a blog about a lot of things

Selection Day: A Review Aravind Adiga has a reputation as a chronicler of the ambition of the Indian masses to bridge the gap of inequality. In this, his third novel, the scope is once again on the effort of members of the lower classes trying to make it into the exclusive world of privilege but this time the author goes about it by focusing on modern India’s great love: cricket.  Few things are more representative of the aspirations of the Indian masses than the dream to be a cricketer. IPL success stories capture the entire nation's attention and this allows the writer to detail another familiar Indian character, the entrepreneur who sees brilliant opportunities everywhere. The cricketers are Radha and his younger brother Manju, both exceedingly talented and continuously bullied by their father, who has made a contract with God that his son’s will be the best and second best batsmen in the wold. They make a less divine contract with Anand Metha who sponsors them ...

The third Test between the West Indies and Australia begins on December 16 th at Perth. As far as the Frank Worrell Trophy is concerned, the series is no longer a competition. Australia will retain the trophy regardless of the outcome of the third (and final) Test match. This series , however, is not solely dependent on a Trophy to ensure competiveness. Australia has been having, by their standards, a very poor year. The Ashes loss is sure to still be in the minds of the players and they will be desperate to get a convincing win, if only to get the media off their backs. The West Indies need a boost of confidence which would be sure to arrive with a win in the final test. With this being the first series since the player strike, the fans need a reason to have confidence in their side as much as the players need to finish on a high. After dominating the second Test, the momentum is with the West Indian team but as anyone who has watched them recently knows, consistent use o...

Duckworth-Lewis method – how statistics and cricket combine The Duckworth-Lewis method (D/L method) is a mathematical way to calculate the target score for the team batting second in any form of limited overs cricket match. It is usually used when the match has been interrupted by weather. It is generally accepted to be a fair and accurate method of setting a target score or at least it is the most fair and accurate method to have been developed thus far. However as it is a predictive statistical method and as such tries to create what would have happened had the game continued uninterrupted it obviously will create controversy for supporters. The D/L method was devised by two English statisticians , Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis . The D/L method is relatively simple to apply, at least when compared to several other statistical methods but requires a published reference table and mathematical calculations. As with most statistical derivations, however, the D/L meth...

Height in sports – the impact on becoming successful Sport, regardless of the type, the emphasis should be fully upon talent, ability, (intelligence )and skill. These qualities would identify a young player as a potential professional and the honing of these qualities and dedication to training would then be the remaining determining factors for the path of the athlete’s future career. This much is a given fact and is known to followers of sports worldwide. The question that is being asked is not a contradiction of these given facts but instead a question of whether another factor is taken into account by coaches, the public and even the players themselves. This question is whether the height of an individual plays an impact on the success of the player in their chosen field. In a profession that is not sport related , the same qualities of ability , skill and intelligence come to the fore. But it is unlikely that any job interview will refer to the applicant’s de...

West indies play India in the second match of the teams in group 1 in the ICC T20 world championships. Both teams should have a point to prove. For India , the defending champions, it should be their first real test after coming up against a self destructive Bangladesh team and a vibrant but ultimately outclassed Irish team. The West Indies looked dominant against Australia and their batting also performed against Sri Lanka but the general feeling is that their fielding is not of the standard of a championship winning team. There has also been talk of the level of commitment of the Australians who seemed to already be looking towards the upcoming Ashes series. The pressure is also on both teams from the fans. The IPL is the most lucrative, largest and best organized 20/20 tournament in the world. Ideally it is the perfect training ground for the international stage given its plethora of international stars. India are the defending champions having won the inaugural title before...