Future of Indian Cricket Team

Here is what I think should happen, please add your comments:

Greg Chappell:
Should be sent packing to ruin some other country's youthful and promising cricket program, preferably Pakistan !The BCCI should use his $175, 000 USD plus perks salary in a different way.They should be innovative and become the first team to hire 2 coaches, both local, and both who can complement one other. Sidhu, Dev, Azzharudhin, Gavaskar, Manjrekar among possibilities ?

Rahul Dravid:
Remove him from the captaincy and allow him to focus on what he does best. Becoming a "wall" again !!Like Jacques Kallis for SA, let Dravid be the best position batsman there is and let him not decide heads or tail, but 6 or 4 !!

Sachin Tendular:
Allow him only to play against minnows so that he can pad up his statistics and race onto 50 test centuries !Thank you so much for everything Sachin-paaji, but you have nothing to prove to anyone (especially those fat-cats in Mumbai who booed you), so play infrequently and boost your runs and personal statistics and stay healthy enough to add to your Hall of Fame career the one thing missing from it: a World Cup medal which you can gloriously add in your home country in 2011 !!

Ajit Agarkar:
Allow him to act in a movie as Sonu Nigam's double-role and since he is less than 30 let him work on his bowling in One-days, so that he can be a specialist in it.He should be encouraged to hit the gym and bulk up a bit.


MS Dhoni:
Nearly 26, so let's wish him a happy Bollywood career, and let's check to make sure he wasn't throwing his wicket away for any other reason apart from poor shot selection.Try to use him as a genuine pinch-hitter or an opening batsman in One-days a la Gilchrist.

Saurav Ganguly:
'Dada' should be able to chuck in 2-3 more years as he is only 34. He should be made to give every player about to be dropped a speech about what to do while you are dropped !! He should work on his bowling so he can become a real bowling option.

Harbhajan Singh:
Less than 27, I wouldn't mind giving him the captaincy, for the sake of it !!Bhajjie is aggressive, dynamic and though he occasionally can't hold a first-team spot, with Kumble going soon he should try to become a permanent in that Indian line up.

Dinesh Karthik:
Nearly 22, groom him as India's next captain by giving him the vice-captaincy. Allow him to bat with the likes of Dravid, Laxman, and Tendulkar so he can watch them from the other end.

Zaheer Khan:
Keep faith in Zaheer for a bit more but if he doesn't shape up his act by the time he is 30 (next 1 and half years) then do the needful. Though keep him at hand since he owns a restaurant in Pune, he can always be a caterer for the team !

Anil Kumble:
Let him get to 600 wickets then draft him in as a bowling coach.

Munaf Patel:
Almost 24, make him a regular in the team, and ensure he stays healthy and knows that together with Sreesanth and maybe Khan and Pathan he has to shoulder the bowling for the next decade.Show him videos of former bowling greats and let him work on his batting.

Irfan Pathan:
Many would be surprised that this lad is only 22 ! A veteran of 25 tests and nearing 100 test wickets, Irfan has to be bought back to earth, sheltered from the glitz and glam that has followed him of late, and stay from injury !Him, Patel, Sreesanth etc. are all who would benefit from India having a bowler or a bowling specialist as one the coaches. Mr. Kapil Dev are you listening ?

Virender Sehwag:
Drop him for a year, let him clear his head, and if he still wants to come back to the team, let him earn his place and let him announce what number he wants to bat rather than make him play musical chairs in the Indian batting order !

Shanthakumaran Sreesanth:
Gopu has a good strike rate in test cricket and he is young, energetic and ambitious, and according to people who have met him, a thorough gentleman and genuine good guy. He should be kept far from Mumbai and the media and allowed to concentrate on following in the run-up of Glen McGrath and Courtney Walsh and possibly being India's greatest fast bowler yet.

Robin Utthappa:
At 21 Utthappa has lots of time to mature and develop, and having good seniors he should. He is a work in progress and needs to remember the hurt of World Cup 2007 to ensure he isn't involved in such a disastrous tournament in the future.

Yuvraj Singh:
Only 25 and with a very mediocre test and ODI average, Yuvraj should immediately be made captain. He is likeable and a media darling and the added responsibility can only elevate his game. He hopefully represents a permanent fixture in the team and should be around for the next 10-12 years. Graeme Smith was made captain at earlier this age as have been Michael Atherton among others who have gone on to be good captains, so critics should not be alarmed.

OTHERS:

Mohamed Kaif:
Keep him in and around the team, his fielding is infectious and inspirational.

Romesh Powar:
Bollywood needs a good comedian and he is the answer.

Suresh Raina, Cheteshwara Pujara, Gautam Gambhir:
Give them loads of batting practice and someone should be working on ensuring India's younger cricketers can play county cricket in England, Australia or South Africa as opposed to facing predictable pitches and bowlers in the local domestic tournament.

And finally.....

Maruti:
Make him the team doctor, team counsellor, team journalist, team liason officer, anything just NOT team coach !!

Changing Nationality

Sigh...94 to win, 11 overs left, 1 man left...India heading home ?

Most likely but wait, oh look the Indian team has all appliedfor Bermudian citizenship and they have been granted it and havebeen drafted into the team and will play Bangladesh with a winallowing the other India team through !!!!

The cynics say the real Bermudians might do a better job and sothat is what the Indians have become, a nation willing onto atiny island !!!I

f there is ever a time to support Leverock and Hemp and Pitcherand Outerbridge and Hurdle it is NOW !!!!

Shob-ermuda !!!!

Bob

Regarding Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach who died a few hours ago.

I am saddened by the news and think life is so funny !

As I was telling Mom and Dad on the phone, imagine 3-5 days ago he must have felt he is going to the Caribbean, a nice little vacation, a break etc. and now he is on a LONG VACATION from life !!

And what is strange, from a destiny point of view, was his death the reason that Ireland had to win ??
Because Bob Woolmer had to die Pakistan had to lose ?
I doubt he would have had the heart attack had Pakistan won !

Anyway it doesn't matter the reason, all that matters is the result, and that is he is gone and his innings has ended.

God rest his soul.

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Hot Fuzz (2007)

It was inevitable after moving to England in 2006 that I would have to accept a few changes personally, professionally, and culturally. Among the latter I now look forward to the BAFTAs with giddy zeal, think that Hugh Grant and Sir Anthony Hopkins are the greatest actors of all time and that Helen Mirren and Dame Judy Dench are in a class by themselves. I also now see the unfairness behind Lord of the Rings pipping Harry Potter for all the awards in that “other” awards ceremony. And relevant to this piece I treat Hot Fuzz as a local film that is released here before making its way across to that other country across the Atlantic.

Hot Fuzz is almost as British a film as you can come across under the circumstance. The plot is simple on the surface. The finest cop London has to offer, Nicholas Angel, with an arrest record 400% higher than any other officer on the force gets sent to a place where his talents won't be quite so embarrassing - the sleepy and seemingly crime-free village of Sandford. Once there, he is partnered with the well-meaning but overeager and overweight police officer Danny Butterman who is the son of amiable Police Chief Frank Butterman. The rest of the small police force in Sandford is no better or any much smarter and this only adds to Angel's growing frustration. However, as a series of grisly accidents rock the village, Angel is convinced that Sandford is not what it seems to be and the feel-good citizens and well-wishing neighbors, and the perfection of the whole place brings an uncanny fiction to it. As the intrigue deepens it's time for these small-town cops to break out some big-city justice.

Hot Fuzz is definitely not a one-man show even though Mr. Simon Pegg as the super cop Nicholas Angel is out and out the one constant in the film, it is the performance of all the various peripheral characters that makes Hot Fuzz a tremendously enjoyable film. This is one of those films where the director’s and writer’s characters have more to do than the actual performers. Directing credits go to Mr. Edgar Wright, and interestingly writing credits are shared between himself and the main lead Mr. Simon Pegg, making it apparent why the on-screen product was hilarious, appeared natural and spontaneous, and will have you in stitches every few minutes. Both of these extremely talented gentlemen in their mid-30s had also combined for the famous Shaun of the Dead (2004) and continue to contribute to the mixed genre culture of films in recent times. Though Hot Fuzz is a comedy there is, at the same time, a mystery to solve, and bad guys to be found and dealt with.

I do suppose there is an added charm to the viewer if he or she has resided in England for some time or has some knowledge of certain cultural and social norms in this country, but even without being aware of the same there is lots to enjoy about this film for everyone. The story keeps moving fluently and crisply and the cinematography is absolutely beautiful, making the viewer feel as if he or she has a place in the sleepy village of Sandford. Though the character sketches appear hastily presented and somewhat sporadic, in the end it becomes apparent that it is not significant in the scheme of things to grasp to any individual as opposed to a general group. The humor is witty and dialogue delivery quaintly British, which undoubtedly adds to the overall persona of the film on the whole.

So is this a classic, a must-watch for all, a keeper for the DVD collection? Well yes, and no.

Unfortunately Hot Fuzz has a certain dimension that will sadly justify its R rating and 15+ UK rating, and this is the bizarrely sudden manner in which gross violence and blood splattering appears in this film. Though I personally might have edited this to ensure Hot Fuzz may be enjoyed by all ages and persons with weaker hearts and stomachs, I suppose there is a following of such pyrotechnics of blood that will actually nod their head in approval. Don’t get me wrong, the scenes are actually quite funny, in a twisted kind of way that is (I and only one other person were laughing when a boulder fell on a character’s head and blood was spraying out of the head with the velocity and volume similar to that of a burst fire hydrant). Having said that however, they do tend to appear suddenly and somewhat inappropriately and can make you jump rather vibrantly, thus adding to their fuzzy charm.

If one can remember that this is a comedy and the actions are exaggerated to stamp home the point then such visual atrocities can be overlooked and the film enjoyed despite those fairly graphic moments. Despite those 3-5 scenes nothing can be taken away from Hot Fuzz in terms of performances, writing, editing, intelligent humour, relatable and interesting characters and some truly laugh out really loud jokes and scenes. If most British collaborations and productions are this smashing by nature then I think it is going to be an immense pleasure viewing, reviewing and writing about such pieces of celluloid presentation.

Blood Diamond (2006)

Blood Diamond (2006)

There are the 4 Cs to buying a diamond rule and I used a parallel and inherently similar rule in deciding if I wanted to “buy” this “diamond”.

Cast, credits (writing, directing), cinematography, and cost (monetary and time) helped me decide whether this would be a film even worth giving a glance, and Blood Diamond easily passed the initial scrutiny.

Blood Diamond is set against the backdrop of civil war and chaos in 1990's Sierra Leone, and tells the story of Danny Archer, quite brilliantly depicted by Mr. Leonardo DiCaprio, an ex-mercenary from Zimbabwe, and Solomon Vandy, also rather superbly portrayed by Mr. Djimon Hounsou, as a Mende fisherman. Though both men share an ancestral continent, their histories are as different as can be, that is until their fates become joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond that can transform their lives. While locked up in prison for smuggling, Archer learns that Solomon - who was taken from his family and forced to work in the diamond fields - has found and hidden the extraordinary rough stone. With the help of Maddy Bowen, played by Ms. Jennifer Connelly, an American journalist whose idealism is bordered by a deepening connection with Archer, the two gentlemen embark on a trek through rebel territory to make a journey that could save Solomon's family and fulfill Archer’s vested interest.

Starting with the first ‘C’, Blood Diamond notches top marks for cast. Mr. DiCaprio has certainly evolved as one of Hollywood’s underrated, somewhat over-hyped performers and it’s shocking to think of the variety of projects this actor has been associated with. From doing television shows such as Growing Pains (1991-92) and Santa Barbara (1984), to films such as What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Romeo and Juliet (1996), the immortal Titanic (1997), to some of his more recent and certainly mature and worth seeing performances in The Man In The Iron Mask (1998), Gangs Of New York (2002), Catch Me If You Can (2002) right up to The Aviator (2004) and The Departed (2006), here is a guy who has shown tremendous versatility and command of adapting to nearly any and any role possible. It will be interesting to see him play Theodore Roosevelt in Mr. Martin Scorsese’s 2008 bio-epic. Mr. DiCaprio portrays to near perfection his “Rhodesian” character, his dialogue delivery, accent, appearance and swagger are natural and though he has his filmy moments in Blood Diamond, overall you tend to relate to and root for his character.

If Mr. DiCaprio’s evolution paints a picture then Mr. Hounsou’s is an art gallery! Starting as an extra in the TV series Beverly Hills 90210 (1990) to appearing in blockbusters such as Amistad (1997) and The Gladiator (2000), this performer has grown leaps and bounds in the industry and his talent is on fine display in Blood Diamond. His emotions, down to every bead of sweat that drips from his determined face, and the forlorn expressed when he sees his son wielding a gun, are refined and spontaneous. It is evident that here is an actor who makes a director’s job extremely easy. The chemistry between the main protagonists is coherent and essential to the film’s progress and unintentionally represents the backbone behind the main plot.

The trilogy of the main cast is completed by the extremely talented Ms. Connelly whose Maddy Bowen exhibits possibly the most depth of the characters the viewers are exposed to. Though her role is peripheral and somewhat limited, Ms. Connelly takes her script and evokes an array of emotions from co-stars and viewers alike. Ms. Connelly, most noted for her roles in A Beautiful Mind (2001) and Hulk (2003), can add Blood Diamond to one of her better performances.

Directing credits are largely impressive as Mr. Edward Zwick is a gentleman of no small stature. Oscar winner for producing Shakespeare in Love in 1999, he has given us in the past such intriguing prospects as Glory (1989), Legends Of The Fall (1994) and The Last Samurai (2003), and with Blood Diamond he again delivers a good mix of action, mystery, drama, and deeper intellectual content. Unfortunately though Mr. Zwick’s editing team did leave a bit to be desired and the pre-climax/ climax could have done with some chopping. Some might say the actual introduction and development of the story was tedious and drew a lot of energy out of the viewer but one has to remember the story line and subject were not the easiest of fares and some time was inevitable in bringing the main course to the table. Mr. Charles Leavitt, better known for writing credits in K-Pax (2001), is commendable in scripting a sensitive subject.

Cinematography by Mr. Eduardo Serra is of the highest caliber. The former BAFTA award winner makes the viewing adventure rather realistic, be it the forest or the streets, there is no doubt that the viewer at times feels realistically immersed in the ongoing events unfolding on screen.

This movie is not for the faint of heart and at times the action can be rather disturbing, realistic and sudden and one has to be mindful of such. Seeing harsh realities can be a turn-off and many might feel a bit sick somewhere in the first 20-25 minutes, but credit to the director and cinematographer for being bold enough to portray such happenings as genuinely as they have. Perhaps a bit overboard I can concur with that statement but it was essential to portray the gravity of the entire theme. The only critique with that may have been the lack of mirroring gravity in the second half and towards the end of the viewing experience.

Time-wise and money-wise I think Blood Diamond is definitely worth a look-see, though some of the clichés presented, especially at the end, will leave the viewer not as attached to the characters and the cause as they would have been ¾ into the film. As much a fan I am of the cinematic experience, I think waiting for this one on DVD might actually be more practical.
As great an effort this was by the cast and production team, I still do not see it making a significant impact on the mentality and actions of individuals before they purchase a diamond, and if that was a benchmark that the film was trying to use to gauge its success then it may not necessarily be deemed one, but I think overall the film does increase awareness and raise some pertinent questions and asks us to introspect and debate and dabble further on the whole issue of whether you know where the rock on your finger has come from.