A Roar of Revival ?

A Roar of Revival ?

The roars of warning are clearly out. Having beaten England comprehensively in the 3rd and final Test at Trent Bridge, the Sri Lankans have already sounded the alarm of resurgence. At last, there seems to be a conscious effort to raise the standards of their cricket every game and it won’t be before long that these efforts will be translated into notable results. Tom Moody’s one-year in charge of the islanders has finally seen a high-point. A test win away from home is not the easiest thing to achieve for an Asian team, barring Pakistan, but as they did in 1998 at the Oval, such victories have had their own say in galvanizing and rejuvenating the spirit in the Sri Lankan camp.

A major question that might torment the average fan of Sri Lanka cricket would be, if this is just a phase or is it real transformation they have shown from the previous 6 months ? To start off, in the past 6-8 months of Tom Moody’s tenure, he had nothing much to show in terms of results, except for a few wins here and there, that too against teams like West Indies and Bangladesh. They had a forgettable tour of India, where putting 300 runs was a mammoth task by itself. Then came a tour to New Zealand, where resistance was visible to an extent, but not worth an outcome. As the pundits of the modern game claim, a tour of Australia is a toughening experience, for both the team and the individual player. It surely rubbed off in Bangladesh, where they surprisingly encountered competition from the home side, before a string of mistakes from the home side gifted the Lankans with two wins. One perceived the loss to Bangladesh in an ODI, as a low point in their journey towards a successful metamorphosis, but then the even bigger loss to Pakistan ensured that Sri Lanka go through a month of introspection before the English tour kicked off.

Here they are now with a new blood of spirit flowing through their veins, a new wave of confidence taking them through to the shore and a tough side, for whom results are just a matter of extending this exuding confidence to its logical conclusion. Having fought off a brave English challenge and perhaps achieving the unthinkable by drawing the first test might have played catalyst to this revival. A loss without fight at Edgbaston did not faze them one bit as they virtually saw through a hapless position to rout England at Trent Bridge. Maybe, this is just the beginning. Surely, Tom Moody & Co have a lot more to offer to the world.

As for the positives from whatever has transpired in Sri Lankan cricket this summer, firstly, Mahela Jayawardena’s appointment as captain as surely infused a sense of innovation and youth to this team. He is by far their best batsman at the moment, and as far as his short stint as a captain is concerned, it looks astute to the tee. Secondly, the coming back of Sanath Jayasuriya from retirement has surely had its say in reinforcing the faith and the belief within the camp. The young brigade of Sri Lankan batsmen in Chamara Kapugedara, Upul Tharanga and Michael Vandort now have a senior figure in a mentoring role to look up to and his presence in the dressing room will surely be a big enough lift the team was looking for. Lastly, for once Sri Lanka has shown signs of playing as a team, rather than relying too heavily on individuals like Vaas, Muralitharan and Jayasuriya. There is a sense of responsibility that has creeped into this team, which can only usher a good future.

Most teams only need a small yet meaningful win to trigger their revival. There are stiffer challenges ahead of this Sri Lankan team at the moment leading to the world cup. It will be imperative for them not to get too buoyant about their achievements and lose the plot when it matters. It wouldn’t be too incorrect to say that Sri Lanka are peaking at the right time, but what will test them is maintaining this good run of form. The test series against South Africa at home will prove to be another examination for this promising bunch of Sri Lankans. And, the tri-series to follow will be a test of their consistency and form.

Sri Lankan cricket has quite often flattered to deceive. With a rich wealth of raw talent in their wings, it is time they deliver against quality opposition. Beating teams like Bangladesh and West Indies might win them a series, but will only result in insecurity of belief when it comes to playing the best. One surely hopes that Sri Lanka can overcome their odds, whatever little they might have at the moment and become a force to reckon with, come West Indies 2007!

Sport's Poor Old Cousins

It has indeed taken four years to remind the world about what one sport can do in bringing everyone together. While the World Cup in Germany has done more than enough to grasp and glue the viewers' attention, other games are quite perceivably falling behind. The other day, I got an SMS from my mate, who wanted updates from the tennis match between Nadal and Lubijic ! Unfortunately, the tennis fan in me took a backseat and it took me no time to put my football jersey on, and that poor friend was perhaps distraught me being naive to the courts ! Another fine incident that I can personally relate to was the choice between the slack cricket match between India and the West Indies or the gruelling encounter between England and Paraguay. Obviously, being an English fan, my hands held sway from the remote and cricket got termed into a lagger, of course with no regrets.

It must be known that apart from the Olympics, the World Cup has a larger appeal. The Olympics is more of a worldwide phenomenon and automatically the 200-odd countries participating in them have their people gripped with anxiety, enthusiasm and passion. But, football unravels a different yet charming story. Having put through the grind in the qualifiers, 191 teams try and vouch for the 31 vacant spots in the Finals (the hosts are automatic qualifiers). And once these teams qualify for the World Cup, there is a telling hysteria that grips their respective nation. A hysteria that blends itself with an acute amount of anxiety and an equal amount of expectation. And what more, the marketing of the game has been done in a professional and immaculate manner that even the non-qualifying nations have a large say in the viewership charts. For example, even with cricket being the number-one sport in the sub-continent, there are little takers for the ongoing India vs West Indies matches as compared to the FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Another question it raises is about other sports - like tennis, cricket, golf and the second most popular sport after football - F1, vying for their share of viewership ? The worst affected sport seems tennis. I am sure given the current hype and hoopla about Germany, France's very own Roland Garros seems a smaller place to be in. Tennis in its own way has given birth to many a rivalries, and none bigger than the emerging one between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Be it the off-court mouth-slinging or be it the intense baseline battles, this contest has surely exceeded expectations and promises to enthrall its takers. Another sport that would feel the heat would be F1. Apart from football and to an extent tennis, F1 has a large following all over the world and will surely lose its ground to football when it comes to viewership. And if the race collides with some of the matches, it will have a few loyalists glued to the TV sets, but there is a heavy chance of defection of passions to football ! Cricket, most certainly bites the dust in the sub-continent, with India's tour of Windies going hand-in-hand with the kick-off timings at Germany. It will be a challenge to red-card this immense sense of euphoria that has surrounded the world.

This World Cup will surely be the grandest of them all. And five matches down, it is already becoming a World Cup - where goals will be scored, players will be booked and of course as proved by Trinidad & Tobago yesterday, unscripted stories will be written. It has surely achieved its goal in galvanizing the world through its motto of "Its time to make friends" ! The FIFA World Cup 2006, even though in its initial formative stages has left a huge unerasable mark on the viewer that only threatens to grow as the tournament moves on...

'Ali' Unplugged

‘Ali’ Unplugged :

South African cricket has given the world some truly legendary personalities. One of them is Dr. Aron ‘Ali’ Bacher. Having represented his country both as a player and an administrator with immense success, Dr. Bacher was in India as a consultant to a South African based company for electronic scoreboards – ‘Stellavista’. Venkat Ananth caught up with him at the Coffee Shop of the Cricket Club of India, Mumbai.

Venkat : Dr. Bacher to the present generation is a chapter from a story book. I, for one haven’t seen you play, but as far as I know, Dr. Bacher was one of South Africa’s best captains of all time. How do you look back at those years as the man who pioneered South African cricket ?

Dr. Bacher : I played around 12 Test matches for South Africa between 1959 to 1974. As a captain of the South Africans, we played Australia in a four-test series in 1969-70 and thrashed them 4-0 at home. Apart from these international matches, I represented Transvaal for 14 years in the domestic competitions. And, I was one of the youngest captains in the first class scene in South Africa, until Hansie Cronje took charge of Free State at the age of 19 or so.

Venkat : You were an astute captain during your playing days and one of the best known administrators cricket has seen. Was management natural to you ? Or you learnt the art as you progressed during your cricket ?

Dr. Bacher : Yes. I did enjoy being a leader. As a schoolboy, I always wanted to lead people, in whichever sport – cricket, tennis or soccer. I was always seen as someone who liked motivating the lads and enjoyed helping people during tough times. I think leadership can be put down as an ingrained quality within me.

Venkat : Your first brush with a major controversy was the organizing of the Rebel tours during the 1980s. Twenty-five years on, do you in anyway regret for doing so ?

Dr. Bacher : If I could take you back to the scene in the 80’s, there were very restrictive laws. The blacks would oppose tours and most often than not, the organizers would be put behind bars. We always were living with this false sense of security, because we thought that everyone was happy with these games being played. When the Gatting rebel tour occurred in 1989, the then President of South Africa, FW de Klerk announced some amount of freedom of speech and expression. That’s when the blacks came out in numbers and protested the tour. Yes, in retrospect, I would’ve thought twice before organizing such tours.

Venkat : The match-fixing will be the biggest yet irremovable blot on South Africa cricket. Does the ghost of 1999-00 still come back and haunt you ? Do you feel things could’ve been handled much better in this regard ?

Dr. Bacher : When this match fixing saga came into the fore, I took immediate action by setting up a commission of enquiry under Edwin King. It was indeed a moment of national shame and a big moment of shock when Hansie Cronje confessed to it. The entire issue was handled to the best of our abilities. We were transparent, especially when we allowed cameras to take pictures of the proceedings. I drew a lot of criticism for not defending Hansie Cronje during this time, but as the managing director of the board, I had to stand for credibility. My personal view regarding the match fixing episode was that it was not only in South Africa that this was going on, but all over the sub-continent.

Venkat : What are your personal views on the Boje and Gibbs controversy ? Are you of the opinion that they should visit India and co-operate with the investigating authorities ?

Dr. Bacher : I am very confident that Nicky Boje was not a party to match-fixing. In my personal interactions with Nicky, his body language was very confident and did not give me indications to suggest he was guilty. As far as Gibbs is concerned, he admitted to match-fixing and subsequently, the Board did the right thing by handing him over a ban of 6 months. I am not very happy with the way the issue has been handled by both the boards. I feel that both Governments should step into the matter and resolve it as soon as possible. I can empathize with Herschelle and Nicky, as they could be subject to intense media harassment to go with the police and investigating authorities in India.

Venkat : How and to what extent do you feel that the World Cup in 2003 has helped South Africa, both in cricket and non-cricketing terms ? Was it the ideal tonic the game could’ve asked for to boost its popularity ?

Dr. Bacher : The entire country was charged up and galvanized during those two months. There was immense unity between all the ethnic communities in South Africa. Although, the majority of the crowds who came to the cricket were whites, the coloured (includes blacks and Asians) preferred to watch it on television. The very fact that such an event graced our country has surely been a catalyst to cricket’s popularity.

Venkat : Cricket, as a social phenomenon in South Africa has gradually progressed from a rather white-centric sport to a mass and now raceless sport. Are coloured players like Gibbs, Amla, Prince, Ntini etc, soon turning into role-models for the youth in general and writing a new chapter in South African cricket ?

Dr. Bacher : Not really. I would have liked to see more blacks at the top i.e. international level. Hashim Amla is surely one for the future, but as far as the black players go, Makhaya Ntini is certainly the number one today. I hope our team one day is filled with several top quality coloured players in order to reflect the true racial balance that South Africa is actually made up of.

Venkat : What are your views about the current domestic structure in practice in South Africa ? Is the reduction of teams a good way to increase the competitiveness ?

Dr. Bacher : I do not think the reduction of the number of teams has helped in increasing the competitiveness. Today, with so much of international cricket being played, the key players i.e. players who represent South Africa hardly play domestic cricket. I personally feel that is one of the better ways to increase competitiveness. If I went back to my playing days, every South African cricketer represented his province. And each and every match I played in the span of 14 years was absolutely competitive. Unless the Kallis’ and the Pollocks step up into the domestic scene regularly, I do not think the standards can be raised.

Venkat : As a former Chief Organizer, what would be the ideal advice you would give to your West Indian colleagues ?

Dr. Bacher : Firstly, they should avoid comparing our (South Africa) World Cup to theirs, mainly because of the difference in the region. They can leave their mark by producing facilities of international standards. I often wonder how the West Indies produce truly great cricketers with such poor facilities. I am sure that by improving the overall infrastructure and with the carnival-like atmosphere that already exists, the West Indies could give the World a tournament, which they are unlikely to forget.

Venkat : What future do you see for African cricket ? Especially with Zimbabwe in a turmoil, Kenya – lack of proper domestic structure/new administration ? Is South Africa, the big brother playing an active role in the diffusion of crises and promotion of cricket in the continent ?

Dr. Bacher : As far as Zimbabwe is concerned, it is nothing but a self-inflicted conflict. Kenya is a totally different case altogether. As the Development Officer of the ICC, I initiated a process where Kenya acquired an official One-Day International status. What followed later was disheartening. They were hardly given any exposure against the top teams inspite of being World Cup semi-finalists.

Venkat : How do you see South African cricket in the next 10 years ? Can you see some shades of your captaincy in Graeme Smith ?

Dr. Bacher : Graeme Smith comes across as a young and dynamic personality with a lot of character and determination to do well for his country. He has made some mistakes on the way, but that’s the advantage of being young. One hopes he could learn from them and become a better leader and cricketer in the near days to come. And as far as the future for South Africa is concerned, it looks very bright.

Venkat : South African sport in general has taken a notch ahead when it comes to organizing World Cups. How do you think these events will change South Africa’s image in the world ?

Dr. Bacher : It has been very positive thus far, though the biggest is yet to come. The only reason why we have been successful enough to host these World Cups is that we have good infrastructure, good facilities like airports, hotels etc. and of course stadia of international standards. Cricket and rugby have most certainly helped change South Africa’s image in the minds of the people, but the most-awaited and the biggest event will be the Soccer World Cup in 2010.

Venkat : Franz Beckenbauer in an interview last week talked about the power of football channelizing African nations together. He said “There is only one language they speak, there is only one power that brings them together.” Do you think cricket can also share the mantle and becoming a unifying force for African nations one day ?

Dr. Bacher : Not quite. I cannot see cricket making the same amount of impact as football has done in the continent – primarily because it is only a few countries like Uganda, Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa that have taken up to the game. It will certainly make its mark as a popular sport and grow in a few countries but not on an overall scale.

Venkat : Any memorable incidents on and off the field that you would both look back at and feel proud about ?

Dr. Bacher : The unification of South African cricket is right there at the top. That would be the biggest and the proudest moment for any South African cricketer, past or present. Subsequently, organizing the Cricket World Cup in 2003 successfully was a great way to sign-off.

Venkat Ananth

venkz86@gmail.com