S'more 10dulkar bashing

That's right, it's Tendulkar bashing time once again. Almost every desi who has ever played cricket fancies taking a dig against Tendulkar blaming him for team India's dysfunctional performance in World Cup 2007. Such are times. Like I said in one of my earlier posts, this is going to be hard to get over so soon and sooner or later I had to write again on this topic. Alright, alright, I know cricket is a teamsport and it is unfair, almost idiotic, to blame an individual and it requires a collective effort for a team to win such a big tournament, but then blogging is all about freedom of expression, innit?

So what prompted me to write once again about this? Kobe Bryant! Yes, he of LA Lakers fame. Following the NBA on and off, I have always been a big fan of Kobe. Not so much of the Lakers as much as Kobe though. Infact a few years back while I was rooting for the Sacramento Kings I had a hard team keeping loyalties when the Lakers played the Kings. Years later, the Lakers are a different team but Kobe is still the same, if better. If anyone's been going through news you might have read that Kobe has been averaging 54 points per game over the last 5 games! That's what I call a team player, that's what I call a champion. One who takes the onus on himself to make things happen to take his team to victory no matter what the circumstances. Not one who walks off the pitch clean bowled the third ball he faces when his team is in dire straits. How many times have we seen Kobe rain jumpers and lead the Lakers to a victory? Endless. How many times have we seen Tendulkar play an innings of substance and lead India to victory when it was most needed? Can't really tell, can ya?

Now it is beyond doubt that Tendulkar has the numbers behind him to warrant a place in the team, but how long can Team India bank on a player who clearly appears to be past his prime? Everytime Sachin is written off he comes and scores a big hundred, adding to his humongous tally, piling on personal records and his critics go a hiding. But where does that leave the team? Does it get them back on the winning track? Does it make them feel good as an outfit? Does this one hundred warrant that Sachin is 'back' and that he will be firing on all cylinders in all the matches to come? NO! Some might say, such is the game of cricket, the game of glorious uncertainties (Note to self: Stop using cliches). But when Sachin is getting out cheaply, do we see any intent on his part to make things happen and lead his team to a better position? Cut back to Kobe man who dishes the ball around (more nowadays post-Shaq) when he realises his jumpers arent quite kissing the net. I have never seen a man more win-hungry than Kobe; except for a certain Schumi, that is. Everytime Kobe walks to the middle his eyes burn with intent, you can almost see in his eyes how much he hates to lose. A lot of times critics have blamed Kobe to be very selfish, not being a team player; but why complain as long as the team is winning? After all, its not really about how you play the game, it IS about whether you win or lose. That's what makes great players, champions of the game. The Dwyane Wade's and the LeBron James' may try but I don't think they can quite match Kobe in what he does.

And Sachin? I think I've made my point(s) already. I just hope he does not go through the ignominy of being forced to retire from the game, being dropped, 'cos that would be a huge shame.

I'd love to end this post with a hilarious fwd that I received this morning.
Two people to blame for India's world cup failure:
1. Indira Gandhi (for creating Bangladesh)
2. Hanuman ( Not destroying Lanka completely)