Physical Fitness or Gaming Skills??what matters more in a sport like cricket..

a rather unusual question..right??hmm..had this question in my mind for quite sometime..so here i am..trying to figure out the answer to it...

let me take u guys back to 99 world cup(cricket world cup ofcourse..i hardly know anything about the other games..:D..know a bit bout tennis though:))..ok..so what do you think separated team australia from other teams like india,south africa,pakistan ......considering india and south africa in particular..hmm..any answers..u wud hav got it..:)

team south africa had very gud fitness levels..i mean no other team could beat them when it came to ground fielding n physical fitness on the whole..

then v had our very own team india which ,was(and traditionally is) supposed to have some of the best talented and skillfull players that the world cricket sees every year..

so on the whole team SA lagged cricketing skills ( by using the word lag i mean they werent what they are now..they were comparatively new to world cricket then and had jus stepped into the international arena after facing a boycott for 30 years...so they were excellent as a new team but way behind teams like india and aus in terms of cricketing skills)

n the situation with team india was just the opposite..they had some very good players but the fitness levels were not there:(..just to say the seniors had all the skills but no fitness levels to match teams like south africa and australia (point to note here is..the whole mind set here in india is like that..or rather was like that..now we do have good fitness programs to boost the physical strengths of our players and then the young guns entering the arena have a totally different outlook..good for us:))

lastly team australia..they had it all..superb physical strengths..great cricketing skills and talented individuals..n hence they won..i mean they had to ...

Coming back to the present scenario..i somehow feel..team india is climbing the ladder..where the fitness and physical strengths are concerned..(i mean it all shows on the field..,UV(hey doesnt he use the same initials on his bat:D),raina,rohit,yusuf..they all are osum on the field and mind u they have the skills too..team australia with so many key players retiring from international cricket does seem low on that skills scale..they have the talent though..who knows in a year or two..they might be well on top again..

team SA seems to have it all..lightening quick fielders who are just too osum to describe( com'on u cant blame a batsmen if he cant score:)..wth AB , Botha, Gibbs,Duminy guarding the point,extra covers,covers and mid wicket area..he can only think of arial shots)....n they have the talent n skills anyways...(remember that test 4rth innings win agnst oz in oz..)..

so the point is cricket is not just about skills but about physical strength( dont u ever forget matt hayden just dancing down the pitch hitting the bowler for 6s..it looks effortless ..really), conditioning and good fitnesslevels as well..

hmm...now i know it for myself ..i sure do....:)

HOW HAS SACHIN INSPIRED YOU??

Hey, friends I know all you sachin fans will surely have an answer to this question…me being a sachin fan too, have my own story to tell..
I have grown up watching sachin bat his way through world records, winning matches single- handedly and proving to the world that it’s your passion for the game that matters the most..
Still remember the triangular series in sharjah (1998) where he won the cup for India single handedly. Can’t forget the incident when he walked without the umpire giving him out (he was caught in a fix actually) and even the bowler (Damien Fleming) appealed half- heartedly…a real sportsman as he is..
Being a nine year old then, those were the first impressions of cricket and the god of cricket on my mind. And it was the very same year that I came to know that sachin wanted to become a fast bowler but this wish of his was undone by his height. At that time I was 4 and half feet tall and was an ok-ok bowler (good enough for gully cricket). I couldn’t help but wonder why sachin thought so (I was too young to understand the complexity of his statement). So I kind of pledged that I would be a good bowler even with my height (for him, for me..I dont really know..I somehow thought he would be proud of mesone day, alsoI didnt realize that I would grow taller eventually).
And here I am. At 5 feet 9 I am an ok-ok bowler now...a medium pacer...Not a quickie though.:)I play for my state team... And do realize the importance of height in being a fast bowler...
He is indeed a role model for millions in this cricket mad country, me being one of them.

And I think we are blessed to have been born in this era and to have witnessed a great cricketing legend showcase his unusual talent…
I dream to make it big someday and meet him in person…

My Cricket Bat
It was yesterday that I gave my cricket bat for Threading( a way to protect or repair the toe of the bat). When I returned home I just happened to refresh memories of my previous bats. As of now I have two season bats (English willow)-Reebok n Maruti, Reebok being the one which I use during my matches.
The first ever bat which I had, rather was gifted, was of plastic. I still remember the way I used to bang it on the ground after getting out. But then it saw its end when I started experimenting it against the tough rubber ball more often than usual. As a result it developed a dent. Hehehe.
Then I graduated to playing with wooden tennis ball bats and rubber balls. This was the time when my father made it a point to bring along a hand made wooden bat every time he happened to go to Hyderabad. These bats were not very show off kinds but did have good stroke. And the best part was that they were durable (at least for the kids of my age). Suddenly I was someone to reckon with, thanks to the bat and the wooden stumps my father brought along the next time (the stumps were like the plastic ones which you get these days). Thus I had a great time playing with my mini cricket kit…and this happiness also is attributed to the fact that I always used to win.. not because I was so good but because I made it a point to be in guy’s team rather than the gals team.
Then came the big turning point…my father got transferred to Vasco Da Gama, Goa. I was 9 yr old at that point of time. I was new to the place and by the look of it gals here were not supposed to play with guys.
So my wooden bat had to spend a few days in exile. I found the kids here very reserved and proud. So even I passed a few days playing badminton with my father and sister. I was happy to play anything outdoors. Then one day I happened to remove my bat, asking my dada to give me some catching practice. Just the merry site of the bat and all the guys came running literally. And suddenly I had good 10 kids to play with. So here I was again stealing the limelight because of my bat… I really enjoyed giving people tough time finding out whether I was a gal or a guy(thanks to my attire and the boy cut which I had).
4:30 in the evening and there I was in the cemented play ground playing with my friends. And the days play would end only when my mother used to come shouting. :). Even on the days when I wouldn’t be at home, my bat and stumps used to be out of their usual place…I had many arguments and bitter fights during those days, but come next day I would be on the ground. thanks to my kit….
Daughter of a central government employ I was used to changing places….so our next stop was naval base, Mandovi, Verem, Panjim. I was a 15 year old teen then. There was absolutely no one here with whom play cricket. So I had to pass time playing badminton. Being in 10th standard even I was fully into studies. So my bat, against my wish, was given to the kid next door, who happened to be my Maths mam’s son. And the worst happened when one day he left it on the ground. I felt like crying...
cut to 2009 Here I am a proud owner of two cricket bats. I am a state player now. Used to use BAS bat from the common kit of the team but now I can afford one more of those Reebok bats, and I am planning to. :) It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to carry my own kit, specially my Bat.

And I am changed now…I try winning the matches not on my team’s strength but on my own strength added to my team’s.

MY MAIDEN CENTURY!!!!!

The atmosphere around was fabulous,
but equally was I frustrated and furious.
I had to open the batting when there were batters many,
I could nothing but just condemn my destiny.
My captain came up to me, asking me to keep my cool,
I having lost my temper, wanted to call her a real fool.
With a heavy heart pavilion I left,
Walking towards the middle, head upright I kept.
It indeed was a terrible situation,
and as a result slower than snail was my motion.
As I walked into the middle,
fielders looked at me in surprise and that made me fumble.
Oops! I had forgotten my bat, my god!!
All the bats in the world please get lost, was all I wished,
But there came the 12th with my bat, all my hopes vanished:-(
Bowler took her 1 km long run up,
and continued staring, as though asking me-Hey whats up???
First ball was a bouncer above my head,
And there came sweat rolling down my forehead!
Praying to the lord, I stood there with all my might,
Be Brave, I told myself, I knew I was alone in this fight!
Suddenly I got some power magical,
Probably god was to help me coz my situation was critical.
I WAS ALL ROUND THE PLACE HITTING,
 MOVING TOWARDS MY CENTURY!!
SPECTATORS TOO WERE HAVING A GREAT TIME,
COZ MY SHOTS VER FUNNY.
FOXED AREN'T U??????
I WAS IN MY BED HITTING(KILLING) MOSQUITOES,THERE WERE MANNNNNYYYY!!!
:-)