The entire planet is aware that cricket is the most popular sport in India and that it has achieved religion-like status in every household in very nuke and corner of the nation. In recent times, despite the team’s abysmal performances, Sachin Tendulkar’s historic achievement of hundred centuries in international cricket and Virat Kohli’s sustained progress have given the people something to cheer about. However, amidst the euphoria surrounding the little master and the prodigy, everyone seems to have forgotten a superstar in his own right who has never been given due recognition since his achievements have always lived in the shadows of the cricket stars. The luminary I’m referring to is the indefatigable Leander Paes who has achieved legendary status in the world of tennis in the most professional manner imaginable. Having recently completed the elusive ‘Career Slam’ in doubles at  38 years of age by winning the Australian Open in 2012 with Radek Stepanek, Paes has achieved everything there is to win in the sport.

Coming from a family steeped in sport, Paes was exposed to the rigors of an athlete’s life from an early age. That probably explains the tremendous success he achieved in his formative years on the pro circuit. We all know Paes as a specialist doubles player, but he has savored success in singles as well during his younger years. At the age of 17, he won the Wimbledon juniors’ title (1990) and was also the number one junior player in the world at the time, not to forget his heroics at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games where he won the bronze medal. One of his biggest achievements in singles was beating top draw Pete Sampras (then world No.2) in an ATP tournament in 1998.

It was by choice that Paes decided to focus primarily on doubles and the mixed doubles category. Having won seven Slams as a doubles player and six Slams in mixed doubles, Paes has proved that he has the game and the temperament to win on different surfaces at the highest level. Having partnered with numerous players over his stellar career right from Ramesh Krishnan to Radek Stepanek and from Cara Black to Martina Navratilova, Paes is world-renowned for his partnership with fellow Indian ace Mahesh Bhupathi with whom he shared a tremendous degree of success that included three Slams and numerous other ATP tournaments. It’s unfortunate, however, that the effervescent  ‘Indian Express’ duo have shared a sparring relationship with each other over the years, and the biggest loser in this scenario is the sport itself. As an aside, Paes has always been a Davis Cup hero and he seems to raise the bar when it comes to playing for his country.

So, where does that leave Leander Paes amongst the few sporting greats to have emerged from India? As is tradition in our cricket-mad nation, a famous sports personality is looked upon as a major target in advertising circles. But I can’t think of one product endorsed by the tennis superstar whilst new and unproven cricketers are lapping up endorsements all over the place. Paes might have his tryst with Bollywood and might make it to the tabloids on and off but he clearly deserves to be applauded more conspicuously for his commitment, his desire and for his contribution in enhancing India’s profile in the world of tennis.

Adam Gilchrist

It’s an arduous task to summarize the feats of Gilly (as he was popularly known during his stellar career), who along with his brilliant keeping skills, was one of the few batsmen who took aggressive batting to unprecedented heights.

As keeper, Gilly had the hardest job of keeping wickets to bowling greats such as Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath – an obvious indication that proved his excellence behind the stumps. As an attacking opening batsman in ODIs, he blasted his way to several significant knocks and was an influential factor in Australia’s run of success in the late nineties and early noughties. Moreover, he was a gentleman and a great entertainer who was impossible to stifle once he hit the right notes. Even though he batted at no.7 in Tests, Gilly dominated bowling attacks scoring runs at a brisk rate notching up 17 centuries. Batting averages of 35.90 in ODIs and 47.60 in Tests prove how effective he was with the bat and with his brilliance behind the stumps, Gilly was indeed one from a rare breed.

On occasions when opposition bowling line-ups got the better of the top order, Gilchrist batted like a champion to snatch the momentum back in Australia’s favor. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that in the 96 Test matches that he has played in, Australia emerged victorious 73 times! Some might argue pointing out that he wasn’t the best wicket-keeper but as wicket-keeper-batsman, he was incomparable. He is without doubt, one of the greatest glove-men to have ever graced the game currently holding the record of maximum dismissals in ODIs (417) along with a ridiculously high strike-rate in all forms of the game. He also holds the unique distinction of having won three World Cup titles in 1999, 2003 and 2007.

Mark Boucher

With a tremendous appetite for victory, Boucher has been one of South Africa’s best cricketers. A player with a remarkable attitude and steely determination, Boucher easily makes the list of best utility players in cricket. In fact, ‘utility’ might be an under-statement considering how well he has performed in all formats of the game.

As a wicket-keeper, he grew in stature to become one of the best stumpers in the game and recently achieved the distinction of 500 Test dismissals to boast of on his illustrious resume. To successfully carry out the job of keeping wickets to express bowlers such as Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel over the years is no mean achievement and Boucher accomplished this in the most professional manner.

As batsman, very rarely do you see him gift his wicket to the opposition. With the ability to switch gears depending on the situation of a game, he has earned the tag of being one of the best finishers in the game carrying the team to victory on several occasions in moments of crisis. Coming lower down the order in ODIs, a batting average of 28.80 is exceptional and speaks volumes of his capabilities with the bat. With an average of 30.70 in Tests, Boucher is without doubt, an immensely talented and gifted cricketer.

Rahul Dravid

Dravid is the epitome of discipline and hard work; a perfect role model to any aspiring cricketer both on and off the field. Not one to hog the limelight, Dravid has always been content playing second fiddle to his more illustrious partners. It’s a pity that his contributions have always paled in comparison with the Tendulkars, the Gangulys and the Sehwags because his batting approach, though immensely effectual, is not tailor-made for the masses but the classes. However, one cannot underestimate the value of having a player like Dravid in the ranks. Apart from being one of the most successful and reliable batsmen in all forms of the game, he proved his credentials as a team player to the core when he agreed to don the keeper’s gloves in ODIs to help the team accommodate an extra batsman and boy, how he faced up to the challenge!

It was during this period that Indian cricket surged forward under Ganguly’s captaincy. Handing the gloves to Dravid proved to be a masterstroke for Team India in the early noughties though it took him a while to come to grips with the gloves. However, his batting average never suffered a dip in spite of having taken on the responsibility and he played some of his most valuable ODI knocks as keeper-batsman.

Apart from these three stalwarts, Romesh Kaluwitharana and Moin Khan were other players who succeeded playing the dual role in ODIs; the former going after the bowling to set the tone for others to follow while the latter, a shrewd batsman coming lower down the order bailing the team out on many an occasion with significant contributions. With the changing tides of the game, the wicket-keeper has a much more pivotal role to play in today’s game to help the team embrace more attacking options to outwit opposition teams.

It’s humanly impossible to capture words that can encapsulate the splendor and the poise associated with batsman-ship when the man in the spotlight happens to be – Sachin Tendulkar; a gentleman who for over twenty years has given the world of cricket and its followers unbridled happiness and joyful memories galore through his unique craft of showmanship, which has been an amalgamation of discipline, passion, dedication and talent. An immensely prized figure in the cricket fraternity across the globe, no player can (or will) be able to match the hysteria linked with Tendulkar because such is the magnitude of the frenzied expectation and potential of the ‘little master’. However, ‘all good things come to an end’ goes the old adage and although Tendulkar has given no hint of calling it quits yet, as a huge fan of the master, I have to sadly admit that two recent discrete occurrences on the field have hopped me to the conclusion that he has to make way….now.

Game 05: Sri Lanka vs. India, Commonwealth Bank Series, Adelaide, February 14 2012

Tendulkar is a decent outfielder which is why MS Dhoni employs him to marshal the boundary lines on a few occasions despite his age. However, the two misfields by Tendulkar during the Sri Lankan innings off consecutive deliveries, fielding at the boundary is one of the reasons I strongly feel he should quit.  He had to dive to stop the ball on both occasions but instead, he used his foot unsuccessfully to stop the first one and put in an awkward dive, in vain, to stop the second one. Ricky Ponting & Mike Hussey can stake a claim in the Australian team even when they go through a lull in batting form because they possess such exceptional fielding skills but Tendulkar is nowhere near the class of his Aussie peers when it comes to fielding and is in the team as a specialist batsman.

Game 07: Australia vs. India, Commonwealth Bank Series, Brisbane, February 19 2012

A fired-up Brett Lee ripped in a couple of short deliveries to Tendulkar and in his attempt to play the hook shot to one of them, Tendulkar took a knock on his helmet. Now, I cannot remember the last time I watched him get hit on the helmet so embarrassingly in an ODI due to poor timing! He has been one of the best players of the hook and pull shots over the years and seldom does he miss smacking them. This one moment has convinced me that his reflexes have taken a beating and that they are not as swift as they used to be, especially when you have to take on an express bowler like Lee.

So, there you go : both his batting and fielding levels have taken a plunge and you can’t afford to have such a player in a team even if he happens to be the great Tendulkar. Who knows, he might be a barrier of communication at the moment in Team India (ODI) which is now made up of youngsters and might also be an immovable obstacle to an upcoming player. You can force a Dravid or a Laxman out of the ODI team (as has happened in the past) but not Tendulkar because its different with the ‘little master’; nobody can force him out of the team since only he gets to decide when to quit – that’s just the deplorable mechanics of how the selectors operate in India. We thank you for the memories Mr Tendulkar, but please make way now before you tarnish your reputation even further.

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/02/20/two-reasons-why-tendulkar-should-quit/feed/ 13 1397619 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/02/15/indian-test-cricket-needs-a-jolt/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/02/15/indian-test-cricket-needs-a-jolt/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:47:32 +0000 Sujith Krishnan http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=116592

While Team India has found some form in the current Commonwealth Bank tri-series in Australia, their capitulation in the Test series where they were whipped 0-4 has led people to critique the team left, right & center. Even though their overseas record has improved since the noughties, they still come a cropper against stiff opposition, as was evident against the Aussies. But despite calls for a complete overhaul of the team, one must remember that positive results cannot be achieved overnight by deluging the test team with young blood and bidding farewell to the seniors. It is an extensive process of reconstruction that might take a few years before India can match up with the best in the most challenging form of cricket. Prior to this Test series, the odds were heavily stacked in favour of India to beat Australia on their turf, but in the span of a couple of months, Australia are nearly back to what they are renowned for – making winning an addiction. The Indian team consistently put up mediocre performances in the series thus enhancing their reputation of being poor travellers. Ricky Ponting & Michael Hussey were at the receiving end of plenty of scrutiny before the commencement of the series, but it took them just a couple of innings to hit the high notes and prove their critics wrong.  Now, everyone’s just raving about what they bring to the Australian team and cricket in general.

Camaraderie & Preparation

The Australian cricket team’s success after a year of rebuilding has been built around one significant quality – a happy dressing room. Having watched the players from close quarters at the MCG, I can tell you that this Australian team is a closely-knit side who hop onto the ground as one, warm-up as one and walk back to prepare for battle as one. Moreover, their routines are intense, swift and thoroughly professional. As for the much-vaunted Indian team, they were seen stepping out individually to the ground as though they’d just been woken up from deep slumber! Moreover, their routines were laidback, subdued and nowhere close to the intensity of their superior rivals. On the third day of the Boxing Day Test, the team didn’t even turn out to warm-up before the match! While captain Michael Clarke is one of the first players to be out limbering up, his counterpart, MS Dhoni, is one of the last to take to the field.

Old Habits Die Hard

Notwithstanding the failure of the famed top-order batsmen, it’s a wonder why the tailenders fail to make an attempt in prolonging an innings and are instead seen throwing their bats around in an effort to score big runs. There is no intent of application in a situation that demands a bigger effort at the crease. And it’s the same set of players (tailenders) who, as ‘specialist’ bowlers, struggle to clean up the opposition tail. How many times over the years has the Indian team let an opponent get back into a match because of their inability to knock off the tail? The Zaheers, the Ishants and the Yadavs lack the firepower to destroy the lower half of the opposition. It’s been a chronic problem and there seems to be no solution in sight.

Distorted Vision of Fitness

Sub-continental teams have always had a distorted vision of fitness, with all the focus being on talent. Australia’s senior pros like Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting, along with the youngsters in the team, can easily put the Indian cricketers to shame by displaying their agility and picture perfectness, which have come about by keeping a premium on fitness. Is there one player in the Indian ranks who can match up to the athletic levels of the Aussies? Youngsters Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma may be good fielders but are a little floppy, and the lesser said about the Indian seniors, the better. Zaheer Khan and Sehwag are poor movers and seem to be content piling on the kilos. Despite India’s support staff including several guys from the West, there seems to be some form of disorientation amongst the players when it comes to fitness. One can’t rely solely on talent to survive in sport; success is achieved by a combination of elements out of which fitness is a decisive factor. This factor needs to be addressed right from the grassroots level if so that the future generations of Indian cricketers fare substantially better in this area.

Fans, Get Real

As fans, we have been too kind to the players. While we criticize them for their losses uninhibitedly, one win is sufficient for us to get back into the rotten habit of singing their praises all over again. Going back to the MCG again, Indian fans were seen surrounding the tunnel just to catch a glimpse of their heroes, with the excitement hitting a crescendo whenever any of the players showed up. But the so-called ‘heroes’ exhibited a sorry state of blatant pessimism. Their performances, sadly, prompt me to believe that our batsmen have been pampered playing on sub-continental pitches and lack the will to cope with overseas conditions. India failed to last the entire five days in any of the 4 Test matches! A team can lose a match but can still earn respect if it goes down fighting. Rafael Nadal may have lost the intense Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic but he can hold his head high, and without a doubt, his fan following must have skyrocketed after the slugfest. That’s mental dexterity for you. We as fans of the Indian team are idiots to idolize a bunch of players who are totally unprofessional in their approach and who fail to express the desire to improve.

All of the above signs point to horrid times drawing closer for Indian cricket. There is no question that talent exists in India, but it is the manner in which the management and players go about their business that is most disheartening. As a cricket fan, I hope they learn their lessons from this Australian tour, and put in efforts to enhance their level of professionalism so that the mistakes from this tour are not repeated in the future.

TOT20 refers to Test, One day and Twenty20 cricket and I believe that the three forms can only add to the excitement of the game. With Indian cricket’s recent debacle in the Test series against Australia, there has been a relentless degree of mockery directed towards the Indian team with some believing that apart from poor application, over-indulgence in T20 cricket has played a decisive part in the team’s downfall. Friends, let’s face it – cricket is the only sport which has three distinctive formats and instead of finding fault, as is human nature, why don’t we for a change, embrace the different forms of the game since each edition presents a story of its own?

A New Challenge

Cricketers are professionals who are expected to perform every time they set foot on the field. They should be prepared to tackle any situation that primarily includes adapting their approach, mental dexterity and temperament depending upon the format – the ultimate challenge for a cricketer today.

T20 is slam-bang and kaboom cricket that’s done and dusted with in a flash offering minimal scope to craft an innings, which if you ask me, presents a whole new challenge to the batsmen. Now, you can argue with me pointing out that being a batsman’s game, all one needs to do is smash the ball around which in turn, can hamper a batsman’s proficiency in the long run in the more profound and established formats of the game. But I strongly believe that for all its ‘flaws’, T20 has offered a whole new dimension to both batsmen as well as bowlers in the form of innovative stroke-play and infinite variations in bowling. No target seems insurmountable in all forms of cricket today, especially ODI’s, thanks to the additional skills players have developed in knocking off a target, be it eight runs an over or ten. For instance, Indian captain MS Dhoni is a master tactician at ‘finishing’ a match because of his experience playing ODIs and T20s over the last few years.

Big Draw

Yes, T20 cricket is heavily inclined towards entertainment and is a format that caters to the masses and not the classes. But, you can’t deny the fact that it brings in more of the family crowd, which is tremendous for the game, advertisers, sponsors and not to forget, the players who mint money dipping into this version.

There has been talk in recent times about the demise of ODI cricket citing poor crowds as an example in the current Commonwealth Bank ODI tri-series in Australia, but this is primarily due to the time span of the series (a month) coupled with the scheduling of matches on weekdays, which is unavoidable from the organizers’ perspective. However, the recent ODI between Australia and India in the series witnessed a robust crowd of 22K plus at the Adelaide Oval (on a Sunday), which shows that ODIs haven’t lost their sheen. As for test cricket, crowds of 70K plus attended the first day of the Boxing Day test match of the Australia vs. India series at the MCG in December 2011 and although the numbers dropped over the course of the match, the figures have been encouraging and again prove the fact that people are keen on superlative cricket irrespective of the format. So, all three versions of cricket are a hit among the fans who can never have enough of  TOT20. What’s crucial to the prospects of the sport is equilibrium with everyone being entitled to a piece of the cherry with appropriate organization and scheduling.

Reality Bites

Experts say that budding cricketers make a wrong choice by launching their careers in the cash-rich T20 game. But, if a young aspiring chef, dancer or commentator, for that matter, can achieve fame by emerging as the winner (with limited skill & knowledge) in reality television shows that offer a perfect platform, then, what’s wrong with an upcoming cricketer taking the plunge into T20 early on in their careers? ‘Legalized’ shortcuts to celebrity status are a way of life today and are becoming the norm.

Many believe that Twenty20 is the future of cricket and that the other conventional formats of the game will fade out in the years to come, but, with a more methodical approach by the organizers, TOT20 can survive mutually in a big way.

Sepp Blatter is one of the most powerful men in sport administration in, without a shadow of doubt, the emperor of all sports. Anyone re-elected to the post on four occasions during a nine year stint as FIFA president would give a novice the impression that he is the most favoured statesman to govern the sport on the planet. However, Blatter has been nothing but surplus baggage to football since 1975 occupying various positions at FIFA as a result of which he has maintained a vice-like grip over his peers, thus, explaining his dominance in the organization and paradoxically, the game has taken a pounding with him at the helm of affairs. The president is known more for his disparaging remarks on subjects related to the sport and of late, there has been relentless pressure on him to step down. Let’s examine some of the motives behind the escalating appeals for him to quit.

Fraudulence Personified

There has been a series of corruption and bribery allegations against the 75-year old Swiss not just in recent times but since his re-election to the post of president in 2002. But on every single occasion, he has managed to pull strings and walk away scot-free. The most high-profile incident being the recent World Cup bid for 2022 earlier this year. Qatar was controversially awarded the 2022 World Cup despite doubts over the capacity of the Gulf nation to stage the competition, and numerous claims that the vote had been manipulated in favour of the Arab nation with two members of the committee receiving bribes to the tune of millions by supposedly, the then president of the Asian Football Federation and Qatari national, Mohammad Bin Hammam, who has now been banned from footballing administration following the accusations leveled against him.

There has also been speculation that there might be an investigation on the bid and a probable re-vote. Could Blatter have been involved in the decision to ban Hammam as the Qatari posed a threat to him for the presidential post at FIFA? It’s all a hazy image at the moment with the blatant truth yet to come out and probably never will thanks to Blatter’s mastery over behind-the-scenes and under-the-table occurrences at FIFA.

Techno…What?!

The powerful Swiss has time and again evaded the subject of employing technology in the sport and has repeatedly pointed out that if at all embraced, the game would be robbed of the element of human error which forms an essential part of the game! It is a wonder how he has incessantly turned a blind eye to a series of dubious referring decisions and howlers at the top level in recent years; for instance, how can he disregard the disallowed Frank Lampard goal in the 2010 World Cup against Germany which turned the match and the tournament on it’s head?

Another sophisticated event was the crucial 2010 world cup qualifier between France and Ireland in 2009 when France’s William Galls scored a last-gasp winner thanks to an assist by Thierry Henry which involved Henry using his hand to get the ball. The referees failed to spot the hand ball thus allowing the goal to stand and in the process dashing Irish hopes of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. In the wake of this incident, Blatter nonchalantly opted to move on to other frivolous matters deemed important only to him. These two incidents prove that his focus is solely on wealth and not on carrying the beloved game forward; he continues to live in Stone Age.

Chauvinism

Women’s football has always played second fiddle to their male counterpart. However, in recent times, the 2011 women’s World Cup threw up many exciting matches & stars and the final between Japan &  the United States was a thrill-a-minute encounter with Japan emerging victorious – an obvious indication that women’s football is on the rise and fiercely competitive. On the subject of elevating the popularity of women’s football, Blatter had to face the storm from footballers both past and present in 2004 when he went on record to say that women footballers need to reveal more skin when playing to attract crowds – how insensitive and despicable can one be and this is the president of one of the world’s most powerful body in question here. Is this the only solution he could offer to promote the women’s game? In typical Blatteresque fashion, all he could offer was an apology for his insensitive remarks.

Moving on to the subject of Qatar playing host to the 2022 World Cup and being a country where homosexuality is illegitimate, Blatter bluntly said that “Gays should refrain from sexual activities in the country”. So, now the incomparable babbler has taken on the role of human rights activist. His comments drew criticism from several gay rights groups and various sports personalities.

Baffling Rules

Diving by players is conventional these days on the field in their attempt to engineer a decision in their favour (no prizes for guessing who the master at that is!). While Blatter has repeatedly stated that players should refrain from diving, he has done nothing to crack down on this cowardly approach adopted by players; a mandatory yellow card is not going to stop a player from repeating the act in future games. Sadly, it continues to thrive at the top level and there seems to be no end in sight. Moreover, to top that, he has gone all out in giving referees the liberty to caution players who indulge in over-zealous celebrations! Even an laymen would know which facet has a greater bearing on the outcome of a game.

Racism

Blatter’s comment about the extent of racism in football after recent allegations against John Terry and Luis Suarez in the English Premier League takes the cake with a cherry on top. The grand statesman claims that racism is not a serious issue and that if it rears its ugly head, the solution is a mere handshake after the game! As is customary with the capitalist, Blatter offered yet another apology for what is now predictable from a leader whose remarks invoke utter disbelief. Having recently conducted a study on racism in football and the mental torture the players endure, Blatter’s remarks come as a shocker and least expected from a person who has the tools and powers at his disposal to stamp out the weed from the sport. His remarks prove yet again that his objective is to merely mint money and wash his hands off the recurring issue of racism in football.

These reasons evidently document that the time is ripe for Blatter to resign. His presence is not helping the sport that has now evolved into a culture across the globe. As long as Blatter remains at the helm, the sport is doomed. As he recently said, “Football will be recognized in our society as a social and cultural tool (?!); as a game based on discipline, respect, combat and the spirit of fair play (?!!); bring the game into family, business and into our communities (?!). Let the game touch the world and prepare a better future”. Looking back at his track record over the years, Blatter might be better off doing stand-up comedy and should generously make way for a much more efficient and reliable successor who has actively played the game for a long period and understands the nuances of the game and its administration. The world is aware that Blatter will continue to chatter as long as he is the forerunner and he needs to make his exit now.

What defines a successful club? While some believe the answer lies in its history, others measure success by the number of trophies won. There are even some who believe that ‘you’re only as good as your last outing’! Chelsea FC provides the ideal paradigm considering their recent developments on and off the field. By now, the entire footballing fraternity is aware of the Battle for the Bridge, which after an extended spell of making headline news in recent weeks, fizzled out with Chelsea’s officials failing in their bid to purchase back the freehold of Stamford Bridge. Chelsea does not have a rich history that can match the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona or Real Madrid, and it’s only since the early 2000s that the club has evolved to become a major force to reckon with, thanks to the funds propelled into the club by Russian business magnate Roman Abramovich.

Prior to the failed bid, in defence, Chelsea supporters alluded to the stadium’s history and the emotional bond that they share with Stamford Bridge as reason enough to thwart the (then) bid to move to a new stadium. But, the ‘history’ they were referring to was just a paltry 08 years…..does that number qualify to be referred to as ‘history’? At the end of the day, results and performances on the field are all that count; events outside the park are immaterial once the game gets underway. With so much brouhaha about this so-called ‘history’, does this imply that history alone identifies the success of a club?

Chelsea have always maintained a good team over the years and have consistently been potential Premier league contenders even during the pre-Abramovich era with players such as Marcel Desailly, Gudjohnsen, Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli, William Gallas and Brian Laudrup, all marquee players at the time. Moreover, the club has won silverware right from the 60s, 70s and 80s inclusive of three FA Cups in 1970, 1997 & 2000, and two Cup Winner’s Cup (European competition) in 1971 & 1998.

Roman Era

Roman Abramovich took charge of Chelsea FC in 2003 and needs no preamble in regards to how he has revolutionized the profile of the club and made it a commercial brand in the world of football with his riches. It’s a no-brainer that the fan base of the club has seen an unprecedented escalation since he took control of the club. In football, surplus funds for a club pave the way for greater opportunities to make glitzy signings thereby improving the standard of football of the team which enhances the brand of the club and in the process, drawing more followers. And, this is exactly what happened once Abramovich came into the picture since he managed to rope in high-profile players such as Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Petr Cech, Malouda and Fernando Torres to name a few, not to forget an impressive line-up of managers such as Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Guus Hiddink and now Andreas-Villas Boas.

Since 2003, the team has performed brilliantly in all competitions and gone on to win a host of silverware with only the UEFA Champions league trophy eluding them. So, Chelsea FC has definitely tasted more success post-Abramovich which drives home the notion that a club is deemed successful based solely on victories and not history. Of course, history is vital but only on paper. History in no way defines a club’s present success; it’s the achievements that outline its future. The contrasting cases of Dutch club Ajax and Manchester City are illustrations of what characterizes a successful club.  While the fan base of the former continues to decline due to lack of success on the big stage, support for the latter has hit an all-time high with improved consistency and positive results.

Ajax & Man City

Ajax is a club with a great history of being one of the finest teams having won several competitions in the 80s and through to the 90s both in the Netherlands and in Europe. However, due to lack of funds and star players, the team has failed to capture the imagination of football aficionados in the last decade and is no longer considered a formidable threat. In contrast, in recent times, Manchester City has been threatening to develop into a significant force in the world of football thanks to its affluent owner Sheikh Mansour who since 2008 has gone on a spending spree bringing in top players and after a spell of reconstruction, the team is now settling effectively into a fine unit. Apart from competing in the prestigious Champions league this season, they have made a grand start to the Premier league and their recent demolition of arch-rivals Manchester United (6-1) notwithstanding other upbeat performances is testimony to this.

Like Chelsea’s improved status post-Abramovich, the number of City supporters have continued to swell not just because they are playing beautiful football, they are beginning to produce results. I for one, have always been an Arsenal fanatic for years (still am) but their record in the last two seasons has been abysmal and has caused a dent in my loyalty towards them which is why my support has been drifting towards City in recent times (Yes, they might have scored a tremendous win against Chelsea (5-3) but need to show consistency against the big sides). So yet again, this proves that history is no yardstick to gauge the success of a club. It’s the recent past and the present that are central.

So, that brings me to an often repeated question – what are Chelsea’s chances of winning silverware this season? Currently sitting third in the Premier league and despite making a decent start to the season, the challenge for them now is to recover not just from last night’s loss to Arsenal but also recent incidents involving John Terry and the charge over the behavior of their players in the game against Queens Park Rangers last week. However, like always, they are expected to pose a genuine challenge to their arch-rivals. With a shrewd manager (Villas-Boas) at the helm, the expectations are huge thanks to his impeccable track record. Looking at the bigger picture, history barely has an influence in shaping the current success of a club which is why past failures are forgotten by supporters with the dawn of every subsequent season and every new game, who embrace the present with a renewed sense of anticipation, elation and desire.

Money on Samuel Ett'o's mind?

Undoubtedly, football is the emperor of all sport and therefore, it comes as no surprise that ridiculous amount of money is pumped into the business which is why every year the salaries and market values of top footballers are constantly swelling. This raises the question – does the priority of a player lie in the wages or is he driven entirely by passion for the game? Let’s consider the probing case of Cameroon superstar Samuel Eto’o who without a shadow of a doubt, commands respect and is one of the most sought-after forwards in the world having won almost everything in sight – African and Olympic titles with Cameroon, La Liga and two Champions League titles with Barcelona, Serie A and one Champions League title with Inter Milan and being voted African footballer of the year on three occasions.

However, despite his success at every level, he has been the subject of constant racist abuse over the years. During his spell at FC Barcelona, in a match against Real Zaragoza in 2005, he was so frustrated with the taunts that he almost walked off the pitch saying “No more! No more! No more”! A few years later during his stint with Inter Milan, he was at the receiving end of insults in a game against Cagliari in 2010. These were some of his statements in the wake of the racist attacks directed towards him:

“Racism can happen anywhere and I don’t want my family to see it. It’s a sad situation in football. In my opinion the problem is getting bigger and the people that should come up with a solution are not doing it. So to protect my family, I don’t take them to the game.” – Eto’o speaking to CNN in 2008.

“It has never been easy and until the end of my career it won’t be easy”, Eto’o speaking to London Today in 2010.

Racism towards Eto\’o

So, under these circumstances, why has Eto’o signed up for relatively unknown FC Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia where racism is widespread in the sport? Here, he is geared up to earn 28 million Euros a year, thus becoming one of the highest paid footballers in the business. Anzhi Makhachkala owned by billionaire Suleyman Kerimov is going all out to propel the club to the top echelons of world football. However, the country has an infamous history of racism in football with several ultra-nationalist and neo-Nazi supporters averse to players of colour. Brazilian Roberto Carlos, who signed up with Anzhi in February 2011 has been the most recent victim of discrimination on two occasions in the space of seven months! A few years back, Russian supporters meted out the same treatment to a few dark-skinned players playing for Marseille. Former Cameroon defender Jerry Christian Tschuisse who has played in Russia has admitted that he has endured enough racist taunts “to fill an entire book”. “People shouting at me: ‘Oi, black guy, what are you doing in here?’ And there have been fights, too”, he said.

Russia battles Racism

The Eto’o transfer has sent shockwaves across the footballing world and debates continue over the striker’s baffling move. For fans like us, we will be missing out on catching one of the world’s feared strikers in action. The standard of Russian football is improving but it cannot match the excitement of the top four leagues. Eto’o is bound to score goals aplenty in Russia, but it is clearly evident that the sole motive behind his move is money. Otherwise, why would a player so frustrated with discrimination directed at him move to a club destined to miss out on next season’s Champions League when he is in prime form and has a lot to offer?

In sport, the colour of money is so empowering that it has the licence to break barriers and transcend boundaries. But, can money overcome racism in the sport? Partially, is the answer. Maybe, top players should be roped in to launch a campaign against racism in the sport and hope to inspire people to refrain from the injustice. When you have the Chelseas and the Madrids signing up players from different backgrounds to play in the respective leagues, a certain element of racism is wiped out but the root cause of racism lies in the minds of the people and that’s something money can’t buy.

For any sports aficionado, it is a testing errand to name his/her favourite team. Your mind rolls back to the time when you began to embrace the culture of sport at a young age and you begin to think about the greatest moments, the greatest players and teams that have left an indelible impression in your heart. Such is the impact of sport on fanatics like us and such is the affection and loyalty we have for the celebrated performers in the realm of sport. When I think about my favourite team, the first name that comes to mind is FC Barcelona, a team that plays football in a manner as majestic as its name but it doesn’t stop there; you have the United’s, the Chelsea‘s and the Madrid’s both past and present, who have carved a niche for themselves in the sport. Oh yes, the triumphant Indian cricket team that won the 2011 World Cup tournament also comes to mind. But then, I challenged myself to look beyond and after further introspection, it dawned on me that there was a team loved by millions all over the world for the brand of football they played; this was a team that defined Joga Bonito (play beautifully) as the benchmark of football. No prizes for guessing the team I’m referring to – the victorious Brazilian football team that won the World Cup in 2002 in style under the tutelage of Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Approach

In those days, Brazil was associated with beautiful football and this team of 2002 possessed all the elements that were synonymous with Brazilian football. Scolari was an inspired coach who lived by the principle that football is a sport to entertain and he has to be lauded for having roped in a perfect set of players who combined well to do just that – entertain and engage. Credit goes to the great Portuguese for giving the players the liberty to express themselves on the field without curbing their natural instincts. They moved the ball around cleverly, it was swift, stylish, witty and as a spectator, you could be assured of a bagful of tricks such as the shimmies, the dummies, the flicks, the back-heels, the elasticos and so much more.

With the success of this team, the level of football went up incredibly a few notches and watching these Samba boys in action was akin to poetry in motion. The understanding between the players was so good that it seemed like they had a certain degree of extrasensory perception between them since they knew exactly where their team-mates were positioned. Winning games was never a concern because they took to the field not just to win but to score goals by the bundle; such was their positive and offensive mindset. Most of the players in the team were resourceful and could take on different roles during the course of a game – one of the prime features that propelled this unit to super stardom.

Keeping their brilliance aside, here was a close-knit team that connected well with each other and the results are there for everyone to see. A happy team definitely yields success.

Awesome Foursome

With Cafu, Lucio, Kleberson, Edmilson, Gilberto Silva, Roque Junior and goal-keeper Marcos given the responsibility of doing the dirty yet fundamental job, the attacking quartet or the 4-R’s, as they were known – Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos, took the world by storm with their trickery, vision, breath-taking skills, speed and flamboyance. Apart from being potential match-winners, here was a quartet who combined perfectly to score many a goal making the opposition defence look way too fragile and easy to confront. They ran through every opposition in the tournament with ease and put on a masterful show in the final against a strong German team.

If maestros Rivaldo and Ronaldinho orchestrated the midfield, the phenomenal Ronaldo was on fire and amongst the goals, and then you had the indefatigable Carlos who could play both attack and defence, constantly a looming threat to any opposition with his darting runs up and down the flanks. Moreover, the presence of Rivaldo and Ronaldinho was an added bonus because not only did they complete their task of creating opportunities, the duo could score goals at will.

One could argue saying they were pitted in an easy group (Turkey, Costa Rica & China) which allowed them to play a more open game but no matter what opposition you face, you have to ensure the ball goes into the net to secure a win and this team did that with consummate ease. As the tournament progressed, they just got better and knocked out one opposition after another on their way to win an unprecedented fifth World Cup title. Those were the glory days when they dominated the world of football in a manner only they could.

It was a feature rarely witnessed in the past and without a doubt, will never be witnessed again. Brazilian football today, has adopted a defensive approach to the game, and they don’t possess players of the calibre of the 4R’s who can win a match with that one exceptional moment of brilliance. It comes as no surprise that with a revamped approach to the game, they are not seen as a potent force in football anymore. Well, the team of ‘02 may not rank as the best Brazilian team ever but they captured the true essence of beautiful football and every time they stepped onto the field, it was entertainment guaranteed.

When you lose six straight finals to the same player in one season (so far), it is an indication that there are areas in your game that demand improvement. Especially, when the player on the losing side happens to be Rafael Nadal who easily makes the list of top five players in the sport of all time. By the soaring standards set by him in the last few years, you can’t help but wonder what he needs to do to overcome Djokovic who is currently the hottest player on tour. Nadal is a champion and has had a fine season making it to three of the four Grand Slam finals (won the French Open) and has been consistent on the tour. He completed the slam quartet at a young age (in 2010) and has won everything there is to win in the sport. I’m a huge fan of the Spaniard and consider him to be one of the toughest competitors in sport, therefore, I find it bizarre that he has repeatedly failed to get the better of Djokovic whom he once dominated. Let me reiterate once again that Nadal has improved his all-round game over the years by leaps and bounds from being a clay-court whiz to a player for all seasons; he is now a formidable threat to his peers on all surfaces. I’m no expert but having watched him play over the years, and in particular against the Serb, there are a few modifications he could make in his game to surmount the Serb’s dominance over him.

First Serve:

Let’s look at Nadal’s serve first. Though he has improved his serve immensely in the last couple of seasons, he could throw in some variety on his serve such as serving wide and deep; he could add another weapon to his armoury in the form of unleashing aces on a more regular basis against Djokovic whose serve is much more diversified.

Service Return:

One of the reasons why Nadal is unable to get on top of Djokovic’s serve is because his returns, though very good, have become quite predictable for the Serb and Nadal has always abstained from adopting the technique of closing out a point with that single booming return of serve which for instance, Federer, is brilliant at. If he can work on this aspect, he could surprise the Serb by keeping the points short because Djokovic is aware that Nadal prefers to play long rallies rather than attempt to win a point with a ripping service return. Normally, players move a few steps closer to the baseline when facing a slower second serve, but Nadal, who has been so successful with his approach to the game, never moves a few strides forward on Djokovic’s second serve, which is what he must do to pounce on the second serve to impose himself in the duel.

Positioning during the rallies:

Another observation is that Nadal stands way behind the baseline during a rally probably, 4-6ft behind and therefore, some of his ground strokes end up short, thereby, allowing the Serb the time and space to thump the ball at sharp angles at will. Nadal should probably get closer to the baseline to hit the ball deeper into the court and shackle Djokovic for space.

Backhand grip:

With his lethal ground strokes, Nadal is imperious when it comes to rallies but, there seems to be a limitation exposed in his two-fisted backhand when playing Djokovic. Though effective and sharp, a lot of the pace is taken off the ball when he plays the backhand thereby giving Djokovic a higher possibility of retrieving the ball. Maybe a minor change in the backhand grip might help so that he gets to clobber the ball with the same intensity as his forehand.

At the moment, only the great Federer looks the player with ample ammunition to get past Djokovic having beaten him in the semi-finals of the French Open this year and also came close in the US Open semis. As for the warrior in Nadal, he definitely has the mental prowess to overcome Djokovic but needs to make a few alterations to his game to add a new dimension to this ‘rivalry’, if you may so call it else Djokovic might become (to Nadal) what Nadal has become to Federer.

In recent years, the Indian team has savoured success during the tenure of Bob Houghton as coach – winning the 2007 & 2009 Nehru Cup and also the 2008 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup. But, let’s not forget that these wins came against feeble oppositions and it’s when the team is confronted with a real challenge that they falter, for instance, failing to score a single win in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in a group that included South Korea, Bahrain and Australia.

India is a wonderful country but is famed for its colossal scale of corruption and haphazard approach to planning and orderliness. The world was witness to the nation’s chaotic attitude in the build-up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi. Such is the case with football administration as well – politics and unresolved differences in opinions dominate proceedings while passion and professionalism are thrown out the window, thereby, stifling scope for progress. The respective state associations have constantly been adamant about working collectively and it is unfortunate that despite its affiliation to FIFA since 1948, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has failed to revitalize the sport which is hampered further by poor infrastructure, moderate facilities and insipid marketing. So, what needs to be done to enhance the status of football in our country?

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Improving the state of football in India is an arduous journey yet an attainable target that demands perseverance, dedication, professionalism and sincerity to kick things off. There needs to be an overhaul of the current AIFF committee with experts who understand not just the nuances of the game, but also, possess the wisdom on how to engineer the youth system – the key to laying a solid foundation for the future. A few bold decisions have to be made in regards to setting long-term realistic targets, like say – making it to the 2022 World Cup finals and then work around it. Moreover, the AIFF team should bring in expert marketing gurus who can uplift the prospects of football right from the grassroots level. World-class academies and stadiums need to be constructed, and qualified coaches need to be roped in to groom talented youngsters. Experienced former players should get involved and encouraged to have a say in the managerial process. The media should implement the role of promoting football on all media platforms and throw light on India’s domestic league, the I-league (established in 2007), which would then stir up interest in the sport. The I-League has expanded from ten teams to fourteen but, at the moment, teams come from only eight cities with three each from Mumbai and Kolkata. The league receives abysmal publicity because Zee Sports, the broadcaster that owned the rights of the league for the first three seasons, terminated the contract in 2010 and since then the league kicks on with no official broadcast and this obviously hampers the growth of football further.

Nothing is possible in the world of sport today without the lure of money – appropriate funding must be provided by the government, organizations, corporates and clubs. Apart from negligible exposure, the league is short on finances that in turn results in zilch marketing. Famous personalities in the country such as film stars and businessmen should come forward and invest in the sport in place of their undying devotion to the much-hyped Indian Premier League (cricket) and purchasing stakes in overseas football clubs – apparent evidence that money is available and just needs to be directed appropriately to fortify the sport in India and attempt to attract overseas players to the league. Yes, we can’t match the salary demands of the Messis, the Rooneys and the Ronaldos but there is the capacity to pull in good players who have played in top international leagues because the I-league allows a team to recruit upto four overseas players and it is worth citing at this point that the top scorer in the I-league over the last four seasons has been Onyeka Okolie from Nigeria who plays for Mohun Bagan.

International teams and clubs travel to the country for a one-off game, such as the recent Argentina vs.Venezuela friendly in Kolkata, but these games are money-making routines for the players and organizers, and apart from the momentary buzz, the interest fizzles out in no time. On a bright note, Liverpool FC launched a football academy headed by football expert and former English player, Steve McMahon, in New Delhi in August this year and is a wonderful launch-pad for aspiring young footballers. It is a pity that it has taken a person of foreign origin to build the academy whilst Indians who can afford the investment have their priorities elsewhere.

All it takes is a collective effort from all quarters with constant encouragement and support. As fans of the sport, we wait with bated breath for that one special talent, that one elusive moment and one influential executive in power who can inspire and pave the way for the amplification of the prospects of the beautiful game in the country and more importantly, build a good national team for the future that can help India cherish international status once again, no strings attached.