"How's your wife and my kids?" asked Australian wicket keeper Rod Marsh from behind the stumps to the Ian Botham who had come into bat. "The wife's fine," replied Ian, "but the kids are retarded."
Well aren’t sledging and Ashes like two sides of same coin! Come to think of, Cricket is not just a mere contest between bat and ball, but it’s largely a battle of wits. No wonder players with good temperament and cricketing intelligence become world champions. It is this mental ability and temperament that opponents like to test.
Well as long as this is challenged in a fair manner, Cricket still resembles a Gentleman’s game. But there are times when players use humorous banter to distract their opponent and sometimes tend to cross the line using orchestrated personal abuse and derogatory language. This is generally referred as sledging.
Basically sledging describes the practice whereby players try to get under the opponents skin by provoking, insulting or verbally intimidating the opposing player. The objective is to disturb the opponent's concentration, thereby causing them to make mistakes or underperform.
Sledging, banter, remonstration, abuse, ripostes have been an integral part of the game and like everything in cricket, it also has ancient antecedents. For instance, when W.G. Grace was given out leg-before, he refused to walk and told the bowler: "They came to watch me bat, not you bowl". And the innings continued.
In his riveting book ‘Stiff Upper Lips and Baggy Green Caps’, Simon Briggs presents a succinct history of sledging. He states that, Englishmen were the pioneers and Dr W.G. Grace was an early leader, and believed they had the divine right to use any methods to beat the colonials. Interestingly in the same age of cavaliers, Warwick Armstrong from Australia gave it back to them. In the modern era, sledging was blatantly practiced by Aussies. Ian Chappell’s mob labelled as ‘Ugly Australian’ were the leaders and later Allan Border, Merv Hughes, Steve Waugh continued this practice. Steve Waugh even coined a new cricketing neologism - Mental disintegration!
Its not just sledging but we have also witnessed players getting into argument with the umpires. There aren’t many players like Gavaskar and Gilchrist who walk even before the umpire has raised his finger. Instead of emulating these legendary players or even for that matter, the batting skills of Dr W.G. Grace, the modern batsmen seem to emulate Grace's ability to stand his ground. Once, when the ball knocked off a bail, he replaced it and told the umpire: "Twas the wind which took thy bail orf, good sir." The umpire replied: "Indeed, doctor, and let us hope thy wind helps the good doctor on thy journey back to the pavilion."
The best W.G Grace sledge was on him, though, not from him. Charles Kortright had dismissed him on few times in a county game - only for the umpires to keep turning down his appeals. Finally, he uprooted two of Grace's three stumps. Grace stalled, as though waiting for a no-ball call or something, before reluctantly walking off with Kortright's words in his ears: "Surely you're not going, doctor? There's still one stump standing."
While many of us appreciate the technical side of cricket, it is equally true that good humoured banter spices up the game and can also be counter-productive. Remember Javed Miandad imitating Kiran More and jumping on the wicket to express his irritation with More’s constant chattering behind the stumps. Who can forget Dravid’s brilliant century against the Proteas when Allan Donald ruffled him? And in the Nottingham test, Zaheer Khan ended up taking nine wickets after he was greeted by the English players with jelly beans on the wicket. Venkatesh Prasad uprooting the stumps of Aamer Sohail immediately after being sledged and clobbered for a boundary will always remain etched in our memory.
Here’s a list of some good cricketing anecdotes, witty banter and sledging … What's somewhat unique is the angle from which one looks at them - mainly, funny or provocative things that were said, and brief looks at the personalities who said them.
Graham Gooch got a chilling welcome to Test Cricket. In his debut test, as he wandered out to bat, Gooch greeted Ian Chappell, the Australia captain, with a polite, “Good morning, Ian.”
“What’s so f**king good about it?” came the immediate reply. Gooch was then dismissed without scoring.
Harbhajan must have slapped his own countrymen, but there are also instances of teammates sledging each other. Now this one’s simply hilarious that involved Fred Trueman and Raman Subba Row. England were playing Pakistan and, at what turned out to be a crucial moment later on, Trueman managed to get an outside edge off a Pakistani batsman after the batsman had been frustrating them on a hot sweaty day. The ball went right through the hands of Raman Subba Row who was standing in first slip and through his legs. After the over Raman heads over to the bowler and says, "Sorry Fred, I should've closed my legs." Fred Trueman, who didn't find any of this amusing, quipped back, "No, you bastard, your mother should have."
Another instance of same team members having fun.
David Gower: Do you want Gatt (Mike Gatting) a foot wider?
Chris Cowdrey: No. He'd burst.
England were set a huge target by Australia and Maurice Leyland batting with a youngster was being made to run hard for singles. Leyland said, "Steady up lad, we can't get them all tonight, you know".
Or savour this - "In my day 58 beers between London and Sydney would have virtually classified you as a teetotaler." - Ian Chappell on being informed that David Boon had consumed 58 beers on team flight to England in 1989. Boon claimed that he was afraid of flying.
Even umpires come up with humorous banter. This is "From the Pavilion End" by Harold "Dickie" Bird.
"Bomber" Wells, a spin bowler and great character, played for Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire. He used to bat at No.11 since one couldn't bat any lower. Of him, they used to paraphrase Compton's famous words describing and equally inept runner; "When he shouts 'YES' for a run, it is merely the basis for further negotiations!"
Incidentally, Compton was no better. John Warr said, of Compton "He was the only person who would call you for a run and wish you luck at the same time." Anyway, when Wells played for Gloucestershire, he had an equally horrendous runner as the No.10. During a county match, horror of horrors.......both got injured. *Both* opted for runners when it was their turn to bat. Bomber played a ball on the off, called for a run, forgot he had a runner and ran himself. Ditto at the other end. In the melee, someone decided that a second run was on. Now we had *all four* running. Due to the confusion and constant shouts of "YES" "NO", eventually, *all* of them ran to the same end. Note - at this point in time, the entire ground is rolling on the floor laughing their behinds out. One of the fielders - brave lad - stops laughing for a minute, picks the ball and throws down the wicket at the other end. Umpire Alec Skelding looks very seriously at the four and calmly informs them "One of you buggers is out. I don't know which. *You* decide and inform the bloody scorers!"
Well this is just the beginning, for the best sledging and banter with some fruity dialect takes place during The Ashes…
1. Bill Woodfull, Australia’s captain in the Bodyline series of 1932-33, responding to Douglas Jardine's complaint that a slip fielder had called him bastard: “All right, which one of you bastards called this bastard a bastard?”
2. “Take a good look at this arse of mine; you'll see plenty of it this summer.” - David Steele to Rodney Marsh
3. Australia fighting for a win nearing the end of a Test Match, Fred Trueman at the crease. The Aus captain has plenty of close in fielders, whose shadows fall on the wicket. Fredie finds this objectionable. 'Ere, if you lads don't back off, I'll appeal for bad light!"
4. Sometimes sledging can be quite subtle. Imagine, for example, how England’s Phil Edmonds felt when he took guard to bat and heard the Aussie wicketkeeper Timothy Zoehrer chirp: "At least I have an identity. You're only Frances Edmond’s husband."
5. Mark Waugh: F**k me, look who it is. Mate, what are you doing out here, there's no way you're good enough to play for England.
James Ormond: Maybe not, but at least I'm the best player in my family.
6. “Don't bother shutting it, son, you won't be there long enough.” - Fred Truman to incoming Aussie batsman as he opened the gate on his way out to the middle at Lord's
7. Tap that one down you little b*stard. - Tony Lock bowls a bouncer at Richie Benaud following a prolonged spell of gardening
8. You are a damned lot of sneaks.- WG Grace to Midwinter, The Oval, 1877
9. Well bowled Harold! - Douglas Jardine after Larwood fells Woodfull with a ball in the chest
10. Hell, Gatt, move out of the way, I can't see the stumps. - Dennis Lillee
11. Mate, if you turn the bat over, you'll see the instructions on the back! - Merv Hughes to Grahame Hick
12. Merv Hughes: You can't f**king bat.
Robin Smith after hitting the next ball to the fence: Hey Merv, we make a fine pair. I can't f**king bat and you can't f**king bowl.
13. Warne bowling to Atherton in Australia during an Ashes series. Atherton nicks one into Ian Healy's gloves but doesn't walk and is given not out. Healy: "You f***ing cheat"
Atherton: "When in Rome Old Boy" said in his best Oxbridge voice!!
14. Derek Randall to Lillee, after taking a glancing blow to the head: “No good hitting me there, mate, nothing to damage.”
15. Ian Healy, placing a fielder yards away at cover when Nasser Hussain was batting: “Let's have you right under Nasser's nose.”
16. Tony Greig, England’s South African-born captain, to the young David Hookes, 1977: “When are your balls going to drop, Sonny?”
Hookes: “I don't know, but at least I'm playing cricket for my own country.” Hookes hit Greig for five consecutive fours.
And its not just England and Australia but even players from other countries resort to such banter.
Gavaskar had decided to relinquish his opening position and come in at no 4 for that test. But, Malcolm Marshall fired out Anshuman Gaekwad and Dilip Vengsarkar for ducks, setting the stage for Gavaskar to walk in at 0/2. Viv Richards quipped, "Man, it don't matter where you come in to bat, the score is still zero." Gavaskar made 236*
In another instance, during the tour of West Indies, a young bowler was trying to get under Gavaskar’s skin by sledging. Gavaskar, a senior player retorted "Son, don't waste time sledging at me. I have been sledged at more often than you have taken a piss".
Greg Thomas, a Glamorgan fast bowler, thundered in and beat Vivian Richards's bat. "It's red and its round. Can't you see it?" the bowler taunted. The next ball was precisely the same; pitching three quarters of length on middle and off, seaming away and once again Richards was comprehensively beaten. "It's red and its round and it weighs four-and-a-half ounces. Can't you see it?” commented Greg Thomas. The next delivery was right in the slot, and Viv smashed the ball out of the ground and straight into the river that flowed around it. The batsman then said to the bowler: "You know what it looks like... go get it!"
There are also instances when players wait for the opportune moment and give it back.
Ian Botham had long ago remarked, "Pakistan is the sort of place every man should send his mother-in-law, for a month, with all expenses paid."
In 1992 World Cup Final, when Pakistan defeated England, Aamer Sohail said to Ian Botham on his way to pavilion "Why don't you send your mother-in-law out to play, she cannot do much worse."
South Africa’s Daryll Cullinan is famous for being Shane Warne’s bunny. Cullinan was batting, attempting a comeback from a complete bamboozling from Warne in earlier games. Cullinan played the first ball from the kiwi bowler Chris Harris very carefully back down the pitch, and keeper Parore yelled out "Well bowled Warnie!"
There is no doubt that playing against Aussies can be daunting and indeed intimidating. Just check this out.
1. Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath chided West Indian batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan "So, what does Brian Lara's dick taste like?" Sarwan replied "I don't know, ask your wife." McGrath lost his temper and yelled "If you ever fucking mention my wife again, I will fucking rip your fucking throat out!" (McGrath was upset because his wife had just been diagnosed with cancer)
2. Glenn McGrath to Eddo Brandes - "Hey Eddo, how come you're so fat?"
Brandes responds: "Cos everytime I sleep with your wife, she gives me a biscuit!"
3. Shane Warne: “I've waited two years for another chance to humiliate you.”
Daryll Cullinan: “Looks like you spent it eating. Go and deflate yourself, you balloon.”
4. “You convicts are all the same.” - Malcolm Marshall to Steve Waugh after he refused to walk.
5. Ravi Shastri v/s Mike Whitney the Aussie 12th man. Shastri hits it to Mike and looks for a single. Mike stops the ball and says "if you leave the crease I'll break your fucking head" Shastri: "If you could bat as well as you can talk you wouldn't be the fucking 12th man."
6. Inzamam-ul-Haq telling Brett Lee - "Stop bowling off spinners"
7. Shane Warne when bowling against Arjuna Ranatunga wondered aloud, what would draw him out of his crease. Wicketkeeper Ian Healy piped up "Put a Mars Bar on a good length. That should do it." Ranatunga not to be out done believed to have said "Then I’m sure Boony here will get it before me" referring to David Boon who was fielding at forward shortleg.
8. Merv Hughes & Javed Miandad: During 1991 Adelaide Test: Javed called Merv a fat bus conductor. A few balls later Merv dismissed Javed. "Tickets please," Merv called out as he ran around Javed. .
9. Merv Hughes was bowling to Hansie Cronje during a tour game in South Africa. It was an especially flat wicket and Cronje was hitting Hughes for fours and sixes all over the place. After the umpteenth boundary, Hughes headed down the pitch, stood near Cronje, let out a fart and said: "Try hitting that for six." It was five minutes before the guffawing stopped and play could resume.
10. Can you ever forget Ian Healy's comment which was picked up by the Channel 9 microphones when Arjuna Ranatunga called for a runner on a particularly hot night during a one-dayer in Sydney: "You don't get a runner for being an overweight, unfit, fat beep!"
11. Merv Hughes & Viv Richards - During a test match in the West Indies, Hughes didn't say a word to Viv, but continued to stare at him after deliveries. "This is my island, my culture. Don't you be staring at me? In my culture we just bowl." Merv didn't reply, but after he dismissed him he announced to the batsman "In my culture we just say fuck off."
12. Ian Healy asked Arjuna: "Got your legs shivering?"
Arjuna replied: "Yes, I’m tired after sleeping with your wife"
Sledging and abuse is very rampant between Pakistani and Indian Cricketers. And the best way to answer any sledging is demonstrated by none other than the ‘God of Batting’ – Sachin Tendulkar…
Sachin Tendulkar Vs Abdul Qadir - A baby-faced Sachin Tendulkar had just made his cricketing debut against Pakistan in 1989, when he was subject to abuse by his opponents and the crowd alike. Tendulkar was facing a formidable Pakistan bowling attack and the crowds were desperate to break him. They insulted him with banners that read "Hey kid, go home and drink milk", but when Tendulkar sent the then young leg spinner Mustaq Ahmed hiding for cover by smashing 2 sixes in one over, the frustrated mentor of Mustaq Ahmed the legendary Abdul Qadir barks "Why are you hitting kids? Try and hit me". A silent Tendulkar let his bat do the talking and duly obliged Qadir's request hitting 4 sixes in the over, which read 6, 0, 4, 6, 6, 6 - Many cite this incident as the day the legend was born!
Tasteless - The following style of sledging is unacceptable and must be condemned even by those who advocate its practice. Players caught using this style of tactic, risk hefty fines or suspension.
1993 - The Australian slip cordon allegedly greeted New Zealand batsman Chris Cairns with a chant of "Choo Choo" after his sister had just been killed in a train accident.
There is debate in the cricketing world as to whether sledging constitutes bad sportsmanship or good-humoured banter. As long as sledging involves real humour without any politics or racial abuse, it may continue. Ironically that is the kind of humor we are missing in today's cricket when nothing short of a crude family or racist reference and even expletives seems to satisfy few idiots masquerading as cricketers the world over. No wonder Gavaskar talks of severe punishment for those who use personal and derogatory abuse. Ironically sledging is intrinsic to some cultures, in sports like soccer and rugby and even part of daily lives especially in countries like Australia, South Africa, England and perhaps therefore difficult to avoid!.. But, “this ain’t cricket”.
Thankfully the game is always bigger than individuals! Even Robert Mugabe is reported to have said, "I want everyone to play cricket in Zimbabwe. I want ours to be a nation of gentlemen”. Well, so long as you have batsmen and bowlers who will retort to the sledges through their performance, cricket will continue to remain a Gentleman’s game!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Film Review – ‘The Iron Lady’ - Delicate but not Definitive !
It’s a strange coincidence. Last week, I grabbed John Campbell’s acclaimed biography on ‘Margaret Thatcher: The Grocer's Daughter’ and the same week, Producer - Damian Jones much awaited ‘The Iron Lady’ was released in India.
After reading the initial chapters, that succinctly creates a wonderful image of Britain and Margaret’s early life, I was little reluctant to watch the movie so as to avoid from getting prejudiced or influenced by the scenes in the film. But it’s difficult to stay away from movies that feature the versatile Meryl Streep, isn’t it?
There is no surprise why the beautiful and amazingly talented Meryl Streep gets nominated for various awards including Oscar’s. Just watch her spectacular performances in some of her movies, ‘Out of Africa’,’ Krammer vs. Krammer’, ‘Sophie’s Choice’, ‘Julia & Julia’, ‘The Bridges of Madison County’, ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and now ‘The Iron Lady’.
Meryl Streep once quoted, “Acting is not about being someone different. It's finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there”.
Streep brilliantly uses Stanislavsky’s method and with her gesture, sound, tone, mannerism, movement, physical and emotional reactions convey meaning beyond the lines; thereby bringing life into the various characters, as well as her own interpretive contribution to the intricacies and the story. No wonder, her performances are memorable.
‘The Iron Lady’ is no different - it is more about Meryl and yet a delicate film. The film however fails to delve entirely into Margaret’s life and thankfully allows me to gingerly turn the pages of Campbell’s book.
Come to think of, it’s not just her wonderful hats, but there is indeed something magnetic, alluring and yet enigmatic about Baroness Margaret Thatcher. For a generation that grew up in 70’s- 80’s, regardless of whichever country you were growing up, it was almost impossible to come across news that didn’t feature these three magnificent women - Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir and Margaret Thatcher.
For many, these leaders were controversial, reviled and loved. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India; Golda Meir was a teacher, who later became the Prime Minister of Israel and Margaret Thatcher, a chemist, and a barrister, who later became the longest-serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century.
Strangely, there is a something common between these three ladies. These intelligent and powerful ladies were all described at various times as the “only man” in their respective cabinets. Each one of them has left a legacy, made a significant impact and revolutionised the world in many ways. Indira was born to India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Nehru, while both Golda Meir and Margaret Thatcher assisted their parents in their grocery shop thereby gaining good understanding of business and economics.
These women were strong willed, autocratic, fought terrorism, triumphed in war, and redefined the politics of their respective countries. Golda avenged the massacre of Munich Olympics; Indira battled terrorism in Punjab and Kashmir, while Margaret bravely countered the bomb attacks of IRA. Golda won the Yom Kippur War, Indira won the War against Pakistan, helping Bangladesh to separate and Thatcher won back the Falklands from Argentina. While Margaret and Indira studied at Oxford, Indira and Golda Meir were instrumental in making their country developed nuclear capabilities.
Its difficult to rate who is the better leader amongst them since they also committed huge blunders when they were in power. Indira acquired a formidable international reputation as a ‘statesman’ but her lust for power drove the infamous imposition of the internal emergency, the frequent use of the army to resolve internal disputes, and blatantly encouraged - culture of corruption, sycophancy and nepotism. While Golda was superior, Margaret was equally more dynamic and bold.
Although these three women were aptly supported by able men within their cabinet and party, these ladies deserve all adulation and respect for their struggles, courage, resilience and for leading from the front.
There is one scene in ‘The Iron Lady’ that tersely reflects Margaret’s relationship with her parents. When she gets admission at Oxford, her father is overjoyed but her mother doesn’t seems happy at all. Instead of reading the letter, Margaret’s mother smiles and categorically states that her hands are damp. Typically a mother would have rushed wiping her hands, even to her dress and would have affectionately hugged her daughter.
The instant disappointment on young Margaret’s face is poignantly captured by the camera. Apparently, Margaret didn’t share a great relationship with her mother and neither have we read about Kamla Nehru’s relationship with Indira. Both Margaret and Indira were strongly influenced by their father’s. The various letters written by Nehru to Indira which have been converted into epic volume, ‘Glimpses of World History’ and ‘Discovery of India’, also conveys this affection. Interestingly Charlie Chaplin in his autobiography also mentions about Nehru’s fondness and care for his daughter during a chance meeting with Indira in Europe. The camera captures the profound influence of Margaret’s father and clearly mirrors her inheritance of Methodist Church beliefs, conservative ideologies and political upbringing.
Director Phyllida Lloyd presents Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep) as an elderly, eavesdropping, lonely widow, suffering from dementia who is kept under virtual house-arrest. Her dead husband Denis (Jim Broadbent) like a friendly Casper keeps appearing whenever she is alone. Margaret is attended to by her daughter, Carol (Olivia Colman) and few secretaries who maintain a light schedule of appearances and photo-ops.
You can barely recognise Meryl Streep and credit must be given to J Roy Helland and Mark Coulier for their fantastic makeup. Streep’s sanguine intonation and demeanour presents a very authoritative, intelligent and surrealistic portrait of Margaret. She stunningly brings to life, Thatcher’s patriotism, ambition, haughtiness including her Victorian values and simplicity.
The narrative in the film moves between the present and past. Her memories introduce us to young Margaret (Alexandra Roach) who bravely runs from the barracks to cover the butter against the backdrop of German bombarding during World War 2. She romances with bespectacled young Denis (Harry Lloyd), who eagerly feeds and fox-trot with her, whenever the background music plays, ‘Shall we Dance’.
Thomas Newman’s music strikingly highlights the various emotions. Justine Wright’s editing showcases few glimpses of Margaret’s political life - her early election, her mannerism in cabinet meetings, her speeches and rebuttals in the House of Commons, her dogged determination to fight the Unions, her victory over Falkland and her purported role in ending the cold war. Abi Morgan’s screenplay and Elliot Davis cinematography meticulously relive some of the actual events. The dialogues in the film are thought provoking and subtly convey some essence of ‘Thatcherism’.
The camera zooms and focuses on Margaret’s wrinkled face, her autograph and helps accentuate the narrative. The beautiful blue dress, hats, pearls, studs and brooch looks elegant, impeccable and endearing albeit the real Margaret wore the brooch on left lapel. The camera moves inside the House of Common. It beautifully captures Streep’s speeches and rebuttal from a low angle thereby making Margaret look intellectually, politically and physically taller in a place that was regarded as bastion of male dominance.
Unlike Phyllida Lloyd’s earlier multi-starrer film ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘The Iron Lady’ is more subdued, slow and yet incredibly touching. With a shallow and incoherent script, the film doesn’t come across as a master piece but it is indeed watchable at least for those who have never heard or read about Rt. Hon. Margaret Thatcher.
Well, it is ridiculous to expect a detailed biography of a lady who governed for more than a decade in a short film. Perhaps one needs a series of documentaries, replete with archived films, interviews and press coverage to understand Margaret and her accomplishments in totality.
Until then do watch ‘The Iron Lady’ for Meryl Streep whose spectacular performance remarkably elevates this film.
Tailpiece - Although the film tried, but this quote from the Time Magazine perspicaciously describes the magic of Margaret Thatcher - “She was the catalyst who set in motion a series of interconnected events that gave a revolutionary twist to the century's last two decades and helped mankind end the millennium on a note of hope and confidence. The triumph of capitalism, the almost universal acceptance of the market as indispensable to prosperity, the collapse of Soviet imperialism, the downsizing of the state on nearly every continent and in almost every country in the world--Margaret Thatcher played a part in all those transformations, and it is not easy to see how any would have occurred without her.”
After reading the initial chapters, that succinctly creates a wonderful image of Britain and Margaret’s early life, I was little reluctant to watch the movie so as to avoid from getting prejudiced or influenced by the scenes in the film. But it’s difficult to stay away from movies that feature the versatile Meryl Streep, isn’t it?
There is no surprise why the beautiful and amazingly talented Meryl Streep gets nominated for various awards including Oscar’s. Just watch her spectacular performances in some of her movies, ‘Out of Africa’,’ Krammer vs. Krammer’, ‘Sophie’s Choice’, ‘Julia & Julia’, ‘The Bridges of Madison County’, ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and now ‘The Iron Lady’.
Meryl Streep once quoted, “Acting is not about being someone different. It's finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there”.
Streep brilliantly uses Stanislavsky’s method and with her gesture, sound, tone, mannerism, movement, physical and emotional reactions convey meaning beyond the lines; thereby bringing life into the various characters, as well as her own interpretive contribution to the intricacies and the story. No wonder, her performances are memorable.
‘The Iron Lady’ is no different - it is more about Meryl and yet a delicate film. The film however fails to delve entirely into Margaret’s life and thankfully allows me to gingerly turn the pages of Campbell’s book.
Come to think of, it’s not just her wonderful hats, but there is indeed something magnetic, alluring and yet enigmatic about Baroness Margaret Thatcher. For a generation that grew up in 70’s- 80’s, regardless of whichever country you were growing up, it was almost impossible to come across news that didn’t feature these three magnificent women - Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir and Margaret Thatcher.
For many, these leaders were controversial, reviled and loved. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India; Golda Meir was a teacher, who later became the Prime Minister of Israel and Margaret Thatcher, a chemist, and a barrister, who later became the longest-serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century.
Strangely, there is a something common between these three ladies. These intelligent and powerful ladies were all described at various times as the “only man” in their respective cabinets. Each one of them has left a legacy, made a significant impact and revolutionised the world in many ways. Indira was born to India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Nehru, while both Golda Meir and Margaret Thatcher assisted their parents in their grocery shop thereby gaining good understanding of business and economics.
These women were strong willed, autocratic, fought terrorism, triumphed in war, and redefined the politics of their respective countries. Golda avenged the massacre of Munich Olympics; Indira battled terrorism in Punjab and Kashmir, while Margaret bravely countered the bomb attacks of IRA. Golda won the Yom Kippur War, Indira won the War against Pakistan, helping Bangladesh to separate and Thatcher won back the Falklands from Argentina. While Margaret and Indira studied at Oxford, Indira and Golda Meir were instrumental in making their country developed nuclear capabilities.
Its difficult to rate who is the better leader amongst them since they also committed huge blunders when they were in power. Indira acquired a formidable international reputation as a ‘statesman’ but her lust for power drove the infamous imposition of the internal emergency, the frequent use of the army to resolve internal disputes, and blatantly encouraged - culture of corruption, sycophancy and nepotism. While Golda was superior, Margaret was equally more dynamic and bold.
Although these three women were aptly supported by able men within their cabinet and party, these ladies deserve all adulation and respect for their struggles, courage, resilience and for leading from the front.
There is one scene in ‘The Iron Lady’ that tersely reflects Margaret’s relationship with her parents. When she gets admission at Oxford, her father is overjoyed but her mother doesn’t seems happy at all. Instead of reading the letter, Margaret’s mother smiles and categorically states that her hands are damp. Typically a mother would have rushed wiping her hands, even to her dress and would have affectionately hugged her daughter.
The instant disappointment on young Margaret’s face is poignantly captured by the camera. Apparently, Margaret didn’t share a great relationship with her mother and neither have we read about Kamla Nehru’s relationship with Indira. Both Margaret and Indira were strongly influenced by their father’s. The various letters written by Nehru to Indira which have been converted into epic volume, ‘Glimpses of World History’ and ‘Discovery of India’, also conveys this affection. Interestingly Charlie Chaplin in his autobiography also mentions about Nehru’s fondness and care for his daughter during a chance meeting with Indira in Europe. The camera captures the profound influence of Margaret’s father and clearly mirrors her inheritance of Methodist Church beliefs, conservative ideologies and political upbringing.
Director Phyllida Lloyd presents Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep) as an elderly, eavesdropping, lonely widow, suffering from dementia who is kept under virtual house-arrest. Her dead husband Denis (Jim Broadbent) like a friendly Casper keeps appearing whenever she is alone. Margaret is attended to by her daughter, Carol (Olivia Colman) and few secretaries who maintain a light schedule of appearances and photo-ops.
You can barely recognise Meryl Streep and credit must be given to J Roy Helland and Mark Coulier for their fantastic makeup. Streep’s sanguine intonation and demeanour presents a very authoritative, intelligent and surrealistic portrait of Margaret. She stunningly brings to life, Thatcher’s patriotism, ambition, haughtiness including her Victorian values and simplicity.
The narrative in the film moves between the present and past. Her memories introduce us to young Margaret (Alexandra Roach) who bravely runs from the barracks to cover the butter against the backdrop of German bombarding during World War 2. She romances with bespectacled young Denis (Harry Lloyd), who eagerly feeds and fox-trot with her, whenever the background music plays, ‘Shall we Dance’.
Thomas Newman’s music strikingly highlights the various emotions. Justine Wright’s editing showcases few glimpses of Margaret’s political life - her early election, her mannerism in cabinet meetings, her speeches and rebuttals in the House of Commons, her dogged determination to fight the Unions, her victory over Falkland and her purported role in ending the cold war. Abi Morgan’s screenplay and Elliot Davis cinematography meticulously relive some of the actual events. The dialogues in the film are thought provoking and subtly convey some essence of ‘Thatcherism’.
The camera zooms and focuses on Margaret’s wrinkled face, her autograph and helps accentuate the narrative. The beautiful blue dress, hats, pearls, studs and brooch looks elegant, impeccable and endearing albeit the real Margaret wore the brooch on left lapel. The camera moves inside the House of Common. It beautifully captures Streep’s speeches and rebuttal from a low angle thereby making Margaret look intellectually, politically and physically taller in a place that was regarded as bastion of male dominance.
Unlike Phyllida Lloyd’s earlier multi-starrer film ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘The Iron Lady’ is more subdued, slow and yet incredibly touching. With a shallow and incoherent script, the film doesn’t come across as a master piece but it is indeed watchable at least for those who have never heard or read about Rt. Hon. Margaret Thatcher.
Well, it is ridiculous to expect a detailed biography of a lady who governed for more than a decade in a short film. Perhaps one needs a series of documentaries, replete with archived films, interviews and press coverage to understand Margaret and her accomplishments in totality.
Until then do watch ‘The Iron Lady’ for Meryl Streep whose spectacular performance remarkably elevates this film.
Tailpiece - Although the film tried, but this quote from the Time Magazine perspicaciously describes the magic of Margaret Thatcher - “She was the catalyst who set in motion a series of interconnected events that gave a revolutionary twist to the century's last two decades and helped mankind end the millennium on a note of hope and confidence. The triumph of capitalism, the almost universal acceptance of the market as indispensable to prosperity, the collapse of Soviet imperialism, the downsizing of the state on nearly every continent and in almost every country in the world--Margaret Thatcher played a part in all those transformations, and it is not easy to see how any would have occurred without her.”
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The Magic of Indian Ragas - Favourite Hindi Songs !
Music gives character and energy to the film. There are people who watch movies only for its songs even though the film script, its casts and director would be not be of their liking. The songs in the movie resonate various moods, stir emotions, and most importantly play a pivotal role in the narrative. It’s not just the song but even the background score that adds to the narrative. Although few directors have experimented and have been fairly successful to showcase movies without songs, but watching a Bollywood movie without good songs is akin to eating food without salt!
Often film songs get popular even before the film is released. There was a time when people would walk humming these songs in theatres and as soon as the song was being played on the screen, people would whistle and sing loudly. But these days you hardly get to see such acts and unfortunately even the film songs albeit released early are seldom alluring and interesting.
But have you ever wondered why the songs composed before 90’s still appeal to us?
Well most of these songs had amazing lyrics, and were sung by legends. Even the lip sync by great actors on the screen appeared surrealistic. These songs were composed by legendary music directors and many of them were based on Indian Ragas. Although there are cases of few music directors plagiarising music from other cultures, but most of their songs were original and continue to remain etched in our memory forever.
While there are many raga based songs sung by the inimitable Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Suresh Wadkar and other male singers, I have endeavoured to list below some of my favourite songs sung by female singers along with their ragas. These ragas have been borrowed from various blogs. Most of these songs convey various emotions of love, happiness, tranquility, sorrow, lust, longing, devotion, separation, dream etc. These songs transcend not just gender but even generations. Indeed a good song is infectious regardless of language, age, religion, gender, caste and creed.
Before I enumerate the list, let me confess that I know very little about ragas and of course I haven’t even received any formal training in Hindustani classical music. My mother and wife are trained classical singers and whatever little information not knowledge I have gained is through my discussions with them. When I was in primary school, my mother did attempt to teach me harmonium and even introduced me to a Guru who tried his best to teach me classical singing however as a child I preferred the cricket bat and soccer rather than playing with the Tanpura and Tabla. Over the period of time and thanks to Radio and films, I managed to develop a profound liking and appreciation for music including Hindustani classical.
Perhaps one of the reasons why the old songs are still popular is because they tend to liven your mood and this is only possible if the songs are based on Ragas. Whilst the songs are made on many ragas, the most common ragas used in Hindi films are the following:
Pahadi, Khamaj , Pilu, Kirwani, Bhairavi, Yaman , Shivaranjani, , Kedar, Lalit, Jhinjhinoti, Charukeshi, Darbari Kannada, 7. Malkauns, Bihag, Bageshree, Des & Darbari Kanada
Typically Classical music comprises of ‘Sur’, ‘Taal’ and ‘Laya’, based on appropriate 'Raag'. In its simplest form, the Tabla renders ‘Taal’, harmonium/ other instruments - ‘Laya’, while the singer resonates ‘Sur’- meticulously and melodiously bringing the language or expressions to life.
Indian classical music is based on 'Raga' which is a rhythmic expression of a mood. Raga is not a scale or a tune or a mode. It is more like a framework that binds all these things together. Each raga has a name and generally has an associated time of day when it is best performed, depending on the mood it projects. Ragas ‘induce an emotion’ in the song and can be recognised through patterns.
Identifying or appreciating a raga does not require any formal training. The best way to identify a raag is to listen to a song and ask someone to identify its Raga. Learn this raga, by listening to the song and try humming along with it. Then turn off the song, and try humming along the same tune, but with variations. After some practice, you must start searching for songs that may appear similar or have similar pattern to the song whose Raga you have just learnt. The other method is to listen to the instrumental music.
Pakaad or bandish are the most dominating notes of a given raga. Each raga has its own bandish. If two songs sound similar then they would have same bandish and thus belong to the same raga. It is also said that you can recognize the raga of a song while listening to it from a farther distance rather than by listening to it closer. This is because as you go farther from the source of vocal sound, you do not listen to any words from the song, but you only hear the dominating notes or bandish of the song. Once you hear the bandish, you can easily recognize the raga of the song.
Every Raga is derived from some Thaat or Scale. The ten thaats are Bilawal, Kalyan, Khamaj, Bhairav, Poorvi, Marwa, Kafi, Asavari, Bhairavi and Todi. All the thaats mentioned above are also ragas; and yet a thaat is a very different musical entity from a raga.
Khamaj - Raga Khamaj belongs to Khamaj Thaat and rendered in the late evening.
Bhairav - Raga Bhairav is an early morning Raga and belongs to Bhairav Thaat.
Todi - Raga Todi is a morning Raga and belongs to Todi Thaat.
Bilawal - Raga Bilawal is also a morning Raga and derived from Bilawal Thaat.
Asavari - Raga Asavari is a late morning Raga and belongs to Asavari Thaat.
Poorvi - Raga Poorvi belongs to Poorvi Thaat. It is a Sandhiprakash Raga, and is rendered at dusk, that is the time when the day ends.
Marwa - Raga Marwa is a dusk/ early evening Raga and derived from Marwa Thaat.
Kalyan - Raga Kalyan is an evening Raga and belongs to Kalyan Thaat.
Kafi - Raga Kafi belongs to Kafi Thaat and usually rendered in the late evening.
Bhairavi - Raag Bhairavi belongs to Bhairavi Thaat and is a morning raga.
Exponents of Indian classical music say that an entire life span is too short to learn about Indian classical music. Perhaps that is the beauty of this music. Nonetheless lets not stop ourselves from delving into it and the best way to immerse and appreciate is by listening to film songs based on ragas. Here’s my favourite list of raga based film songs:
1. Piya Banwari - Raaga Bihagda - sung by one of my all time favourite singer Asha Bhosle, Gulzhar’s lyrics, Panchamda’s melliflous music and filmed on the irrestible Diva and Queen of Bollywood- Rekha.
2. Jaise Radha Ne Mala Japi – Raag Bhairavi - Lata’s honeyed voice and Mumtaz looks incredibly beautiful and sensous.
3. Ajeeb dastan Hai Yeh – Raag Puria dhanshree
4. Zulmi Sangh aakh ladi – Raag Pahadi need to be verified
5. Aaj kaal Paaon Zameen Par Nahi Padte Mere – Raag Lalit
6. Rim Jhim Gire Sawan – Raag Pilu
7. Silli Hawa Choo Gayi – Raag Puria Dhanshree
8. Raina Biti Jaye, Shyam Na Aye - Raag Lalit
9. O Sajna, Barakha Bahara Ayi – Raag Khammaj
10. Naa, Jiyaa Laage Naa Tere Bina Mera Kahin - Raag Malgunji – sung by Lata didi in Hindi and Bengali. Salil Choudhary’s masterful composition in both the language.
11. Jaa Re, Jaa Re Ud Jaa Re Panchhi- Raag Bhairavi – Lata Mangeshkar soulful singing. Another Salil Choudhary masterpiece. Also check out original composition sung by Lata in Bengali
12. Tujhse Naaraj Nahi Zindagi Hairan hu main – Lata – Raag Pilu…Although the male version of Anup Ghosal is more soothing.
13. Aja Re, Paradesi - Raag Bageshri
14. Bainya Na Dharo- Raag Charukesi
15. Tu jahan jahan chalega, mera saya saath hoga - Raga Nand (or Anandi)
16. Is Mod Se Jate Hai - Raag Kalyan
17. Jane Kya Baat Hai – Lata – Raag Bhairav
18. Aur Kya Ehde Wafa Hote Hain – no idea about the Raga
19. Roz Roz Daali Daali Kya Likh Jaye.... Raag Kalyan.
20. Prabhu tero nam jo gae phal - Hum Dono Raga: Dhani
21. Tere Bina Jiya Jaaye na- Ghar – Raag Kalyani – Duet but Kishore only sings one stanza
22. Mose chal kiye jaye hai re hai hai dekho saiyan beiman – Raga: Jhinjhoti
23. Chura liya hai tum ne jo dil ko, nazar nahin churana sanam........Raag Pilu
24. Ye Dil Aur Unki – Raag Pahadi
25. Bada Natkhat Hai Re Krishna Kahaiya – Raag Khammaj
26. Jhoothay naina bolay - Raga: Bilaskhani Todi
27. Mora Gora Ang Lai ley – Raga – you should tell me ?
Each song mentioned above is incredibly beautiful. Whilst everyone will have their own favourites, there is a possibility that some of these songs will be part of your favourites as well. There will be many good songs which I may have inadvertently missed but please do let me know so as to add in the list. While it has been little challenging to list down which is the best song amongst all, however based on the some combination like the quality of rendition, the degree of semi classical / classical music, lyrics, singer, the ragas and variations used including the actors on whom the song is screened, I have been able to identify my preference. The main purpose of listing these songs is merely to listen to them again and again ...so as to enhance my knowledge on ragas.
Like movies and books, music is one of those enriching, expensive trans-generational tools that anybody can appreciate. So next time you hear a song, try and hum it and search for a similar song so as to identify its raga.
.
Often film songs get popular even before the film is released. There was a time when people would walk humming these songs in theatres and as soon as the song was being played on the screen, people would whistle and sing loudly. But these days you hardly get to see such acts and unfortunately even the film songs albeit released early are seldom alluring and interesting.
But have you ever wondered why the songs composed before 90’s still appeal to us?
Well most of these songs had amazing lyrics, and were sung by legends. Even the lip sync by great actors on the screen appeared surrealistic. These songs were composed by legendary music directors and many of them were based on Indian Ragas. Although there are cases of few music directors plagiarising music from other cultures, but most of their songs were original and continue to remain etched in our memory forever.
While there are many raga based songs sung by the inimitable Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Suresh Wadkar and other male singers, I have endeavoured to list below some of my favourite songs sung by female singers along with their ragas. These ragas have been borrowed from various blogs. Most of these songs convey various emotions of love, happiness, tranquility, sorrow, lust, longing, devotion, separation, dream etc. These songs transcend not just gender but even generations. Indeed a good song is infectious regardless of language, age, religion, gender, caste and creed.
Before I enumerate the list, let me confess that I know very little about ragas and of course I haven’t even received any formal training in Hindustani classical music. My mother and wife are trained classical singers and whatever little information not knowledge I have gained is through my discussions with them. When I was in primary school, my mother did attempt to teach me harmonium and even introduced me to a Guru who tried his best to teach me classical singing however as a child I preferred the cricket bat and soccer rather than playing with the Tanpura and Tabla. Over the period of time and thanks to Radio and films, I managed to develop a profound liking and appreciation for music including Hindustani classical.
Perhaps one of the reasons why the old songs are still popular is because they tend to liven your mood and this is only possible if the songs are based on Ragas. Whilst the songs are made on many ragas, the most common ragas used in Hindi films are the following:
Pahadi, Khamaj , Pilu, Kirwani, Bhairavi, Yaman , Shivaranjani, , Kedar, Lalit, Jhinjhinoti, Charukeshi, Darbari Kannada, 7. Malkauns, Bihag, Bageshree, Des & Darbari Kanada
Typically Classical music comprises of ‘Sur’, ‘Taal’ and ‘Laya’, based on appropriate 'Raag'. In its simplest form, the Tabla renders ‘Taal’, harmonium/ other instruments - ‘Laya’, while the singer resonates ‘Sur’- meticulously and melodiously bringing the language or expressions to life.
Indian classical music is based on 'Raga' which is a rhythmic expression of a mood. Raga is not a scale or a tune or a mode. It is more like a framework that binds all these things together. Each raga has a name and generally has an associated time of day when it is best performed, depending on the mood it projects. Ragas ‘induce an emotion’ in the song and can be recognised through patterns.
Identifying or appreciating a raga does not require any formal training. The best way to identify a raag is to listen to a song and ask someone to identify its Raga. Learn this raga, by listening to the song and try humming along with it. Then turn off the song, and try humming along the same tune, but with variations. After some practice, you must start searching for songs that may appear similar or have similar pattern to the song whose Raga you have just learnt. The other method is to listen to the instrumental music.
Pakaad or bandish are the most dominating notes of a given raga. Each raga has its own bandish. If two songs sound similar then they would have same bandish and thus belong to the same raga. It is also said that you can recognize the raga of a song while listening to it from a farther distance rather than by listening to it closer. This is because as you go farther from the source of vocal sound, you do not listen to any words from the song, but you only hear the dominating notes or bandish of the song. Once you hear the bandish, you can easily recognize the raga of the song.
Every Raga is derived from some Thaat or Scale. The ten thaats are Bilawal, Kalyan, Khamaj, Bhairav, Poorvi, Marwa, Kafi, Asavari, Bhairavi and Todi. All the thaats mentioned above are also ragas; and yet a thaat is a very different musical entity from a raga.
Khamaj - Raga Khamaj belongs to Khamaj Thaat and rendered in the late evening.
Bhairav - Raga Bhairav is an early morning Raga and belongs to Bhairav Thaat.
Todi - Raga Todi is a morning Raga and belongs to Todi Thaat.
Bilawal - Raga Bilawal is also a morning Raga and derived from Bilawal Thaat.
Asavari - Raga Asavari is a late morning Raga and belongs to Asavari Thaat.
Poorvi - Raga Poorvi belongs to Poorvi Thaat. It is a Sandhiprakash Raga, and is rendered at dusk, that is the time when the day ends.
Marwa - Raga Marwa is a dusk/ early evening Raga and derived from Marwa Thaat.
Kalyan - Raga Kalyan is an evening Raga and belongs to Kalyan Thaat.
Kafi - Raga Kafi belongs to Kafi Thaat and usually rendered in the late evening.
Bhairavi - Raag Bhairavi belongs to Bhairavi Thaat and is a morning raga.
Exponents of Indian classical music say that an entire life span is too short to learn about Indian classical music. Perhaps that is the beauty of this music. Nonetheless lets not stop ourselves from delving into it and the best way to immerse and appreciate is by listening to film songs based on ragas. Here’s my favourite list of raga based film songs:
1. Piya Banwari - Raaga Bihagda - sung by one of my all time favourite singer Asha Bhosle, Gulzhar’s lyrics, Panchamda’s melliflous music and filmed on the irrestible Diva and Queen of Bollywood- Rekha.
2. Jaise Radha Ne Mala Japi – Raag Bhairavi - Lata’s honeyed voice and Mumtaz looks incredibly beautiful and sensous.
3. Ajeeb dastan Hai Yeh – Raag Puria dhanshree
4. Zulmi Sangh aakh ladi – Raag Pahadi need to be verified
5. Aaj kaal Paaon Zameen Par Nahi Padte Mere – Raag Lalit
6. Rim Jhim Gire Sawan – Raag Pilu
7. Silli Hawa Choo Gayi – Raag Puria Dhanshree
8. Raina Biti Jaye, Shyam Na Aye - Raag Lalit
9. O Sajna, Barakha Bahara Ayi – Raag Khammaj
10. Naa, Jiyaa Laage Naa Tere Bina Mera Kahin - Raag Malgunji – sung by Lata didi in Hindi and Bengali. Salil Choudhary’s masterful composition in both the language.
11. Jaa Re, Jaa Re Ud Jaa Re Panchhi- Raag Bhairavi – Lata Mangeshkar soulful singing. Another Salil Choudhary masterpiece. Also check out original composition sung by Lata in Bengali
12. Tujhse Naaraj Nahi Zindagi Hairan hu main – Lata – Raag Pilu…Although the male version of Anup Ghosal is more soothing.
13. Aja Re, Paradesi - Raag Bageshri
14. Bainya Na Dharo- Raag Charukesi
15. Tu jahan jahan chalega, mera saya saath hoga - Raga Nand (or Anandi)
16. Is Mod Se Jate Hai - Raag Kalyan
17. Jane Kya Baat Hai – Lata – Raag Bhairav
18. Aur Kya Ehde Wafa Hote Hain – no idea about the Raga
19. Roz Roz Daali Daali Kya Likh Jaye.... Raag Kalyan.
20. Prabhu tero nam jo gae phal - Hum Dono Raga: Dhani
21. Tere Bina Jiya Jaaye na- Ghar – Raag Kalyani – Duet but Kishore only sings one stanza
22. Mose chal kiye jaye hai re hai hai dekho saiyan beiman – Raga: Jhinjhoti
23. Chura liya hai tum ne jo dil ko, nazar nahin churana sanam........Raag Pilu
24. Ye Dil Aur Unki – Raag Pahadi
25. Bada Natkhat Hai Re Krishna Kahaiya – Raag Khammaj
26. Jhoothay naina bolay - Raga: Bilaskhani Todi
27. Mora Gora Ang Lai ley – Raga – you should tell me ?
Each song mentioned above is incredibly beautiful. Whilst everyone will have their own favourites, there is a possibility that some of these songs will be part of your favourites as well. There will be many good songs which I may have inadvertently missed but please do let me know so as to add in the list. While it has been little challenging to list down which is the best song amongst all, however based on the some combination like the quality of rendition, the degree of semi classical / classical music, lyrics, singer, the ragas and variations used including the actors on whom the song is screened, I have been able to identify my preference. The main purpose of listing these songs is merely to listen to them again and again ...so as to enhance my knowledge on ragas.
Like movies and books, music is one of those enriching, expensive trans-generational tools that anybody can appreciate. So next time you hear a song, try and hum it and search for a similar song so as to identify its raga.
.
Monday, February 13, 2012
SCAMPER For Creativity !...
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Albert Einstein
While most people associate creativity with art, design or building complex structures, algorithm and software codes, however being creative really means improvisation. It also means ability to trouble shoot, solve problems and think of innovative ways of doing things.
Problem-solving and decision-making are closely linked, and each requires creativity in identifying and developing options. Generally a problem is a situation, or issue that remains unresolved and makes it difficult to accomplish a desired result. A problem is typically perceived when an individual, group, or organization becomes aware of a significant difference between what is desired and what actually is.
Creative problem solving process is often characterized by the divergent nature of human thought and action. Divergent thinking is thinking outwards. It is the ability to be imaginative, develop original, unique ideas and then come up with a solution or results. Divergent thinking generates numerous creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. It is often used in conjunction with convergent thinking. Convergent thinking is based on collection of facts and data from various sources to arrive at particular logical solution. Both divergent and convergent thinking is required to solve problems.
Problem solving is the process by which a situation is analyzed, a workable solution is determined, and corrective action is taken. The common milestones of problem solving
are:
• Define (or clarify) the problem
• Analyze causes
• Generate ideas (identify alternatives)
• Evaluate or Weigh up ideas (assess alternatives)
• Choose or Make a decision (select an alternative)
• Determine next steps to implement the solution
• Evaluate whether the problem was solved or not
To gain Competitive advantage, every organization is striving for innovation, yet very few organizations like Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Tata, 3M etc are able to come up with breakthrough or disruptive innovations.
There is no dearth of creativity and problem solving training. Interestingly organizations spend considerable resource to gauge convergent thinking - Standard IQ tests, Pattern recognition, testing knowledge, logic thought flow and ability to solve problems etc. However there aren’t any tests to measure divergent thinking process. Since creativity requires both convergent and divergent thinking skills, progressive organizations are now encouraging their employees to undergo various trainings to improve both these types of thinking skills.
Apparently creativity can be learnt. Often it requires a specific or different approach to make us think outside of our traditional thinking patterns. There are various techniques of problem solving, lateral thinking and even developing creativity.
Let me share a simple and yet powerful technique to spark creativity and problem solving abilities. The technique is called SCAMPER.
SCAMPER was conceived by Bob Earle and is an acronym that is made up of the fundamental concepts of gathering additional information:
S - Substitute
C- Combine
A – Adapt
M – Modify/ Magnify
P- Purpose
E – Eliminate
R – Rearrange/ Reverse
SCAMPER is based on the notion that creative work, original ideas and everything you define as "new" is nothing else but a remix of something that is already out there. The SCAMPER method allows anyone to strengthen their ability to question, imagine, and adapt even in situations where it would seem that there are no more creative options available. At its very essence, SCAMPER is a powerful checklist of suggestions that prompts to think and look at things in different ways.
The first step in using the SCAMPER technique is by clearly stating the problem or the idea that is being developed. This technique can be applied to any problems whether its product, service or process improvement or even in personal life.
Consider, for instance, the problem "How can I increase sales in the business?"
Following the SCAMPER recipe, here are a few questions one could ask:
S (Substitute): "What can I substitute in my selling process?"
C (Combine): "How can I combine selling with other activities?"
A (Adapt): "What can I adapt or copy from someone else’s selling process?"
M (Magnify): "What can I magnify or put more emphasis on when selling?"
P (Put to Other Uses): "How can I put my selling to other uses?"
E (Eliminate): "What can I eliminate or simplify in my selling process?"
R (Rearrange): "How can I change, reorder or reverse the way I sell?"
There are many ways to use SCAMPER. For example, one can sequentially go through all the questions or focus on each question until all possibilities are exhausted.
One can generate multiple questions using SCAMPER acronym. For instance Substitution can mean materials, resources, persons, even timelines or facilities. Combination is key when working with objects and creating new items or even an alliance or partnership. Adaptation is working around problems or changing the process or function of the issue to work within the necessary structures. Modifications are changes to the situation that forces you to think of it in a completely different light. You can put the item to other purposes or redirect energies by applying the next step. Eliminating waste and extraneous detail will help you get to the heart of the work at hand. Reversal and rearrangement allows you to more easily wrap your mind around the item and look at it from different angles.
So what are you waiting for, just use this technique and SCAMPER your way to developing creativity!
"The choices we make dictate the lives we lead.” - Danny De Vito (Renaissance Man)
Creative problem solving process is often characterized by the divergent nature of human thought and action. Divergent thinking is thinking outwards. It is the ability to be imaginative, develop original, unique ideas and then come up with a solution or results. Divergent thinking generates numerous creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. It is often used in conjunction with convergent thinking. Convergent thinking is based on collection of facts and data from various sources to arrive at particular logical solution. Both divergent and convergent thinking is required to solve problems.
Problem solving is the process by which a situation is analyzed, a workable solution is determined, and corrective action is taken. The common milestones of problem solving
are:
• Define (or clarify) the problem
• Analyze causes
• Generate ideas (identify alternatives)
• Evaluate or Weigh up ideas (assess alternatives)
• Choose or Make a decision (select an alternative)
• Determine next steps to implement the solution
• Evaluate whether the problem was solved or not
To gain Competitive advantage, every organization is striving for innovation, yet very few organizations like Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Tata, 3M etc are able to come up with breakthrough or disruptive innovations.
There is no dearth of creativity and problem solving training. Interestingly organizations spend considerable resource to gauge convergent thinking - Standard IQ tests, Pattern recognition, testing knowledge, logic thought flow and ability to solve problems etc. However there aren’t any tests to measure divergent thinking process. Since creativity requires both convergent and divergent thinking skills, progressive organizations are now encouraging their employees to undergo various trainings to improve both these types of thinking skills.
Apparently creativity can be learnt. Often it requires a specific or different approach to make us think outside of our traditional thinking patterns. There are various techniques of problem solving, lateral thinking and even developing creativity.
Let me share a simple and yet powerful technique to spark creativity and problem solving abilities. The technique is called SCAMPER.
SCAMPER was conceived by Bob Earle and is an acronym that is made up of the fundamental concepts of gathering additional information:
S - Substitute
C- Combine
A – Adapt
M – Modify/ Magnify
P- Purpose
E – Eliminate
R – Rearrange/ Reverse
SCAMPER is based on the notion that creative work, original ideas and everything you define as "new" is nothing else but a remix of something that is already out there. The SCAMPER method allows anyone to strengthen their ability to question, imagine, and adapt even in situations where it would seem that there are no more creative options available. At its very essence, SCAMPER is a powerful checklist of suggestions that prompts to think and look at things in different ways.
The first step in using the SCAMPER technique is by clearly stating the problem or the idea that is being developed. This technique can be applied to any problems whether its product, service or process improvement or even in personal life.
Consider, for instance, the problem "How can I increase sales in the business?"
Following the SCAMPER recipe, here are a few questions one could ask:
S (Substitute): "What can I substitute in my selling process?"
C (Combine): "How can I combine selling with other activities?"
A (Adapt): "What can I adapt or copy from someone else’s selling process?"
M (Magnify): "What can I magnify or put more emphasis on when selling?"
P (Put to Other Uses): "How can I put my selling to other uses?"
E (Eliminate): "What can I eliminate or simplify in my selling process?"
R (Rearrange): "How can I change, reorder or reverse the way I sell?"
There are many ways to use SCAMPER. For example, one can sequentially go through all the questions or focus on each question until all possibilities are exhausted.
One can generate multiple questions using SCAMPER acronym. For instance Substitution can mean materials, resources, persons, even timelines or facilities. Combination is key when working with objects and creating new items or even an alliance or partnership. Adaptation is working around problems or changing the process or function of the issue to work within the necessary structures. Modifications are changes to the situation that forces you to think of it in a completely different light. You can put the item to other purposes or redirect energies by applying the next step. Eliminating waste and extraneous detail will help you get to the heart of the work at hand. Reversal and rearrangement allows you to more easily wrap your mind around the item and look at it from different angles.
So what are you waiting for, just use this technique and SCAMPER your way to developing creativity!
"The choices we make dictate the lives we lead.” - Danny De Vito (Renaissance Man)
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Promoting Core Culture While Retaining Sub Cultures !...
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Organisational Culture reflects the personality of any organisation. Different cultures reflect different norms of behaviours which are determined by tasks, habits, environment and different types of personalities. There are various definitions in the literature, but in essence, Organisational culture is the sum of values, habits, and rules that influence how things get done within the organization.
Generally culture is obsrved at three levels in any organisation. The first being Physical. This is observed through dress code, building, office layout, the technology used, forms, templates, systems, process, recreational and welfare facilities etc. The second level consists of Values. Values are reflected through employee behaviours. The third and deepest level is the Beliefs.
Organisational Culture reflects the personality of any organisation. Different cultures reflect different norms of behaviours which are determined by tasks, habits, environment and different types of personalities. There are various definitions in the literature, but in essence, Organisational culture is the sum of values, habits, and rules that influence how things get done within the organization.Generally culture is obsrved at three levels in any organisation. The first being Physical. This is observed through dress code, building, office layout, the technology used, forms, templates, systems, process, recreational and welfare facilities etc. The second level consists of Values. Values are reflected through employee behaviours. The third and deepest level is the Beliefs.
Differentiated Culture – Sub Cultures and Counter Cultures
While we are discussing about culture, it is important to understand sub cultures and counter cultures and both play a pivotal role in shaping organisational culture.
Every organization has a differentiated culture which indicates a system of sub cultures. The term “subculture” is normally associated with images of deviants, delinquents, gangs, and other nonconformists such as hippies, punk teenagers, or occult members. But subcultures also represent tolerated deviations that do not disrupt the normative solidarity of the larger culture’s values. Organizational sub cultures may be based on affiliations to various groups such as departments, workgroups like software developers, sales, customer support teams, operations and service groups, line and support functions, organisational hierarchies, such as management and executive staff; professional and occupational affiliations; socio-demographic categories such as sex, ethnicity, age, or nationality; informal groups; or even atmosphere in work groups e.g. loud and gregarious, subdued and quiet, studious and focused; styles of social interaction e.g. debating ideas, accepting direction, conforming to one voice, chattering during meetings etc.
Countercultures are often unacceptable to members of the larger organization. Members of countercultures hold discordant values and, by virtue of their membership, explicitly oppose certain aspects of the larger culture.
The main difference between cultures and sub cultures is that a culture is a unitary whole while subcultures paint a picture of multiple small cultures coexisting within the same organization.
While we are discussing about culture, it is important to understand sub cultures and counter cultures and both play a pivotal role in shaping organisational culture.
Every organization has a differentiated culture which indicates a system of sub cultures. The term “subculture” is normally associated with images of deviants, delinquents, gangs, and other nonconformists such as hippies, punk teenagers, or occult members. But subcultures also represent tolerated deviations that do not disrupt the normative solidarity of the larger culture’s values. Organizational sub cultures may be based on affiliations to various groups such as departments, workgroups like software developers, sales, customer support teams, operations and service groups, line and support functions, organisational hierarchies, such as management and executive staff; professional and occupational affiliations; socio-demographic categories such as sex, ethnicity, age, or nationality; informal groups; or even atmosphere in work groups e.g. loud and gregarious, subdued and quiet, studious and focused; styles of social interaction e.g. debating ideas, accepting direction, conforming to one voice, chattering during meetings etc.
Countercultures are often unacceptable to members of the larger organization. Members of countercultures hold discordant values and, by virtue of their membership, explicitly oppose certain aspects of the larger culture.
The main difference between cultures and sub cultures is that a culture is a unitary whole while subcultures paint a picture of multiple small cultures coexisting within the same organization.
Having different subcultures is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact its existence often induces diversity, adds vitality to various operating units. As organisations expand globally, exporting an organisation’s culture needs more than exporting formats or setting up offices and factories abroad. Globally operated organisations accept that certain aspects of corporate culture may not gel well in some countries. Thus, an amalgamation of core culture with regional sub culture is apt. The glue that binds all threads of the organisation across geographies – is the core culture built on core values- merging with different sub cultures. For instance large Groups like Tata’s have numerous companies, each having its distinct characteristics, sub cultures and yet all these companies embody the shared Tata Values and Code of Conduct. Similarly Google has different sub cultures across geography and within various teams but what binds all Googlers and their stakeholders are their ‘Ten guiding core principles’.
Ethnocentrism & Parochialism
While conducting business globally, one cannot completely avoid the existence of ethnocentrism and parochialism. Ethnocentrism and Parochial attitude is the result of interaction with a different culture.
Everybody can be accused on ethnocentrism at least once in their lives. Every dominant culture tends to think of itself as supreme and centre of the world. For example, during the reign of the Chinese empire, China believed that it was ‘The middle kingdom’ and even the Japanese, Koreans and Cambodians - all referred to China as the middle kingdom. The British Empire drew the modern world maps with the Zero longitude passing through London - thus making England as the center of the world. US today refer to non-Americans as "Aliens" - a term which shows the ethnocentric attitude.
Ethnocentrism results when managers recognize the differences in cultures - but have a tendency to think that their culture and their way of doing things is - the right way, the only way and the best way. Any deviation from their culture or from their way of doing things is seen as "distortion" or as a "mistake" or as "Wrong way".
Parochial attitude refers to a person’s inability to see cultural differences. This is exactly the opposite of ethnocentrism. Managers who are sent abroad often meet people who are also dressed in suits and speak their language - this prompts them to ignore all other cultural differences and make them think that all others are "just like us".
Apparently ethnocentrism can be both a bad and good thing. It is good to be proud of one's heritage, country, and culture. Ethnocentrism can lead to social integration and strong personal, patriotism, and group ties. However, like anything in life, extremes are bad. Therefore extreme ethnocentrism can breed racism, hate crimes, and even wars.
Ethnocentrism & Parochialism
While conducting business globally, one cannot completely avoid the existence of ethnocentrism and parochialism. Ethnocentrism and Parochial attitude is the result of interaction with a different culture.
Everybody can be accused on ethnocentrism at least once in their lives. Every dominant culture tends to think of itself as supreme and centre of the world. For example, during the reign of the Chinese empire, China believed that it was ‘The middle kingdom’ and even the Japanese, Koreans and Cambodians - all referred to China as the middle kingdom. The British Empire drew the modern world maps with the Zero longitude passing through London - thus making England as the center of the world. US today refer to non-Americans as "Aliens" - a term which shows the ethnocentric attitude.
Ethnocentrism results when managers recognize the differences in cultures - but have a tendency to think that their culture and their way of doing things is - the right way, the only way and the best way. Any deviation from their culture or from their way of doing things is seen as "distortion" or as a "mistake" or as "Wrong way".
Parochial attitude refers to a person’s inability to see cultural differences. This is exactly the opposite of ethnocentrism. Managers who are sent abroad often meet people who are also dressed in suits and speak their language - this prompts them to ignore all other cultural differences and make them think that all others are "just like us".
Apparently ethnocentrism can be both a bad and good thing. It is good to be proud of one's heritage, country, and culture. Ethnocentrism can lead to social integration and strong personal, patriotism, and group ties. However, like anything in life, extremes are bad. Therefore extreme ethnocentrism can breed racism, hate crimes, and even wars.
Shared Values
The bedrock of culture is shared values. In any firm, along with the clearly articulated company goals and values, employees are also inadvertently guided with a set of widely held informal beliefs, attitudes, behaviours and principles that develops over a period of time. Consistent, reinforced behaviors evolve into habits. And habits are a powerful force in defining how employees do their work. Rules in this definition are those policies and procedures that are generally respected and followed within the organization. All these factors combine to influence "how things are done around here." One has to go beyond merely posting Values on the wall or talking about them; one has to live them.
The bedrock of culture is shared values. In any firm, along with the clearly articulated company goals and values, employees are also inadvertently guided with a set of widely held informal beliefs, attitudes, behaviours and principles that develops over a period of time. Consistent, reinforced behaviors evolve into habits. And habits are a powerful force in defining how employees do their work. Rules in this definition are those policies and procedures that are generally respected and followed within the organization. All these factors combine to influence "how things are done around here." One has to go beyond merely posting Values on the wall or talking about them; one has to live them.
Communication is the mortar in building a strong firm culture. Reward schemes should encourage employees who embody firm's core values. Few things will undermine culture more than having leaders and managers who fail to operate by the firm's values. Managers often get blinded by impressive resumes. But it is critical to focus on candidate's personality, values, accomplishments, and work habits. Hiring for cultural fitment has assumed greater importance. That does not mean only hiring people from competitor or similar industry. Good organisations always scout talent from different walks of life and ensure that candidates are willing to espouse organisational values.
The Importance of Organizational Alignment
Organisational culture is nothing less than the basic DNA of an organization and acts as a foundation for the structures, systems, processes and actions that support business strategy. Donald Tosti and Stephanie Jackson describe two prevalent forces shaping corporate activity and results: (1) strategy and (2) culture. The Strategy path defines what needs to be done and defines guidelines for setting goals, objectives, doing activities to obtain desired results. The Culture path emphasizes how things are normally done. Culture emerges from values, practices and behaviours required to produce desired results. The best firms strive to maintain an alignment between the two paths.
The Importance of Organizational Alignment
Organisational culture is nothing less than the basic DNA of an organization and acts as a foundation for the structures, systems, processes and actions that support business strategy. Donald Tosti and Stephanie Jackson describe two prevalent forces shaping corporate activity and results: (1) strategy and (2) culture. The Strategy path defines what needs to be done and defines guidelines for setting goals, objectives, doing activities to obtain desired results. The Culture path emphasizes how things are normally done. Culture emerges from values, practices and behaviours required to produce desired results. The best firms strive to maintain an alignment between the two paths.
Conclusion
Every firm has a characteristic culture and no two are the same. Apparently, there are no right or wrong cultures, only functional and dysfunctional ones. Some organisational cultures are well defined while others evolve serendipitously. The strongest corporate cultures are designed and shaped intentionally by management and employees working together. The firm's leadership obviously exerts strong influence on its culture and often reflects some degree of the personality and values of the firm's leaders. Operating effectively with or in different cultures often requires a significant change in leadership style and behaviour. Embracing diversity helps executives learn to work with unfamiliar environments. Managing and promoting the right core culture and retaining sub cultures is the single most important challenge for leaders and employees across all levels.
Every firm has a characteristic culture and no two are the same. Apparently, there are no right or wrong cultures, only functional and dysfunctional ones. Some organisational cultures are well defined while others evolve serendipitously. The strongest corporate cultures are designed and shaped intentionally by management and employees working together. The firm's leadership obviously exerts strong influence on its culture and often reflects some degree of the personality and values of the firm's leaders. Operating effectively with or in different cultures often requires a significant change in leadership style and behaviour. Embracing diversity helps executives learn to work with unfamiliar environments. Managing and promoting the right core culture and retaining sub cultures is the single most important challenge for leaders and employees across all levels.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Blunder Down Under !...
Its little strange for a hostile flat continent known for its great barrier reef, hard wickets, hot temperatures, bush fires, floods, dessert, drought, venomous reptiles, kangaroos, koalas and eucalyptus trees to become the world's thirteenth largest economy with one of the highest per capita income.
There is something intriguing about Australia that makes it triumphant in every sport. Almost every test series, you get to see a new fast bowlers and batsmen who continue the legacy of demolishing visiting teams without any remorse. Australia prides itself on being a sporting nation. Such is the value they put on athletic pursuits that various states squabble over becoming ‘sporting capital of the Australia’. Perhaps it is this competitive and hostile environment that makes them dominate not just in cricket but even in hockey, rugby, swimming, rowing and other sports. No wonder the Australian cricket team celebrates its victories by singing …
“Under the Southern Cross I Stand ,
A sprig of wattle in my hand,
A native of my native land,
Australia you little beauty..” (while singing the word ‘ little’ gets replaced by profanities)
And by now even the despondent Indian team down under must have learnt this song by heart…
Incidentally, there are some similarities between India and Australia. Both these countries are blessed with natural resources and wonderful bio diversity. The traffic keeps left and people act and think ‘right’ - when it comes to democracy. Both these nations have helped England to win the World War. January 26th is an important date for both these nations. Australia celebrates ‘Australia Day’ that commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 while India celebrates it ‘Republic Day’ to commemorate the date on which the Constitution came into force. Moreover both of them have also been champions in hockey and cricket. There could be many such similarities and yet there are many things - unique and different.
Cricket in the late 70’s - 80’s were dominated by the cavalier and flamboyant West Indies. By early eighties, the Packers Circus ceased to exists and soon the legendary Aussies - Greg Chappell, Lillie, Thompson and Marsh retired. Even Kim Hughes was at the twilight of his career. However the 1986-87 series in India saw the revival of Australian cricket under the leadership of Allan Border who had a daunting task of rebuilding a new team. The world cup win in 1987 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata established the Aussie prowess. Later under Steve Waugh and Ponting’s captaincy, the Aussies continued to remain undisputed champions in all forms of the game for more than a decade.
Since the 90’s every team has strived to excel against Australia. It is not easy to tour down under. The sun is fierce under a southern sky, colours stand bold and the afternoon sun casts deep shadows stretching out to the horizon. Shadows tend to trick the eyes in the harsh Australian sunlight and energy sapping heat...but this is where champions emerged. Such has been their dominance that many teams have crumbled and careers got demolished.
During the 90’s, Indian cricket found itself at the bottom of the pile. It was confounded with match fixing allegations, blatant nepotism, inscrutable power play, and politicians vying for membership within various cricket boards. Amidst this turbulent background, the mantle of captaincy was handed over to the young and brave Sourav Ganguly, who like Border, had a tough task of rebuilding a team that would play with passion and pride.
Ganguly lead from the front and was aptly supported by board president and his team mates in Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Kumble, Srinath and Prasad. In 2001, Sehwag, Agarkar, Zaheer and Harbhajan joined this gang and the wheels turned full circle. Tendulkar’s defiant knock in the first test in Mumbai set the stage but it was Laxman and Dravid’s epic partnership of 376 runs in Kolkata that set the ball rolling. This team went on to create history and shattered Steve Waugh’s dream of winning the final frontier. Coincidentally, the Aussie denouement started at the same venue where they had won the World Cup in 1987.
The tour to Australia in 2003- 4 instilled the belief that India can again win matches overseas. But later under Ricky Ponting’s captaincy, Australia regained their pole position and convincingly defeated India in the world cup final in South Africa. However it was in 2007 under Kumble’s captaincy and with his immortal comments on the infamous monkey gate episode at Sydney that made India stamp its authority on world cricket. It took us more than twenty years to level the series in Australia and the manner in which the Indian team played was seen to be believed.
Kumble retired and Dravid became the new leader. Under his captaincy India won the series in West Indies and in England. The search for new captain, lead to the arrival of a certain M.S Dhoni. Dhoni represented the new generation – carefree, flamboyant, stylish, talented, articulate and hard hitting wicket keeper batsman. Under his leadership the team ranked no 1 in all formats of cricket.
Dhoni must have realized that like captaincy, the Midas spell and the rankings do come with a shelf life. Barring the Melbourne test, India could not create nor did they seize any opportunity to bounce back in any tests. It’s been only 10 months since India won the world cup and already we have lost our number one ranking by loosing seven tests on a trot and the chances of loosing in Adelaide looks inevitable. Before every test, expectations grew and like Tendulkar’s 100th international ton collapsed. Even the stock markets appear predictable these days. Despite their several tours, it is indeed disheartening that Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman would never again be able to win together a test series in Australia. There is feeling of resentment everywhere. The players look disorientated, hapless and their response to media hides any semblance of sanity. Gautam Gambhir whose batting defines grit made startling comments about preparing ‘rank turners’ for visiting teams and making pitches conducive to home team. Undoubtedly these comments are not just ill timed but prevaricates the truth and clearly reflect the frustrations of Indian players. Instead of focusing on preparing pitches that helps our batsmen to play on bouncy track, Indian players want us to think regressively. It’s not just Gambhir but even during Sydney test, Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma passed similar comments to Warner. Instead of involving in verbal banter, its time some of these young players understand, improve their technique and make their bat and ball do the talking.
Remember Dravid once said,” The media lacks perspective” and everyday they are blatantly sensationalizing purported rift and dissent in team. Such innuendoes not only vitiate the atmosphere, but demoralize the players and create misunderstandings. This could only create fissures and suspicions within the team. Such news bytes make the diagnosis appear simple but the cure impossible. India lost because they never played like true champions. The players have vehemently denied the existence of any dissent and even conflict. If at all there exists any difference then it lies in the way the Indians are playing their cricket.
Come to think of, the fall from grace in cricket is merely symptomatic of a much greater issue and almost every senior player resonates with this notion. Former players are not loosing any opportunity of remonstration and are eagerly washing dirty linen in public.
Ideally with a strong batting line up, there isnt any need for Virat Kohli or even the talented Rohit Sharma to be in the playing eleven or for that matter to get a chance to bat. Ideally they must arrive at the crease when the when the scores read 250 or 300 for 4. But Indian captains have always being defensive with a 7- 4 combinations. Its time Dhoni bats up, making way for a fifth bowler. He just has to take a leaf out of Gilchrist or Sanghakara’s batting.
The struggling Australian batsmen have made our bowlers look pedestrian for their lack of discipline, consistency and ability to take 20 wickets. Our fielders are unfit and lethargic. Barring T-20, Ashwin hasn’t made any impact in other domestic tournaments. It will take a while for him to leave his mark as a bowler in test cricket. Ishant is unable to take wickets and lacks swing. Zaheer is exceptional but like other seniors is equally lethargic on field. Umesh Yadav looks promising but it is ridiculous to expect him to run down the opposition single handedly. Instead of playing in IPL, the young pacers should learn from Zaheer and get some exposure in county cricket.
The only batsman who looked confident and compact is Tendulkar but even his runs couldn’t save us from defeat. Instead of castigating Virat Kohli and Laxman for not performing, we must also evaluate the performances of our opening pair and other senior players. As luck would have it, Kohli’s century in Adelaide symbolizes his arrival in Test arena. Barring the first innings of Perth, there is no doubt that Laxman has faltered and so have the other team members. Laxman’s selection has never been very smooth and when Ganguly made his come back in Nagpur, Laxman had to play at number 6.
Often cricket tends to portray the state of a nation. Before 1989, the Indian economy was governed with socialist philosophy, license Raj and the meagre 3- 4% Hindu rate of growth. With the balance of payment crisis in 1989-91, India under the leadership of P.V. Narsimha Rao along with the then Finance Minister Manmohan Singh took the correct step of liberalization, privatization and globalization. It was the same time when Tendulkar made his debut and with his scintillating performances spread the game across small towns and villages. Since the time Tendulkar made his debut, the results have been staggering- excluding the Adelaide test, India has played 203 tests with 69 wins and 57 defeats.
It’s a strange coincidence that Manmohan Singh who is now our Prime Minister is grappling with sputtering economic growth, rampant corruption, rising inflation, interest rates and fiscal deficit. Strangely even Tendulkar with his impeccable records is facing problems in playing a match winning knock or even scoring his 100th international Ton!
The selection committee that included India’s top batsmen in 90’s deserves due credit. Young Ganguly and Dravid were able to push Vengsarkar, Manjrekar, Amre, and Azhar out of the team despite being good performers. The time has now come to take hard decisions and induct new talent. The young talent may initially fail but under a good experienced captain and coach the Indian team will be able to bounce back quickly. The next overseas tour is in 2014 and therefore for the next couple of years, the senior players should be picked on rotation so as to mentor the youngsters.
Dravid and Tendulkar would be perfect for this role. More than half of India’s population is below 25 years and since their infancy, haven’t seen an Indian team without Tendulkar. For them and even for the remaining older generation, it will be daunting to imagine a team without Tendulkar. And watching a test match without Dravid is as good as conceding the series even before the coin is tossed. If it was not for their stellar performance, India wouldn’t have become a super power in world cricket. Playing in rotation would also help Indian fans to come to terms with reality and subtly help the senior players to have a graceful exit, which they richly deserve.
Its time we learn from the Australians and avoid procrastination. Their selectors are professionals, passionate, objective and at times even ruthless. The bowlers who get picked must consistently swing and bowl fast. Their bench strengths boast of fearless and talented batsmen keeping even the stalwarts on their toes. Regardless of their age and aura, their players have to work on their fitness and respect tradition. Australian captains have lead from the front and play an attacking game. Aussies relentlessly strives to win and unlike their opponents do not wait for the opponents to lose it.
There is a dire need to emulate these qualities in Indian cricket. This can happen if the selectors start the cleanout and rebuilding process. Consistently high performing players in domestic tournaments (exclude IPL) should get exclusively picked to play in India ‘A’ and test team. Earlier players came to state teams through University and local tournaments. In recent years the trend has changed. Maybe there is a need to induct a separate Ranji Team for all University players. IPL performers can become part of T20 or one day team matches but the number of IPL matches and limited over’s tournament should get drastically reduced. Players must realise whether junior or senior, retention in the National Team should be an honour that requires constant performance to hold onto, not a right.
Immediately after the ignominious loss at Sydney, BCCI announced their favourite IPL tournament schedule. Like our politicians, nothing changes in Indian cricket. Many years ago, Harsha Bhogle had commented that, “It is always the best administered, rather than the best coached, team that wins matches. Good administrators create systems that allow players to do well.” Not surprising that the worst administered sides hail from the subcontinent. Indian cricket needs a reality check; but the selectors seem to be still snoozing.
There is something intriguing about Australia that makes it triumphant in every sport. Almost every test series, you get to see a new fast bowlers and batsmen who continue the legacy of demolishing visiting teams without any remorse. Australia prides itself on being a sporting nation. Such is the value they put on athletic pursuits that various states squabble over becoming ‘sporting capital of the Australia’. Perhaps it is this competitive and hostile environment that makes them dominate not just in cricket but even in hockey, rugby, swimming, rowing and other sports. No wonder the Australian cricket team celebrates its victories by singing …
“Under the Southern Cross I Stand ,
A sprig of wattle in my hand,
A native of my native land,
Australia you little beauty..” (while singing the word ‘ little’ gets replaced by profanities)
And by now even the despondent Indian team down under must have learnt this song by heart…
Incidentally, there are some similarities between India and Australia. Both these countries are blessed with natural resources and wonderful bio diversity. The traffic keeps left and people act and think ‘right’ - when it comes to democracy. Both these nations have helped England to win the World War. January 26th is an important date for both these nations. Australia celebrates ‘Australia Day’ that commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 while India celebrates it ‘Republic Day’ to commemorate the date on which the Constitution came into force. Moreover both of them have also been champions in hockey and cricket. There could be many such similarities and yet there are many things - unique and different.
Cricket in the late 70’s - 80’s were dominated by the cavalier and flamboyant West Indies. By early eighties, the Packers Circus ceased to exists and soon the legendary Aussies - Greg Chappell, Lillie, Thompson and Marsh retired. Even Kim Hughes was at the twilight of his career. However the 1986-87 series in India saw the revival of Australian cricket under the leadership of Allan Border who had a daunting task of rebuilding a new team. The world cup win in 1987 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata established the Aussie prowess. Later under Steve Waugh and Ponting’s captaincy, the Aussies continued to remain undisputed champions in all forms of the game for more than a decade.
Since the 90’s every team has strived to excel against Australia. It is not easy to tour down under. The sun is fierce under a southern sky, colours stand bold and the afternoon sun casts deep shadows stretching out to the horizon. Shadows tend to trick the eyes in the harsh Australian sunlight and energy sapping heat...but this is where champions emerged. Such has been their dominance that many teams have crumbled and careers got demolished.
During the 90’s, Indian cricket found itself at the bottom of the pile. It was confounded with match fixing allegations, blatant nepotism, inscrutable power play, and politicians vying for membership within various cricket boards. Amidst this turbulent background, the mantle of captaincy was handed over to the young and brave Sourav Ganguly, who like Border, had a tough task of rebuilding a team that would play with passion and pride.
Ganguly lead from the front and was aptly supported by board president and his team mates in Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Kumble, Srinath and Prasad. In 2001, Sehwag, Agarkar, Zaheer and Harbhajan joined this gang and the wheels turned full circle. Tendulkar’s defiant knock in the first test in Mumbai set the stage but it was Laxman and Dravid’s epic partnership of 376 runs in Kolkata that set the ball rolling. This team went on to create history and shattered Steve Waugh’s dream of winning the final frontier. Coincidentally, the Aussie denouement started at the same venue where they had won the World Cup in 1987.
The tour to Australia in 2003- 4 instilled the belief that India can again win matches overseas. But later under Ricky Ponting’s captaincy, Australia regained their pole position and convincingly defeated India in the world cup final in South Africa. However it was in 2007 under Kumble’s captaincy and with his immortal comments on the infamous monkey gate episode at Sydney that made India stamp its authority on world cricket. It took us more than twenty years to level the series in Australia and the manner in which the Indian team played was seen to be believed.
Kumble retired and Dravid became the new leader. Under his captaincy India won the series in West Indies and in England. The search for new captain, lead to the arrival of a certain M.S Dhoni. Dhoni represented the new generation – carefree, flamboyant, stylish, talented, articulate and hard hitting wicket keeper batsman. Under his leadership the team ranked no 1 in all formats of cricket.
Dhoni must have realized that like captaincy, the Midas spell and the rankings do come with a shelf life. Barring the Melbourne test, India could not create nor did they seize any opportunity to bounce back in any tests. It’s been only 10 months since India won the world cup and already we have lost our number one ranking by loosing seven tests on a trot and the chances of loosing in Adelaide looks inevitable. Before every test, expectations grew and like Tendulkar’s 100th international ton collapsed. Even the stock markets appear predictable these days. Despite their several tours, it is indeed disheartening that Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman would never again be able to win together a test series in Australia. There is feeling of resentment everywhere. The players look disorientated, hapless and their response to media hides any semblance of sanity. Gautam Gambhir whose batting defines grit made startling comments about preparing ‘rank turners’ for visiting teams and making pitches conducive to home team. Undoubtedly these comments are not just ill timed but prevaricates the truth and clearly reflect the frustrations of Indian players. Instead of focusing on preparing pitches that helps our batsmen to play on bouncy track, Indian players want us to think regressively. It’s not just Gambhir but even during Sydney test, Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma passed similar comments to Warner. Instead of involving in verbal banter, its time some of these young players understand, improve their technique and make their bat and ball do the talking.
Remember Dravid once said,” The media lacks perspective” and everyday they are blatantly sensationalizing purported rift and dissent in team. Such innuendoes not only vitiate the atmosphere, but demoralize the players and create misunderstandings. This could only create fissures and suspicions within the team. Such news bytes make the diagnosis appear simple but the cure impossible. India lost because they never played like true champions. The players have vehemently denied the existence of any dissent and even conflict. If at all there exists any difference then it lies in the way the Indians are playing their cricket.
Come to think of, the fall from grace in cricket is merely symptomatic of a much greater issue and almost every senior player resonates with this notion. Former players are not loosing any opportunity of remonstration and are eagerly washing dirty linen in public.
Ideally with a strong batting line up, there isnt any need for Virat Kohli or even the talented Rohit Sharma to be in the playing eleven or for that matter to get a chance to bat. Ideally they must arrive at the crease when the when the scores read 250 or 300 for 4. But Indian captains have always being defensive with a 7- 4 combinations. Its time Dhoni bats up, making way for a fifth bowler. He just has to take a leaf out of Gilchrist or Sanghakara’s batting.
The struggling Australian batsmen have made our bowlers look pedestrian for their lack of discipline, consistency and ability to take 20 wickets. Our fielders are unfit and lethargic. Barring T-20, Ashwin hasn’t made any impact in other domestic tournaments. It will take a while for him to leave his mark as a bowler in test cricket. Ishant is unable to take wickets and lacks swing. Zaheer is exceptional but like other seniors is equally lethargic on field. Umesh Yadav looks promising but it is ridiculous to expect him to run down the opposition single handedly. Instead of playing in IPL, the young pacers should learn from Zaheer and get some exposure in county cricket.
The only batsman who looked confident and compact is Tendulkar but even his runs couldn’t save us from defeat. Instead of castigating Virat Kohli and Laxman for not performing, we must also evaluate the performances of our opening pair and other senior players. As luck would have it, Kohli’s century in Adelaide symbolizes his arrival in Test arena. Barring the first innings of Perth, there is no doubt that Laxman has faltered and so have the other team members. Laxman’s selection has never been very smooth and when Ganguly made his come back in Nagpur, Laxman had to play at number 6.
Often cricket tends to portray the state of a nation. Before 1989, the Indian economy was governed with socialist philosophy, license Raj and the meagre 3- 4% Hindu rate of growth. With the balance of payment crisis in 1989-91, India under the leadership of P.V. Narsimha Rao along with the then Finance Minister Manmohan Singh took the correct step of liberalization, privatization and globalization. It was the same time when Tendulkar made his debut and with his scintillating performances spread the game across small towns and villages. Since the time Tendulkar made his debut, the results have been staggering- excluding the Adelaide test, India has played 203 tests with 69 wins and 57 defeats.
It’s a strange coincidence that Manmohan Singh who is now our Prime Minister is grappling with sputtering economic growth, rampant corruption, rising inflation, interest rates and fiscal deficit. Strangely even Tendulkar with his impeccable records is facing problems in playing a match winning knock or even scoring his 100th international Ton!
The selection committee that included India’s top batsmen in 90’s deserves due credit. Young Ganguly and Dravid were able to push Vengsarkar, Manjrekar, Amre, and Azhar out of the team despite being good performers. The time has now come to take hard decisions and induct new talent. The young talent may initially fail but under a good experienced captain and coach the Indian team will be able to bounce back quickly. The next overseas tour is in 2014 and therefore for the next couple of years, the senior players should be picked on rotation so as to mentor the youngsters.
Dravid and Tendulkar would be perfect for this role. More than half of India’s population is below 25 years and since their infancy, haven’t seen an Indian team without Tendulkar. For them and even for the remaining older generation, it will be daunting to imagine a team without Tendulkar. And watching a test match without Dravid is as good as conceding the series even before the coin is tossed. If it was not for their stellar performance, India wouldn’t have become a super power in world cricket. Playing in rotation would also help Indian fans to come to terms with reality and subtly help the senior players to have a graceful exit, which they richly deserve.
Its time we learn from the Australians and avoid procrastination. Their selectors are professionals, passionate, objective and at times even ruthless. The bowlers who get picked must consistently swing and bowl fast. Their bench strengths boast of fearless and talented batsmen keeping even the stalwarts on their toes. Regardless of their age and aura, their players have to work on their fitness and respect tradition. Australian captains have lead from the front and play an attacking game. Aussies relentlessly strives to win and unlike their opponents do not wait for the opponents to lose it.
There is a dire need to emulate these qualities in Indian cricket. This can happen if the selectors start the cleanout and rebuilding process. Consistently high performing players in domestic tournaments (exclude IPL) should get exclusively picked to play in India ‘A’ and test team. Earlier players came to state teams through University and local tournaments. In recent years the trend has changed. Maybe there is a need to induct a separate Ranji Team for all University players. IPL performers can become part of T20 or one day team matches but the number of IPL matches and limited over’s tournament should get drastically reduced. Players must realise whether junior or senior, retention in the National Team should be an honour that requires constant performance to hold onto, not a right.
Immediately after the ignominious loss at Sydney, BCCI announced their favourite IPL tournament schedule. Like our politicians, nothing changes in Indian cricket. Many years ago, Harsha Bhogle had commented that, “It is always the best administered, rather than the best coached, team that wins matches. Good administrators create systems that allow players to do well.” Not surprising that the worst administered sides hail from the subcontinent. Indian cricket needs a reality check; but the selectors seem to be still snoozing.
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