My translation of that appears in Churumuri. Enjoy.

Today The Times of India reports that Mysore University is among the four Indian universities which have entered into a confidential pact with Nestle, a global baby food and commercial food giant, to promote “nutrition awareness programmes for adolescent school-going girls in government-run village schools.”

We can surmise what Nestle is thinking but what the hell is wrong with the Mysore University? Does anyone read MOUs in the Crawford Hall and do they get any legal advice before signing agreements like these?

Crawford Hall, Mysore

(Cross posted in Churumuri)

The Times of India reports that the University of Mysore has decided to confer an honorary doctorate on Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

This, I find, incredibly inexplicable.

Don’t get me wrong.

I repeat, don’t get me wrong: I consider Tendulkar to be a phenomenal achiever and, in particular, I have really come to respect how he has reinvented himself as a great defensive batsman.

In the history of world cricket, there aren’t too many instances of  someone with Sachin’s ability for stroke making turning himself into a great, perhaps even the best defensive batsman in the world. I like the way he still retains his childlike enthusiasm and love for the game after more than two decades of playing international cricket.

Naturally, he is deserving of our affection, respect and, indeed, all honours that come his way, including an honorary doctorate degree.

But by the University of Mysore?

Neither the City of Mysore nor the University of Mysore have any relationship with Sachin. None of his great accomplishments have come in this City. So I am not sure what Mysore University seeks to commemorate by honoring Sachin.

Moreover, Mysore University isn’t a national university. And being a State university,  its reach is limited to the districts of Mysore, Hassan, Mandya and Chamarajnagar. So if it recognizes achievers from this region or those from Karnataka, then that would be appropriate.

There is one more surprising factor. The present vice-chancellor Prof V.G.Talawar had famously declared that the game of cricket is a waste of time and he has no use for the sport. This he had said when he was invited to a Ranji Trophy match last year.

Now the same university honors Tendulkar for his cricketing accomplishments?

In another strange decision, the university has also conferred an honorary doctorate on Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar (1884-1940), seventy years after his death.

Why does the University wants to honor him now? I fail to understand the logic of this decision. Wodeyar, who founded the University in 1916 and was instrumental in the creation of modern Mysore, is a worthy recipient but this award has come about ninety years too late.

The usual cliche that’s strutted out on occasions like this is that by honouring Tendulkar and Wodeyar, Mysore University has honoured itself. But I think this is a cheap gimmick by the University that potentially simply demeans the award. As I said above, both the honourees are surely worthy of the honor that’s being bestowed on them but should they have been honoured now and by the Mysore University?

Who are they going to choose next year? Mahatma Gandhi and Ranjitsinhji?

For the record, I should admit the University syndicate has also chosen four other worthy recipients, and I am particularly delighted that Rajiv Taranath is being honoured.

Manjrekar, in particular, pointed out how Karnataka cricketers in the last two decades seemed to be more curious about and aware of how institutions function when compared to cricketers from other states. For instance, he said, they know how the managing committees of state cricket associations function and he implied that this knowledge explains the electoral success of Kumble et al in the recent elections. If they succeed in their mission, it will be because of this awareness and intellectual curiosity.

Having come off age in a rapidly globalizing and cosmopolitan Bangalore, which had opened itself to the rest of the world, this group is quite well educated and tech savvy. Their cohort of childhood friends and classmates has settled all over the world and brings to them an awareness of the world that is quite different. This I suspect is what they have added to their earlier reputation as gentlemen cricketers.

Addendum: While Kumble didn’t have any specifics on what they plan to do at KSCA, he did say something very interesting, and indeed a very welcome measure: that his team is actively considering changing the bylaws to introduce term limits (two terms) for KSCA office bearers.

Scene 1

The stands filled with school children, Mysore University students and old retirees, watching the game intently. Good stuff.

Scene 2

KSCA invitees stand begins to fill up around 11:30, half-hour before lunch. Young and old, men and women, arrive in time for lunch. Even before the Umpires call ‘lunch’, the invitees rush towards the lunch counter, set this time in the stands and right next to the press box. The unseemly rush of three hundred or more people is short of a food fight and quite a sight. By 1:30 the sated invitees will have left, for a well-earned siesta at home. We thought of inserting a nice Youtube video. Embarrassing.

Scene 3

Overheard a PYT telling her friend, as they exited the KSCA invitee area at the end of the first day’s play: My bums are hurting. Hilarious.

Scene 3

The deafening silence of Karnataka players, who often complain about not having a proper balcony at the Gangothri Glades that keeps them away from the hoi polloi. They dare not complain to the new secretary Javagal Srinath, who might impersonate a drill instructor and make them run ten rounds around Glades. Funny.

Scene 4

Good to see Karnataka players, especially the likes of Abhimanyu Mithun and Manish Pandey, signing autographs and posing for photos with kids. In fact, more of such interactions with the spectators would be in order, especially after practice sessions. Nice.

Scene 5

Occasional teasing of Stuart Binny and Robin Uttappa, the two exciting Karnataka players who haven’t performed in Mysore.

Among the Baroda players, Ambatti Rayadu gets some shouts, thanks to his IPL stints with Mumbai Indians. Cheeky.

Scene 6

Lush green outfield at Gangothri Glades, as the one blot from last year has been set right. It’s just a fabulous sight, in one what’s one of the prettiest cricket grounds anywhere in the world. Pretty.

We often hear about the great challenge cricket administrators have set for themselves, of making domestic cricket more appealing to this cricket watching public.

Given that a typical spectator in 2010 is reared on a diet of ODIs, and increasingly T20s, if the proceedings aren’t filled with aggressive stroke making, then there is great disappointment. The spectator applauds even misplaced lofted hits or streaky edges get applauded. Aggressive intent is what he seeks.

Test matches will remain popular. In recent times, aggressive batting has made them quite exciting. More significantly, there is glamous associated with Test cricketers. Even a great defensive innings by Tendulkar is exciting simply because Tendulkar is batting.

Domestic cricket, especially, in its long form, doesn’t offer the same charm or excitement for the typical spectator.

This is true at Gangothri Glades as the game heads towards a draw by the end of third day, lending the fourth day’s play virtually meaningless. In its Ranji Trophy league match against Baroda, Karnataka has a chance to press for a win. An hour after tea on the third day, Karnataka could set a target of over 350 runs but it chose to get batting practice. Explaining the rationale, Karnataka coach K Sanath Kumar said his batsmen needed time in the middle and in any case, his team was assured of qualifying for the knockout stage as the top team from its group; so there was no need to press for a result.

The unasked, and hence unanswered, question was this: Did Sanath Kumar and his team have an obligation towards the spectator? While tactically their decision made sense, should they have aimed for a win and make the contest exciting? Shouldn’t our well-paid domestic cricketers, who benefit greatly from spectator interest in cricket, also seek to entertain the crowd?

We could take the game to smaller centers like Mysore. We could build nice small stadiums, and create better facilities for the spectators. We could offer life security for the domestic player pool by offering decent remuneration and good pension plans. We could create good sporting wickets, with good bounce and carry, along with lush green outfields.

In Mysore, this week we had all these above listed conditions fulfilled. Yet, the action in the middle was pretty dull, and this was true even for the connoisseur, not just for the typical spectator. On day 1, Karnataka made 257 but Baroda’s bowling was disciplined at best, on what was a pretty good wicket, with good bounce and carry. Karnataka’s talented batsmen threw away their wickets, many after pretty good starts. We didn’t see much skill or flair from either team. Baroda was missing its big guns, the Pathan brothers and Munaf Patel, and so was lacking in the flair department. But Karnataka fielded its strongest team, minus Rahul Dravid, and had no excuse. While it did get Baroda out cheaply for 169 on the second day, this wasn’t an inspiring performance.

In fact, a senior Mysore cricketer said that the standard of cricket wasn’t better than what we see in a typical Mysore league cricket match.

When that’s the verdict wtih several talented players with flair on the field, something needs to change, if cricket has to become appealing.

So how do we set this right?

Perhaps, Karnataka aiming for an outright win would have redeemed the game. That’s the obligation that Sanath Kumar and his Karnataka team will have to fulfill. Additionally, they have to draw the spectator into the game. At Mysore, he is already there at Gangothri Glades, and the obligation for the players isn’t to lose his attention.

Eulogizing T. E. Srinivasan, Suresh Menon wrote in Cricinfo last night:

In the 1970s and 80s, he filled the grounds even for league matches. When word spread that he was batting, the crowds appeared miraculously, cheering him on; when he was out, a big chunk disappeared just as miraculously.

Our players too will have to find their inner Srinivasan and make the game exciting for the spectators, if they wish to keep their game etched in popular memory.

]]> http://www.landoflime.com/archives/not-cricket/on-boring-draws-and-sustaining-spectator-interest/feed/ http://www.landoflime.com/archives/calm-entry/why-shouldnt-lingayat-pontiffs-support-yeddyurappa/ http://www.landoflime.com/archives/calm-entry/why-shouldnt-lingayat-pontiffs-support-yeddyurappa/#comments Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:28:23 +0000 PDCS http://www.landoflime.com/?p=513 B. S. Yeddyurappa has survived yet another crisis and his impressive survival skills deserve more than an occasional blog post.

Here is something else that deserves a quick comment: the intervention of some pontiffs in support of the beleaguered Chief Minister, especially by several Lingayat Swamijis. If these religious leaders want to comment on political affairs, that’s fine by me. I don’t subscribe to the view that pontiffs and monks shouldn’t comment on politics. But they should also be aware that they will be seen as political figures and wouldn’t be immune from public criticism. If they want to proclaim their neutrality and then make partisan political arguments, sounding more like politicians, then these Gurus are in danger of being treated as partisan politicians.

It’s in that predicament that the three Lingayat swamijis featured above in the photograph find themselves today. They may be fringe figures within the Lingayat hierarchy but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve our attention because they articulate a widely shared sentiment. Consider what they have to say. They see a conspiracy against a Lingayat chief minister, who is being harassed by his Vokkaliga rivals. But they hasten to add that they would have fought in favor of any chief minister, supporting his right to complete his five year term. They claim to be opposed to corruption but plead that Yeddyurappa be given an opportunity to prove his innocence. They want a thorough inquiry, proof of guilt and not just a trial in the media. They also claim that the available evidence is tainted because it has come from motivated political rivals like the Gowda family. Even if Yeddyurappa is guilty, he is guilty of only what his predecessors have done.

Note that none of this is coming from a political hack. Even Vishvesha Tirtha Swamiji of the Pejawar Math, who has been quite close to the Sangh Parivar has rushed to defend Yeddyurappa. Note that they all aren’t convinced by media reports. But the same media is reliable when it comes to defending Yeddyurappa government’s development policies and accomplishments in the last 30 months.

Perhaps, this is the dividend Yeddyurappa gets for giving away state resources - money, land and temples - to religious institutions and caste associations. We have all read reports of how Lingayat swamijis especially lobby on behalf of chosen MLAs and recommend that they be made ministers in the state cabinet. I have very strong reasons to believe this to be true. Be it through such secret interventions or public display of support, swamis have come to be seen as partisan politicians and deserve to be treated as such.

If they want a better model to be in public life, they should consider the example of Swami Agnivesh. I may not agree with him all the time but I don’t think of him as a political hack and I always listen to his arguments carefully.

It is said that leading the Indian cricket team is the second hardest job after the Indian prime ministership.

We may add a new truism: being an Indian fast bowler is perhaps the third most difficult job.

Now, that Anil Radhakrishna Kumble and Javagal Chandrashekhar Srinath have won the elections to the Karnataka state cricket association (KSCA) and will be at the helm of cricketing affairs in the State for the next three years, they have, quite possibly, an even more difficult job ahead of them.

Their candidacy excited many reporters and commentators, within and outside Karnataka, who turned into veritable court-poets, often abdicating their day-job as journalists.

Their resounding victory has elicited hyperbole. The Indian Express calls this the “beginning of a new era in the Indian cricket administration“, and Cricinfo’s Sharda Ugra, whose analytical pieces are balanced and insightful, calls Srinath and Kumble as “gamechangers“.

Amidst this rapturous welcoming of M/s Kumble & Co, forgive me, if I sound like a sceptic.

True, Kumble and Srinath have been brilliant performers on the field and, having watched them since their junior cricket days, for over two decades, I have been a great admirer of their skills and accomplishments.

More impressive has been their personal conduct during their playing days, and since then.

It’s on that basis Kumble and Srinath sought the support and trust of KSCA members. These aren’t ordinary cricketers, who demanded that cricketers be put in charge of cricket administration.

Remember Brijesh Patel too had fought an epic battle 12 years ago against the then secretary, C. Nagaraj, against whom Patel had raised a series of corruption charges and promised to clean up cricket administration in Karnataka. In contrast, Kumble and Srinath have staked their character and integrity.

What’s been interesting about the Kumble-Srinath campaign is their message of change.

While they promise to clean up the cricket administration and turn KSCA into a model organization, we haven’t seen any specifics—either on the problems that plague KSCA or on the alternatives they have in mind. In fact, after the elections on Sunday, Kumble promised to study and come up with a blueprint for change.

Given that both Kumble and Srinath, along with their cohorts—B.K. Venkatesh Prasad, Rahul Dravid, Sujith Somasundar, Roger Binny, M.R. Srinivasa Prasad, Vijay Bharadwaj, all of whom have led Karnataka Ranji teams—have been “insiders” in a manner of speaking for decades, holding many official positions within BCCI and KSCA, I find it surprising that they have nothing concrete to say to the press, even after the elections.

What we have seen so far is a ‘campaign for change’ without specifying what that change might look like.

Sadly, our star-struck journalists haven’t asked for specific details.

Here is another interesting thing. Kumble and his team wanted complete control over KSCA. They compelled Brijesh Patel, who controlled KSCA for over a decade, to give up power. They wanted Srikantadatta Wodeyar, the outgoing president, to step aside and accept a new position of patron, which they offered to create for him.

Perhaps it made sense from their perspective to install a new team so that they could do a proper housecleaning.

Yet, troubling questions arise given how they seem to have allowed themselves to become or to be painted as de facto candidates of the Patel camp. We don’t know what promises were made to Patel; any meaningful change in KSCA will actually mean not only changing the policies of the Patel regime but also investigating Patel himself.

Kumble has forcefully asserted that he is his own man but he hasn’t addressed questions of corruption or nepotism that have plagued the Patel regime, too. Moreover, it’s not an entirely new team since there are holdovers from the previous administration like Roger Binny and R. Sudhakar Rao.

For all the paeans to their integrity in the press, I am actually reassured by Kumble & Co’s very competent politicking.

They presented themselves as the agents of change, as cricketers fighting against outsiders. They were brilliant in characterising the Wodeyar team as incumbents, which was entirely inaccurate; in fact, the Kumble team benefited from the support of the incumbents, the Patel faction.

The fact that the Wodeyar team was utterly incompetent in producing a strong response only helped them. I wish A.V. Jayaprakash had said he is no ‘interloping kabaddi player’ seeking the office of KSCA secretary but a former Karnataka captain and a distinguished international umpire.

Moreover, even before the elections, I heard from reliable sources that Srinath had been instructing KSCA staff members, especially on financial matters.

All this is better than being self-righteous because then they are more likely to become saints or martyrs. The virtue and integrity of the righteous aren’t necessarily valuable to run a public institution. Restraint, common sense, humility and a healthy dose of wiliness are.

Kumble and Srinath will need those qualities in abundance if they want to forge partnerships and build KSCA. Otherwise, for all their good intentions, they will accomplish very little.

Are they game changers? Ask me in six months but I suspect not. What ails KSCA, and generally cricket administration in India, is quite complex and is best left for another post.

***

Full disclosure: I must admit a particular bias in writing this article.

My team, the National Cricket Club (NCC), Mysore, which has been part of the Wodeyar group and represented Mysore zone in the managing committee from 2007-10, lost in the KSCA elections.

I have never been an admirer of Wodeyar and I am glad that he lost.

But NCC’s loss saddens me. That’s not just because NCC is my team but its track record in the last three years warrants strong support. I strongly believe Kumble and Srinath should have been proactive in recruiting NCC to be part of their team, especially because they know what NCC has accomplished in the last three years.

NCC’s major accomplishment of course has been organizing six Ranji trophy matches, including a classic finals match in January 2010, and maintaining what has come to be recognized as the best domestic wicket in India. We don’t realize all the work that goes into organizing a Ranji trophy match in a small center.

The members of National Cricket Club and a superb core of volunteers performed wonderfully, from ensuring supply of drinking water to spectators to tea and snacks to KSCA guests and press; erecting stands for the public to arranging internet for the Press, they did it all and in the true spirit of cricket.

All this is well known. Here are some lesser known facts. Nearly 1500 league matches were played. Five new grounds, including in smaller centers like Mandya, Chamarajnagar and Krishnaraja Nagar, were added and league matches are played regularly in all these places. Seventeen new teams were registered in the Mysore zone and al these teams take part in the State league. Distribution of KSCA resources has been equitable and selections to Mysore zone teams were extremely fair, and senior players from all teams were recruited to be part of the selection committees or to accompany the Mysore zone teams as managers. I have followed Mysore zone cricket for over two decades now and I couldn’t have written these two paragraphs about any other administration.

What’s important to recognize is that the core group of NCC are all active, and committed league cricketers: 45-year-old Harikrishna Kumar, who supervised the day to day administration of Mysore zone cricket, was also the leading wicket taker in the 2009-2010 state league.

NCC may have lost this election but Harikrishna Kumar and his friends can be proud of their tenure as KSCA Mysore zone conveners. Congratulations to them on completing a successful three year tenure.

It was a judgment based on the shared belief that the doosra, pioneered by Pakistani spinner Saqlain Mushtaq in the 1990s and since adopted by numerous tweakers, cannot be bowled legally.

Perhaps, this is one more instance of Oriental wizardry that escapes the Occidental. Like reverse swing but only until the Occidental too learns the trick. One could use more colorful language but we at the Land of Lime are quite civil.