Dear Gambhir, it’s not about the numbers

October 26, 2012

gambhir_fletcher

“We still average 53 as an opening pair, which I think is one of the best when it comes to opening the batting in world cricket,” an irate Gautam Gambhir told PTI. “There are not many opening pairs who have played for such a long time and have an average of 53 per innings. And if 53 is not good enough, I don’t know what is good enough.


“As an opening pair, you average 50 per inning and if you are giving 50 runs start in every innings, you can’t do more and if people talk about not contributing, I will suggest them to look at the stats.” Look at the numbers.


That’s the last thing you expect a sportsman to say when he is doing well. If you ask Cristiano Ronaldo whether he is the best player in the world, he won’t start making you count the number of goals he has scored or the assists that he manages in each game — he’ll simply tell you to watch him play.


That is how it should be. Often players can start worrying too much about the numbers and that can have an adverse effect on their game. Does it matter whether a player averages 40 or 50 as long as he can do the job; as long as he can get his team to victory.


But Gambhir wants us to look at numbers. So that’s what we’ll do.


In his last 38 innings (including one not out), he has no centuries and only eight 50s. He has scored 1010 runs in 37 dismissals at 27.29 in his last 21 Tests. World’s best? We beg to differ. Gambhir’s average has fallen from 57.50 to 44.35 in this time.


Gambhir’s partner, Sehwag has been in trouble as well. He has scored 756 runs in his last 26 Tests at an average of 29.08. He also hasn’t managed to hit a century, got six fifties and four ducks. Sehwag’s average has fallen from 54.71 to 50.64.
That’s a total of 1766 runs in 63 innings at 28.03. Now Gambhir… look at the numbers again… is that really great?
The reason everyone is talking about the Gambhir-Sehwag partnership has nothing to do with how they performed in the past. We all realise that the duo formed one of the best opening pairs the world has ever seen — 81 Tests, 4110 runs, 10 century stands, 24 50-run stands. Great stuff.


Only four pairs have managed a longer stint as an opening partnership — Gordon Greenidge-Desmond Haynes, Matthew Hayden-Justin Langer, Alastair Cook-Andrew Strauss, Marvan Atapattu-Sanath Jayasuriya. That’s how good Sehwag and Gambhir have been for India.


But at this point, one has to wonder whether they are past their prime as a partnership. Has the internal politics robbed them of their focus?


At their best, Gambhir and Sehwag are no-nonsense characters with a burning desire for victory. Now, Gambhir at least, needs to hope that some hopefully inflated figures can come to his rescue. It’s rather foolish.


It’s almost like Michael Schumacher responding to questions about his failure to win in his comeback by saying that he won seven championships in his prime. Gambhir needs to realise that his past is not being questioned, his present and his future is.


So Gambhir, it’s not about the numbers. It’s about winning and if you can do that, no one will talk about the numbers, not even you.



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News Network
March 26,2020

New Delhi, Mar 26: As India continues its fight against coronavirus, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly pledged to donate rice worth Rs 50 Lakhs to the needy people.
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), in its statement, said Ganguly along with Lal Baba Rice will provide rice to people who have been put in government schools for safety and security.
"#Sourav to provide Free Rice to the Needy It is heartening to note that Sourav Ganguly along with Lal Baba Rice has come forward to provide free rice worth Rs 50 lacs to the needy people who have been put in government schools for safety and security. Hope this initiative of Ganguly would encourage other citizens of the state to take up similar initiatives to serve the people of our state. #CAB," CAB said in a statement.
CAB President Avishek Dalmiya has also lent support to the needy people as he donated Rs 5 lakhs to the Government's Emergency Relief Fund.
"CAB President donates 5 lakhs to the Government's Emergency Relief Fund to fight against #CoronaVirus/#Covid19," CAB said in a statement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day nation-wide lockdown to contain coronavirus.

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News Network
April 22,2020

Dhaka, Apr 22: Star Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has decided to auction the bat he used during the 2019 ODI World Cup to help raise money for the fight against deadly coronavirus pandemic.

Shakib, who is currently serving a two-year ban from all forms of cricket -- one of which is suspended -- for not reporting corrupt approaches, is the second Bangladeshi cricketer after wicket-keeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim to auction a personal cricketing gear to raise money for the cause.

"I had said before that I want to put up a bat for auction. I have decided to auction the bat I used in the 2019 World Cup. It's a favourite bat of mine," Shakib said during a Facebook live session.

The 33-year-old all-rounder had a hugely successful World Cup in England last year, scoring 606 runs in eight matches at an average of 86.57, which included two centuries and five fifties.

Besides, he also picked up 11 wickets in the tournament and became the only cricketer to score 600 plus runs and scalp 10 wickets in a single edition of the World Cup.

"I had a good World cup with the bat and ball. There were some good performances especially with the bat. I had used a single bat throughout the World Cup and even used tapes on it to get through games," Shakib said.

"It's not that this bat has only been used at the World Cup. I have scored over 1500 runs with this bat and had used it prior to the tournament and after it as well.

"Although I like the bat a lot but I have decided to put it up for auction with the thought that maybe it can leave some contribution to forming a fund during the ongoing coronavirus crisis."

The money raised from the auction will go to the Shakib Al Hasan foundation.

"This is a very special bat to me, but my people are even more special to me," Shakib said.

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News Network
June 2,2020

New Delhi, Jun 2: Manchester United's Paul Pogba on Monday paid tribute to George Floyd, stressing that violent acts of racism can no longer be tolerated and they have to stop.

Pogba took to Instagram to write: "During the past few days I have thought a lot about how to express my feelings about what happened in Minneapolis. I felt anger, pity, hatred, indignation, pain, sadness."

"Sadness for George and for all black people who suffer from racism Every day! Whether in football, at work, at school, Anywhere! This has to stop, once and for all! Not tomorrow or the next day, it has to end today! Violent acts of racism can no longer be tolerated," he added.

Protests erupted in Minneapolis and other US cities on Tuesday after Floyd, an African-American man, died following his arrest by the four officers.

A viral video showed a police officer, Derek Chauvin, pinning 46-year-old Floyd to the ground with his knee on his neck for nearly eight minutes. Floyd died at a local hospital shortly thereafter.

The four police officers were fired. Chauvin was also charged with murder and manslaughter, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.

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zaki ahmed
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Jun 2020

This photograph in the above mentioned article is of Floyd Mayweather Jr , the world welterweight & super heavy weight champion & wrongly menitoned as Pogba .

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