Captain Courageous' Mahi-Way!

Mahatma Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Ratan Tata, Barack Obama, Arnab Goswami, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, … One common thread running through all these names is that they all are (were) courageous! Besides, of course, being legends & leaders! And, as you must have guessed it by now, I am a great fan of them all! …

These are just a few names that I have mentioned here but there are many more – many many many more! - from India and rest of the world, contemporary and historical, spanning the entire spectrum of Life who have stood apart from the crowd - but always with the crowd; they all have been bold and brave and, thus, true leaders!

And I salute each of these leaders! And I also salute all those nameless and faceless people – commonly called ‘common man’ / ‘aam-aadmi’ – who have displayed courage in their life and have stood for their ideology and along the way have inspired themselves and others in their sphere to do just what they had always wanted to do – just like the way the world leaders from all walks of life, sports included, have motivated people since the time immemorial!

Watching Mahendra Singh Dhoni lead India to lift the most prized possession in the world of cricket, famously called The Cup That Counts and bring back the most coveted of the silverware in a trophies-chest after 28 long years with his masterstroke of an innings of 91n.o. when India looked shaky from the early exit of stalwarts like Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar said a lot about the man! In spite of so-called not being in his “true form” during the tournament with bat – I say, he was in full form with his captaincy! – he took that bold step of coming out at No.4 when the chips were down for India – and the stakes were pretty high. I cannot imagine any other captain being his ‘natural’ courageous self when India’s possible monumental loss could have got pinned on his shoulders for ever if his strategy had backfired! He looked his usual self i.e. calm and determined from the first go; he remained focused even under intense pressure; and he set out to play the much needed “Captain’s Knock” and steered India the Mahi-way to the victory! And when he hit that huge winning SIX, the nation cheered and cried simultaneously! And then like a true leader he slipped out of the glare and let his team savour the moment! (In no photograph taken on the ground with the cup you will see him clearly.) His ability to handle such momentous moments is supremely humble which is simply awesome!

It was an enormous emotional moment for the entire country. To see a super cool captain Dhoni trying to hide his tears from the cameras was indeed overwhelming! (I couldn’t control my tears.) And who can ever forget tears rolling freely out of legendary Sachin’s eyes (I can hear Sachin say: “I had a dream…!”) and Yuvraj’s, Bhajji’s and almost every member of the winning team adding to the collective pool. Those “Tears of Joy” made the entire country cry with happiness and relief and the satisfaction of getting to hold the Ultimate Cup, again, and being crowned as the Cricket Superpower! … Let the Celebrations continue! …

The most remarkable dimensions of his personality – character is the most apt word – are his trademark brutal honesty and straightforward streak! His beautiful smile on his handsome face (long hair/short hair/no hair: he looks as admirable as always!) radiates his core the best! His ability to stick to his principles and values and beliefs even under trying circumstances is almost unprecedented and infectious; and, his greatness to be able to remain rooted in spite of being a “super successful” and a “super rich” sporting icon in today’s times of glamour and glitz is incredible; remember, he is Indian cricket’s favourite poster boy! His leadership of guts and gutsy decisions – gut instincts! – are aspects of his being that are hugely inspirational! His unshakeable inner calmness with an equally strong confident exterior which he reflects is amazing! He commands respect from all, to say the least. Let us not forget that most of the members of the present team have played under erstwhile captain; it was Dhoni becoming the captain which made them perform at their best.

Let us not forget that he doesn’t come from any “cricketing nursery” – the so-called big towns – where cricket is considered a serious career option and have necessary cricketing ambiance and facilities. What is extraordinary about his constitution is that in spite of this he has been able to carry his team and its individual egos – comprising of seniors and juniors and contemporaries - forward as the most successful captain – and a formidable cricketer - of the most successful Indian cricket team ever! Mahi is a magical leader! 20-20; 50-50; ODI No.1; Tests No1; what next, Mahi?!

Today, if MSD is called Midas Singh Dhoni, then let’s accept the fact “fortune favours the brave”!

(Keep up your courage, Captain MSD! And, a huge THANKS, Mahi and your formidable team (especially Sachin, Sehwag, Yuvi, Bhajji, Zaheer, Kohli, Nehra, and …) along with Guru Gary and the entire support staff, for bringing the Cricket World Cup back to India!)

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a study in himself! …

May God be with MSD, as always J

………………….

Honi ko anhoni karde, anhoni ko honi!...

Aur kaun, but our Captain Courageous Dhoni! J

…………………..

Besides cricket per se, another highlight of the just concluded – and conquered! – cricket world cup has been the transformation of Sonia Gandhi. After Uncle Rajiv’s death, she seemed to have gone into her cocoon in spite of being in the public life as a political leader. It was a pure delight to see her enjoy India’s win over Pakistan in Chandigarh! She looked living her life, finally! And, yesterday night, watching her come out in an open jeep to be amongst the celebrating crowd cemented her “coming of”! … Keep it up, Sonia Aunty :)

THANK YOU, Captain MSD! We LOVE YOU :)

THANK YOU, Captain MSD! For making India the Cricket Champion, again! And, we LOVE YOU! ...

Mahi, you led from the front, as always! Indian Team is indeed immensely fortunate to have you as their Captain! And you kept your team absolutely determined throughout! Yuvraj Singh’s peaking during the crucial time of the World Cup tournament was one of the most extraordinary blessings! And, not to forget, Sachin Tendulkar’s trophies-chest will now have this prized and the most coveted of all silver wares, The Cricket World Cup, and his thrill is understandable! …

28 years later, after Kapil Dev’s team’s 1983 victory at the Lords, India finally brought back The Cup That Counts! 2^nd April 2011 will be a date which India and the world will remember forever! … Your keeping your Cool even after achieving this historic feat was incredible! … Great; keep it up!

Mahi, my belief – like billions Indians’ – was unshakeable from the beginning itself that we will win! And, my belief was based on you, Dhoni! … You will always remain India’s most beloved & respected Captain! We love you J …

And, I Thank God for being there with you & your team throughout! May God be with you, always J …

India and Cricket World Cup

“Hurrahhhhhhhhhhh,” I remember that deafening sound distinctly which I had heard while swinging on a swing. Because that is the sound which initiated me into the “world affairs”, sports to start with. It was 1983 and India had won the cricket World Cup! (And then I understood why the adjoining club’s tennis court was vacant on a holiday; watching members play tennis while swinging on the swing was my enjoyable pastime!)

Cricket became one of my favourite sports, tennis and soccer remaining my all time favorites. F1, of course – till Michael Schumacher’s reign – was the sport I loved the most! I have enjoyed a few cricket matches “live” and have passed numerous hours in front of television watching my favorite cricketers – many from Australia – play and win and lose and entertain in the process. Honestly, “too much” of cricket in various formats coupled with paucity of time has robbed the real joy of the game – for me, at least. Nevertheless, I love to watch Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar play. MSD, of course, I admire for his ability to lead with ice-cool demeanor!

The 10^th Cricket World Cup is on! India along with all cricket playing nations is ecstatic! We have a strong chance to win the cup the second time after ’83 under MSD’s captaincy. (Honestly, I am sure India will this time!) The opening ceremony was OK – nothing great about it, frankly. Like a cricket fan, I too wanted to watch the kick-off game between India and Bangladesh today but being thousands of miles away in a non-cricketing country coupled with professional engagements deprived me of that pleasure. Till I get back to India, I will follow the world cup on the BBC and the Net. (I look forward to New Delhi match between India and Netherlands on 9^th Mar’11.)

The ongoing world cup is extremely important for its scale of economy – for India and all countries involved. The biggest beneficiary will be the sports channel engaged in live telecast. The other channels which will get the second biggest pie of ad revenues would be the news channels. No wonder we see them dedicate good share of ‘prime time’ to coverage and panel discussions on cricket. A few credible critics and commentators I do not mind watching for a while, but beyond that I cannot digest. Because ‘Sports’ is one arena which is ‘played’ out and is not ‘reported’ like other ‘news’ in today’s television era. And at all cost I avoid wasting my time listening to armchair critics and so-called experts. The most shocking is the Times Now’s decision to incorporate ‘glamour’ factor in their cricket world cup coverage by roping in Mandira Bedi (in her trademark noodle-straps and her mastered sham of wearing traditional Indian attire i.e. a so-called sari!) and Roshni Chopra on their panel of so-called experts! What happened to their claim of a ‘no nonsense’ approach to news? ‘Hard news’ seems to have become ‘hardly news’ in relation to cricket WC coverage! (I watched it yesterday on the Net and could not go beyond a few minutes.)

Anyway, cricket world cup is about cricket and cricketers and not about television studio critics and commentators. …

………….

I, like billion plus Indians, firmly believe that India will win this time! … Congrats, MSD J

MSD and Hounds of Mediavilles

(My younger sister is a big fan of Mahender Singh Dhoni and she has him on “Google alert”. She forwarded me the necessary links on Media coverage of MSD’s marriage based on which I am making my opinion here. Also, out of curiosity I made special efforts to watch some of that drama on various channels. Otherwise, I completely stay away from Hindi news channels. Though I understand a couple of regional languages but I don’t torture myself by watching any of them.)

..............................................

Even if – I’m simply making an assumption here - MSD hasn’t read Sherlock Holmes’ spy adventure in Baskervilles, yet he would have easily identified the surrounding hounds of Mediavilles during his marriage! In those “Doon” days the Indian paparazzi phenomenon acquired a new proportion the face of which was pretty ugly. Thankfully the English News channels (I vouch for Times Now, NDTV and CNN-IBN only) maintained their balance otherwise the Hindi ones resembled one big consortium all out on a big game safari! Not that the print was any far behind in the crazy game! And, crazy it was - to use a mild expression!

MSD “faulted” in wanting to have some peaceful and personal moments with his immediate family and close friends during his marriage. Media’s “fault” was it could not digest the fact that in today’s 24x7 news environment it had to lose out on “live” coverage of a “big ticket” event like marriage of the Indian cricket team’s captain. After all, Media is used to getting all-details-provided “special invites” to such celebrities’ weddings.

The funniest part – which was not funny at all - of the whole drama during MSD’s marriage days was the erroneous reporting being indulged into by the Media. Every reporter seemed to have manufactured on-the-spot his or her own version of MSD-Sakshi love story – their childhood, their meeting, their dating and their marriage – their life in totality. Nobody seemed to have any knowledge about most of the things. Still every channel was trying to outdo others by resorting to never-seen-before tactics on television. The “surround scribes effect” was quite hilarious!

I am sure no other “Breaking News” – the “real” ones of big magnitude - would have succeeded in “Breaking” the series of “Breaking News” on MSD’s marriage rituals. The “accuracy” of ritual timings being flashed – ‘broken’ – on the television screen gave an impression as if one was witnessing Olympics sporting events! So what if every channel had a different timing for the same ritual! Every channel was claiming precision of the timings as if they were being fed with updated tweets by MSD himself!

But the biggest problem I had with Media’s “intrusive” journalism – at its worst, I must say! – in those “Doon” days was the “divisive” reportage they had adopted plainly out of revenge. The Media was unabashedly trying to forge a permanent divide between MSD and his team members – all those “unfortunate” and “uninvited” ones. Media’s “divide & rule” policy was certainly unpardonable. The arrogance of the Media was repulsive.

Also laughable was the “response” of a few cricketers to Media’s bait i.e. provocative questioning – Gautam Gambhir in particular. Sadly, though our national cricket team members are exposed to the international sporting ambience, they are yet to graduate to being truly international – global – in their attitude. They are yet to break free from their “Indian” mentality – of being Deewana in Begani shaadi!

Our esteemed cricketers and the esteemed Media need to be made to understand the difference between “personal” and “professional” aspects of one’s life, even if it involves a fellow cricketer or a celebrity. They also need to be regularly updated on the international stature personalities’ weddings: that how those are held, who all are invited and “not” invited, and how the rest of the world – Media included – reacts to a particular occasion.

In fact, today is a big learning day for our Media, and cricketers: The only daughter of the ex-president of the United States of America is getting married. And not every president/prime minister – ex-/current – of all countries, UN officials included, and every diplomat he probably shook hands with on this earth has been invited for Chelsea’s marriage; the entire bunch of current US senators perhaps has also not been invited. And, all hell is not going to break loose on Bill and Hillary Clinton for keeping their daughter’s wedding a private affair and away from the prying eyes of the omnipresent Media.

Even if the western media paparazzi is quite infamous for their extreme brand of “intrusive” journalism, by tomorrow morning the world will know that the “reaction” of the world Media hasn’t been over-the-board even if they were not invited in full numbers: in contrast to the Indian Media’s outrage and outrageous behaviour during and post MSD’s marriage.

In conclusion: Even though the Indian news market and thus the news channels (I have same advice for the print media) have evolved but in numbers only; the Indian Media has to evolve in its conduct as well: from being “hounds” to “humble and sensible”.

Till then: MSD, you did the right thing by keeping the intrusive elements out of your personal celebrations. You are a “public” figure but you are fully entitled to a “private” life and your “personal” life is nobody’s business. Hopefully other celebrities will learn from you. … Congratulations, to you and Sakshi :)

MSD: from Captain Cool to Captain Lost?

“Where’s the party tonight?” kept resonating in everybody's mind while watching IPL-3 matches – viewers’ included! After all, the IPL-3 initially got more publicity - notoriety - for its “famed” post matches parties, gaining equal prominence at par with matches! The tamasha would have carried on but for its own creator’s "mid-match" crisis! Lalit Modi’s midnight tweets revealing Shashi Tharoor’s ‘personal’ interest in the formation of the IPL Kochi team put a "strategic break" in between! And all hell broke loose thereafter!

Here, we need not discuss the aftermath again. Already a lot of time and space – in media and mind – have been devoted to debating the unfolding of the IPL sordid saga.

Today, we discuss the aftermath of India’s debacle in the T20 World Cup. The guns are out for the players, and rightly so. As expected, BCCI is hell bent on deflecting the entire blame on the captain. Mahender Singh Dhoni is receiving the maximum flak for India’s disappointing play.

Well, MSD has proven himself to be the most successful of the cricket captains that India has had so far. His cool demeanour coupled with his supreme control over his team and himself has endeared him to the Indian cricket lovers across all age groups and sections of the society. He is hugely regarded as the Captain Cool by one and all!

Then what went wrong with MSD at the T20 WC? Why did he behave in the manner he did? Why was he seen as being uninterested and casual in his actions and responses? Why was he deemed to have an arrogant body language - very unlike him? Well, why did he give all those silly excuses and attributed his team’s dismal performance to the post match IPL parties? …

The questions are many. And we need to dissect them threadbare. After all, a lot get invested in cricket in India: not only enormous amount of money and time but also deep emotions. It is believed that for an Indian cricket fan, cricket is almost a religion – though I find this clichéd explanation a bit boring.

So, without digressing, let us debate if MSD should be made the fall guy? Should he be seriously reprimanded for his poor captaincy or be removed from the post? Should he be also sacked – rested, as BCCI would like to put it – like a few of the out-of-form senior players?

I say: reprimand him; give him an ultimatum; but do not remove him from the captain’s post. Because, this is not how cricket should be administered in India. And, then how can BCCI shirk all its responsibilities and hold one man – the captain – responsible for the entire fiasco in the Caribbean? Aren’t the officials of the cricket controlling body equally to be blamed for the team’s cheerless show? Isn’t it the BCCI who had planned team India’s itinerary and had scheduled IPL competition so near to the T20 WC? Parties or no parties, the fact remains that players are bound to get fatigued after such a hectic tournament, that too just prior to the T20 WC!

Let us not be unfair to Mahender Singh Dhoni. Though he for sure was out-of-form as far as his manners and actions are concerned in the West Indies, but he remains the best player to lead the team India in future as well. No one else is even closely as capable as MSD to handle the challenges of captaincy. Give him time.

MSD, hope you are listening. Please get back to your original self soon. We cannot afford to have you as the ‘Captain Lost’ for long.

MSD, I am sure you will bounce back as our Captain Cool :)