BHAJJI-SREE SLAP EPISODE

Cricket’s angry young man in Telugu film?

The buzz is that Sree Santh is set to sign a film with four top actresses

IF Bollywood can get its manicured fingers into cricket, why shouldn’t a cricketer drop his bat and ball to grab a role in films? It’s been done before, of course, with disastrous consequences. But who’s to tell that to Sree Santh, who has been pretty vocal about his route to stardom via the silver screen? According to a source, Sree Santh is about to sign a film. The buzz is that he will be playing the lead in a Telugu project (eat your heart out, Bollywood) with four actresses in it, including a top south Indian star. The story is about a cricketer who turns into a star.

The angry young man of cricket, Sree Santh, for whom this script might have been written, should be most comfortable with his debut. The producer has asked the Team India paceman, who is also part of Preity Zinta’s Mohali team, for just 15 days to shoot his scenes. Sree Santh’s response is awaited.

The star player, notorious for doing a jig on the field each time he claims a wicket, should be a treat to watch on screen. According to the source, the news of the Telugu film was broken by Sree Santh himself. “He drove his new SUV on to the sets of an ad film that MS Dhoni and Ishant Sharma were shooting and took his teammates for a long drive. When they got back, Sree Santh was heard telling them how excited he was about the film. He also told them that he will be signing the film very soon,” added the source.

‘Sree Santh does a lot of drama on the field’

What repercussions will the Harbhajan-Sree Santh spat have in the Indian dressing room when the team reassembles for Tests and Onedayers? No one is willing to take a call as yet on the situation. On Monday, there were mixed reactions from some high-profile Indian players and representatives of the BCCI following the 11-IPL match ban on Harhajan.

BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said: “It’s not going to affect the spirit of the Indian players. After all, they are all professional players and they are aware of their responsibility. And what Harbhajan did on the field was nothing but irresponsible behaviour.’’

But there are players in the team who actually don’t know what impact this tiff will have on the dressing room. “At this point, we cannot really say how the dressing room is going to behave, but I guess the dust is going to settle down with time. What Harbhajan did was completely wrong. But as far as our knowledge goes, he does not react like this till he is provoked,’’ an Indian player told TOI on conditions of anonymity.

“Sitting from here I am not in a position to comment much. But it’s really sad the way this incident has unfolded. Probably, this embarrassment could have been avoided if Harbhajan had controlled his anger till the teams reached the dressing room corridor. But Sree Santh’s behavior in the IPL match against Team Jaipur was also not good. He provoked Mohd Kaif in the match and made faces. This is quite unacceptable when you are part of the Indian team. He does a lot of drama on the field,’’ another player quipped.

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said: “Probably, too much is at stake for the players and that is why they want to give their 100 per cent on the field. In the IPL, they are not only playing for themselves but also for their teams. There is passion and if someone decides to cross the line, that cricketer needs to be corrected,’’ IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said.

However, there are also players who believe that Harbhajan is a proven player in the team and if he misses out a couple of crucial Test or One-day matches, it may cost Team India.

Bhajji banned

Monday was pay-up time. Bad Boy Bhajji was banned for 11 IPL matches for slapping Sree Santh

The IPL has banned volatile off-spinner and Mumbai Indians’ stand-in skipper, Harbhajan Singh, for 11 IPL matches after finding him guilty of physically assaulting fellow Indian cricketer and Team Mohali bowler Sree Santh after an IPL game on Friday evening. According to IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, Harbhajan has also been fined 100% of his match fee for his conduct on the field.

The ban implies that Harbhajan stands to lose as much as Rs 3 crore as he will only be paid for the two matches that he played in the T20 league. Sree Santh too was given a warning on the basis of his behaviour in previous matches. Harbhajan’s attack, however, was found to have been ‘‘unprovoked’’.
There could be further trouble for ‘‘bad boys’’ Harbhajan and Sree Santh as BCCI too has launched a probe into the spat which will examine the backdrop to the assault.

Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput was also found guilty of ‘‘conduct flouting the spirit of the game’’. ‘‘It’s a Level 2 offence. He was fined 50% of his match fee as well. In the video footage, Lalchand was standing right behind Harbhajan and he could have stopped the incident from happening. He didn’t take any step to restrain him from behaving like that. Instead, he stood there and was found laughing in the tape,’’ a top BCCI official told TOI.

The ugly incident between Harbhajan and Sree Santh occurred a few minutes after the Mumbai team lost to Team Mohali. Images of a profusely weeping Sree Santh were aired on TV after the fiasco. Footage made available to the match referee Farokh Engineer shows Harbhajan shaking hands with Team Mohali members after the match.

Said Modi: ‘‘Then, the video shows Harbhajan slapping Sree Santh instead of giving him a handshake. I would like to make it clear to all players that the cricket board is not going to spare anyone who crosses the limit.’’

Modi added that Harbhajan had accepted he slapped the pacer under no provocation and the match referee states this in his report.

‘‘As a penalty for the Level 4.2 offence committed by Harbhajan Singh, we hereby order that Singh be banned for the rest of the league matches of the first IPL event,’’ he said while announcing Engineer’s verdict here in a city hotel on Monday, after the IPL inquiry committee examined the footage of the incident and consulted representatives from both teams.
‘‘Harbhajan Singh will also be fined 100% of his match fee that may have been paid or may hereafter be paid to him in respect of the remaining matches only. That does not take into account any of the two earlier matches (prior to Friday) that he may have played,’’ Modi added.

Engineer, who conducted the hearing, said: ‘‘Harbhajan accepted his guilt. It can happen to any cricketer and I am glad that Harbhajan knows where he has gone wrong.’’ The former Indian cricketer then announced: ‘‘Sree Santh has been warned to behave well on the field.’’
Later, while addressing the gathering, Harbhajan hugged and shook hands with the Kerala fast bowler.


Bhajji on the bench

Harbhajan banned for 11 IPL matches. He’s effectively out of this year’s IPL
Fined 100% of fees from third match on. In all, Bhajji will lose almost Rs 3 crore
Punishment from BCCI likely too. Advocate Sudhir Nanavati to submit probe report to BCCI chief Sharad Pawar within 15 days Sree Santh warned to watch behaviour
Mumbai Indians manager Lalchand Rajput fined 50% match fee for not stopping Bhajji

‘It was like a WWF punch’


After the slap, patch-up efforts. Team Mohali sources said on Sunday that after the ugly dust-up on Friday night during an IPL tie, Harbhajan had requested Sree Santh not to lodge a complaint. However, Mohali took the initiative to registering the case with the IPL governing council.

Sree Santh, on his part, wants to get on with the game. “I was not expecting this from Bhajji bhai. It was like a WWF punch and I was so shocked that I started crying. I have to forget this incident. I am not a kind of guy who will nurse ill feelings about my teammates. I was hurt then. But now, I want to just think about the game,” he said.

About the hearing process, Shah informed, that video footage of the post-match proceeding would be made available during the hearing which will be IPL chairman Lalit Modi and the BCCI legal counsel. From Team Mumbai, coach Lalchand Rajput will be present along with Harbhajan and team manager. Mohali team’s CEO Niel Maxwell and captain Yuvraj Singh will accompany Sree Santh.

Shah also reiterated: “A bad precedence will be set if Harbhajan is allowed to get away. It’s a serious allegation. They have taken the MCC Spirit of Cricket pledge. You can’t assault another player. You just can’t cross the line. Now that Harbhajan has done it, he has to face the consequences. At the end of the day, you got to have discipline in the game.”

Aussie media gleeful:

Meanwhile, Australian media reacted with glee. The Courier Mail published a photograph of the temperamental Indian, titled "What a slapper!" It was a file photograph of Harbhajan in Team India colours -- his arms spread wide and tongue out in a wild celebration.
The "Sydney Morning Herald" too took note of the event and remarked, "The IPL was supposed to divide the cricketing world. Instead, it's bringing an end to racial hostilities. All they need to do now is get Harbhajan Singh to stop slapping his fellow Indians around."
"Singh slap shocker" screamed a headline in the "Herald Sun", which said how the spat "rocked" the IPL.

Harbhajan needs counselling, so does Sree Santh

THE Harbhajan-Sreesanth clash has given the IPL governing council an excellent opportunity. An opportunity to show the cricketing world & especially its skeptics, that underneath all its million dollars & the glamour, the fanfare & the uninhibited commercialisation of the sport, rests a pure cricketing soul.

Harbhajan has committed a very serious offence. Slapping or punching an opponent in a non-physical contact sport, is as bad as it can get.

The eyes of the world are on the IPL governing council as they meet on Monday to tackle a very serious disciplinary issue involving one of the stars of the IPL.
The timing of the incident is such that the council’s decision will almost define the credibility & the stature of the IPL in the sporting world.

Having said that, lets also spare a thought for Harbhajan. If Harbhajan gets banned for a period of time (which seems the most likely penalty) its important, that after that, Bhajji is not left alone in the wilderness to sort out his own problems.

The BCCI should in a way, feel responsible for what Bhajji has become today.

I believe Harbhajan needs counselling. The BCCI should take it upon themselves to arrange prolonged sessions of serious counselling for Bhajji. This will ensure that he returns to serve Indian cricket a healthier human being.

A few years back, Cricket Australia had turned guardian to one of their most talented young cricketers when he had a problem with alcohol. That young man now leads Australia with distinction and has turned out to be one of the greatest batsman ever.
And yes, while Bhajji is going through those sessions may be Sree Santh also could help himself to a few.

Hope this issue is quickly & appropriately dealt with, so that we can get back to enjoying the cricket.

BHAJJI POW GONE SOUR

‘Harbhajan should have controlled his anger’

Even as Indian cricket woke up to another controversy, there were conflicting reports from both camps. A Mumbai Indians player, on condition of anonymity, conceded that Harbhajan Singh did indeed take a swipe at Sree Santh.

“Everybody knows Sree Santh is no saint. His on-field antics are well known. When the Mumbai Indians were fighting a losing battle, Sree did not desist from riling the tailenders. He also taunted Harbhajan when he had come out to bat. And when Sree approached Bhajji at the end of the game, the off-spinner could not control his frustration and swung out at Sree. It was just a spur of the moment reaction and should not be blown out of proportion.’’

But a Team Mohali cricketer, who played a leading role in the team’s win defended Sree Santh. “Harbhajan ought to have controlled his anger. We all know how hot-headed Bhajji paaji is. It’s one thing to take on the likes of Andrew Symonds and Ricky Pointing but it’s totally unacceptable to use one’s hand on a fellow-player. Sree is an emotional and demonstrative person. It’s not the blow, but Bhajji’s behaviour which brought tears to Sree’s eyes.’’

What people say about this:

The inquiry date has been fixed as Monday in New Delhi. We are not going to sweep things under the carpet. The complaint has to be carefully examined.

Farokh Engineer | MATCH REFEREE

The IPL is BCCI’s domestic tournament and it is the supreme authority to take appropriate action in this regard
—ICC SPOKESMAN

It looks like a serious matter the way it’s being shown on television channels. In any tournament it should not happen, it’s unfortunate what happened

Lalit Modi | IPL COMMISSIONER

As Modi said the process has been put in place. Like Modi said an ICC code of conduct will be applicable

IS Bindra | IPL GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER

The team has made a decision after much consideration. It is not something we are not proud of, but one which we have taken in the interest of the game.

Neil Maxwell | CEO OF TEAM MOHALI

Nothing much, nothing really happened, whatever has happened should stay on the field. Like an elder brother, he has been supporting me from day one in the Indian team. At the end of the day we are playing for the same country. I was upset because I am an emotional person. And whatever happened on the field, it’s between me and him and it’s a very old thing.

Sree Santh

We are just like brothers. There are a lot of things that happens in a family. And we are part of one family. So I think the thing which has been hyped so much — we have sorted out between us. So, we should stop now.

Harbhajan Singh

I don’t think any such thing happened and it should not be blown out of proportion by everybody. Harbhajan is my son and so is Sree Santh. At the end of the day, they have to play together for the country.

Avtaar Kaur | HARBHAJAN’S MOTHER

This is the most difficult period in his career

Savitri Devi | SREE SANTH’S MOTHER

These players should have been disciplined a long ago.Because they were not they are doing these things. Cricket isn’t played with body language, it is played with bat and ball.

S Venkatraghavan | FORMER INDIA CAPTAIN AND IPL MATCH REFEREE

Bhajji fry: It was waiting to happen

Just before a boxing bout, the contestants warmly shake hands; then, they go about breaking each other’s noses and bones. In soccer, the niceties are usually left for the end; during the playing time, though, almost anything is seen as par for the course.

This artificial show of player-camaraderie hit an amazing high on Friday night in a game apparently played by gentlemen for gentlemen: even as the victors and vanquished were ruefully shaking hands, Harbhajan Singh punched (yes punched in true WWE style, not slapped!) India team-mate but IPL rival S Sree Santh.

The stand-in Mumbai India captain, of course, explained the entire thing as no big deal. “A lot of things happen in a family,’’ he explained to reporters. Yeah, right. “We have sorted it all out. And everything is fine now,’’ he added. Of course. Just like it is between him and Symonds, or him and Ponting, or...A visibly shaken Sree Santh too agreed that everything was normal. As if he had a choice, especially with Big Brother Tendulkar watching and Team India’s harmony at stake. What all this means, however, is that everything was not normal between the two before the family battles hit national television in the form of tears.

The question is for how long have these wounds been festering between these two highly volatile players? Indeed, what riled Harbhajan so much that he couldn’t keep his fist to himself ? Or worse, has he become a chronic case?
Sree Santh is no cry-baby himself. He loves to needle opponents, and often succeeds, like a true fast bowler. If nothing, he infuriates them with his tantrums and theatrics on the field; interestingly, he is not particularly popular among his own mates either.

Harbhajan, on the other hand, is a feisty off-spinner; he even has a record that would make a serial offender proud. In fact, well before he was glorified as turbanator, he had shown traces of indiscipline too, if not streaks of violence. As he was not curbed in the formative years, he has grown into a monster now.

As Team India player, he made so many visits to the match referee’s loo that everybody agreed he had verbal diarrhoea. Here too, his various captains failed to rein him in. Eventually, during the last tour Down Under, he outdid himself. Wittingly or not, he almost started a diplomatic row between India and Australia. Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden claimed he had made racist taunts; Harbhajan denied it and escaped mainly because his friend Sachin Tendulkar stepped in. Today, even Sachin is backing out.

The BCCI officials are up in arms now. They have slapped (no pun intended) him with a show-cause notice and according to all indications, he will be banned for a considerable number of matches. There will be efforts to ensure he doesn’t lead Mumbai in their Sunday game, a day before the hearing. But is it too little, too late? Has the damage already been done? Harbhajan, according to sources, is contrite and is leaving no stone unturned to avoid a ban. The BCCI, or more precisely, the IPL will condone him at their own risk. Otherwise, Twenty-20 will end up becoming slanging or slapping matches.

(The article was written before Harbhajan was nailed by video evidence)

He asked Hayden


He asked Symonds



He asked Kaif Too

Atlast He got it from Harbhajan

queens of Indian squash

They are rivals; they are friends. They are young and beautiful and are already the queens in Indian squash. They are from Chennai but are already on their way to becoming the country’s next sporting icons. Meet Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal as they talk about life, sport and everything they love in this all-girl talk for The Times of India.

On life in Chennai
Joshna: I got my graduation certificate just three days ago and everyone’s been asking me only thing: which college is crazy enough to give me a degree (laughs aloud). I simply tell them: ‘now I'm beauty and brains put together' (smiles). Since I'm hardly home, I call friends over. I love spending time with my family, especially with my younger brother (Gaurav).



Dipika: I'm in Chennai till the 19th of this month and all that I plan to do is chill out with friends. Maybe, do a few modelling assignments.
On family:
Joshna: My parents struggled a lot initially to find sponsors. Whatever resources they had were all spent towards my squash dreams. My brother was a compromised child that way. But now, he's the priority. And, he orders me around and gets whatever he wants when I'm traveling abroad. (smiles). He's the big bully. He's got a very sharp tongue. He's the only one who can put me in my place. Unlike my dad, my mom doesn't follow squash. And just then, Mrs Chinnappa walks into the tastefully done living room and interrupts the conversation: ‘You are playing some Liverpool tournament next, right Josh?' That's enough to invite a roar of laughter from everybody in the room. 'I'll tell Nicole (World No. 1 Nicole David of Malaysia) that my mom called the British Open -- which is like tennis’ Wimbledon – a Liverpool tournament! How could you say something like that mom?' (giggles all around).
Dipika: Being the youngest of three sisters, I'm the pampered kid in the family. We get along like a house on fire. Divya (the eldest one) and Dia are both into their books while I'm the sporty one.



On education:
Joshna: My mother always saw to it that my education never suffered. ‘What if you get injured and cannot play? You will need education to support yourself,’ was something she always told me. But I've always lived on the edge as far as education is concerned. I've never been the kind who'd prepare for weeks before exams. I always studied eight hours before the paper because I loved the thrill of finishing X lessons in Y amount of time. Also, I studied only 60% of the lessons and whatever I studied would invariably come in the exams. People may think I'm arrogant but that's how I am. Getting A+ is not my priority. Squash is. Even though I'm an English Literature graduate from Ethiraj College, I don't claim that my English is super.
Dipika: Since Josh and Sourav (Ghoshal) studied in the same school (Lady Andal), they were aware of our training schedules. They've been very supportive all throughout. I have my XII board exams coming up in October.
On the WISPA tour:
Joshna: Oh, I think I was born to play this game. (Adds after a pause)... the girls are friendly and I get along with most of them. Nicole and I get along really well because we travel for the Asian events together. However, there are a few girls who don't play the game in the true spirit. They block you, abuse you on the court but I never give it back to them. I simply approach the referee. I can be really mean, trust me (stares you in the eye) but I don't wanna be. There have been times when I've had bruises on my body after a match and then the same opponent has tried to be friendly off-court. I don't relate to that because I think a lot of what you are reflects on the court. You can't be so vastly different on and off it. So, that way I'm a little selective about who I hang out with on the circuit. And, I never party when I'm abroad, even if my friends do.
Dipika: There have been instances when players have blocked me during a match but I haven't encountered sledging on court so far.
On training:
Joshna: Oh, I've become more disciplined after moving into my grandparent's house (giggles). It's closer to the ICL academy where I train, so it's convenient. At home, my parents don't tell me anything, I do whatever I want. But at my grandparent's place, I have my meals on time and am punctual for my practice too. I visit my parents during weekends and spoil myself crazy. No training on weekends (giggles aloud). It's all about hanging out with friends and indulging in all kinds of food, including chocolates.
Dipika: I’m based in Kuwait now and training with former pro Amir Wagih. He's like a father figure to me there. There have been a lot of controversies around me in recent times and he's stood by me through thick and thin.
On being fashion conscious:
Joshna: I’m into high-end designer wear. I swear by Abercrombie (pointing to her tee), Topshop, Tommy Hilfiger, Diesel, Mango. I shopped like crazy when I was in States last year. LA, NY have a great range of clothes. I like to wear all colours from orange to pink. I do wear Indian clothes on special occasions like festivals and weddings, but I’m home in my denims. I think I’m gonna get married in jeans because the only time I wore a sari, I ended up looking like Chameli (laughs out loud, adding) as it was red and blue. I'm not too much of a jewellery person though.
Dipika: I'm very conscious of what I wear on court. I love (Maria) Sharapova and Ana (Ivanovic). For me, it's important that I look good on court because I don't feel comfortable otherwise. I swear by Forever 21. I love to shop in America and Australia. People say Paris has great stuff but I didn't quite like anything there. Maybe, I went to the wrong places.
You can see I love jewellery (pointing to the four studs on the top of her ear and the beautiful green jadau danglers which she picked from Ajmer). ‘Hey you forgot about the anklet,’ adds Joshna teasingly. I love wearing Indian clothes.
On the craziest thing they've done:
Joshna: I got my belly pierced after I lost a match. I wanted to feel some pain and so got it done. Once I got my eyebrow pierced too. I also got the Smoking Devil tattoo on my back.
Dipika: At the moment everything around me is pink. I've painted my room pink. I'm picking up only pink outfits these days. And, I recently bought this really expensive camera just because it was pink.
On themselves:
Joshna: I like to think I'm good at whatever I do (giggles). Even though I took up squash, I was pretty good at tennis and badminton too. After a tennis match with a friend, I’m like ‘don't you think I'm too good’ (adds giggling) and he has no choice but to say ‘yes Josh’ (laughs even more). I’m very vivacious and chirpy, unlike my girlie gang.



Dipika: I just love shopping (giggles). Now that I have my own credit card, I think I’ve become worse. (Joshna interrupts, saying) ...she would marry any guy who would take care of her credit card bills and mobile expenses... (laughs aloud, before asking Dipika) ‘so, how much was the mobile bill this time, babe?’ ‘Don't' even ask’ is all Dipika says before bursting into peels of laughter.
On Movies Joshna: I can watch anything from English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The last two with sub-titles though. Actually, I watch English flicks with sub-titles too (giggles). Dipika: I like Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill, Heroes. I watched OC but it got very boring in the fourth season. On Music Joshna: I like a lot of house music and old English numbers of the 80s. Dipika: My best friend is part of a band called Substance. They are into rock music and although they are all my age, they seem to be doing pretty well. I like their work.



On
modeling/ acting offers Joshna: I did a couple of shoots for my sponsors but otherwise movies and modelling is a strict no no. Dipika: I got an offer to act in a Malayalam film but I turned it down. I also got an offer to star opposite Madhavan. I really wanted to do the film, but my dad refused. But if I get a chance to work with Aamir Khan or Hrithik Roshan I'd love to do it (giggles).

Super Advani wins Asian crown

Bangalore: Pankaj Advani once again proved he was meant for great success, capturing the Asian billiards title in stunning fashion in Myanmar on Saturday. The amiable Bangalorean scored over compatriot Rupesh Shah 5-4 in the title round.

The Bangalore lad is the first Indian to claim the title twice. This title could not have come at a better time. An early pointer to his form came in the qualifying competition in
Siliguri last month. In less than six months, Advani has claimed virtually every billiards title up for grabs. The National title, the World title (point format) and now the Asian crown.

The 22-year-old’s success story is a reflection of his courage to be himself, and his single-minded focus on his craft. State government accolades and appreciations have been few and far between for this Khel Ratna awardee, but that has hardly bogged him down. At a time when the country is almost completely focussed on cricket, Advani has made India proud again.

He has an intense manner around the table, which often leaves spectators spell bound. He lurks around the table with one hand in the pocket and the other holding his cue. Under the caterpillar eyebrows, it is hard for the opponent to see where Pankaj is looking. And once the match his won, he walks off with the a smile and composure seen only among veterans.

Even before his 15th birthday, he had proved that he was a player to watch on the cuesports circuit. Having hit the first sweet spot in a neighborhood snooker parlour at the age of 10. At just 22 years of age he has both world snooker and billiards titles to his credit. The Bangalore boy, known for his composure and maturity has joined the league of legends like Wilson Jones and Geet Sethi as one of the best billiards players ever produced by the country.

**********************************

Pankaj Advani is a professional snooker player from India. He won his maiden IBSF

World Billiards Championship in 2005 when he defeated compatriot Devendra Joshi at Qawra, Malta.

The win, after his 2003 IBSF World Snooker Championship title in China, made him only the second cueist after Malta's Paul Mifsud to have won both the billiards and snooker amateur world titles. Coached by former World number four Arvind Savur for almost a decade at Bangalore he is B.Com student of Jain College, Bangalore.



He has been conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour for the year 2005-2006

Station the Olympics

Tiny Tibet’s shadow looms large over the Beijing Olympics. Though an outright boycott by any major participant remains, as yet, a remote possibility, the atmosphere is already vitiated. Whatever the reasons, it is not a happy development for any sports lover.

The Olympics have a history of being used like a ping-pong ball in the game of diplomacy. In the post-World War II era at the 1948 London games, former foes Germany and Japan were not invited, and curiously the Soviet Union abstained. China boycotted the games for 24 years subsequent to Taiwan’s inclusion in the 1956 Olympics. Then, 30 African countries boycotted the 1976 games held in Montreal to protest against New Zealand’s inclusion despite its rugby team having toured South Africa, then a pariah thanks to apartheid. The 1980 Moscow Olympics were boycotted by over 60 countries to protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

The communist bloc returned the compliment in 1984 at the Los Angeles games. Whether one likes it or not, the sad truth is that any ongoing international conflict could spell doom for the games if politics were allowed to interfere. All round participation could then only be ensured in a conflict-free world. But the Olympics are not supposed to celebrate the realisation of world peace. They are an instrument to achieve that ideal.

But how to insulate the world’s biggest sporting extravaganza from the vagaries of world politics? Well, one way is to make a country like Switzerland, with its history of neutrality, the permanent Olympic venue. But the alpine country is small and may not be willing to take such a huge burden upon itself. So, the next best solution is to give this honour to India. India’s record in the promotion of world peace needs no elaboration. Its Olympic record is even more sparkling.

Having participated uninterruptedly since 1928 without many medals, India perfectly exemplifies the Olympic spirit, which found echo in Pierre de Coubertin’s famous words, “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part”. India, with its size, climate and growing economy fits the bill perfectly as a permanent home for the games. As for the country itself, this proposal would not only bring economic benefits but also establish it as a soft superpower. One is not even talking of the fillip that sports here would get.

David Beckham

David Beckham overtook Ronaldinho to regain the title of soccer’s highest-paid player, according to France Football magazine.

Beckham’s earnings from salary and endorsements soared 82 per cent to 31 million euros ($48.9 million) following his switch to the Los Angeles Galaxy from Real Madrid, lifting him above Barcelona’s Ronaldinho, whose income was unchanged at 24.1 million Euros, the magazine’s annual survey said.

The 32-year-old Beckham reclaimed the position he held for 3 years through 2005. He has a $5.5 million base salary that could boom to as much as $250 million over 5 years with endorsements and profit sharing, according to the Galaxy.Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo rose to third and fourth, with income of 23 million euros and 19.5 million Euros, respectively. It’s the first time they have been in the top 10.

Jose Mourinho, who left Chelsea in September, remains the top-paid coach — even though he isn’t currently in charge of a team — with earnings of 29 million Euros, France Football said. England coach Fabio Capello is the next, with pay of 14.2 million Euros, followed by Alex Ferguson.

RAHUL DRAVID’S CAREER RECORDS

Played 94 Tests in succession since making his Test debut vs. England at Lord’s in 1996 (up to game vs Sri Lanka at Delhi in 2005-06), which was a world record for making most Test appearances in a row since making a Test debut. It was surpassed by Adam Gilchrist, who played 96 Tests in succession.

When he stepped on to the field against England at Wankhede Stadium in March 2006, he became the sixth Indian to appear in 100 Tests and joined Sunil Gavaskar. Dilip Vengsarkar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble.

He is the first player to post a century each in all the ten Testplaying countries.

He is also one of the nine batsmen in Test annals to have recorded centuries against all the nine Test opponents - the other eight being Gary Kirsten, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Marvan Atapattu and Kumar Sangakkara.

His five double centuries are the most for India and only Sir Donald Bradman (12), Brian Lara (9), Wally Hammond (7), Marvan Atapattu (6), Javed Miandad (6) and Kumar Sangakkara (6) have recorded more double hundreds than Dravid.

Holds the Indian record for posting 3 double centuries during the 2003-04 season.

Twice in his career, he has recorded a century in each innings of a Test match: 190 & 103* vs. N.Z. at Hamilton, 1998-99 and 110 & 135 vs. Pakistan at Calcutta in 2004-05. Only Sunil Gavaskar has achieved the feat on three occasions for India.

RAHUL THE ONLY INDIAN TO RECORD FOUR CENTURIES IN CONSECUTIVE TEST INNINGS


115 vs. England Nottingham 2002

148 vs. England Leeds 2002


100 vs. West Indies Bombay 2002-03

217 vs. England The Oval 2002

Uncovers The Story Of An Intensely Committed And Focused Individual Whose Single-Minded Devotion To His Craft Elevated Him To Greatness

When Rahul Dravid pushed a ball from South African fast bowler Mornie Morkel wide of mid-on and took off for a run, it wasn’t just another single that he was completing. It was his 10,000th Test run, one that he celebrated with uncharacteristic glee, hands raised in celebration, even as he pointedly gestured to his personal support staff, seated at the Anna Pavilion, and said a silent ‘thank you’ to all those who have enabled him to pursue his single-minded goal, that of being recognised as one among the world’s best batsmen.

The journey to greatness has been a long one. The year 1990 seems so far away, but that’s where Dravid’s cricket story begins. It was the final year of college for some, but it was the first year among the big boys for Dravid. Then a slightly freckled, wiry lad, he is today only the sixth man to have scored over 10,000 Test runs. Then a shy introvert, today he is among the country’s most articulate sportspersons. Then a murderer of spin bowling, today he wears down the best and fastest of fast bowlers. It has been some journey, but he now stands alongside batting legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Sunil Gavaskar, all of whom will no doubt fondly welcome the latest entrant to Club 10,000.

From St Joseph’s Boys School to St Joseph’s Commerce College (SJCC) is a natural step for most Josephites in Bangalore, but for Dravid it was much more than that. Here was where he would get three degrees for the price of one. It was a great place to study; the college believed in creating well-rounded personalities rather than just bright students; and most importantly, SJCC had a fantastic cricket team, one of the hardest to break in to, even if, sadly enough, that is no longer the case.

Many a talented cricketer had made his way into the college after being a star in school cricket, only to then warm the benches for a year or two before getting a look in. This was simply due to the strength of the team and not any senior versus junior issues, as is (or not) the case with Indian cricket these days.

But Dravid at 17 had special ability and it was more than apparent when he was not put on the waiting list. In fact, when he was returning from injury once and straightaway included in the XI for a three-day final, his long innings prowess being apparent even then, the lad he replaced was so incensed that he left the college the following year.

Single-mindedness has always been Dravid’s big asset, and this was something that his friends were exposed to pretty early. It was a two-day fun-trip out of Bangalore, again in 1990, where even as most of the team drank the night away at a cool hill station, Dravid spent the night practicing. No, it wasn’t cricket. He found out that the wicketkeeper was a great dancer and decided it was time for some lessons.

What the dance teacher didn’t realise was that this was no ordinary pupil, who would go away after a while; the lessons went on for the whole night. You can see that his feet movement is near perfect on the cricket field these days and has been so for more than a while.

Apart from being consistent, as his Test average of over 55 shows, he’s been known for his perseverance, focus and total commitment to his and the team’s cause. In the second half of his career, he’s added balance. Balance not just at the batting crease but life in general, with his young family now taking up a lot of his quality time. That, perhaps, was one of the reasons he gave up the captaincy, not knowing that he was giving up his place in the One-day team too with that one unexpected action. But he was not running away from responsibility, rather it was a new one, that of raising his little son, that had taken precedence.

On Saturday, Dravid, the eternal team man, put all the recent bad blood behind him and turned the spotlight back on himself with an individual achievement that also gave him access to the even more exclusive 10,000-run Test and ODI club, where he joined Tendulkar and Lara as only the third batsman to achieve the grand double.

Dravid can, for sure, rest content that he has done more than enough to be described as one of the greatest batsmen in the world.

Rahul Dravid, during the course of his 111 off 291 balls against South Africa at Chennai, reached a number of milestones:


When on 48, he completed his 4,000 runs in 51 Tests at home (4063 at an average of 51.43 in 51 Tests) and became the third Indian after Sunil Gavaskar (5067 at an average of 50.17 in 65 Tests) and Sachin Tendulkar (5056 at an average of 54.95 in 63 Tests) to aggregate 4000 runs or more in India.

When his score reached 80, he became the third Indian after Tendulkar and Gavaskar and the sixth in Test cricket to amass 10,000 runs

.
His feat of reaching 10,000 runs in 206 innings is the second fastest in Test annals, next only to Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, who both recorded the milestone in 195 innings.

When he reached 100, he became the third Indian after Tendulkar (39) and Gavaskar (34) and the 12th overall to register 25 centuries or more in Test cricket.


DRAVID’S AGGREGATE OF 7,677 (AVE.57.72) IN 150 INNINGS IS THE BEST BY ANY NO.3 BATSMAN IN TEST CRICKET.

His tally of 19 centuries at No.3 position is the third best in Test cricket - the top two being Ricky Ponting (27) and Don Bradman (20).