If the cricket world was to be made into a film, it's pretty obvious who the bad guys would be. The BCCI. Yes, there are naughty people like Allen Stanford or Mahzar Majeed who come along every once in a while to provide plot twists, but they're more incompetent criminals then evil empire. The evil empire, of course, being the BCCI.
It does all add up. The BCCI created a league that they want to control world cricket, as well as giving themselves a monopoly at the top of the ICC (who, like the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter, mean well but are largely incompetent). After taking all of the money and making all of the decisions, the evil empire then go around doing evil things like kicking associates out of the World Cup, or having massive conflicts of interest within the IPL or drowning kittens and the like. The BCCI are downright despicable, and they make people want to throw their popcorn at the big screen in disgust.
Of course, the people are so scared of the BCCI that they daren't speak out. Thought-crime is punishable by death, or by having their contract terminated, which means that people are happy to either toe the party line, or stick their heads in the sand and pretend it isn't happening. Any publication that disagrees with official BCCI policy (or indeed, doesn't support it wholeheartedly) is banished, and only a select few are allowed to report the news to the people - but only once they've signed a contract pledging to only speak the good word of the BCCI.
Every film needs a good guy - and oddly in this case, the good guy is Nasser Hussain. Not content with just inanely agreeing with every press release from the Empire, Nasser isn't afraid to speak his mind, no matter what the consequences. After verbally sparring with Chief Minister of Propaganda Ravi Shastri, Hussain then likened the Indian fielding to "donkeys".
Hardly the most cutting of comments, but everyone knows that anyone who opposes the BCCI in any way is committing a gross act of treason, and is liable to firm retribution. In this case, the BCCI get in touch with the ECB and tell them to "control their commentator". However, the ECB not being a totalitarian cricket state, they're unable to control this rogue journalist. And quite rightly.
Nasser Hussain is employed by Sky Sports, and a few other media outlets in order to give his opinions. Which is what he's done. If he thinks the Indian team have fielded like donkeys, he's well within his rights of free speech to say so. The fact that the BCCI think they are in any position to say that "commentators who make such comments, should abstain from saying such things" is a violation of Hussain's right as a journalist to report as he sees fit. The BCCI, or indeed any cricket player, official or body have no right at all to interfere with the commentators or reporters whatsoever, and any body that does so should be stopped immediately.
I was appalled to see that two of the leading commentators in Indian cricket are on the BCCI payroll, in order to spout BCCI policy, whitewash the news and brainwash the public. And that the BCCI are threatening the ECB, who quite rightly have no say over who Sky employ or what they say certainly smacks of an evil empire attempting to covert the world to their way of thinking - and should be stopped immediately.
As a cricket blogger, I will naturally agree with some of what I read and hear about cricket, as well as also disagreeing with certain items too. That's the nature of a free press, who are able to report whatever they see fit. But if an organisation is threatening and blackmailing reporters into only reporting whatever fits at the time, then the freedom of the press is lost. The BCCI have absolutely no place telling anyone what to, or not to say, and the evil empire certainly need putting back in their place. It's just as well that the good guy, the seeker of truth and justice, won't let it lay.
Showing posts with label Nas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nas. Show all posts
Monday, 5 September 2011
Monday, 11 October 2010
THHOF - Michael Vaughan
Name: Michael Vaughan
Nicknames: Vaughany, Virgil, MPV, Pie, Michael-Vaughan-my-lord-Michael-Vaughan
Born: October 29, 1974, Manchester, England
Teams: Yorkshire, England
Michael Vaughan is my first inductee into the Tyron Henderson Hall of Fame, because when I started following cricket, Michael Vaughan was the main man. Taking the one-day captaincy from Nasser Hussain after the 2003 World Cup, and later that year the test captaincy as well, Vaughan was my "first" England captain.
While many will remember Vaughan for his exploits as England skipper, it shouldn't be forgotten that he made history well before England recognition was even on the horizon. Born in Manchester (Lancashire), Vaughan's family moved to Sheffield (Yorkshire) when he was nine. Vaughan's father, a club cricketer, turned young Mike on to the sport, and his love of the game grew from there. However, Yorkshire's strict rule restricting anyone born outside of the county boundaries meant Vaughan would have been unable to represent the white rose, but when the ruling was removed, Vaughan was able to make his county debut (and was the first non-Yorkshireman to play for the county).
After working his way through England's youth sides (captaining England's Under-19s in 1993/4), Vaughan made his full England debut in the first test of the 1999 South Africa tour. Batting at number six, Vaughan was into the action almost immediately, as England were reduced to two for four wickets. Vaughan may have "only" scored 33, but his calm temprament and classy shotmaking earmarked him for further success.
In and out of the side due to injury, Vaughan made his position at the top of England's order his own, scoring 900 runs against Sri Lanka and India in 2002, before his seminal tour of Australia later that year. Scoring three hundreds in five tests (which England lost 4-1), Vaughan was the first Englishman in 32 years to score over 600 runs in a five match Ashes series in Australia. Vaughan scored 1,481 Test runs in 2002, the sixth highest for a calendar year in Test history, and took his place as the number one ranked batsman in the ICC rankings.
After England bowed out from the 2003 World Cup, Nasser Hussain stepped down, and was replaced by Vaughan, despite Vaughan's one day stats failing to match his test performances. After leading England to a triangular series victory, Vaughan scored 156 against South Africa at Edgbaston, and was appointed captain after Hussain stood down after that match. Vaughan led England to a draw in that series, as winning against Bangladesh (though losing to Sri Lanka).
2004 was a spectacular year for English cricket, much of it due to the captaincy of Vaughan. A 3-0 away win over the West Indies, followed by back-to-back whitewashes over New Zealand and West Indies at home was credited to Vaughan, who alongside Duncan Fletcher, had revolutionised English cricket, with a strict fitness and training regime, as well as the continuation of the central contract system. Beating South Africa away was also a milestone, as Vaughan had continued the growth and development of his team; ready to challenge for the Ashes.
The Ashes. England won. For the first time in 18 years. In the greatest series of them all. Vaughan played a vital role, both as a batsman and as a captain; in getting the best out of Freddie Flintoff. 2005 was the crowning achievement of Vaughan's career, and he will rightly be remembered for orchestrating so much of it.
However, sadly, it went a bit downhill from there. Given an OBE for his part in the Ashes victory, Vaughan's troublesome knee meant he wasn't able to play in India or Pakistan, and a knee operation the following summer led to him missing the 2006/7 Ashes debacle. Returning for the 2007 World Cup, Vaughan's poor one day form (he never scored an ODI century) led to his one day abdication, but after his great friend and coach Duncan Fletcher left, it was never the same. Under Peter Moores, Vaughan struggled, both as a player and as a captain, and losing series to India, Sri Lanka, and finally South Africa in 2008, Vaughan emotionally stood down as England captain - statistically the greatest ever man to lead England.
Vaughan bravely battled to recover his form, playing for Yorkshire in the summer of 2009, but after realising he wouldn't play a part in the Ashes, he retired from all forms of the game. Always articulate, Vaughan has begun to forge a career on TMS, and is surely not far from elevation into the Sky Sports Commentary Box For Ex-England Captains.
Vaughan was a fantastic man-manager and motivator as captain, and must have been fantastic to play under. His batting was superb, and his cover drive is one of the best I have ever seen. I have been lucky enough to meet Michael once, and he was both charming and kind to me; the perfect gentleman. For my formative years as a cricket fan, Michael Vaughan was England's captain, and I am honoured for him to be the first inductee into the Tyron Henderson Hall of Fame.
And for something that sums Vaughany up much more than my words, here's a video in tribute to the great man.
Nicknames: Vaughany, Virgil, MPV, Pie, Michael-Vaughan-my-lord-Michael-Vaughan
Born: October 29, 1974, Manchester, England
Teams: Yorkshire, England
Michael Vaughan is my first inductee into the Tyron Henderson Hall of Fame, because when I started following cricket, Michael Vaughan was the main man. Taking the one-day captaincy from Nasser Hussain after the 2003 World Cup, and later that year the test captaincy as well, Vaughan was my "first" England captain.
While many will remember Vaughan for his exploits as England skipper, it shouldn't be forgotten that he made history well before England recognition was even on the horizon. Born in Manchester (Lancashire), Vaughan's family moved to Sheffield (Yorkshire) when he was nine. Vaughan's father, a club cricketer, turned young Mike on to the sport, and his love of the game grew from there. However, Yorkshire's strict rule restricting anyone born outside of the county boundaries meant Vaughan would have been unable to represent the white rose, but when the ruling was removed, Vaughan was able to make his county debut (and was the first non-Yorkshireman to play for the county).
After working his way through England's youth sides (captaining England's Under-19s in 1993/4), Vaughan made his full England debut in the first test of the 1999 South Africa tour. Batting at number six, Vaughan was into the action almost immediately, as England were reduced to two for four wickets. Vaughan may have "only" scored 33, but his calm temprament and classy shotmaking earmarked him for further success.
In and out of the side due to injury, Vaughan made his position at the top of England's order his own, scoring 900 runs against Sri Lanka and India in 2002, before his seminal tour of Australia later that year. Scoring three hundreds in five tests (which England lost 4-1), Vaughan was the first Englishman in 32 years to score over 600 runs in a five match Ashes series in Australia. Vaughan scored 1,481 Test runs in 2002, the sixth highest for a calendar year in Test history, and took his place as the number one ranked batsman in the ICC rankings.
After England bowed out from the 2003 World Cup, Nasser Hussain stepped down, and was replaced by Vaughan, despite Vaughan's one day stats failing to match his test performances. After leading England to a triangular series victory, Vaughan scored 156 against South Africa at Edgbaston, and was appointed captain after Hussain stood down after that match. Vaughan led England to a draw in that series, as winning against Bangladesh (though losing to Sri Lanka).
2004 was a spectacular year for English cricket, much of it due to the captaincy of Vaughan. A 3-0 away win over the West Indies, followed by back-to-back whitewashes over New Zealand and West Indies at home was credited to Vaughan, who alongside Duncan Fletcher, had revolutionised English cricket, with a strict fitness and training regime, as well as the continuation of the central contract system. Beating South Africa away was also a milestone, as Vaughan had continued the growth and development of his team; ready to challenge for the Ashes.
The Ashes. England won. For the first time in 18 years. In the greatest series of them all. Vaughan played a vital role, both as a batsman and as a captain; in getting the best out of Freddie Flintoff. 2005 was the crowning achievement of Vaughan's career, and he will rightly be remembered for orchestrating so much of it.
However, sadly, it went a bit downhill from there. Given an OBE for his part in the Ashes victory, Vaughan's troublesome knee meant he wasn't able to play in India or Pakistan, and a knee operation the following summer led to him missing the 2006/7 Ashes debacle. Returning for the 2007 World Cup, Vaughan's poor one day form (he never scored an ODI century) led to his one day abdication, but after his great friend and coach Duncan Fletcher left, it was never the same. Under Peter Moores, Vaughan struggled, both as a player and as a captain, and losing series to India, Sri Lanka, and finally South Africa in 2008, Vaughan emotionally stood down as England captain - statistically the greatest ever man to lead England.
Vaughan bravely battled to recover his form, playing for Yorkshire in the summer of 2009, but after realising he wouldn't play a part in the Ashes, he retired from all forms of the game. Always articulate, Vaughan has begun to forge a career on TMS, and is surely not far from elevation into the Sky Sports Commentary Box For Ex-England Captains.
Vaughan was a fantastic man-manager and motivator as captain, and must have been fantastic to play under. His batting was superb, and his cover drive is one of the best I have ever seen. I have been lucky enough to meet Michael once, and he was both charming and kind to me; the perfect gentleman. For my formative years as a cricket fan, Michael Vaughan was England's captain, and I am honoured for him to be the first inductee into the Tyron Henderson Hall of Fame.
And for something that sums Vaughany up much more than my words, here's a video in tribute to the great man.
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