Timeless Test

Timeless Test

The last “Timeless Test” in cricket was played out at Durban between England and South Africa over 3^rd March to 14^th March 1939. England had been leading the series 1-0 before the start of this test and the match was to have been played out till one team was victorious, as it could change the outcome of the series. The match, poised very interestingly on the Tea of 10^th day of play, had to be declared a ‘draw’ ultimately as the time did indeed run out with England having to rush off to catch their ship back to Blighty. But No, this is not an account of that epic test. This is all about another “test” which I feel is just warming up. Another time, another “pitch” and most unusual teams, BCCI v/s Justice Lodha Panel.

 That’s right. Just take a look at what BCCI has reportedly responded to Lodha Panel’s recommendations which by the way have also been sort of endorsed by Supreme Court when it asked BCCI to comply with them.

Ø  Justice Lodha Panel’s Recommendations (JLPR): BCCI should appoint a CEO and a CFO for conducting its affairs.

BCCI (what it says):  Yes, we will. We will start the process of indentifying an agency which will search for the CXOs.

BCCI (What it perhaps means): In simple words, the pace at which we (BCCI) are accustomed to work, we will take about 6-12  months, including due consultations with all member associations,  to identify the agency which will carry out the executive search. Obviously the independent agency, being an independent agency, cannot be pressurized to deliver in a time-bound manner and therefore will take its own time (read indefinite) to draw up a short-list of potentials, after doing the necessary due diligence. Once this is accomplished BCCI as the employer can rightfully reject any or all of the candidates so short-listed. For a nation which thrives on tendering and re-tendering of contracts till the powers-that-be are “satisfied” that the contract has gone to the “deserving” party, it should not come as a surprise if the entire process will have to be looped through again (and again if required). So make it about 3 years before CXOs can assume office.

Ø  JLPR: No politicians and bureaucrats on governing bodies and no office – bearers over 70 years.

BCCI (What it says):  This will deprive the sport of the experience and acumen that the current set of administrators have developed over decades.

BCCI (What it perhaps means): In simple words. No one has the right to make us alight the gravy train that we have clambered on after years of hardships, shouting slogans on the street, dharnas and satyagrahas,  storming the wells of State Assemblies and Parliament. Not all of us are lucky enough to jump to ICC in the nick of time. 

Ø  JLPR: No ads in between overs.

BCCI (What it says):  This will reduce our revenue to 1/3^rd. This will reduce the quality of services that we can provide to the game. 

BCCI (What it perhaps means): In simple words. Everyone including players and teams and commentators and administrators are so attuned to the 7-Star lifestyle that all of them have long  enjoyed  that any reduction will push all these guys below poverty line. Imagine Yuvaraj getting just Rs 2 crores for a season of IPL!

As the things stand, BCCI has hinted that individual member associations may file separate petitions in Supreme Court for mitigation of various (real or perceived or made-up) issues that they may have.  

All this, as I mentioned in the beginning, is just the first session of play in what is likely to be the latest “Timeless Test”.  It is quite evident that BCCI is hopeful that by delaying acceptance / implementation of JLPRs, they may be able to maneuver things to suit their own end. For all you know, since politicians of all hues are involved in BCCI and member associations, some hurried legislation may be drafted in consideration of common good and pushed through which will ensure that political – administrators of sports bodies are beyond the writ of any law. One should not be surprised if such a law is the only one that sails through smoothly in a parliamentary session while mundane issues like the General Budget and GST are postponed indefinitely. After all united we stand.

My friend Guy Wise sees a lot of irony in this development.  After having resolutely voted against the Decision Review System (DRS), BCCI is clamouring for DRS now that the on-field umpire’s decision has (rightly) gone against them.

We, poor cricket lovers, can take solace from the fact that at least in this instance, there is no ship  scheduled to sail at any time soon and the match will not peter out into a tame draw resulting in status quo  and we can expect a (favourable) decision without much delay.   For BCCI, the writing will soon be flashed on the giant screen.

LazyBee 

21^st February 2016

A lot of my friends, I am sure, would like to know a bit more about the “timeless test” at Durban.

South Africa: 1^st Innings  : 530 / 10 (Pieter Van der Bijl 125, Dudley Nourse 103, Alan Melville 78)

                                                               (Reg Perks 5/100, Hedley Verity 2/97)

England:        1^st Innings : 316/10  (Leslie Ames 84, Eddie Paynter 62, Len Hutton 38)

                                                             (Eric Dalton 4/89, Chud Langton 3/71)

South Africa: 2^nd Innings : 481/10 (Alan Melville 103, Pieter Van del Bijl 97, Bruce Mitchell 89)

                                                             (Ken Farnes 4/74, Doug Wright 3/146)

England:       2^nd Innings  : 654/5   (Bill Edrich 219, Wally Hammond 140, Paul Gibb 120)

                                                           (Eric Dalton 2/100, Bruce Mitchell 1/133)

Match drawn with England needing 42 to win with five wickets in hand and first innings top scorer Leslie Ames at crease batting on 17.

Both sides claimed that they would have won the test had the rain not played spoilsport at Tea on Day10.

The England total of 654/5 is the highest total by any team in 4^th innings of a test and it is doubtful if it can ever be bettered.   

For further details about the match and some good commentary

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/393923.html

Of Smart Politicians & The Twelfth Commandment

Of Smart Politicians & The Twelfth Commandment

And for another week-end, a few stray thoughts and a few general observations and a few points of view (some of it my own work and some as reported by media):

Last few years have seen a number of Indian industrialists step out of the country and prosper in markets abroad. Call it luck or business acumen honed by generations of  experience in operating jugaads in each and every aspect of business in India. I am sure these industrialists must be thanking the politicians for having imparted this invaluable training to them. But it seems that the learning was a two-way process. Politicians themselves have learnt that it is perhaps easier to flourish abroad than in the good old motherland.  Take the case of Justice Lodha’s report and recommendations for streamlining BCCI. Now that even Supreme Court has taken a stern view and asked BCCI to implement the recommendation without demur and do away with politicians and bureaucrats, so what does the Smart Politician do? No place in MCA..., no position in BCCI ...  so what? No worries here.  ICC beckons and is ready to welcome him with open arms. Rightly it is said “When one door closes another opens.”

Everyone is aware of the Eleventh Commandment “Thou shalt not be found out” but what does one do when you are found out? Well, take recourse to the Twelfth Commandment of course. “Thou shalt deny anything and everything if it suits you”. So what if David Coleman Headley or once-upon-a-time Dawood Syed Gilani says that it was ISI which carried out the 26/11?  Pakistan can always deny it and question “credibility” of a drug smuggler. I am sure tomorrow even if Nawaz Sharif were to go to UN General Assembly and issue a statement accepting responsibility for 26/11, the Army and ISI will declare that Nawaz Sharif has lost his mind and incarcerate him in Mental Institution WADA Hospital Islamabad. That’s the power of Twelfth Commandment for you. So let’s get whatever we can from Headley’s testimony but let’s not for a moment think that it will take us anywhere with the 26/11 case.

Indian cricket was once again rocked by another sting operation;  this time the fall-guy was Sunil Dev who has been one of the Managers for Indian overseas tours. The end-result is Mahendra Singh Dhoni has joined the ranks of Kapil Dev and Mohd. Azaruddin, the Indian cricket captains who have the dubious distinction of being accused of match-fixing. While one may argue that “there is no smoke without fire”, the same smoke provides enough of a screen for the accused to get all the benefit of doubt. Not surprisingly there has been hardly any uproar in media this time round unlike the earlier occasions. We Indians tend to learn our lessons fairly quickly. After all the Twelfth Commandment always reigns supreme.

LazyBee

12^th Feb 2016

How About A Smart Parliament?

How About A Smart Parliament?

Now that a few of our cities are getting smart and perhaps all other cities would soon follow, maybe we should also look at making our Parliament smart too. No need to mention here that the Parliamentarians are already smart and don’t require to get any smarter.

Sir Edward Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker designed the Parliament building in the years which followed  the shifting of capital to New Delhi.  All going well the Parliament House will celebrate its centenary in 2028 i.e. towards the end of 18^th Lok Sabha provided off course the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th Lok Sabhas run their tenure without any mid-term elections in any of those.

It is said that some initial thinking about reconstruction of the Parliament House is already on. Maybe the powers that be may find it fit to ask for some suggestions from commoners like us.

First of all, I feel making the MPs attend the session in person should be done away with. We could use the available technology to allow MPs from both houses to log in remotely from their respective hometowns via video-conferencing and participate in the house proceedings, discussions, debates and voting.

This will bring in a sweeping change in a number of practices which have got entrenched in the Indian polity. 

1.       Government will not have to provide a huge number of dwellings to the MPs in Delhi where there is a perpetual shortage of real estate. A large number of MPs get so emotionally attached to their dwelling that they tend to retain the same even after their term is over.  Each MP has his own staff to support his activities. So all in all, a huge amount of very costly real estate can  be thus released.

2.       Poor MPs have to travel frequently between Delhi and their hometowns to keep in touch with their respective constituencies. With this arrangement the MPs will find it easier to have their finger on the pulse of the electorate. Off course Indian Airlines will lose a substantial amount of captive clientele but think positively, the raison d’être for Indian Airlines itself will be gone and maybe the Government will be able to view the issue whether to provide parachutes periodically to the Maharaja, a bit more objectively. 

3.       At present, lobbyists have it easy since all the MPs are available at one location. With this ‘decentralization’ of MPs, maybe the lobbyists will not have it that easy and just maybe the matters can move on their own merit.

4.       Babus in various ministries will probably b able to work a little more freely without this MP or that telling them what to do or what not to do.

5.       With so many high powered VIPs out of the way, the Delhi traffic will ease out and common man may be able to move around a little more freely without having to wait for the VIP cavalcades to pass.

6.       As the number of vehicles on roads reduce (VIPs, their staff and visitors) the fight against pollution will also get a leg up and Arvind Kejriwal need not impose the odd-even rule again.    

I am sure there must be a lot more plus points of such a move which elude me at the moment. I also hesitate putting a monetary value to such a move but I am sure it must run to thousands of crores of rupees per year. Some economist can surely get his/ her PhD if he / she were to take up this issue for his /her doctoral thesis.  

My friend Guy Wise, a hard-core skeptic as he is, is certain that such a suggestion is sure to land in the trash can. “My dear, have you thought of how this would affect the health of our MPs? let's see. No shouting slogans.. how will they exercise their vocal chords? No tearing up of papers... no rushing to the Well of the House...how will they get any exercise at all. Moreover no subsidized canteen food to sustain them!!!”        

LazyBee

6^th Feb 2016