Firstly, I will give you my reasons for this rant. Got up today morning (2 hours before schedule on an almost nothing-to-do day) and got caught up in a bullshit situation involving myself-the-great, MSEB power supply,Indian Railways,their website,Dad's credit card,another one of his credit card, cousin's debit card, and my UPS. OK you must have guessed the situation. If not, more on this later.
So, the scenario was enough to send my blood boiling and the heat inside has to be vented out. But none of the entities mentioned above can be put to blame.Now, I feel is the right time write few words about our 'old horse', 'come back man','could have been all rounder', 'could still be an all rounder', the one and only MR. AJIT AGARKAR.
He made his debut in 1998 against Australia. Holds the record of being the quickest to take 200 wickets and score 1000 runs.But another record of his astonishes me, he is ready to make his 5000th come back on the forthcoming tour of Australia. And this time only on the basis of his performance in Adelaide 2 years ago. You may also take into account some 90 runs he scored in a recent ranji match.
The former record of his is one of the numerous silly records that is crossed or created in almost every game of cricket that is played nowadays. It gives a feeling as if statisticians of the game are being paid to dig out some nondescript record of a player , who can then add it to his resume and present it to the selectors before any tour.Come on , you should see how he has scored his 1000 runs. Edges, nudges and what not. He would have scored 1000 more if leg byes were counted.The only game that he contributed as a batsman was in Sharjah against Sri-lanka. where he hit a couple of sixes to win India the game.That's it. His economy rate and bowling average speaks volumes about his ability.
The question is - how on earth does he get picked? Earlier some self assumed cricket thinker said it was because of sachin Tendulkar's influence, then he was the blue eyed boy of Sourav Ganguly, Jagmohan Dalmiya also had a liking for him ( oh GOD..what does that mean?), now it is said that Sharad Powar has his say.But this can't be the truth by any means. Captains, coaches, selectors, Board Presidents, Sponsors an what not, all have changed. The only thing that comes back again and again is every body's beloved AJIT AGARAKAR.
He was, and ,surprisingly is considered to be the all-rounder that 'India is looking for'. India has better things to do. I can't forget the joy with which he held out his bat and helmet after completing one of the most boring centuries in Lord's. What was he happy for? India lost the first match of an overseas series pretty badly. Was he happy for his century, was it because he scored it in Lord's ? It seemed as if he was mocking at his teammates, selectors and the whole nation - ' look I can still be consider for the post of could-be-all-rounder that 'India is looking for'.
The thing is that India has had loads of cricketers who were none better than nonsense - Ashish Kapoor, Venkatapaty Raju, Doda Ganesh, Jacob Martin, Kanitkar, Ritinder Sodhi, Devang Gandhi, Kuruvilla, Mohanty ,Vikhram Rathod and many many more. It is not their fault that they had to demonstrate the lack of their cricketing skills in front of the whole nation. India has so many cricketers that many have to be tried and tested. Selectors can't help it. Newer faces have to be given a chance.That is their job. But then , how can someone like Ajit Agarkar be brought back again and again. Does he prove his worth any time when he is brought back. He is a liability. He is damn so lucky. Probably the luckiest player ever. One can't forget a VijayBharadwaj, he was a man-of-the-match and also won the man-of-the-series in his first international outing, but he disappeared.Look at Agarkar's case, he keeps getting selected over and over again. Boy, so lucky.Can't wait to see him getting whacked over point to the boundary by Gilchrist and co.
PS: a similar and probably more insulting post was in store for Kumble. But I guess, this blog has said it better.
So, the scenario was enough to send my blood boiling and the heat inside has to be vented out. But none of the entities mentioned above can be put to blame.Now, I feel is the right time write few words about our 'old horse', 'come back man','could have been all rounder', 'could still be an all rounder', the one and only MR. AJIT AGARKAR.
He made his debut in 1998 against Australia. Holds the record of being the quickest to take 200 wickets and score 1000 runs.But another record of his astonishes me, he is ready to make his 5000th come back on the forthcoming tour of Australia. And this time only on the basis of his performance in Adelaide 2 years ago. You may also take into account some 90 runs he scored in a recent ranji match.
The former record of his is one of the numerous silly records that is crossed or created in almost every game of cricket that is played nowadays. It gives a feeling as if statisticians of the game are being paid to dig out some nondescript record of a player , who can then add it to his resume and present it to the selectors before any tour.Come on , you should see how he has scored his 1000 runs. Edges, nudges and what not. He would have scored 1000 more if leg byes were counted.The only game that he contributed as a batsman was in Sharjah against Sri-lanka. where he hit a couple of sixes to win India the game.That's it. His economy rate and bowling average speaks volumes about his ability.
The question is - how on earth does he get picked? Earlier some self assumed cricket thinker said it was because of sachin Tendulkar's influence, then he was the blue eyed boy of Sourav Ganguly, Jagmohan Dalmiya also had a liking for him ( oh GOD..what does that mean?), now it is said that Sharad Powar has his say.But this can't be the truth by any means. Captains, coaches, selectors, Board Presidents, Sponsors an what not, all have changed. The only thing that comes back again and again is every body's beloved AJIT AGARAKAR.
He was, and ,surprisingly is considered to be the all-rounder that 'India is looking for'. India has better things to do. I can't forget the joy with which he held out his bat and helmet after completing one of the most boring centuries in Lord's. What was he happy for? India lost the first match of an overseas series pretty badly. Was he happy for his century, was it because he scored it in Lord's ? It seemed as if he was mocking at his teammates, selectors and the whole nation - ' look I can still be consider for the post of could-be-all-rounder that 'India is looking for'.
The thing is that India has had loads of cricketers who were none better than nonsense - Ashish Kapoor, Venkatapaty Raju, Doda Ganesh, Jacob Martin, Kanitkar, Ritinder Sodhi, Devang Gandhi, Kuruvilla, Mohanty ,Vikhram Rathod and many many more. It is not their fault that they had to demonstrate the lack of their cricketing skills in front of the whole nation. India has so many cricketers that many have to be tried and tested. Selectors can't help it. Newer faces have to be given a chance.That is their job. But then , how can someone like Ajit Agarkar be brought back again and again. Does he prove his worth any time when he is brought back. He is a liability. He is damn so lucky. Probably the luckiest player ever. One can't forget a VijayBharadwaj, he was a man-of-the-match and also won the man-of-the-series in his first international outing, but he disappeared.Look at Agarkar's case, he keeps getting selected over and over again. Boy, so lucky.Can't wait to see him getting whacked over point to the boundary by Gilchrist and co.
PS: a similar and probably more insulting post was in store for Kumble. But I guess, this blog has said it better.
