Cricket 2023 ODI World Cup

Finally, the cricket ODI world cup 2023 is over. And, Australia beat India and won the World Cup. 

Here are my impressions: 

India was superb with unbeaten performance (9 to zero) at the Group Stage. 

They are all professional players. On a given day any team can beat any other team. For example: Australia became the world champion. But at the Group Stage South Africa beat Australia. And, the lowly Netherlands beat South Africa. What can we say!  My suggestion is there should be "best of 3" for the final instead of just one match.

I cannot imagine such a poor performance by India at the finals. Only 2 boundaries and no sixers in 20 overs? India’s total of 240 had only 13 boundaries and 3 sixers. Only 35 runs from the 11th to 20th over. Only 37 runs from the 21st over to 30th over. (That too with Kohli and Rahul at the crease) 

The Australians effectively shut the Narendra Modi stadium crowd. May be the Indian team thought the crowd is on our side and that will make the Australians nervous. 

The Australian team had 7 players who participated in the 2015 World Cup. Therefore, they have plenty of prior experience. 

I don’t even want to talk about the coin toss controversy and pitch controversy because they are rumors and not confirmed. 

And then, it is after all a game and no need to take them personally by the spectators. We should support the team we like. But we should not over do it. I have heard news about people doing archana in temples and priests doing homam for India to win. A friend of mine told me about a running commentary in Tamil and the commentator was saying (when Australia was batting) “sivaram sivaram sivaram wicket vizhanum. Namma India jaikanum” (Oh God another wicket should fall now. Our India should win). I thought the job of a commentator is to tell the listeners what is happening on the field.  I wonder if this was a legitimate ICC approved commentary.

One sad note. Per reports in the newspapers, India’s first World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev was not invited to watch the finals. Very sad.  How many Indians would have celebrated in 1983.  Where are they now and what are they saying?

Want to end this post with a lighter note. I am glad it is over. I am relieved in a sense that I don’t have to keep awake and watch the matches from 12:30 am (California time) to 9 am.

Free Speech

The 3rd Republican Party nomination debate was held in Miami last week. It was all hot air and waste of time. Trump is way ahead in polls to get the nomination. He is around 50% and the next candidate (DeSantis at 14%) and the rest of them in single digits. I think the other candidates are for running for the Vice President job. 

Just FYI. According to poll, Trump is ahead of Biden in the general election next year for President. 

One important point I noticed in the debate was Vivek Ramaswamy called his own (Republican) Party as a party of losers. He said; 

“We have become a party of losers. Since Ronna McDaniel took over as chairwoman of the RNC (Republican National Committee) in 2017, we have lost 2018, 2020, 2022. And, that there is a “cancer” in the Republican establishment.” 

His open and frank statement is welcomed by many in the Republican Party. Of course, there are people who criticize him for making that statement during debate on live TV watched by millions of people. 

I see this as free speech and this is a free country. 

Imagine any Conservative Party member in England speaks against their leader. What will happen to that person!

Imagine the fate of any BJP member who says this about Mr. J. P. Nadda or Mr. Modi. What will happen to that person!

We all know what will happen if a person in Russia speaks like this about Mr. Putin.

Ronna McDaniel (RNC Chairwoman) responded:  He is at 4%, he needs a headline.  Our headlines should be about Joe Biden.  I will also stand by my record as RNC Chair.

Timed Out

An unusual "out" happened in today’s World Cup cricket match – Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan player Angelo Mathews comes to bat. When he was tightening the strap of his helmet, it broke. He asked for a new helmet. A substitute player from Sri Lanka brought the new helmet. 

There is an obscure rule in cricket. The new batter has to be ready to face the ball within 3 minutes. During World Cup, it is 2 minutes. Apparently, Mathews’ helmet problem took a little more than 2 minutes. 

The Bangladesh bowler and his team appealed to the umpire. And, he declared Mathews is out. In the history of cricket, Mathews was the first player to be declared out in this manner. 

I think this is very cheap on the part of Bangladesh Team. Their captain has the right to over rule the umpire and ask Mathews to play. But Shakib Al Hasan was not magnanimous. 

People say “mankading” is cheating and unethical even though it is legal. But I would say Timed Out is more outrageous. 

In the American Football, there is a severe penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Maybe it is time to introduce unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in cricket also and punish Bangladesh Team.  Or is this type of penalty rule already in cricket? I don't know.