Asian Test Championship

Rana,

I am not sure if your friend may be able to help me here in Chicago.

Anyways, give me his phone number and I will talk to him and try and figure everything out in time for the final at Dhaka.

Afrasiyab

I guess we may be confusing a couple of things.

First there is the DISH (aka Echostar1 & echostar3) network. This is one of the competing satellite (Digital Braodcast system) DBS systems. Others are DSS, Primestar, etc.

Now Kelly Broadcasting Systems has gotten the rights to show the WC99 in North America. KBS (ww.kbs-tv.com) provides Cricket matches via Pay-per-view to other DBS providers. Currently they adverstise that they provide it on the Dish Network. This includes all Cricket matches (Tests for $50 /month, ODIs 14.99/month)
You can check out KBS web-site and follow links for the WC99. They still say they will provide this. And as far as I know they will be providing all the matches on pay-per-view.

Now when you buy the Dish Network you subscribe to certain services like American Top100 (which can replace your exiting cable), TVAsia, ZeeTV (both for $25 / month). Also the DISH network provides 2 types of dishes. Single (does not show regular cable but shows KBS- Cricket, TVASIA, ZeeTV) and DUAL (which shows American Top 100 in addition to others). TO replace your cable you need to get the DUAL DISH system.

So what I did was this. I live in NYC (Manhattan) and I got the SINGLE DISH through a friend of mine who runs this business. For the matches so far (Test matches) I got the service from KBS. You just have to call them up and they activate it on Channel 546. I don`t have any other services. I don`t really watch TV so cable did not matter.

However, for the upcoming ODI`s even ZeeTV is showing it. SO I will get ZeeTV for a month or so and NOT get the pay-per-view from KBS. For the WC99 I am not sure who all are showing it. I suspect even your local cable operator may provide it as pay-per-view.

I am not sure what number I gave you (DBS provider or KBS) but I think KBS will be showing all matches pay-per-view. there web site says so.

Also, I am told, the DUAL dish system is too large and cumbersome and will be replaced soon by the an integrated ONE DISH system. Murdoch has just bought into DISH network and these services will get integrated.

Sorry, this is all so confusing. If you would like to speak to my friend I can give you his number. I think he does installations in the NYC, NY, Connecticut area.

regards

Ranaji,

I am moving soon and I was wondering if I should opt for that dish instead of the cable service I have.

I called them at that number you had provided and they say that they will only cover test matches and they are not sure if they will cover the world cup.

I am in Chicago.

Do you know if they offer different services to different areas. I was curious as to where you live since you mentioned that you will be getting all the matches.

RanaRansher:

Dravid versus Ganguly. You do have a point.

R Dravid [29 Tests, 2375 Runs and average of 55.23 with 4 100`s and 17 50`s]

SC Ganguly [27 Tests, 1903 Runs and average of 48.49 with with 6 100`s and 7 50`s]

But... Ganguly is more aggressive.

re: SS
Trimurti - interesting. I agree that SRT should be left alone, `cause he is like an artist and should not be burdened with captaincy and such. Dravid - Vengsarkar is also a very good comparison. I personally don`t think Ganguly is capable of being captain, yet I frankly expected more from him in terms of personal performances in the recent Test series and the on-going ATC. He does however, show the grit and determination to battle it out.
But that brings us to the MAIN reason Azhar is captain. There really is no other clear choice. I am a big Azhar fan, I just think he is nearing the end of his long illustrious career.

Regarding what the selectors will do. Well, they have already sprung one surprise. Srinath is injured and as his replacement they have sprung up a Ashish Nehra from Delhi, out of nowhere.

I think the selectors were so enamoured by Akrams left arm mastery over the ball that they said, ``HaaN... left arm seamer honaa chahiye``

re: Saad
I played in a similar league in College in the US. Desi atmosphere, excessive appealing, dodgy umpires all ring a bell. To top that we also had a lot pangaas over the batting order. Especially when you had fielded and bowled out the opposing team for a small score and wanted to get your batting in before it was all over :-)
In fact, we even lost a match trying to give every body THEIR batting.

Saad:

Check out today`s www.rediff.com. Prem Panicker wrote on Azhar`s captaincy.

Fellow Cricket Lovers,

Can anyone mail a videotape of the Calcutta Test highlights to Boston ? You can name your price. You can respond here or write to saad@chowk.com.

Many thanks,
Saad

Let cricket be what it is - the game of glorious uncertainties. And let`s not allow politics come in the game, atleast not in the negative sense. Pakistan`s fightback was tremendous, no doubt and full marks to them. But this is not the first time that they have won, or nearly lost, for that matter. The team that does better at the time wins it and deserves all the kudos.

I say this: let there be more and more matches and opportunities and we will eventually learn to respect the game for what it is worth - a sporting glance!

Let cricket be the winner!

I think Afridi is from Karachi. I think...

Re: RanaRansher.

``I am not trying to get into a penis contest over India Pakistan cricket.``

I was getting a little worked up reading your response, but this statement completely defused the tension :-) :-). OK, I admit it, I was out to needle you. So, my dear friend, I am guilty as charged. Your points about non-politicization are beyond reproach.

As I said, I have been genuinely impressed by the integration of Muslims into the Indian team - it does seem religion-free. Perhaps, as you say, I am letting my Muslim persecution-complex (for I do have one!) get the better of me. And perhaps had we remained one, the Indian cricket team would be 40% Muslim.

In the early 90s, when I was in graduate school at Duke in Durham, North Carolina, the university`s cricket team was essentially all engineering students from India. I played with them for 3 summers and loved every game. I also got to captain several games and never felt an outsider. Really. Our opponents used to be other teams in the area, including UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State and Northern Telecom, all Indian-dominated of course with a smattering of Pakistanis and the rare gora or West Indian. The atmosphere was standard desi: intense and keenly fought, with excessive appealing and approximately one obviously biased umpiring decision per match. There was the occasional person who wanted to bring religion into it, but it never succeeded. One time, this rather inspired Pakistani friend of mine insisted we put together an India versus Pakistan match at Duke, and I felt embarassed to even bring it up - there was the unnecessary parochialization of course, but I also knew the Indians would beat the daylights out of us :-).

Saad

PS: You have aged me pefectly. The first series I followed properly was Pakistan versus New Zealand in 1976-77, when the Prince made his debut. I saw him make 206 in Karachi in his 3rd Test. Who could not love cricket after that ?

re: Saad

Apalling. I am sorry, but the proverbial Muslim persecution complex, in this case, is getting ridiculous.
You wonder why at any given time India does not have more than 1 or 2 Muslims in the team. Maybe this has something to do with India being made up of 80% Hindus. And just by chance the composition of the team reflects that. Muslims have been captains of India, very succesful ones at that. If partition never happened you would have had 40 -50 % Muslims and a team with 50% Muslims would have been quite natural.
Could you on the other hand dare to explain why Pakistans team is made up of all Punjabis while only 1 or 2 `others` are included. And where does Bangladesh fit into all this ?
In India, we have never looked at cricketeres as Hindus or Muslims or whatever else. Like all other things this is in sharp contrast to teams who have Non-Muslims in their team, yet they need to join in in all the religious overtones that come with being in a Muslim team as opposed to just a team. (Youhana)
Even today in the domestic circuit in India there are Muslims from EVERY state/zone who are in the wings. I could also provide you with stats on pre-partition and post-partition teams but what is the point. You can`t really explain secularism to somebody who doesn`t appreciate it at all.
My post meant to say, ``Thank GOD for partition, cause at least this religious bigotry doesn`t surface in Team selection``. It still is limited only to regional bigotry.
I used to play in the Delhi club scene. Jadeja and Saba Karim were both in the team. I remember having this discussion with Saba Karim. He mentioned that while playing any team in the world he never felt as uncomfortable as playing against Pakistan. Simply because Pakistan was always a Muslim team playing against Hindus. From his point of view, it was perversion of the game by religion. Some Indian fans would even question his loyalty when playing Pakistan just as some paticipant here claims, `Azhar dropped some key catches for the sake of Muslim unity`.

Pathetic, really. And no it is not Cricket.

regaring the supposed domination of Indo-Pak cricket by pakistan. I wouldn`t call it that at all. Up until the late 70s and 80s (Zaheer, Imran, Miandad, Mudassar - you seem to be from that era) it was quite the opposite if not evenly matched. In the 90s, with Azhar at the helm (and SRT, Dravid, Srinath, Ganguly) the team has again reversed its fortunes. If you look at the record (India pakistan have only played ODIs in that period) it tells a different story.
The recent 2 Test series and ATC is beginning of yet another great series of clashes. I just hope the politics don`t get to it and stop it. But alas.....

I am not trying to get into a penis contest over India Pakistan cricket. I am instead trying to point out that the game should not be politicised along religion. IMHO, if one good thing came out of partition it is that we do not have to put up with the kind of religous persecution stories you are conjuring up, with regards to Indian cricket. That sir, is not cricket.
Elsewhere on chowk.forum there are Pakis claiming genetic (??????) superiority over Hindus because of the recent 46 run loss. ANd then go on to say, ``First Calcutta then kashmir`` .
What next ? And where does this kind of thinking start ?

Re: Temporal # 111

A faster, more direct address is:

www.thefridaytimes.com

Re: RanaRansher.

India has had some outstanding Muslim players (Pataudi, Abid Ali, Abbas Ali Baig, Kirmani, Azharuddin) and I have always been impressed by how well-integrated they seem to be in the Indian team. I tend to agree with you that there is no overt religion quota in the Indian cricket team. However, I don`t remember every seeing more than 1 or at most 2 Muslim players in the team at any one time (please correct me if I`m wrong).

I would have expected to see more. If you look at Indian first-class cricket before partition, Muslims were never dominant. Indeed, except for the famous 1-wicket win in 1944, the Muslims versus Hindus Bombay Pentangular final was always won by the Hindus. I am not sure of the religious make-up of pre-partition Indian teams, but I wouldn`t be surprised if it was the same as today.

Following partition along religious lines, however, Pakistan has consistently dominated India in cricket. This begs an explanation. Is it that Muslims used to lack (and continue to lack) opportunities to fully develop their cricket potential in India, or could it be that there is (and always has been) a religion quota, but in the reverse direction (ie, max 1 or 2 Muslims) ?

If one goes by recent cricket evidence, a joint Indo-Pak XI would be at least half-Muslim. But somehow I don`t feel we would have seen this break-up were we still one nation.

Saad

Apologise for the typo.

The address s/b

www.tft-vanguardbooks.com

To all die-hard fans:

There is an interesting article on Saqlain Mushtaq in the latest issue of the Friday Times. )

web address: www.tft-vanguardbooks,com. And then click on Friday Times and finally, Profile.

regards

On the region issue:

It is all a hogwash.

I say if Peshawar can produce an Afridi then let them have a shot at all 11 positions.

I say if Punjab can produce Imran, Akram, Waqar, Mushtaq, Saqlain, ... then let them have the glory.

I say if Karachi can produce Miandad and Saeed Anwar and ...

What are we complaining about here?

Agreed that some players get a raw deal - but being left out for regional reasons? Nah! The Pakistan team has been the ``almost best`` team in the world for almost 20 years. I doubt that there was a ``genius`` cricketer who could have made Pakistan the world champion but because he was green and spoke Martianese he was not selected. NO. Did not happen. Most evidence is anecdotal.