Akhtar Must Fire But.....

Media Watch -- Dec 6

Possibly the best captain Pakistan ever had, Imran Khan says in a column today that ‘’if Pakistan want to square this series, the man who simply must perform in Bangalore is Shoaib Akhtar.’’

With Pakistan taking just 13 wickets in last three Indian innings, Imran could not be more on target. Akhtar along with Yo-Yo are critical to Pakistan chances in the series.

In what promises to be his last Test series on the Indian soil, Akhtar will be eager to showcase his class but right now it looks that the speedster is toying more with the idea of bowling a maiden out (In a movie), than the Indian batsmen (on the field).

The glitch. Its money honey. As per a Hindustan Times report, he has been offered one crore, but Akhtar has been looking at a rather larger sum of 8 crore. This is something only the top five men command in Indian Movies. The Times of India has come up with the name of the movie as well. Predictably, it is Main aur Meri Himmat!.

Selection Tangle

Meanwhile, the lead story in all the papers today was selection tangle with many media reports describing the selection of 24 probables, just about two weeks before the Australian tour takes off, as an absurdity.

However, injuries to pacers and the fact that selectors are not still convinced about the opening partners of Jaffer were described as a major reason for the delay. According to an Indian Express report, quoting a top Board official, ‘’it is felt that since Vengsarkar's future as chairman is not clear, the finalizing of the tour party was delayed’’.

Chappell liked VRV

It needs courage to say so today but VRV has said it. ‘’After he took over, we had a bowlers’ camp and somehow he (Chappell) liked me,’’ says VRV.

‘’One thing is for sure, he did what he believed in. He believed in youth and we got a taste of international cricket,’’ says VRV in an interview to the Times of India, though he was sensible enough not to go into any controversial aspects of Chappell tenure.

3.3 Lakh per month is a big sum!

Forty lakh per year, if Vengsarkar is indeed getting it, is a big sum for writing columns. Worth spurning any honorary job in the World! After all, 3.3 lakh per month is an income which 99.9 per cent of Indian households can only dream of.

The way the things have gone of late, it look unlikely that BCCI will budge form its stand of not paying compensation to Vengsarkar. That will leave the super-selector with just one way out.

Vengsarkar's predecessor Kiran More, in NDTV's Cricket Controversies programme on Sunday, said that if he were in Vengsarkar's place, he would have resigned (rather than offering to resign) after all the controversies including BCCI directive to him to select team on phone. Though he also said that BCCI was not in wrong in asking him not to write columns.

As per media reports, the BCCI is already considering few other names as chief selector, including Borde's. Now the ball is in Vengsarkar's court. With his brief tenure marred by so many mishaps, including run-ins with former skipper Dravid, he must have a quick rethink on where his priorities lie.

Vengsarkar the columnist will surely have a more peaceful life than Vengsarkar the chief selector.

Kirsten has ''not yet decided'' on India's job

The way it has all happened, it won't be a surprise if Kirsten chooses not to accept India's job.

In a telephonic conversation with NDTV, the former South Africa opener categorically told that he was yet to make up his mind on the issue.

If it turns out to be another embarrassing no, well that will leave BCCI with ''nowhere to hide''! And, in fact, it will be quite befitting for the clandestine way the whole coach selection affair has gone.

Kumble Praises Kirsten

Meanwhile, Indian skipper Anil Kumble has praised Kirsten as ''tough competitor".

He said Kirsten's skills as player will be an asset to Indian team.

But the problem is that even Greg Chappell was an extremely skillful player, and certainly better than Kirsten.

And he was also a member of a very successful team, which was second only to the West Indies in late seventies and early eighties.

Is Kirsten already worried about Australian Tour

Meanwhile, In an exclusive interview with ESPN's SportsCenter India, the former South Africa batsman has said that he though the plan was to get involved with the team during the Australian series, but it was not intended to be on full-time basis.

To Sportscenter, he said the reason was that the notice has been very short and ''I have some long-standing commitments that I need to honour through to December and January. It’s with a view to starting full-time on March 1, if I sign the contract.”

Now the best way for Kirsten will be to come up clearly with the nature of these commitments. Else people might think he wanted to get on with the Indian team only after the toughest series in the World was over.

Board's Ring Tone annoys Vengsarkar

If a Television Channel is to be believed then Indian Chief Selector Duleep Vengsarkar has been asked to select Indian team for the 3rd Test after confabulations over phone. It is a move which Vengsarkar says has humiliated him.

But then it is not the first time the Board has insulted the chief selector. BCCI went all out against his newspaper columns and had told him that either he could be a writer or a selector.

If it is done, it will be the first time that a team would be selected over phone. Probably a live link would have been more appropriate in such situation.

Two reasons are said to be responsible for BCCI’s such queer response. First, the Chief Selector had requested the Board to shift the venue for the selection committee meeting, and Board chose to replace it with trin trin. Another reason was the Board did not want selectors to miss Ranji Matches.

Probably, the decision after such Phone(y) selection meeting will be communicated to media through e-mails, and not a formal press conference!