World Cup Struggle

Everyone's struggling.

The spectators struggle to get tickets. On a contrary the Police sticks make the wounds soar.

The one sided games give pale look to the world event.

The lack to keen followers make the worst bargain for the 50 over game.

Indian are struggling to take 10 wickets.

English are struggling to fill in the injured faces.

Aussies are struggling to get a tough opponent.

All in all the World cup followers are those who have monetary benefits involved while the real cricket followers has lost his way long back. IPL to be blamed.

Maybe an Indo-Pak game could spice it up a little. (Alas! you have the bookies running high everywhere)

One team would win, but the cricket has lost. SAD :(

A Cup and the World chase

The time has ticked which has begun the 10^th edition of the Cricket World cup. The teams’ representing each continent has gathered together in the Indian subcontinent to mark their superiority. And to add spice to recipe, none of the team is said ‘favorites’ to win title. The at par teams will compete each other for the 41 day long event and one amongst them would be crowned the title of “World Champions” for the next four years.

Let’s run through each probable favorites.

Australia

Since they have won it for 4 times including a hattrick, no one can discard them from being favorites even after a recent dip. They have a staggering pace attack with Bret Lee at his extreme best, Tait and Bolinger with an able support and Johnson as a perfect allrounder. Shane Watson has proved his abilities and needs no separate mention in the list of quality players. Only if their batters get together and put up a decent show, I believe the Aussies have a fair enough chance.

India

Everything is at stake for the Indian players during this edition. Add to it the home conditions and the pressure from media and crowds, the expectations of every Indian and the Farewell to Sachin Tendulkar. The talk of Sachin getting hundred in the Finals at Wankhede has been talk with audacity. In the recent past and since the failure in the previous occasion in Caribbean, the Indian has shun its tag from chockers to winners, thanks to the flamboyant Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his techniques to lead a bunch of exceptional cricketers. Only if Zaheer and his mates in fast bowling come together to put an outstanding show, the Indian fairytale can come close to the most important of all the titles.

South Africa

The Africa’s have a carried the tag of favourites since their entry into the event back in 1992, but have always failed to jump over and across at the important juncture and have eluded the glory. With two good spinners in side and a prolific batting lineup, this team would go long into the tournament.

Srilanka

The home conditions and the huge fan support have been the positives for Srilanka in whatever type of cricket they play. Add to it the most versatile team consisting of gutsy batsmen, aggressive bowlers and some electric quick fielders, the combination would make an upset for sure.

England

The recent peak in form and the Ashes triumph have made the Bristishers appear respectful their ancestral teams. The performance is deep routed in the camaraderie between the players and deep desire to come out of trouble times. They are most likely a team to go distance, if their batters fare well on the viciously turning sub-continental pitches.

West Indies, Bangladesh, New Zealand

They form an important group of teams as they are more than capable of haunting the cup chasers with an upset. The results against these teams would make or break a championship seeker. If at all they conquer each of the probable then the World cup would spice it up during the closing hours.

The Cup comes home

Another 3 weeks past the engines will be set on, while the aspirants of glory will mark the beginning of the 10th World Cup of the most exciting game called Cricket. The game itself has grown leaps and bounds from the yester years. The pace nowadays is electrifying while the skills of players on exhibit have crossed all know human capabilities. The fitness is more important than form and commitment more important than ability.

The Indians when crowned Champions in 1983 under Kapil Dev, the team had a perfect balance with ‘n’ number of utility players who stood up at the crucial junctures when the opportunity arose. The current team of Dhoni has a bit more of all than in past champions. With no doubt the expectations of the billion people will stand behind and grant support to the most beloved team.

And if the glory-seekers of team India crosses over on the final day at Wankhede, it will prove to be an icing on the extravagant career of the games favorite son, Sachin Tendulkar!

African Safari

When the Indian Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his colleagues went on-board the airplane that would cross the Arabian Sea and reach the continent of Africa, the Indian contingent of the cricketing fans were into a huge turmoil of emotional outburst. One; for that it brought the nightmares of the previous tours, and secondly with a hope that as this team has weathered the most adverse conditions in the recent past this tour too may become an exceptional success.

Back there in the Republic of South Africa the bunch lead by Grahame Smith was busy preparing to dethrone Indians from the top spot and gather the prestigious crown. They made sure the tallest of the ballers were in team with their prime weapons blazing all over the huge Indian batting line up. The pitch for this epic encounter was set with the greenish top, favourable swing and the lethal bounce. Dale Steyn, alongside Morne Morkel looked fit to the extreme and was in prime form throughout.

The battle at Centurion began with the home team gathering Indian wickets almost at will. The heavy-steady batting collapsed before the pace, swing, bounce combination of the African pace battery. The Lions tamed the Tigers and made them look as awful as a cat. First, Shewag fell into the trap which began the downfall and the rest followed soon. Gambhir, Dravid, Laxman and Raina with exception of Tendulkar & Dhoni made a long walk towards and away from the action within no time. The nightmares of the 1996 tour flashed when Donald-Pollock duo finished the Indian batting in no time. Unlike the previous occasion’s it was the over pitched deliveries and late swing that caught the Indian batter’s gasping.

Kallis, and the big unit he is, made sure that the Indian remain fielding for long hours.

He gathered his initial double hundred and the sign of relief on him and the South African fans was worth watching. De’Villers celebration of Kallis’s feat spoke heavily of the glue between this team. Another landmark was the Sachin’s 50th century in the second innings which prolonged the Indian defeat. The fight and character of Indian batters in the second inning proved evidence to their steep rise at the number one spot.

Came Durban the next venue and the butterflies in the stomachs of the Indian fans grew wilder. The Gambhir injury, the lost toss, a green top and the fresh looking African attack made matter worst against the Indians. Another collapse brought smiles to the African’s, but only briefly as the Indian seamers and Harbhajan bundled out the African’s soon with a handsome lead. Another collapse of Indian batting till Laxman stood stable and alongside the tail gathered good score to provide the Indian bowlers with an opportunity to tame Lion in his own den. As the saying goes “the wonded Tiger is even more dangerous” so was the outcome of the test match with the Indian crowned victorious and their one number position intact.

Newlands, with its beautiful location of Table Mountains on one side and the green belt on other, was set to make this evenly contest more exciting. The flat and clear pitch with warm conditions favoured the touring side and when the ever bumbling Sreesanth bowled his heart out to send the African’s packing the tense look in the eyes of home side fans was evident. Their savour Kallis once again stood strong and fought hard till the last blood even after sustaining an external injury. And when the Indian batters were blazing all over it was Dale Styen show that made sure the match was evenly poised. He showed the world what fast bowling is all about and the combination of line, length and swing at a high pace makes a number one fast bowler. No wonder he is better to any another fast bowler ever at the current stage.

The Indians got better over the African’s in the second innings as well till the Kallis nailed the last coffin when he marched his team towards safety with the lower order. Draw was the only result possible and the Indian batters manage a fluent batting outing on the crumbled fifth day pitch, thus ending this historic tour with a point each.

This battle between the first and second side of the world was the requirement of an hour when the test cricket is fading away its popularity to the glamorised T20’s. Indians would feel better as they managed to save series loss on African ground for the first time. Kallis and Tendulkar batting show in adverse conditions have once again proved the importance of style and technique. All bowlers enjoyed good run with Steyn and Harbhajan being the best for their sides. Although the likes of Shewag-Dravid for India and Smith-Prince for Africa failed miserably the contest was better than the media hyped Ashes show that ran alongside.

Possibly it was the last test match show on African soil for the veteran Indian trio viz; Tendulkar, Laxman and Dravid, the scores are levelled until Kallis comes to India to play his final test series here. And we the true Indian fans eagerly wait for that day.

Slow Down Culture

This has come to me as an email forward, which i beleive is worth reading.
Special thanks to the original author. Cheers!
Regards,
Kunal

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An interesting reflection : Slow Down Culture
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It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It's a rule.
Globalize processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to posses a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.

Said in another words: 1. Sweden is about the size of San Pablo, a state in Brazil. 2. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants. 3. Stockholm, has 500,000 people. 4. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Nokia are some of its renowned companies. Volvo supplies the NASA.

The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work). The first day, I didn't say anything, either the second or third. One morning I asked, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot." To which he replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, and whoever gets in late will be late and need a place closer to the door. Don't you think? Imagine my face.

Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe name Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart: the spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.

Basically, the movement questions the sense of "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization, fueled by the desire of "having in quantity" (life status) versus "having with quality", "life quality" or the "quality of being". French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity been driven up by 20%. This slow attitude has brought forth the US's attention, pupils of the fast and the "do it now!".
This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means reestablishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans' essential values, the simplicity of living.
It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.

In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there's a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any minute now". To which Al responds, "A life is lived in an instant". Then they dance to a tango.
Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious of living the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists. We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment. As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans".

Congratulations for reading till the end of this message. There are many who will have stopped in the middle so as not to waste time in this globalized world.

God bless!