Indian cricket: Naak kat gayee...Tendulkar's retirement...

naak kaT gayee...
sher hue Dher...
miTTii meN mil gayee saakh...
ballebaazoN ne ghuTne Teke...

These were the flashes, alerts and initial headlines on television as India lost to its second neighbour in a week, after Bangladesh, and the defeat to Sri Lanka took them out of the World Cup 2007.

I wonder what will be the headlines in the morning. Fans are angry, companies are upset for putting so much money, the spirits of the nation are low. First media generates hype an then demolishes the Heroes.

One guy says that Indian cricketers should be booked under IPC for hurting sentiments under sections 153 or 295 of IPC. Police case! Cricket is a religion in India, surely. Fans are truly feeling cheated, frustrated and blaming cricketers for earning millions but not delivering on field.

Another friend of mine, a fan of Tendulkar, was in tears and demands his retirement. Meanwhile, late night TV channels took reaction of people on street. One guy wished something really bad for Chappell. It was disgusting to hear. Star TV later apologised but its their fault by showing faces of Indian cricketers with the script 'Bharatiya Cricket ke Sharamnak Chehre'.

Hopefully, good sense will prevail and fans are not going on destruction spree, self-immolation bids or attacks on players and their houses. Let the media also learn from its mistake of creating such massive hype. Peace!

Bob Woolmer's death after Pakistan's defeat

The coach of Pakistani cricket team Bob Woolmer was reported dead late on Sunday night. He was found unconscious in his hotel room in Jamaica. He was found bleeding from his nose. It is learnt that he was suffering from diabetes and had also high blood pressure. Initial reports also suggested possiblity of poison intake.

However, clear it was the shock of the defeat that took its toll on him. The growing media pressure on cricket players and even coaches to ensure that the team performs well, has found a casualty. Unfortunately in other sports in the sub-continent there is hardly any such pressure and no such demanding fans.

Woolmer, 58, who was born in Kanpur in India in 1948, had played 19 tests for England and aggregated 1,059 runs at an average of 33 with three centuries and two half-centuries. It was in his role as coach that he excelled much more than as a cricketer.

Bob Woolmer was coach with Pakistan for a long time and had got emotionally attached to the team. Clearly the humiliating defeat from Ireland after their loss to West Indies and the ouster from world cup did him in. He must have gone through hell.

In the press coference following Pakistan's defeat to Ireland in the World Cup 2007, he said that nobody has control over destiny and said that he had played his innings. That proved prophetic. It is indeed sad. Good bye Woolmer . (Bob Woolmer's website)