|
| ||
|
And here it is from the correct angle.
This drawing of a "Rescue" was to be viewed using an inverting mirror.
Same "Make Poverty History" drawing from the side (40 ft long!!)
Batman and Robin to the rescue! (COOL!)
Wasn't this amazing? |
__________________________________
http://www.sanjaionline.blogspot.com/
http://groups.google.co.in/group/TamilaTamila
-----------------------------------------------------------
Woolmer's death, whatever the cause, tells us that cricket needs a reality check
It's only a game
Sambit Bal
March 22, 2007
This piece was written before it was established that Bob Woolmer was murdered. We don't yet know for sure why or how Bob Woolmer died. We shouldn't rush to judgment; it is still possible that it was an accident. It is equally possible he was murdered. And, while conspiracy theorists are working overtime on the motives, it is also quite possible that we will never know the full truth.
And in the event of this not being an accident, it is quite likely that Woolmer was a victim of cricket's seamier side. Either it was the stress, induced by the most obscene and blind expectations of cricket fans who brook no failure, or he was killed by people who felt let down or had something to fear.
Either way, it should serve as a wake-up call to those who run cricket, and those who profess passion for it. If a game starts taking lives, there is something sickeningly wrong with it. But this is not really about Woolmer. We didn't need someone to die to awaken us to a problem. The signs have always been there, it's just that most of us have found it expedient to ignore them. Commodification has been chipping away at the soul of cricket for years, and now the game is the danger of losing its head.
Take the current predicament of this World Cup as an example. The major stake-holders in the tournament - the television channels and major sponsors - risk losing millions, either in cash or kind, if India go out in the first round. They are not the number one team in the world by a mile. Not even number two. They are ranked sixth in the ICC team ratings and, while that might not always be the best indicator of a team's worth, they have not won a competition of note outside the subcontinent since 1985. Yet the fate of the World Cup rides on them. It's a disaster waiting to happen.
The reason for this is not hard to comprehend. Cricket has acquired a dangerous obsession with money, to the extent where it is not a question of a game needing the money to survive or grow but making as much as possible at any cost. Players have been ground to dust and cricket, the one-day variety in particular, has been divested of any meaning and consequence. It would seem that the administrators have learnt very little from the match-fixing scandal, which was as much a result of greed as of a surfeit of matches that meant little to the players.
Meanwhile, the Indian administrators have managed to market a massive captive television audience to acquire financial muscle that relies little on the capabilities of the national team. As a result the cricket economy has gone ahead of the game, which is struggling to catch up.
It's an economy that relies more on projection and hype than reality. SetMax, the entertainment channel owned by Sony, paid nearly 40 % of the total cost of the ICC rights in the hope of recouping it from advertisers. Luckily for them, India made it to the final of the last World Cup and one Champions Trophy. But that was clearly not enough and Sony didn't even bother to bid for the next set of rights, which have been won by ESPN-Star for US $1.1 billion.
ESPN-Star is a joint venture between Disney and NewsCorp, but there is little doubt which television audience they are banking on. It is an unhealthy dependence. So much should never depend on the performance of one team. Apart from putting unfair pressure on the players -- it must take a lot for the Indian players to play normally in such an abnormal situation -- it leaves the cricket economy dangerously imbalanced and prone to huge risks.
The passion of the fans is the biggest strength of cricket in the sub-continent - but it is also its weakness, particularly in case of India and Pakistan. Sri Lankan fans are far more stoic about their team's fortunes and far more accepting of failure, whereas in Bangladesh they are grateful for every little or big victory, be that of the team or individual. But in India and Pakistan, the passion borders on frenzy.
The reality is that India reaching the World Cup final would be an overachievement. Australia and South Africa possess superior teams, New Zealand have more balance and depth and Sri Lanka are the most improved team in world cricket. India have proven, but ageing, batsmen, a bowling attack that's susceptible to pressure and poor fielders. To be a fan is to dream. But to many Indian fans the dream is the reality.
Nationalism is the bedrock of cricket. But you can't call yourself a true fan if the sight of 18-year old Tamim Iqbal charging down pitch to belt Indian quick bowlers brought you no thrill. Yes, India played below themselves, but every cricket match has a winner. To be unable to comprehend, and appreciate, this runs against the spirit of the game.
Yes, India not making past the first round would be a huge setback. But it would be accorded the status of a national calamity. It will be discussed in Parliament. Television channels will conduct inquests. Effigies will be burnt, cricketers' homes will be attacked, and these will be gleefully publicised. A couple of months ago, Greg Chappell was slapped on the back by a man in Bhubaneswar seeking his fifteen seconds of fame. He was obliged. It could get worse. Someone could get killed. Perhaps someone has already been killed.
As an Indian, I would like India to win the World Cup. But it might not be such a bad thing for cricket if they were to be knocked out in the first round. Cricket needs a reality check. It has an unhealthy, and unsustainable, business model that relies primarily on an increasingly delusional and one-dimensional fan-base. The bubble has to burst for a semblance of sanity to be restored. We must learn to once again enjoy cricket as a game.
Sambit Bal is the editor of Cricinfo and Cricinfo Magazine
__________________________________| Anand wins Morelia-Linares title |
 Linares (Spain), Mar 11: Viswanathan Anand won the Morelia-Linares chess tournament drawing his final round game with Vessily Ivanchuk of Ukraine and gathering 8.5 points, a full point clear of Norwegian Magnus Carlsen and Alexander Morozevich of Russia. The victory proved vital for Anand as he, for the first time in his career, is now set to be the number one player according to FIDE list. The Indian ace, who had been waiting for this one peak for a long time, finally achieved it at the expense of reigning number one Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria who only had a mediocre performance here. It turned out to be a drama-filled final day as second-placed Carlsen lost to tailender Hungarian Peter Leko, who picked up his form a bit too late in this category20 event. The result did not have much impact on Anand other than the fact that he won this event by a full point margin rather than a half point that the pundits had predicted before the start of the final game. Morozevich continued with his great performance in Linares after being in the cellar in Morelia (where the first half was played) and downed unbeaten compatriot Peter Svidler in the final round. The fourth place was shared by last year's winner Levon Aronian of Armenia and Svidler on 7 points each while Ivanchuk had to be satisfied with sixth spot tallying 6.5 points in all. After Leko's stupendous triumph against Carlsen, Topalov shared the 7th spot with the Hungarian on 6 points |
| Police say Woolmer death was 'suspicious' |
| KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - A police investigation into the death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer continued Wednesday while the team was playing its last World Cup match. Jamaica's deputy police commissioner Mark Shields said the death was being treated as suspicious. At least 10 forensics experts on Wednesday were examining the hotel room where Woolmer was found unconscious Sunday. A Pakistan team official said there were signs of blood and vomit in the room and Woolmer was found by hotel staff on the floor with his mouth wide open. Woolmer was pronounced dead later Sunday after being transferred to hospital, a day after Pakistan had slumped out of contention at the World Cup on an upset loss to Ireland. At a late-night news conference Tuesday at the team's hotel in Kingston, Jamaica, Shield said reports from a pathologist and other medical experts gave police "sufficient information to continue a full investigation into the death of Mr. Woolmer, which we are now treating as suspicious." "We have already informed the Woolmer family of this development and we are also in close contact with the Pakistan team management, Cricket World Cup and ICC to ensure all parties are kept informed of the ongoing investigation." Shields had earlier announced that the findings of a post mortem had been inconclusive. Asked directly if Jamaica police were pursuing a murder investigation, Shield said: "No, we are not saying that." The news conference in Jamaica was called after reports emerged in Pakistan's print and electronic media of a murder plot. The death and investigation has shocked the Pakistan team, which was playing Zimbabwe on Wednesday. Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq admitted it was difficult for his side to focus. "This is a tough time for us because the coach is not here," Inzamam said. "The incident has disturbed the whole team also but we'll play our level best - we'll try to win this game on Bob Woolmer's account." After two losses, Pakistan has no chance of reaching the second round. Pakistan's cricket program has been reeling since Saturday's loss. Pakistan Cricket Board head Naseem Ashraf and the organization's three-member selection committee have submitted their resignations to the country's president, General Pervez Musharraf - the patron of the Pakistan board. Inzamam said the team wanted to go out on a win to honor Woolmer's memory. "We'll do our best for Bob, but whatever we do, it won't be enough," Inzamam said. "He was a good man. Whenever any of the boys had a problem, he'd sit with them, and we were very attached to him. "He was a very good coach and human being. Because of this, he had a lot of respect from the team. He was brave and knew how to handle the situation when everybody was feeling down. He will be well remembered." |
Top Pakistan cricket officials quit after team's defeat in World Cup
"I have talked to Ashraf on the telephone and he has confirmed that he has sent his resignation to the patron of the PCB," said Ahsan Malik, communications director of the cricket board.
The patron of the board is President Pervez Musharraf.
"Ashraf faxed his resignation last night and it's now up to the patron whether he accepts it or not," Malik said.
Pakistan's cricket program has been in crisis for three days since Ireland handed it a stunning three-wicket defeat in a World Cup Group D match on Saturday.
The former test left-arm spinner Iqbal Qasim and medium fast bowler Ehteshamuddin were the other members of the committee.
"We had decided soon after the debacle against Ireland that we are going to resign," Bari said. "After talking with Ashraf last night, we had submitted our resignations to the PCB."
The selection committee faced heavy criticism from other former Pakistan test players, especially for not choosing the opening batsman Salman Butt and the middle-order batsman Yasir Hameed.
"If we can't do well with experienced players like Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik, then I don't know who else could have done wonders for us," Bari said.
West Indies, the host, beat Pakistan in the World Cup's opening game. With two successive defeats, Pakistan was ousted from the Super Eight stage of the tournament.
Coach Bob Woolmer died in the team's Jamaican hotel less than 24 hours after the loss to Ireland and Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq announced his retirement from limited-overs games.
"Coach Bob Woolmer paid a heavy price for a failed campaign," said Qasim, another selector. "This is what we should have done earlier."
Woolmer, 58, was a diabetic, but no cause of death has been released. One of his sons said stress was a factor.
"We've been speaking to the doctors and they think it is either stress or a heart attack," Russell Woolmer said on a radio program in Cape Town, South Africa. "There was a lot of stress in his job and it may have been stress that caused it. We're all very shocked and we don't know what to do."
India rebounds with record
Brian Lara ensured that the West Indies will feature in the second round, and India rebounded from an upset loss with a record-setting victory over Bermuda, The Associated Press reported from Bridgetown, Barbados.
India amassed 413 for five to raise the World Cup mark for highest total, then bowled Bermuda out for 156 to win by 257 runs Monday and secure — by one run — the record for winning margin in a limited-overs international.
Until then, no team had surpassed 400 in a World Cup. Sri Lanka's 398-5 against Kenya in 1996 was the highest total.
But a victory over Sri Lanka is what India now needs to reach the next round. A shock five-wicket loss to Bangladesh put Rahul Dravid's side into the position of having to win by big margins.
Virender Sehwag pounded 114 from 87 balls, including 17 boundaries and three sixes for his first ODI hundred in two years and shared a 202-run second- wicket stand with Sourav Ganguly, who was out 11 runs shy of his fifth World Cup hundred.
In Kingston, Jamaica, Lara finished 44 not out, guiding West Indies to a six- wicket victory over Zimbabwe with 13 balls to spare and into the second round of a World Cup for the first time since 1996.
West Indies, with four points, will advance regardless of what happens in its last Group D match against Ireland.
New Zealand was aiming to clinch a Super 8 berth with a victory over Kenya, the surprise semifinalist in 2003, on Tuesday, when South Africa takes on Scotland in another chance to fine-tune for its Group A grudge match against Australia on Saturday.
The unfancied team bowled out India's formidable line-up for 191 on a good batting pitch -- their lowest one-day total against Bangladesh -- before romping to victory.
Left-handed opener Tamim Iqbal smashed 51 for his maiden half-century in only his fifth one-dayer before Bangladesh reached the target in 48.3 overs.
Fellow left-hander Saqibul Hasan (53) put on 84 runs for the fourth wicket with Mushfiqur Rahim, who was 56 not out, helping Bangladesh achieve only their second win over India in 15 meetings.
Bangladesh emulated their famous victory over Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup, underlining their progress after failing to win a single game in South Africa four years ago where India were finalists.
It was their third victory in World Cups having also beaten Scotland in 1999.
The defeat plunged Indian hopes into disarray from the toughest group which 1996 champions Sri Lanka are favoured to top after crushing debutants Bermuda in their first game.
Bangladesh paceman Mashrafe Mortaza struck two early blows to claim four for 38 before left-arm spinners Mohammad Rafique and Abdur Razzak left Indian batsmen parched for runs to take three wickets apiece in their superb team effort
| Attitude
There once was a woman who woke up one morning,
for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
|
Amazing 3D Sidewalk Drawings! 
