Sorry and thanks.
I start by apologizing to my regular readers, particularly Micky Mouse. While trying to edit and manage the comments posted at the site, I somehow deleted all the comments posted with all the previous articles, along with my responses! I am now trying to retrieve them but it's not looking very promising. I value your comments and apologize to all of you. The pleasure that I get from writing comes largely from reading your comments and responding to them. Sorry, Micky Mouse.
A lot more people are accessing the site from India now. This is a site for all genuine cricket lovers and I welcome all of you from all over the world. I have to specially thank my loyal readers who access the site every day. I started this site one weekend, 5 months ago, while lamenting the very poor and inconsistent writing on cricket at the usual newspaper websites. There are some notable exceptions, but most sites are full of the usual clichés and abound in hyperbole. It seems that some writers write only to squeeze in a list of pet phrases and quotes from some book!
I thank the small band of readers who have been with me since the beginning ( Sept. 05). I do not know who you are but I know where you are. A special thanks goes out to Vancouver, Toronto, LA, San Diego, Lawrence, all over Kansas, Johnson City, Florida, New York, Buffalo, Stamford and Framingham. I thank all the readers in the Philadelphia region, many of you know me personally, but need to be thanked nevertheless.
I thank all the readers from Europe, spread over the UK, France, Germany and Russia. Yes, Russia too - thank you guys.
To the list I add a growing number of people from India. Please leave me your comments and feedback. I will publish all reasonable comments and I promise not to delete them this time. Disagreeing with me is fine - let's at least keep a dialogue going.
A word of thanks to Arindam, my good friend, who regularly helps me with the technical aspects of the site.
A special word of thanks to my wife ( the 'Match Referee') for letting me write after returning from a long day at the hospital, and for watching the matches with me through the night. Without her, there would be no site.
I sound as if I just won two Oscars! Rather pretentious, but I am a little emotional today and I do this about once a year.
Back to cricket. Shoaib Akhtar is out for the remainder of this series. I had said earlier that he would not last the series. The last time we played in Lahore ( 24th. March 04), we bowled Pakistan out for 253, after scoring 293. VVS had blazed 107 off only 104 balls on that occasion, which was probably his best ODI performance. Irfan and Balaji had both claimed three victims each.
Sehwag had tweaked his shoulder in the 2nd ODI and will miss this match. This is a big loss as he tends to go on a run of good scores when in good nick. Harbhajan will not be risked in view of the England series ahead.
I expect Gambhir to come in but he may not open, particularly if we bat first. Expect a surprise ( Dhoni / Pathan) walking out with Tendulker. The bowling corps will be unchanged, I think. Powar may retain the super-sub slot as he gives us a dual option.
My gut tells me we will win. Very gutsy of me! You will know tomorrow if I am foolhardy too.
-- Third Umpire
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Reader Comments (3)
Cannot help but acknowledge that despite all our difference of opinion and varying view-points we express on your website:
1. I haven't come across very many websites that make cricket so interesting and particularly, your style of writing which hits the nail on the head - more often than not.
2. I find it difficult to get over my daily mornin' cuppa tea without having your writings right in front - on my laptop. This is becoming an addiction. Yes, days when there is lil' crciket goin' on n' your writings aren't there seem to drag and get that much more boring......
3. I apreciate most of what I get to read on your website and thoroughly enjoy our disagreements as much, coz I know when there is so much of passion involved in feeling for our cricket team there will always be difference of opinion, criticism, praise, brickbats etc.
4. It's flattering to see you mention my name amongst some of your loyal readers and I am sure there are many more who are just as loyal or perhaps more keen followers than me.
5. Please do keep up the good work T.U. for what you write is appreciated and truely so.
It's good to know a few good men like you - who feel so strongly for the well being of Indian cricket and I hope to meet many more like-minded people on your website who can share their views, exchange opinions and bring about an awakening - a sense of being involved with this game and for the good of our own Indian cricket team.
Thank you, once again.
Cannot help feel that this Paki batting line-up is highly over-rated because of the success they have achieved playing on home soil and having faced medicore bowling attacks in recent times (read England and now India).
Guess if Woolmer's pack of arrogant and highly over-rated jokers were to face Ricky Ponting's high voltage powerhorses in say a 5 match 1-day series - the result would be a 5-0 whitewash.
Why I was thinking on these lines is that this Paki Team might be ranked No. 2 if they win this Indo-Pak series comprehensively. But, I very much doubt whether this Team is really as good to deserve a No. 2 ranking in the world. - Food for thought for the ICC as well, I guess.
What do you think of that, Third Umpire ?