Some people are 'Just Mad'.

I came across a very funny article in http://blogs.cricinfo.com/thebuzz/
It's reproduced below.Now judge for yourself.What was the motive of Mr.Prabhakar Pradhan.

The CIA has been blamed for many things since its establishment in 1947, but attempting to fatigue young Indian cricketers and distract the country's students is something even they probably aren't capable of. But that is precisely what Mumbai-based lawyer Prabhakar Pradhan has filed in the city's High Court, alleging that the USA's intelligence agency is responsible for "tiring out" India's young players and causing much shame to the national team.

"It is a CIA mischief. It wants to humiliate our players in international matches," read a Public Interest Litigation filed yesterday that also demanded an inquiry against the Indian board under the Commission of Inquiry Act. Pradhan also argued that students across the country were being distracted due to the busy international calendar and subsequently falling behind in their school and university work.

"It is for the citizens to play or see the matches. When I was a student, I never watched matches when there were exams," he said while adding the his "friend" and former Indian captain Ajit Wadekar could be readily persuaded to file and affidavit in his support.

Swift to present a dead bat to the attempted googly was Chief Justice Anil Dave, who rejected the plea by saying, matter-of-factly, "It is not necessary."

Case closed.

Wonder what Mr.Pradhan wanted the court to do w.r.t CIA..!
Issue an arrest warrant or a ruling on CIA???

This news item might be funny,but it's a grim reminder of the quality of some of the lawyers we have in this country.[I meant quality of some of the lawyers,not all]

Sehwag on Sachin's 200

I am the superstitious kind: I never praise a shot because I fear the moment I do so, the batsman gets out. Till Sachin was on 190 in Gwalior, I was rooted in my seat in the dressing room. But when he got to 190, I couldn't contain myself. I came out and started cheering every stroke till he got to 200.

When he got to 180, I knew he was going to get it, but when he was in the 190s I was concerned. If I was in his place, I would have tried to finish it quickly, because the longer I take, the greater the possibility of me getting out. I would try to wrap it up in three or four balls.

Also, he was looking really tired: he had been clutching his right side and showing signs of cramping. So when I stepped out of my seat, I was just saying, "Finish it, finish it."

But Sachin is never in a hurry. He is a different kind of batsman - one who can rotate the strike with ease and understands there is no need to take any chances. Whenever I have been on the brink of landmarks (Melbourne in 2003, Multan 2004) he has instructed me to do this and do that. But those are things only he can do.

You might say, this is 200 - a figure no batsman in the history of the game has crossed - but then we are talking about Tendulkar. He looked calm and confident even when he was at the non-striker's end in those final moments. I knew he just needed one ball, and I also knew he would get the opportunity.

He had started the innings in a confident mood. As soon as he hit his first boundary, off the third ball of the second over, he walked up to me and said the pitch was full of runs and we only needed to time the ball. He told me not to think of boundaries or going after the bowler. He was right: throughout he picked the gaps and played the ball as he saw it. He was not thinking too much and that helped.

Ten years down the line if I am asked to pick a shot or two from his innings I would love to pick many. But the ones that were special to me were the cover drives off the back foot past extra cover, and the punch, once again on the back foot, past point, off Wayne Parnell. Another incredible shot was the straight six over Roelof van der Merwe's head. The left-arm spinner is a difficult one to get away, but Sachin was able to make the room and the energy to hit it clean over the sight screen.

It is not an easy summit for a batsman to conquer because he needs to possess a variety of attributes. In the past I mentioned on four or five occasions that Sachin had the capability to score a double-hundred in ODIs. I was confident only he could achieve such a feat only because of his experience and the kind of form he is in at the moment.

Importantly, he had the hunger and the patience to last for the entire 50 overs. You need to bat out the entire innings to score a double. And it is not so easy because it is not just about hitting boundaries; it is also rotating the strike. I knew if he had 150 balls, he could do it, and he did it in 147 deliveries.

I do not want to dwell here on my own batting, but in the past certain people have said I could have scored 200 in one-day cricket, because of my performances in Tests, where I have got near to a hundred before lunch. But I have had the tendency to take too many risks once I reach the 120 or 130-run mark in ODIs. That is difference between me and Sachin.

We have had chats about him scoring 200. He thought it was difficult, but I told him only he could do it. Last year in New Zealand, when he retired on 163 I told him he had missed the opportunity, but he said "Agar meri kismat mein hoga toh woh mil jayega [It will eventually happen if I am destined to do it]." He said the same when he got 175 against Australia last year. On Wednesday he said "Woh likha tha, toh mil gaya [I got what was destined]".

Back in 1998 everyone felt Sachin was in prime form. I was not in the Indian team then. But I have seen him over the last decade and he is still improving with every match, he is practising more than anybody else in the nets, working hard on his fitness. I think he is in better form now than he was in 1998.

Coutesy:Cricinfo.

pak concerned about human rights

Now,those who read the heading,kindly don't laugh(pakistanis excused).
No laugh,it's my request..
It's not a laughing matter,you see.Atleast for a moment,please suppress your laughter.plss..

When pakistan is concerned about human rights,the world should notice.UN should be afraid.Indians should look for hiding places..

You have to understand that pakistan is the greatest ever champion of human rights the world has ever seen.Every pak leader from time immemorial has stood up,I mean for human rights..!

You might be thinking,why I am saying all these things.you all know that these are true facts.So why I am reiterating it?
Well,if any one of us have forgotten about who is the greatest champion of human rights,then read on :

pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said today pakistan is concerned about human right violations in J&K.

"concerned about human right violations"..!!


Hope India addresses the concern and follow pak example of alleviating the grievances of people using tanks,helicopter gunships etc.
That way human rights can be saved.The way they saved and are continuing to save rights in their north west frontier province,baluchistan etc.

Infact,human rights are being saved left,right and centre in pakistan.Just 2 days back pakistani talibani human rights were saved when Sikhs were beheaded by them..!!

pak says focus on terror unfair

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said on Thursday that India's focus on the 2008 Mumbai attacks was "unfair" and was stalling efforts to get relations between the countries back on track.

"It is unfair and unrealistic and, in our view, counterproductive to .. keep the focus on that (Mumbai) to stall the process of the broader relationship between the two countries," Bashir said after talks in New Delhi with his Indian counterpart Nirupama Rao.

Ok...So you and your terrorists are most welcome...Come and kill as many Indians as you want.India should not say any thing on it.Your greatest asset,LeT,it's leader Makki openly says there will be blood bath in India,there will be explosions in Indian cities.And you say the evidences India provide are literature.Don't you have balls man?????
More than 150 innocent Indians died in the Mumbai attack carried out with active help of the pakistani establishment...

pakistanis keep on asking for evidences against terror masterminds living in pak..!
What is the need of India giving evidence??
Just look around in your country,Mr.Bashir,you will have enough evidences.

Mr.Bashir also says,pakistan is having 100 Mumbai like terror attacks..!!
Well,well,well,who is responsible..???
India is not responsible,atleast not yet..!!
And on the other hand even pak has admitted that the Mumbai attackers are pakis..

pakistanis keep barking that Kashmir is their jugular vein,well mark my words,Kashmir will be pakistan's WATERLOO,ultimately.


As for me,I always fail to understand,why India is not doing covert operations inside pak.Just take out these so-called hafeez saeeds,makkis,syed salahuddins etc.Why do we beg for them to be extradited to India.Just finish them off in their own den.Use a part of our defense budget and build 'strategic assets' inside pak,who can smoke out these venomous snakes as and when we command..

India can tie down pak only by a policy of 'An eye for an eye'.India should make pak realise that we can also play this game which they are playing inside India,else we will continue to suffer.


Always felt,India need a very strong,determined,fiercely patriotic leader at the top.Then see what happens...!!!!

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar : The Greatest Ever

Sachin Tendulkar,well,I don't have words to describe him other than saying that 'He is the Greatest Living Indian for the Sheer amount of Happiness he has given to we Indians and his fans the world over for the last 20 plus years'.

Just want to salute our Master.Nothing else.Don't want to say much.

We can say proudly that we are his fellow countrymen..

I will just quote here some of the tributes he received for his knock.Yesterday we heard Gavaskar saying that Sachin is the best.No dispute there for sure...!

There is one blog entry which I have pasted in this post,which is not related to this knock,but just read it for its amazing admiration for Tendulkar.

"Tendulkar is sincerity personified. He has made sacrifices in his life, there is a lot of dedication involved and he is very passionate about achieving something," said Kapil Dev.

"He is like us but it`s his mental toughness that sets him apart. He knows what exactly he is doing and he is strongly determined and focussed. He will bring more laurels to the country," he added.

"I have not seen (Don) Bradman playing cricket. I have played with Sachin and he is a great batsman and I have not seen a player like him"
Saurav Ganguly.

Sachin Tendulkar sugar-coated the recent reality of India and gave its people something to cheer about. It is not easy to possess the mandate to lift the spirits of such a large nation, but he has done that consistently. The comparison with Sir Donald Bradman is not restricted to his batting alone. Like the great man who brought cheer to post-war Australia, Tendulkar allowed India to momentarily forget fires and bombs and inflation and terrorist threats. It was like that with the century he made after England so graciously agreed to tour after the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. It has been like that for a long time. For better or worse cricket is more than a sport in India; Tendulkar is more than just a cricketer. Where our elected representatives callously fritter away the mandate people give them, Tendulkar has stayed true to it.

And he has never forgotten why he started playing the game in the first place. The best have lofty ambitions when they begin but soon commerce, like a tenacious worm, gnaws into them. Fame surrounds them and prevents the fresh air of reason from breaking through. They acquire sycophants, that great curse of success. Playing the game becomes a means to a seemingly superior, but in reality hollower, end. Tendulkar has kept those demons at bay. He has made more money than anyone else in the game, acquired greater fame than is imaginable, but you could never guess that from the way he plays his cricket. He remains the servant, pursues the game with purity. Through the last decade India have been well-served by like-minded giants.

And he works as hard as anybody has. Lance Armstrong once said that he wins the Tour de France not when he is cycling down the Champs Elysees but when he is out in the mountains facing icy winds while others are cosying in their blankets for an extra hour. Two years ago Tendulkar realised that his future lay in the way his body coped; that eventually his body rather than a bowler would get him. During the first IPL, as he struggled with a groin injury, he admitted that he found continuous rehab very difficult to live with. Once fit, he was like the child again, able to do what he wanted without worrying about whether his body was accomplice or traitor. And so he trained harder and rested well. You could see the effect as he scampered between wickets. Tendulkar's delightful second wind is the result of what you and I have not seen: hours in the gym and in training.

As a result, Tendulkar's endgame is nowhere in sight. He is peeling off centuries like he did in his prime. The old air of predictability is still around; he is grinding his way through when needed, clobbering the ball when required. In this extraordinary long-distance race he is running, this looks like a mid-race burst rather than the finishing kick his age suggests it should be.

So why has no one else scored a double-century in limited-overs cricket so far? Well, because it is very difficult for a start. Assuming 300 balls, you should expect to get no more than 150, which means you need to bat at a strike-rate of 133. You need to be mentally alert, because one casual shot, one moment of disrespect, could be your undoing. But, let's admit, the combination of pitches, outfields and boundary ropes has rarely tilted the balance so much in the batsman's favour. In Gwalior the groundsman told one half of the class they were not wanted. The bowlers were the extras in a movie, seeking, at best, a talking part. The stage had been prepared for Tendulkar but he still had to deliver an unforgettable performance.

Inevitably the question will be asked: what next? I know there is only one thing he genuinely covets, and that is not in his hands. In 12 months Tendulkar hopes to play his sixth and last World Cup. So far his relationship with the World Cup has been like that of a child who scurries to the rossogulla shop only to find it shut every time. If he was a golfer seeking a Masters win or a tennis player hoping to win another Grand Slam, he could plan for it but he doesn't hold the key to a win in a team sport. It must happen, he cannot make it happen. But what else? Frankly, I don't care.

Tendulkar's journey is about joy and purity and a landmark is merely a comfort stop.
Author:Harsha Bhogle.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain is convinced that Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman the game has ever seen, better than even the iconic Don Bradman.

Sachin Tendulkar"I have never liked comparisons between great players, but after Wednesday's incredible game it must be said - Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman of all time," Hussain wrote in his column for The Daily Mail.

Tendulkar became the first batsman to crack a double century in the four-decade-long history of One-day cricket against South Africa on Wednesday and Hussain felt that should settle the debate on who is the greatest batsman ever.

"He is better than Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting , the other two great players of my era. Better than Sir Viv Richards , Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border . And I would even say better than Sir Don Bradman himself," wrote the Chennai-born English cricketer.

Hussain said Tendulkar has somehow managed to retain his early enthusiasm even after two decades of international cricket which he found incredible.

"I played against Tendulkar on my first England tour, the Nehru Cup in India in 1989, and I could still see that excited boy in big pads in Gwalior," said Hussain.

"That extraordinary drive and enthusiasm are what make Tendulkar so special. He has been playing international cricket for 20 years under the intense scrutiny being an Indian superstar brings, so it is remarkable he still loves holding a bat as much as ever," Hussain said.

Looking at Tendulkar's illustrious career, Hussain said guiding the Indian team to 2011 World Cup victory with his broad bat would perhaps give a sense of fulfillment.

"What else is left for Tendulkar now? Well, it is sometimes said that he has not played enough match-winning innings on the really big occasion for India.

"What better, then, than to score a hundred in the World Cup final against Australia - or maybe even England - on home soil this time next year," he said.

"That would be the full stop that would enable Tendulkar to ride off into the sunset with everything achieved in his career," said the Englishman.

Doffing his hat to Tendulkar and referring to maverick soccer coach Jose Maurinho's famous moniker, Hussain said, "My admiration for him is total. To steal the nickname of a certain football coach who led Inter Milan against Chelsea on Wednesday, Sachin Tendulkar truly is 'The Special One'."
© Copyright 2010 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.

Coutesy :rediff.

Sachin Tendulkar. No one cricketer will have given so many people around the world such unadulterated joy as he has. No one batsman will have caused such jaw-dropping awe among rival bowlers as the little big man. No one causes the air to be filled with so much electricity that can bathe more than a whole stadium in glorious light as consistently at the little big man.


Of course, the childish delight when we reached out and touched the excitement in the air every time he walked out to bat may have diminished. Yet, as he strolls purposefully to the wicket, his concentration already locked, his demeanour conveying menacing signals to the rival side, you can experience the anticipation that envelops the ground even today.


I can recall only one occasion on which this dominant feeling was not so much of anticipation and excitement as it was of admiration, even awe. There was a lump in the throat and tears in the eyes as one saw him make his way to the crease at the fall of a wicket. It was at Bristol in May 1999 that Tendulkar returned to bat for India from the funeral of his father, Prof Ramesh Tendulkar.


His masterpiece against Kenya under grief and stress was reminiscent of Raj Kapoor's wonderful performance in the lead role in Mera Naam Joker. Aware of his mother's death, the protagonist in the movie wears a pair of dark glasses to hide his tears from the world as he entertains the audience under the big tent. Tendulkar could not even shed tears in public.


And, when he reached the century, he gave one of my most poignant moments in many years of watching cricket. It seemed like he was locked in a brief and private conversation with his baba, his dear baba. "This one is for you, baba," he seemed to say as he looked up heavenwards. It was hard not to cry for Tendulkar. It is hard for the eyes not to be moist every time that moving image comes to the forefront.


He did that yet again at the Ferozshah Kotla the other day when he reached the landmark 35th Test century, a carefully crafted effort that had all shades from his batsmanship over the years – the aggressive and the watchful, the cavalier and the risky.


Till the time his body started complaining, Tendulkar radiated an unadulterated joy with his Viv Richardsesque approach to batsmanship. The first signs of trouble came during the knock of 136 against Pakistan in Chennai in 1999 when it became apparent that his back was causing him trouble. A defensive and watchful approach seemed to take over his mindset and accumulating runs was paramount.


Tendulkar’s greatness lies in the fact that there is none of the fragility of character that we have got to see in a Brian Lara or a Shane Warne, particularly away from the cricket field. To have played for so many years and not attracted controversy speaks much for his careful positioning. His steadfast refusal to let Mohammed Azharuddin and Nayan Mongia come back into the Indian team was the only spot of controversy that Tendulkar ever allowed to rest on him.


You can turn around and say that this has perhaps been the result of the fact that he does not have a forceful viewpoint on issues that concern Indian and international cricket. I have seen him let his guard down but only rarely. And when he does this, breaking into a smile, all the innocence comes through from the depths of his pure heart. He is careful about his image. Nothing wrong with that, is there? It has caused a lot of people to complain that he is not exactly approachable nor is he the epitome of eloquence.


My favourite Tendulkar story – and I will never tire of relating this – is more than a decade old. I was interviewing him for the first time during a match at the Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad and I remember asking him what was uppermost in his mind when he scored a century – happiness or satisfaction. He took his time and told me that the two things were different states of mind.


“I am allowed to be happy when I score a century because it is a milestone but if I allow myself to be satisfied, I am denying the facts that I may have edged a few deliveries or may have been beaten or mistimed a few shots in the innings. Satisfaction is like engaging the handbrake in a car and hoping the vehicle would move forward,” he said.


He could not have given a better expression to his hunger for excellence. It was a great lesson in living. Sachin Tendulkar. We can only thank him for so many of those wonderful moments that he has given us. Not only to celebrate them but also to ruminate on some of those in our moments of solitude and reflection.
Courtest :Sports journalist and writer G Rajaraman's blog on sportrajreflects.blogspot.com

Australia's Michael Clarke says it's no surprise to him to see Sachin Tendulkar become the first player to score 200 in a men's one-day international.

Tendulkar hit a majestic 200 not out in Gwalior against South Africa, beating the previous highest score of 194, jointly made by Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry against Bangladesh in Bulawayo in 2009 and Pakistan's Saeed Anwar against India at Chennai in 1997.

"His record speaks for itself. I can't say I'm surprised," Clarke said on Thursday in Wellington.

"He's probably the greatest batsman I've ever seen play, live."

Tendulkar reached the landmark in the last over off 147 deliveries, hitting 25 boundaries and three sixes. India made 3-401 and South Africa replied with 248 all out including an unbeaten 114 from AB De Villiers.

India claimed a 2-0 lead in the three-match series, as Tendulkar added the ODI highest-score record to his world marks for most runs and centuries in Tests and one-day cricket.

"I didn't watch any of it but I'd like to get back this afternoon and see some highlights," said Clarke as his Australia Twenty20 side prepared for Friday's clash with New Zealand.

Clarke says the 36-year-old's Tendulkar's longevity in the game has been one of his greatest achievements.

"He's a wonderful guy and someone I not only enjoy watching on TV, but I've loved having the opportunity to play against him as well," said Clarke, 28.

"He has got so much class. His greatest strength is the longevity, to be able to be so successful at a young age and to still be doing the same thing 20 years on.

"He made his (Test) debut at 16 and he's still as good as ever, if not better. We're blessed to still have such a great player playing this game."

After being named man of the match, Tendulkar praised his one-billion strong army of fans in India.

"I'd like to dedicate this double-hundred to the people of India for standing behind me for the last 20 years throughout the ups and downs," he said.

"I felt that when I was 175-plus and it was the 42nd over I had a chance, but I wasn't actually thinking of it (double-century). It was only when I got closer to it that I thought about it."

Even as a hysterical crowd gradually melted away from the Roop Singh Stadium, shouts of ‘Sachin, Sachin' rent the air.

Fireworks lit the night sky. Fans scrambled for another look at the legend as he neared the team bus. All of Gwalior, all of India, was awash with emotions.

Minutes earlier, Tendulkar had been calm and serene at the press conference. Despite 20 long and glorious years in international cricket and a mountain of achievements, he has remained the same.

The humility of this champion cricketer is striking. His feet firmly on ground, he creates and innovates and continues to scale peaks. And keeps raising the bar.

On a historic Wednesday here, the 36-year-old had batted through the entire Indian innings and then fielded when he could so easily have opted for a period of well-deserved rest in the comforts of the pavilion.

Man of substance

Tendulkar chose the harder option. His integrity has always been his great ally. Above all, he is a man of substance.

The monumental feat of becoming the first man to reach 200 runs in an ODI innings sat lightly on Tendulkar. In other words, greatness sits lightly on the man.

He still has the enthusiasm of a schoolboy. The sparkle in his eyes has not dimmed one bit. Countless hours under the sun have not diminished his love for the game. As Tendulkar often says, he is passionate about cricket. And he enjoys his time in the arena.

At the heart of it all is his indomitable spirit. He still dives full length on the field, even in the dying overs of a high-octane ODI when his mind and body could have been tired.

Tendulkar gives it his all, puts team ahead of self. The manner in which he has shouldered the expectations of millions for over 20 years has been incredible. He has steel in his bones.

Tendulkar travels beyond numbers but then numbers are important. The maestro's 17,598 runs in 442 ODIs at an average of 45.12 with 46 hundreds and 93 fifties mark an astonishing achievement. And his strike rate of 86.26 is a whopping one.

Ironically, he failed to score in his first two ODIs — against Pakistan in Gujranwala in 1989 and against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1990. The gifted teenager, though, did not take long to find his feet.

Turning point

A fitness concern in the Indian team catapulted him to the opener's slot in the ODI against New Zealand in Auckland in 1992. Tendulkar blasted a 49-ball 82. This blistering effort marked a turning point in his ODI career.

On the highway to glory, he often put his foot on the accelerator. Tendulkar's astonishing ‘Desert Storm' innings of 143 against Australia captured the cricketing world's imagination.

He not only made runs, often at a furious pace, but did so with correct methods. Tendulkar found gaps with a surgeon's precision. And his footwork, balance and timing enabled the ball to speed through.

His blood and guts 140 against Kenya in the 1999 World Cup in England, overcoming the loss of his father, underlined his commitment to the team's cause. The maestro's career has been one of sacrifice.

His blazing onslaught on the speedy Shoaib Akhtar at Centurion in the 2003 World Cup is fresh in memory. The quicker Akhtar bowled, the faster the ball disappeared to the fence.

And in 2008, Tendulkar batted through pain and agony to carve out a match-winning unbeaten 117 at the SCG in the first final of the Australian ODI tri-series. He followed this up with 91 in the second final at Brisbane as India achieved a historic maiden tri-series triumph down under.

A feature of Tendulkar's career has been the manner in which he has bounced back from injuries. Some wrote him off, but Tendulkar never lost belief.

More recently, Tendulkar's valiant 175 sparkled in a losing cause against Australia in Hyderabad.

And now, he has done the ‘impossible' in Gwalior. Simply put, Tendulkar is a once-in-a-lifetime cricketer.
Coutesy:The Hindu.

World media lined up on Thursday to shower the "God" Sachin Tendulkar with front-page tributes and predict the record-shattering batsman was not finished yet. Not far behind were cricketers across the globe.

Tendulkar, who turns 37 in April, smashed the first-ever double century in one-day international cricket on Wednesday, pounding the South African bowlers with 25 boundaries and three sixes.

Tendulkar`s landmark dominated the front pages of leading newspapers, even overshadowing India-Pakistan diplomatic talks.

"Immortal at 200", screamed a banner headline in the Times of India, while the Indian Express ran a half-page photo of a celebrating Tendulkar with the word "God!"

A similar front-page photo in the Hindustan Times, headlined "200 not out", was followed by an appreciation by Tendulkar`s former team-mate and bowling great Anil Kumble.

"The way he celebrated when he reached his 200 epitomised the man`s persona," Kumble, an ex-India captain, wrote.

"There were no running laps around the field, no aggressive gestures, nothing over-the-top.

"He did what he always does. Raised both his arms, closed his eyes for a moment and quietly acknowledged it had been done.

"If the youngsters in the team can take even 10 percent of what he does, they will be better cricketers for it."

The Times of India highlighted the veteran`s scintillating form in the last 12 months, during which he has hit 10 international centuries, including six in Test cricket.

"Treasure this new, improved Tendulkar," the paper said. "He is, by far, still India`s most valuable player, and will remain so till he decides to call it quits."

Tendulkar, who made his debut in 1989, has scored 13,447 runs with 47 hundreds in 166 Tests, and 17,598 runs with 46 centuries in 442 one-day matches.

Newspapers highlighted Australian spin legend Shane Warne`s tweets as he followed the knock of one of his close friends.

"Nervous for my good friend Sachin," Warne posted as Tendulkar neared his double century.

"Come on Sachin, my friend, get your 200. World record to please! you deserve it."

Once achieved, Warne said: "Yes, yes, yes! Well done Sachin my friend. Congrats and well done! Awesome."

The Hindustan Times cricket correspondent wrote: "It`s never a good idea to try and speak for a whole nation. But on Wednesday it was a risk worth taking.”

"To Sachin Tendulkar, on whom more words have been written than any other cricketer, including Sir Donald Bradman, two words will suffice: Thank you."

"Tendulkar underlined his sensational class with a double century in Gwalior. To have reached such a landmark, with a single in the final over, only serves to underline his class and add to the legacy that already surrounds arguably the finest batsman to have played the game," BBC Sports said.

The pavilion at the Roop Singh stadium in Gwalior where Tendulkar achieved the feat will be named after him, the Press Trust of India reported.
Courtesy:ZeeNews

Former Pakistan captain Saeed Anwar on Thursday described Sachin Tendulkar as the greatest batsman of the modern era and hailed the Indian maestro for becoming the only player to smash a double century in the one-day Internationals.

Anwar said he was not surprised that Tendulkar became the first batsman to reach the 200-run mark.

"In the last one and half decade there were players like Brian Lara, Ricky Pointing, Shahid Afridi and Virender Sehwag who could have gone past the 200-run mark. But I think Tendulkar did it because he is the greatest of modern era and a class apart," Anwar said.

"Honestly speaking Lara seemed to be the most likely batsman but he retired without doing it. But he set his records in Test and first class cricket," said Anwar, who had scored 194 against India in Chennai in May 1997. In August 2009, Zimbabwean Charles Coventry hit an unbeaten 194 against Bangladesh in Bulayawo.
Courtesy:The Telegraph

Cricket lovers are obsessed by records and stats, Indian fans notoriously so, which perhaps explains why the entire country went into paroxysms of delight when Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to score 200 runs in a 50-over match. The penny seemed to have suddenly dropped. What had been discussed for almost a half a decade in muted tones for fear of blasphemy, had acquired a brazen overtone: Move over Sir Donald Bradman, Tendulkar is now the greatest batsman of all time.

Tendulkar's spectacular run over the past two years has obviously given a fillip to this argument. I suspect that the despair arising out of the 2007 World Cup disaster has something to do with him getting a 'second wind' and batting with the energy, ambition, competitive edge and run hunger that had defined his cricket in the first decade of his career. At 36, in his 21st year in the game, he was playing with the enthusiasm of a 16 year-old again. I reckon he wanted to prove something to himself, and his performances of the last two years show he has done this mind-bogglingly.

I am chary of statistics leading to outrageous conclusions, but unlike Mark Twain, I don't damn them. I find them fascinating and infuriating, but at all times stimulating and have found profuse use for them in writing on cricket. Stats play a big and useful role because they provide significant tangible value to a player's worth. But they can also be quirky and deceptive, oftentimes giving misleading clues about a player's true qualitative worth.

And yet, paradoxically, Bradman's perceived greatness stems almost entirely from statistics, in particular his dazzling Test average of 99.94 which has remained unassailable for more than 60 years. Looked at every which way, it is a numbing, humbling statistic. No batsman, either before Bradman or since, has come remotely close to it. Every effort to rationalise it for contemporary evaluation has come a cropper.

So, while it would be fair to say that superior fielding and better opposition would reduce Bradman's prolific run-getting to say 70-odd per innings, if you consider that batsmen today play on covered wickets with all kinds of protective gear, it would climb back into the 90s again and bring the debate back to square one. The assessment ergo must use other parameters.

Let's revisit the Gwalior match again. Suppose Tendulkar had somehow not got the strike in the last over and remained unbeaten on 199, would he have remained a lesser player than Bradman? Suppose Virender Sehwag had got his third triple-century at Mumbai against Sri Lanka, would he have hurdled over Lara and become a greater batsman than Bradman? These are impossible issues to settle purely in statistical terms.


A large body of work accomplished is of course imperative to eliminate those who flicker very brightly but very briefly. But the more compelling argument according to me is to assess the impact a sportsperson has on the consciousness of his era, how he has shaped the milieu of his times, what he has meant not just to his sport, but also his country and the world. That's where the twain -- Bradman and Tendulkar - meet, despite the vast statistical difference that will perhaps remain when the latter retires.

For, like Bradman, Tendulkar has not merely been a cricketer, but a symbol of sustained excellence; not just a role model, but a metaphor for his country's aspirations; not just a sporting genius, but a sociological phenomenon. The pressure, the burden of expectations they have had to endure throughout their careers finds no parallel in their sport, or their country's ethos.

It is almost impossible to compare greats from different eras. In my opinion, purely from a sporting point of view Tendulkar today stands on par with Roger Federer, Tiger Woods and Michael Schumacher. If that still doesn't resolve the issue of who's been the greatest batsman of all time, let me approach it differently.

If Tendulkar were to retire tomorrow, a long queue of the game's greatest batsmen would await him near the dressing room: Hammond, Hobbs, Hutton, the three Ws, Richards, Gavaskar, Dravid, Sehwag, Ponting, Lara, Chappell, Miandad, et al. And at the head of this queue would be Bradman, first to shake his hand and say, "Gosh you little bonzer, I would have loved to play an innings like that!"


Courtesy :cricinfo .Author:Ayaz Menon.

It's good that Ayaz Menon said "In my opinion, purely from a sporting point of view Tendulkar today stands on par with Roger Federer, Tiger Woods and Michael Schumacher."

Hope he had given huge emphasis to "purely from a sporting point of view".We don't want any other comparison of Tendulkar with the Tiger,who has confessed to being a womanizer :)

The great home ministerial claim!

"We have not ruled out possibility of the involvement of right wing Hindu organisations in the blast," a senior Maharashtra government Home Department official told media-persons in Mumbai.He was referring to the blasts in Pune which left 15 dead.

"Not ruled out possibility" means not ruling-in as well.It's beyond me,why so-called top government officials jumps the gun and claims some thing for which there is no proof.On the contrary,there are enough evidences to suggest that the bombings are the handiwork of pak based terrorists.

Pakistani condemnation:Classic case of Crocodile Tears

Pakistan premier Yousuf Raza Gilani today condemned the bomb blast in Pune, saying Pakistan was against terrorism in all its manifestation and maintained that his country wants better relations and a 'meaningful dialogue' with India.

"We condemn the blast in the Indian city of Pune. We condemn terrorism in all its manifestations," Gilani told reporters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

"We want to be freed of terrorism and this menace," he said.

Phuuu....Who wants your condemnation...!!! IDIOT..

And don't act like a JOKER by saying things like "We want to be freed of terrorism and this menace",it does not suite you as the PM of a country which openly allows terrorists to roam around freely,issuing threats.

It's widely reported that a pak terror leader in a terror meet held openly,in pak controlled territory,a few weeks back,had issued warnings of terror attacks against few Indian cities,which includes Pune.

One can argue whether Indian intelligence agencies took that warning lightly or not,but that's not my point here.

For the pak PM,it's better to SHUT-UP than mocking at the victims by his laughable comments..!!
Nine innocent civilians lost their life.Tragic stories about those who have lost their lives and their families are there in media.

Gilani also said "Pakistan is against terrorism in all its manifestation"..!!!
hoo...Tears should be rolling down everyone's eyes who read or heard these words of this GREAT Leader.His country,pakistan,of which he is the PM,it seems is against terrorism in all its manifestationssss.
What sincerity!
Look at the conviction in his words!
Have you heard anybody speaking such high Quality heartfelt TRUTHS?
Doubtful,actually NIL.

The whole of pakistan,the government,the army,and all other paki establishments are ABSOLUTELY and TOTALLY against all forms of terrorism.pakistanis just don't understand why there is terrorism in the world.pakistanis always wonder why the world cannot leave peacefully.

At these times of terrorism and hatred,world needs leaders like Gilani,who can bark,Bhaw,Bhaw,Bhaw!

pakistanis must remember that a day will come,when these cries of victims will comeback and haunt them.People like Gilani should do better to note down;a day will come,surely,when India will react differently to the way India has been reacting to terror attacks all through these years.

Hope pakis will still have these sort of Jokers then also to keep them in good humor.....

And finally,pakis should always remember that,India may suffer more,but India and Indians will never allow the evil paki dream to fulfill.The dream of getting Indian Kashmir.That dream will be just that.A pipe dream.

And if pakis continue these terror tactics,as I said,a day will come,when they will shudder to even dream!!

Indian citizens like me,who are angry,frustrated,hurt,humiliated by these continued terror attacks emanating from pakistan against innocent Indian fellow Countrymen and women are waiting for that day.

THE JUDGEMENT DAY!

Strange American reluctance to assist India fight terror

Condemning the bomb blast in Pune, the United States on Sunday said it will "assist" India as needed to help bring the perpetrators of the "cowardly act" to justice.

Offering his condolences, US Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer said "on behalf of the people of the United States, I extend heartfelt sympathy to the Government of India and the victims" of the tragic terrorist blast in Pune.

"The US remains shoulder-to-shoulder with India in the fight against terror and will assist as needed to help bring the perpetrators of this cowardly act to justice," Roemer said.

Shoulder-to-shoulder or some thing else to some thing else,what ever it is,it's a real mystery why the American Government continues to deny India access to LeT man David Headley,who is in their custody and ,who is believed to have strong links with attacks in India.

Headley is believed to have stayed at the Osho Ashram, located near the blast site,German Bakery,during his visit to Pune.

American officials say there are legal matters and that's why they can't give access to Indian officials..!!

After the Pune bomb blast America cannot continue to hide behind the so-called legal intricacies.To hell with these legal hurdles..$#$
When America needs to get terror suspects from other Countries they don't allow such escapism,why double standards??India is only asking to allow Indian officials to question a person who has links,which even America agrees,to attacks in India..

If America is serious in it's comments of "The US remains shoulder-to-shoulder with India in the fight against terror",then the 1st thing they should do is allow India access to the terrorist.If this is a prestige issue for them,let them provide the access secretly.

Terror for talk offer

As I mentioned in one of my posts (http://4mymotherland.blogspot.com/2010/02/indias-latest-offer-of-talks-to-pak.html),India's talk offer is accepted with a terror strike.This time in Pune.One wonders,perhaps this attack might not have happened if India had not offered to hold talks with pak.For about 14 months there was no noticeable terror strike in India,and all through these months,India had adopted a tough stance against pak.

May be there is no connection,but it still does point to the uselessness of having talks with a terror manufacturing firm that is pakistan!

Victory of the people of Mumbai

People of Mumbai ,atleast those who went and watched My Name is Khan yesterday,openly defying the threats to block the screening of the film deserves all credit for not getting bullied by sena goons.

It's a shame that Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi was also part of a gang of goons who tried to stop screening in a theater.He was a former Chief Minister and above all a former Lok Sabha speaker!He should be ashamed of himself...

What ever Shah Rukh has said,Sena could have chosen a more democratic way of protest,if they think that his statements were not proper.Threats and violence is not the way forward.But then Shiv sena knows only gundagiri.The funny thing is when sena leaders talk about PATRIOTISM...!!

Sena goons beat-up Indians whom they claim are north Indians,they even destroy property of Marathi Manoos (cinema halls etc in Mumbai) and they claim ,they are standing up for Marathis and for patriotism..What joke..!!

And as for Shah Rukh's comments that pak players should have been there in IPL,well,he did not say that pak terrorists should be part of IPL..!

For God's sake let's have a strong stand against terrorism,but let's not make ourselves weak by thinking that a few pak cricketers can weaken our resolve to stand united against pak based terror.

Let's do every thing possible to defeat pakistan in its terror game,but let's stop these petty fights amongst ourselves.

As I said earlier,Shiv sena has every right to protest against Shah Rukh's comments,after all we are an open and democratic Country.The issue is with the mode of protest.

One can also say that Shah Rukh has not covered himself with glory in this matter.He regrets IPL not selecting even a single pak player,the question is he himself is owner of an IPL team,The Kolkotta Knight Riders,how many pakis his team selected??

Now coming back to the resolve of the Mumbaikars to defy sena orders,they have shown that they are strong,resilient people and they won't allow themselves to be bullied any more.

Let's hope this is only a bright beginning and this winds of change will blow across India and in future defeat fringe elements,groups who practice violence,parochialism,and divisive politics.Only then we,as a Nation,can stand united and crush the nefarious designs of pak based terror directed against us.

India's latest offer of talks to pak

Out of the blue India has offered to have talks with paksitan.No one knows what positive steps pak took on terror front which prompted the Indian government to have a dramatic U-turn on the no-talks-till-Mumbai-attack-master-minders-are-brought-to-book line.

Any way pak PM has fired the first salvo saying that India was pressurized by the international community to hold talks with pak to resolve the so-called Kashmir issue! His government also allowed terror groups based in pak to hold open meetings and demonstrations in which the Mumbai attack mastermind,the LeT chief hafeez saeed made open threats against India.

One hope and pray that there won't be a major terror attack in India in the near future.Usually when India sincerely offers talks,pakis always respond with terror attacks or back-stabbings,as what happened in Kargil.

If any one hopes that talks with pak will yield any result,sadly he is living in a fool's paradise!

The bad lessons are too many to think otherwise.
And if our politicians are not willing to learn the lessons,may GOD help we Indians..

MP IG's role model

A top Madhya Pradesh policeman on Tuesday shocked his audience when he hailed Ajmal Kasab , the lone terrorist arrested during the Mumbai terror attack, as a good role model during his speech.

Inspector General of Police (Special Forces) Rajendra Kumar cited the example of Kasab, 21, to buttress his point about the importance of undergoing a good training.

"If you are trained well, you can do anything," he said.

"An example is the Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab. He studied up to class 8 and received (terror) training for just one year. With this, he could operate weapons and gadgets and GPS devices. He could do this because he had passion and he trained very well. He could operate technology well because he trained himself well," Rajendra said.

The top cop went on to say that "Kasab is only an eighth standard pass. Still, he can use all sorts of weapons".

"He (Kasab) had the zeal in him. Can't we have the same (zeal) like his? We are more educated than him, we are more able than him," he added.

"Learn from Kasab about how to handle weapons," Rajendra added.

Kumar later said, "If somebody felt bad, I am sorry for that, but I have also cited other people like Sachin Tendulkar ."

Kumar denied that he had praised Kasab in his remarks, made while inaugurating a state-level shooting competition of the Madhya Pradesh police at the Border Security Force's Reoti Range near Indore.

"I am not praising Kasab. I strongly condemn Kasab. He should be given the maximum punishment," he added.

"My only aim was to motivate jawans in the area of shooting so that they can give a befitting reply to the terrorists," he asserted.

"My point was that we should take better training because ultimately we have to face this type of terrorist situation (26/11) in the future. Unless we are very well trained, we cannot deal with them (terrorists)," he added.

Defending himself, Kumar claimed that both Lord Ram and demon king Ravana are often quoted as parallel examples in the country.

Source :rediff.