How stupid can a closing ceremony be?

All these days, I've been watching closing ceremonies which have been fairly underwhelming, but are quite efficient...

However, the IPL closing ceremony is just a great example of the fact that you could just lock up your brains in India and plan the closing ceremony!

How else could you explain the camera shooting, which was horrible, to say the least? The people who were switching camera angles must have been suffering fits! The idiot was changing angles every 2 seconds and it got so annoying to an extent that my cousin had to shout at me to stop mumbling about it!

Another bone of contention was the performance by Akon.

Now don't get me wrong, Akon's songs are great (though I haven't got the opportunity to listen to most of them), and I have no grudge against him, but how do you explain the fact that the song "Smack that" blaring on the speakers but Akon was just strolling on the stage?

Lip-syncing is perfectly OK, but the guy should know that he should be lip-syncing!

The whole "Bollywood-SA", or whatever that nonsense was called, was also a big farce. Frankly, I always looked forward to the strategic break so that I could see some nice-looking girls, but to actually make it out to be like some Miss World contest is just plain stupid!

To cap off this post, I would like to make special mention of Lalit 'Monkey' Modi! (no, no, not in the racial sense, don't haul me before a court as I only have $5 to pay as legal fees!).

The IPL, as far as my understanding is concerned, is a sporting event. Since when it became a personal gratification even for Monkey is unfathomable.

Correct me if I am wrong, but this is an excerpt of what he said that day..

..I'd like to thank my wife and my children, x, y and z for their immense support...

Can you imagine what Mrs. Monkey would've said when he said that he was shifting out of India?

Darling, why don't you shift the IPL to South Africa? I've already been to England, and I think SA would be a great place for shopping...

The children would've said something along these lines...

...Daddy, I like Mr. Nel because he makes monkey faces like you, please move the IPL to SA so that I can meet him...

Poor little chap, unaware that Nel is doing his circus tricks in London...

Essex duo key to England success

County team-mates Alistair Cook and Ravi Bopara look to be running into top form for England at just the right time, with seven weeks to go until the start of the Ashes cricket action.

Opener Cook recorded his ninth Test century, with his highest Test score (160), in England’s innings and 83 run success over West Indies at the Riverside, putting him in fine fettle ahead of the imminent arrival of the Australians.

Meanwhile, Bopara has now cemented his place at number three after centuries in both Tests against the Windies and has helped to strengthen the already solid-looking England batting line-up.

Neither player featured in the epic 2005 Ashes series, but both will have a crucial role to play this time around against Ricky Ponting’s men, who will undoubtedly be concerned that the Essex pair are among the runs.

Cook, who scored a six-hour century (116) on the Ashes tour in 2006, and skipper Andrew Strauss have now established a solid foundation at the top of the order for England to build on, but the number three role has been a worry for the selectors ever since that amazing series four years ago.

Michael Vaughan now looks to have played his last Test for his country and despite his return to form at county level for Warwickshire, Ian Bell has even admitted that Bopara deserves a chance ahead of himself.

Should the top three prove a stubborn barrier, the Australian bowling attack will then face the prospect of trying to remove the intimidating figure of Kevin Pietersen, with the stubborn Paul Collingwood following, before the possibility of Andrew Flintoff cutting loose at six.

Temperament is always crucial in the Test match arena, but even more so against the Aussies and Cook and Bopara look to be perfectly set up in that capacity for a successful series this summer.

One thing's for sure: 2009 Ashes betting is likely to be very interesting over the coming weeks.

Written by Warren Ashurst

Chris Gayle.....

Well, it took me by surprise when Gayle suddenly decided that he's had enough of captaincy..

I'm totally cool with that because every captain has a certain shelf life, for some its 2 years, others 3 years (Mahela Jayawardene) and for some, it's around 10 years (like Stephen Fleming).

It's good that he wants to resign when he doesn't like it because the most destructive thing that could happen to a team is when the captain doesn't really like his job.

However, the fact that he decided to reveal it during a tour is, by no means, a very smart thing to do, considering that there isn't really someone in the team who can stand out and say "Hey, I'm good to captain". Also, the fact that he hasn't told it to his team, but to a newspaper, just smacks of immaturity and stupidity!

Denesh Ramdin is just starting to establish his place in the team and to give him the captaincy might just burden him further. However, you never know, he might just go up and above his capabilities, like Mahela did when he was captain (barring his recent rut in limited over games).

Also, the fact that he is so nice enough to say that he wouldn't be sad if test matches were gone...

Now, I'm all for a person speaking out his mind...I had recently commented on Brian Carpenter's blog (can't remember the name of his blog) that I totally support the fact that he is speaking his mind and the long duration of tours sicken everyone, not only KP.

However, though I do feel quite pissed that he says so, I think it would be best if we all (including the administrators) sit down and think deeply about what he said.

Yes, money does rule the game. I think the whole shit of 'I love playing for my country, it's such an honour' is generally said by people who actually love the dosh. The game's commercialised, people do start playing cricket because of a love for the game, but realise that it's a good way of making a living and decide that that's what matters, regardless of whether it involves giving up country for club.

Rather than trying to hunt Gayle down and point an AK-47 at his temple and ask him to scream "Test Cricket is God", I think we should do that to Julian Hunte, the WICB president.

You have your mind set on making $900,000 for 6 weeks of work, and when some other idiots ruin that for their monetary benefit, it is truly pissifying! I totally feel for him, though it shouldn't be miscontrued as me hating test cricket. In fact, I generally switch over to a test match over the IPL because there is something soothing about test cricket which the IPL (or even the EPL, or any other damn PL) can't match.

Perhaps this could be a blessing in disguise. Maybe this could be a rude wake-up signal for the administrators to create a window for the IPL and the Champions Leagues so that players can make their money and don't have to rue playing for their country.

Bravo, Chris Gayle! I applaud you for speaking your mind! (Just loved your jibe about Strauss! Stuff of the Legends! :)

I'd like to wind up this post with what Gayle said about the scheduling of games, something which we should make administrators read out loud with a gun to their head..

There's a lot of cricket being played and I've started to develop a lot of injuries. It takes a toll on your body and your mental strength so at some stage you aren't going to go on forever. You have to choose what you are going to do as a person.

Don't read the editorial if you are sleepy...

I was trying to read the editorial written by Scyld Berry, and I sure didn't grasp the true meaning of what he was trying to say...

Therefore, the moral of this post is,

'Never read an editorial if you are sleepy'

;P

Swann is gooooood.....

Was watching the fall of wickets in the third innings of the match and was quite stunned by what Graeme Swann was bowling...

It's hard to describe, but I'll try my best..

He turned the ball in the air...

That's the best way to describe it..

The last person I saw doing that was King Warney.

Swann is a really cool bowler...

Got my spanking new copy of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2009!

Yipeeeeeeeee!!!

I purchased the Wisden thru eBay for 32 pounds and got it in just a week!

You'll have to forgive me if I don't post regularly because I've been waiting to get this Wisden ever since the IPL finished as I wanted to see Scyld Berry's take on it!

Nearly 1 year of waiting...

Will keep you updated, however, on the progress as I read it! :)

I know...

I've been really slacking and not paying enough attention to my cricket blog...

It's perhaps because the IPL is the only tournament going on...

I just don't feel inclined to write much about it because everyday you have 2 matches so you just forget about yesterday's match once you've watched today's one.

The feeling that you get from watching an awesome match like the one between Mumbai and Punjab is not allowed to sink in...

Frankly, though I am contributing to the CSK fansite blog, I really am eagerly awaiting for some proper cricket...

Which comes in the form of England vs WI! :)