Age is No bar

Cricket in India and all over the world is all talks about the retirement of its ageing cricketers. Some have learnt the trick, its intricacies and stood a chance playing for their country and some have failed to capitalize on their opportunities and have lost a place in the side. A bunch of players though in their mid 35’s still wish to perform for their sides, people and cricket fanatics think otherwise. So I call this phase of cricket as “expecting retirement”. This is a serious debatable issue.

Outstanding cricketers to the likes of Muralitharan, Jayasuriya, Matt Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and not to forget Indian stars Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar have faced such a situation. There is now a need to analyze why people fail to give a chance to their star players just because they are ageing. Though so much has been proved, so much experience has been gained; they still play the game with the same interest, same passion and lots of energy. Cricket indeed is crazy about them. But they are expected to retire once they reach the upper bound. That is the rule of the game.

Matt Hayden and Adam Gilchrist are known for their attacking stroke play right from the word go. Though Gilchrist took a voluntary retirement from the game, Haydos after a couple of failures was shown the gate straight away. Now why dint they give him a second chance? That too to one of the rare breed of cricketers who has amassed so much runs on the board, who was once even regarded as the best player in the side. Do they think somebody young can do a better job replacing the giant batsman? Clueless.

Muralitharan and Jayasuriya also did face this ageing pressure. Jayasuriya opted out in his mid 39 and Murali was then made to go through this situation. One of the leading wicket takers in the world who has scalped 800 wickets in Test and who still has more cricket left in him is barred just because he is nearing his 40. That wouldn’t be fair enough. If there was a drop in the performance levels, then that would be fine but a cricketer who is still able to grab 8 wickets in a test, who still keeps batsmen guessing is bound to play the game according to me. Do they think the young Mendis or Malinga can fill his place? .. I don’t think so.

Particularly some Indians have faced such a situation much harder and much faster. People were expecting Dravid to retire from One day Internationals after he went through a lean patch in the 50-over format. Now why is that situation not happening for a Yuvraj or Ishant who is not able to capitalize on the very many opportunities offered? Maybe they are young enough? We should now face facts. Cricket is not a game only for youngsters, it’s a performance oriented game. You perform, you stay in. Even for the first man on earth who has scored a double hundred, this situation is no different. I’m indeed talking about the batting genius Sachin Tendulkar. People are just waiting to see Tendulkar retire. Why is that? Folks, nobody on this earth can ever replace the evergreen Tendulkar. He still has so much cricket left in him, so much to prove, many records to surpass! I can bet, if people like Sachin, Murali, Gilchrist step down, we are not going to see the same old competitive cricket. Cricket comes as an entertainment package. Let the masters of the game rule it !

Meet Paul, the footballing Nostradamus

Never has a creature shot to such a pinnacle and instant fame as much as Paul, the octopus has. Paul became internationally famous for his 100 percent prediction in Germany’s seven matches at the 2010 World Cup as well as the fitting final. The World Cup and all the fanfare was all an excellent experience and this gullible marine octopus shot to fame from nowhere. He even was regarded as the greatest footballing pundit out there.

Paul, the octopus lives in Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany. Paul makes his predictions by choosing between one of the two transparent cubes which will bear a national football team’s flag on the outside and each of the cubes will contain his food, mussels. The container, into which Paul lowers himself first to gobble up his food, is interpreted to indicate his prediction for the game. His prediction skills have reached an unprecedented high with the latest correct prediction of Spain beating Germany in the second semi-final. But perhaps the strangest thing of all is that several zoos and aquariums in Germany seeing Paul predict winners, have been forcing their animals to give their prediction on the game. Unfair .. aint it ??

Paul’s prediction skills were regularly mocked by some of the leading analysts that it is just simple mathematical probability or chance at work and nothing beyond that. Even critics claim his predictions have been spoofed by various sections of the media around the world and had been blown out of proportion; Paul seems to be very famous on the web applications and websites and even on the leading social networking site, Facebook. Also the website called paulpredicts went online soon after the World Cup concluded.

Well.. now that’s not it all. Once Paul was done with all his predictions, the famed oracle creature was in demand from all quarters of the globe with his increase in popularity on account of his flawless predictions. And on the other side, supporters of Germany were disappointed as Paul picked Spain ahead of Germany in the semifinal clash. The much anguished fans of Germany called for Paul to be killed, cooked and eaten to take the revenge of the Germany’s loss in the much famous and grand sporting event. It goes with the cliché’, what goes up must come down!! As if all the above musings were not enough, the psychic octopus has also been made to forecast as to who will be Russia’s next president – Vladimir Putin or Dmitry Medvedev! The eight-legged creature has already cast his imminent vote, which has been sealed until the election year of 2012. So any guesses for this one ??

Though the marine creature has nothing to do with the realities of the outside world, the human community is more frenzied about its immaculate predictions. So much popularity in a very short period; gaining very many international fans all over. Only Paul can do it. No parrot, no camel, no crystal balls. Doff your hats, ladies and gentlemen, for Paul the Octopus, the living soccer seer !!