens the bond they already shared.

The Second World War changes everything. Japan invades Malaya and soon the lives of Philip and his family are turned upside down. A realization shocks Philip to the core questioning the allegiance he had towards Endo. He chooses to remain steadfast, much to the chagrin of his entire family. In a bid to save his family, Philip works for the Japanese. Japan gradually begins to lose its superior position and the Allied forces are able to force the Japanese out of Malaya. But heartbreakingly, Philip loses his entire family in the process.

The author has used the character of Michiko Murakami, through whom the story winds down memory lane, to great effect. Her story is as endearing as Philip’s and equally tragic. She is a strong lady, and even her weakened physique cannot wither her resolve to meet and understand Philip as well as learn the account of his relationship with Endo. Philip is initially taciturn towards Michiko but gradually warms up to her and eventually realizes why she wanted to meet him. The depiction is brilliant, to say the least.

I cannot stop thinking about Istana; the house where Philip and his family once lived together and which later became Philip’s own home after all had ended. The below passage is one of my favorites – “Its graceful lines and history touched me strongly and I loved exploring every part of it, sometimes even, despite my fear of heights, climbing up to the roof through a door in the attic. I would sit and look out over the landscape of the roof, like a tickbird on the back of a water buffalo, and feel the house beneath me”. The vivid portrayal of the fountain on the courtyard will forever be etched in my memory. So is the case with his family - Noel Hutton, the father, William and Edward, the older brothers and Isabel, the elder sister. Interestingly, Philip becomes closer to them only after meeting Endo!

Philip’s befriending of Kon, his meeting with his maternal grandfather after a very long time, his relationship with Aunt Yu Mei, his chauffeur Uncle Lim who is a part of a tragic sub plot that involves the death of his daughter and her husband during the Japanese occupation are all masterly recounted by Eng, in what I consider his masterpiece.

There are quite a few incidents that leave you misty eyed such as this one that occurred towards the end of the Japanese occupation in Malaya, as the British fighter planes flew in across the sea. Philip had used six tins to paint ‘a rather rudimentary Union Jack, with its red, blue and white lines’, on the sloping roof of Istana. He was indefatigably British but at the same time could not disown Endo who was peacefully sleeping in that very home at the same time!

And of course, who can overlook the Nagamitsu sword? It plays a very central part in the novel and one can comprehend the tensions that it evokes whenever it appears during the course of the story. A sword is a powerful instrument. It can be as much an instrument of love and belonging as it can be of hatred.

Do we ever mull over why we meet people? Why do we take a path which is diverse from the ones others follow? We come across many people in our lives. Some of them stay on for the rest of our lives while others have the briefest of contacts with us. No matter what, there is a strong purpose and destiny behind our interaction with people, though we may not be conscious of this at the time, but is probable to be revealed to us later in the course of our journey called life. This is the one important lesson that I’m taking away from the novel. To quote Philip towards the end of the novel – “While I now accept that the course of our lives has been set down long before our births, I feel that the inscriptions that dictate the directions of our lives merely write out what is already in our hearts; they can do nothing more”. This sums up my feeling exactly after reading this treasure of a book; this has to rank among the top of the best narratives I have had the opportunity to read until this moment in my life.

BCCI – curing the disease or taking fans for granted?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), released a 12 point plan last week for cleaning up the game of cricket on the back of huge pressure from all quarters. The intention was to correct an image tarnished due to the spot fixing scandal during the sixth season of the IPL which concluded late last month. We saw three players (S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan) and several others arrested, conflict of interest situations for a father-in-law and son-in-law (N Srinivasan and Gurunath Meiyappan) and a co-owner of a franchise banned (Raj Kundra of the Rajasthan Royals). On a purview of the 12 point plan, it appears the BCCI is trying to cure the symptoms rather than the disease. Also, there is no indication of the administrators walking the talk as I had wished for in my previous post.

While some of the points in the plan are welcome, such as a strict code of conduct for players, support staff and franchise owners, some of the other items in the plan border on sheer insanity such as banning cheerleaders. It is also curious to note that the BCCI administrators have been cleverly left out from the list of stakeholders who need to be compliant. The fact that there is no commission or group which has been set up to ensure compliance raises questions about the credibility of these plans announced by Jagmohan Dalmiya, the interim BCCI President.

Banning cheerleaders is aimed at eliminating sleaze, says Dalmiya. I fail to understand the logic behind this decision. One does not ban cheerleaders for eliminating sleaze; one restricts access to them for the players, match officials, support staff, franchise owners and more importantly, the BCCI administrators (who are likely to be the sleaziest of the lot)! Banning cheerleaders does not prevent the players and others concerned from having access to women; there are umpteen other sources. I’m not going into too much detail on this.

On the code of conduct, a few key stakeholders have been left out on reading the verbiage in the plan – selectors and other BCCI officials as well as the match officials. The code of conduct apparently applies only to players, support staff and franchise owners. This is a glaring loophole and I really hope this is fixed. Not doing so will lead to a plethora of problems for the embattled body running the game in India. I do not think these key personnel were left out inadvertently since there is another point in the plan which says no national selector will be involved with any franchise in any capacity (so, can a state selector be involved?). Therefore, I’m inclined to believe that the clause deliberately omitted selectors and other officials of the BCCI as well as the match officials from following the code of conduct. This diffidence in attitude is a total shame!

The plan as a whole is beset with loopholes of such nature. If the BCCI was serious in its demeanor to curb corruption and clean the game, they would certainly have come up with a much more infallible plan. Such half-cooked plans will only serve to increase the confusion and will not in any way instill the confidence in the average cricket fan to turn up and watch a game – whether on TV or at the grounds.

Jagmohan Dalmiya’s appointment as the interim BCCI president is equally disappointing. Everybody knows what kind of a moral standpoint this man has when it comes to cricket administration. Often dubbed as the Machiavelli of Indian cricket, he is no stranger to controversies. Remember the Mike Denness affair or his expulsion from the BCCI for alleged misappropriation of funds? The name is devoid of any ethics and does not send out the message that the BCCI is honest.

We will have to really wait and watch how the 12 point plan is administered in detail. But fans should beware that some sections of the plan are totally inadequate and needs a lot of fine-tuning to become clear and unambiguous. Honestly, Dalmiya is not the right man for the job (a crook of the first water, to quote a friend of mine) and we can only hope that the game is cleaned up to the hilt and fans enjoy watching the game again, not feeling that they have been taken for a ride!

Greedy cricketers, the importance of Ian Bell and Australia quietly arrive for the Ashes

The gentleman’s game has taken a beating in the last couple of weeks with the spot fixing controversy and the BCCI being shamed. Why do cricketers go after more money? Why do they feel that ethics and morals are not greater than cash? What can we do to clean this game up, at least in India? What should be the role of the Government, the Judiciary and the BCCI in all these?

The Indian domestic cricket paints a wretched picture when it comes to player salaries and other compensation. If you looked at the earnings of domestic cricketers all over the world, India ranks poorly with probably only Bangladesh and Zimbabwe being ranked lower than us in terms of this. The BCCI is apparently the richest sporting body in the world, so one would assume there is no harm if they paid our domestic cricketers more than the peanuts they are earning now. One of the reasons why cricketers indulge in spot fixing and other imprudent activities is the feeling of insecurity. Being inadequately compensated, they have to support their families and for this they turn to the lucrative spot fixing arena. And boy, are they happy! They turn out to be dirty rotten scoundrels rather than dignified cricketers who could be emulated by the generation that is growing up now.

The indulgence in fixing and betting activities coupled with the policy of low pay and incentives for domestic cricket invariably breed greed in our cricketers. They are not satisfied with what they get and want more and then even more! Values and morals are thrown to the wind in the melee that is spot fixing. All the things about the love of the game turn to a lust for money. This attitude is perilous and does not augur well for Indian cricket. The National Cricket Academy (NCA) should carry out sessions in coordination with each of the state cricket associations to tutor players about the substance of values and morals. Erudite cricketers such as Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble should speak in these sessions about the way the game should be played. The ineptitude of the BCCI in doing this is glaring and this sporting body is an absolute disgrace for all cricket lovers in this proud country!

A lot of debate has happened over what is best to clean the game. I personally feel betting should be legalized in India. Bookies must be registered with the BCCI and an independent Government body should be set up to monitor betting activities. Any bookie who has a conflict of interest should divulge this before placing a bet. Players, coaches, support staff and others associated with the teams should be banned from betting on a game. A law that regulates betting while at the same time imposing strict punishments for fixing and other incidental activities should be framed so that there is accountability and responsibility all around. I understand that fixing is quite different from betting but legalizing betting and a strict law against fixing will be bare minimum deterrents for the vice.

The Government should work closely with the Courts as well as the BCCI to fast-track cases of illegal betting and fixing and bring the culprits to book. It would be a good idea to institute separate Courts for trying these cases with a right of appeal to the High Court which could be the final fact-finding authority. Aggrieved persons could have the right to approach the Supreme Court but only on questions of law. Within the BCCI, there should be a code of conduct that should be passed on to its affiliate state associations as well as partners. The code should be strictly enforced and refreshers conducted at the start and middle of every season. The punishments envisaged must be clearly communicated so that it acts as a strong motivation for players not to indulge in acts of indignity. The players must be educated about the virtues of honesty and dedication. Of course, the BCCI officials themselves have to walk the talk first!

Elsewhere, in England, the Englishmen are slugging it out against the touring Kiwis. Their bowling won for them comprehensively the first Test at Lord’s but questions have already been asked about their batting, with the Ashes just around the corner. The retirement of Andrew Strauss has drilled a gaping hole at the top and Nick Compton is just gaining the experience required to excel at the highest level. But the gravest of their problems is the middle order.

With the exuberant Kevin Pietersen out with an injury, England’s middle order will have their task cut out. He is expected to return from injury to play the Ashes, but there’s no idea of the form he is going to be in. Ian Bell should feel the most threatened of his place in the side today as Joe Root and Johnny Bairstow are much younger and plays with much more confidence. Bell needs to go back to domestic cricket and find his runs because England desperately needs him to score in the Ashes. They cannot afford to go into an important series with a rookie middle order that could be consumed by a battery of Australia’s pacers who can be at their best in these conditions. Batting around Bell will be England’s best option as far as their middle order is concerned simply because there isn’t a better player in England who could master the conditions and the opposition. If Australia manages to bridle Bell, then England could struggle.

Australia, meanwhile, have arrived quietly in England and this quiet is actually excellent for them. They are not weighed down by expectations because England is definitely a better side and Australia are coming off the back of a humiliating series loss in India. Having said that, Australia’s cricketers are fighters and they can very well give England a run for their money. This could be more so in the opening duels when the conditions would still aid swing rather than in the latter half of the series when things would be much easier for the batsmen. Both the sides would want to wrap the series up before they arrive at The Oval for the final Test. An interesting duel is certainly on the cards. Look forward to watch the action!

The Death of Pope John Paul I

Pope John Paul I (Cardinal Albino Luciani) died on September 28, 1978 (some accounts have it that he died in the early hours of September 29, 1978). He was found dead on his bed by one of his attendants. The Pope was in office only for 33 days, the shortest papacy ever! Rumor has it that the Pope’s death was unnatural. There are various reasons to believe so. This account is a rendering of what might have transpired that fateful night at the apostolic palace in Vatican.

The Cardinal Camerlengo Jean-Marie Villot shuffled uneasily in his chair. The time was just past 11 in the night. It was already getting late and where were they, he thought. He got up from his seat and decided to find out for himself. As he descended the stairs towards the main entrance of the apostolic palace, there was a knot in his stomach which grew with every minute. Things will turn out alright, he assured himself.

When the Camerlengo reached the main entrance, he was relieved to see that all five of the guests had arrived. In order to divert attention from the few tourists who were still roaming the City, the Camerlengo directed two Swiss Guards to escort them through a secret passage to his chamber upstairs. Once upstairs, the guests were seated and exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes. Soon, the discussion turned to the serious matter at hand.

“Is the Holy Father still awake?” asked Archbishop Paul Marcinkus, President of the Vatican Bank.

“Yes, the lights in his room are still on”, Jean-Marie Villot responded.

“I think we should approach him now without wasting further time”, said Licio Gelli, an Italian financier.

“Gelli’s right, we should make a move soon”, chipped in Michele Sindona, another Italian banker.

Camerlengo Jean-Marie Villot looked at Roberto Calvi, Chairman of Banco Ambrosiano and also known as God’s Banker, who nodded his approval.

The fifth person, The Apprentice, smiled at the others. The time had finally arrived. The weeks that he spent planning and practicing will be put to the test tonight, he thought.

“Follow me”, the Camerlengo said and the five guests followed him to the papal chambers. As they approached the chambers, they could see that His Holiness had not yet retired for the night as the lights from his room percolated between the tiny sift between the door and the floor into the hall across the chambers. “He usually goes to bed at about 10 every night. I wonder what’s keeping him up tonight”, Villot commented. “Whatever it is, it is a good sign”, said Gelli.

Jean-Marie Villot found it very difficult to contain the butterflies in his stomach as he twisted the knob to the door of the papal chambers. To his surprise, he found that the door was not locked from the inside and had opened a bit. As he gazed inside, he saw the Holy Father sitting upright on his bed with a couple of documents in his hand. Without so much as looking at the visitors at the untimely hour, Pope John Paul I wished them, “Welcome, gentlemen! I was wondering how long more it would take to see you all”. The five guests and the Camerlengo were shocked and at a loss for words. The Holy Father was expecting them!

Shrugging off the shock, Roberto Calvi was the first to respond. “Holy Father, we saw that you had not retired for the night and just wanted to talk to you”.

“If you wanted to talk to me, you could have done at an earthly hour”, the Pope countered.

Once again, nobody spoke. “Now that you all are here, have a seat”, the Pope invited his visitors.

“Thank You, Holy Father, but we would like to make this quick”, responded Archbishop Marcinkus on behalf of everyone.

“As you wish”, Pope John Paul I consented.

“We have information that you had a meeting with some investigators from the United States and that they gave you information about the dealings of Banco Ambrosiano”, said Roberto Calvi.

“Yes, I did have a meeting. I have information that Banco Ambrosiano is dealing in illegal matters and that the Vatican Bank is helping it”, the Pope replied calmly.

“There is nothing wrong in making profits, Holy Father”, Archbishop Marcinkus chipped in.

“I will not allow the funds of the Holy See channeled into drug trafficking and mafia deals”, the Holy Father asserted.

“We need to only look at the profits”, Michele Sindona spoke for the first time in the presence of the Pope.

“God would not want that, Mr. Sindona”, replied the Pope. “I am now looking at a document that lists members of the Propaganda Due and I’m not surprised to see you all in the list”, he added.

“The Propaganda Due is for the benefit of the Church”, said Gelli.

“And you are the Grandmaster, isn't it Mr. Gelli?” asked the Holy Father. Gelli was shocked that the Holy Father knew so much.

At the time the heated argument was going on, The Apprentice realized that the Holy Father wasn't paying attention to him. Perfect, he thought. Judging by the tone of the conversation, he concluded that things would get more heated. He looked at Gelli who winked back at him. The sign, he thought. I must act now.

The argument between the visitors and the Holy Father continued. “I have signed an order that prevents the Vatican Bank from working with Banco Ambrosiano until Banco Ambrosiano excuses itself from its illegal affairs and comes out clean. I will also release the list of Propaganda Due to the public and affirm that its activities are against the Church”.

“But Holy Father, shouldn’t we wait for some more time?” asked Villot, eager to avoid an ugly confrontation.

“Camerlengo Villot, I’m aghast that you are with these sinners”, said the Pope harshly.

As the argument continued unabated, The Apprentice slowly went to the Pope’s bedside. Without the Pope noticing, he took out a vial of hemlock and poured the contents on to a glass of water which was placed on a table by the bedside. The contents dissolved instantaneously. My job is done, The Apprentice thought. Now the Pope has to drink the glass of water and the mission would be accomplished.

“Once again, Holy Father, we assure you that there is nothing illegal in the activities we do. Because of our efforts, the finances of the Holy See are in a better state than ever”, said Archbishop Marcinkus.

“I do not want to see any tainted money here in the Vatican”, the Pope categorically said. “Mend your ways”, he added.

“Holy Father, we request you to be with us in this and we can reap great rewards”, coerced Calvi.

“Are you trying to bribe the highest office in Christianity? May God forgive you for even thinking of this. This discussion is over. You all may leave now”, the Pope commanded.

Without a word, the guests prepared to leave. As they approached the door, the Pope said, “Today is the 33rd day of my papacy. I will not live to see tomorrow. I believe this person, whose name I do not know, was brought here precisely with this intention”.

The guests froze for a moment. Did he know, each of them thought simultaneously. Recovering soon, they filed out of the room and returned to the Camerlengo’s chambers. It was just approaching midnight.

“We did what we needed to do. If that order and the list come out, then we are finished”, said Gelli.

“Did you get the time to do your job?”, asked Calvi to The Apprentice. “Yes, sir”, he replied.

“Good, now we just have to wait till the morning”, responded Calvi.

“Okay, we better get out of this place before someone sees us”, added Sindona.

“Camerlengo Villot, you did a good job today. You will be rewarded”, said Gelli before leaving.

“Thank You, Mr.Gelli”, said Villot.

Villot saw the guests off through the same secret passage that they came in. Once they departed, he retired to his room and waited for dawn. He would not be able to sleep that night.

The Holy Father was tired after the heated argument and drank the glass of water on the table by his bedside. He then sat on the bed and once again looked at the documents in his hand.

The next morning, at about 5 AM, the Pope was found dead at his bedside clutching the same set of papers he had in his hand during the night.

Subsequent events that unfolded over the years saw the collapse of Banco Ambrosiano in 1982. Roberto Calvi, the bank’s Chairman was found murdered the same year, hanging from the Blackfriars Bridge in London. Archbishop Paul Marcinkus died in 2006 in Sun City, Arizona of causes that, to this day, remain undisclosed. Michele Sindona died in prison in 1986, allegedly poisoned. Licio Gelli, the Grandmaster of Propaganda Due or P2, the clandestine Masonic Lodge, is still alive. Camerlengo Jean-Marie Villot died of pneumonia in 1979, months after John Paul I’s successor, John Paul II was elevated to the papacy by the College of Cardinals.

Nobody knows who The Apprentice is. Not yet.

Cricketers need to augment their skills for greater success and longevity

Playing a sport is demanding. Playing a sport for your country is even more demanding. The game of cricket has seen so many players represent their country with distinction, some of them even playing for as long as 15-20 years. Today, cricketers rarely play beyond 2-3 years for a variety of reasons, not having contributed enough to leave their indelible mark on the game. I could not help but think what action cricketers could take to increase the chances of their success as well as the length of time they play for their country (not by too much, but sufficient enough to reap their potential). The response that my mind gave me was a cricketer needs to cultivate new skills.

Augmenting the skills that a cricketer possesses is vital in determining the career success that he achieves. It could also be an indication of the length of time that he could play for his country. A batsman or a bowler should not be at ease with the skills that he has. In improving those skills, there is the advantage of surprise that you can give your opponents. Of course, these improvements or augmentation cannot happen overnight but the earlier a player takes the effort, and prepares his mind for it, the better the chances of success. A cricketer who is past 30 may not be as successful in this exercise as one who has just turned 20, but the efforts could be well worth it.

For a batsman, this could mean learning to bat both ways – right handed as well as left handed. Every batsman has an innate side and should choose that, always. But it would be a whole lot better to become skilled at batting the other way round as well. It is not as simple as altering the bat grip, but it is as hard as conquering the mind. The view from the opposite side can really do wonders to your game.  The different perspective could serve in strengthening the skills and ironing out the weak spots. It helps to keep a positive spin on things – for example, if you are out of form batting right handed, switching to left handed may be the solution to find the runs flowing again. Of course, sheer hard work would be the motto to get to a level where you can bat both ways. This is an invaluable asset and the earlier this is perfected, the better.

Bowlers are a bit of a difficult proposition. Because there are different kinds of bowlers, it is important to discover what you really need to learn. Obviously a spinner cannot choose to toggle between fast bowling and spin as the demands are poles apart. However, there is nothing that prevents a spinner from switching between off spin, leg spin and left arm spin or a fast bowler to switch from seam to swing or even go ambidextrous. Again, there is a massive adjustment required to the technique. The body should be equipped to master these additional skills. Also important is the judicious utilization - a bowler has a greater chance of getting it wrong than a batsman. Therefore, for a bowler, these skills need to be acquired much earlier than a batsman. Just imagine the advantages of catching your opponents on the wrong foot just when your team needs that extra fizz! The moment predictability is taken out of the equation, the game becomes much more intense and competitive.

The benefits that come out of augmenting these skills could be mind boggling. It is very evident that coaches have a very important role to play in grooming cricketers for this radical change in their technique as well as mindset. Players always look to their coaches when something like this needs to be done. This is hard to implement, but certainly not impossible. The BCCI as well as all the other cricket boards have the responsibility to see that the coaching manuals give due weight to the aspect of improving skills. The coaches need to be effectively educated to enable them to make their wards grasp the importance of an approach that constantly challenges the skills they have and aim for something extra. This is a crucial step in ensuring that we continue to turn out great players who can challenge the records and achievements of those who have walked before them.

Like in any aspect of life, unless we improve upon what we have, things tend to be mundane. With the proliferation of so many international games and a packed cricket calendar, it is no wonder that cricket boards are forced to rest some of their best performers from some of the matches in an effort to keep them fit for more important games. I believe cricketers can appreciate much more about the game and strategize with greater effect if they possess a basket of skills that they could use, rather than just one or two. It is challenges like these that bring out the best sportsmen and let us hope that we continue to have legends in the game of cricket. The next 10 years will no doubt be about cricketers who have multiple skills to adapt to the demands of a game that just keeps on growing. The cricket boards the world over have an unenviable task to ensure that the system recognizes this aspect right from the grassroots.