Wrong Person to Ask

Me: England scored 569 and India is 52/1. India needs another 317 runs to avoid follow on

Me: Where do you think this game is headed?

Wife: India would follow on and will then lose!!!

Me: Tere munh mein dhool, tere munh mein keedey!!!

I always knew that one day....no matter how long the wait....but one day....Ishant Sharma would do something special!!! ;)

Am Scared

Have decided to make a few changes...much needed changes. Have already started working on it. But am scared about what if it is already too late. My daughter's face comes in front of me every now and then. I wish I had been more responsible. I hope it is not too late for that u - turn.

Need for Change

I was and still am extremely excited about the test match series between India and England. India has sent a young and good side. There are indeed certain debatable selections but more-or-less, it is there. Defeating England would be great but more than anything, the series is exciting as it would show what kind of arsenal we have in store for the coming few years. After all, Kohli, Pujara, Rahane etc are among the best that we have and are likely to regularly feature in Indian test side in the next few years.

The first test is already over and it was quite disappointing. England produced a dead, flat track. Yet, Indian batting struggled. They were rescued by a few individual performances. The match ended in a draw as the story was nothing different in the opposite camp. 

It seemed that India did make some mistakes in the first test. And they were in the team selection. I hoped that Indian team would tweak the composition slightly in order to do better in the second test (which is going on). I was wrong. India went in the second test with an unchanged side.

In the first test, India went in with three pace bowlers and one 'specialist' spinner (in Ravindra Jadeja). And they picked Stuart Binny as the fifth option. Jadeja was ineffective in the first test and Binny did not get to bowl much. Whatever chances he got to bowl, he did not look very effective. So, he came across as an ineffective bowler who did not have the trust of his captain (since he bowled so little). He did have a good outing with the bat in the second innings. But, is that enough. What are we looking from him? If we need a batsman, are there not better options available? If you do not trust 6 batsmen, play Rohit Sharma as well. If we are looking for a batsman who can bowl 'a little' in order to give rest to the specialist bowlers, why not play someone like Yuvraj Singh? Or Irrfan Pathan? Or give a chance to Abhishek Nayyar (he had a better outing as a batsman as well as bowler in the domestic season)? If we are looking for a good fifth bowler (which Binny is clearly not), why not include Aswin (who may be a better bat than Binny)? I think Dhoni does not want to include another seamer because he wants to maintain a decent over-rate. Fair enough. Play a good spinner then. The inclusion of Binny is clearly surprising.

And on the top, though I really like Shikhar Dhawan, there seems to be a need for a change. Dhawan has looked good in the little time that he has spent on the crease (in both tests) but is not putting a price on his wicket. We need a strong opening stand and may be, Gautam Gambhir would be a better option.

One more change that can be considered is someone in place of Shami. He has not bowled badly but has not been very effective as well. Probably, it is time to try out Ishwar Pandey. I am not too sure about Aaron as he does not seem to have much beyond pace. And I do not think that only pace would rattle the English batsmen. Plus, he may pick an injury during the test, which would be devastating. He comes across as a better option for ODIs and T-20s. 

I hope Dhawan, Binny and Shami prove me wrong in the last 3 days of the second test. However, if they do not, India should start thinking of the Plan B. 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The Current Indian Sultan of Swing

India has not produced too many great pace/medium pace bowlers. Kapil Dev is of course great due to his enormous success. My personal favorite has been Javagal Srinath. I do not think that anyone has been as effective on the dead and unfavorable pitches of India. Zaheer Khan has been quite effective as well. However, no other seamer has been remarkable.

Moreover, India has produced very few swing bowlers. The ones who did show up lacked consistency or fitness or commitment. Manoj Prabhakar was a very good swing bowler but he faded away due to multiple reasons. Irrfan Pathan 'was' an exception swing bowler. He truly looked like the best bowler around in his early days. Fitness, pace and consistency deserted him and now he is not even remotely as effective. Ajit Agarkar was really good as well but he too was marred by lack of pace and consistency. He had the problem of bowling too many boundary-balls. So, swing bowlers have come but they have failed to stay on and rule the scene.

Now, a new guy has arrived. Bhuvneshwar Kumar. In the batsman friendly sport that cricket is, now a days I switch on the television to see his bowl. He has great control over his line and length and has the ability to swing the ball both ways. These qualities are making him an effective as well as miserly customer. In spite of his lack of pace, he does not give away too many or easy runs. Plus, he comes across as a thinking bowler, who sets up the batsman. And that is really exciting to watch.

One area where he must improve is pace. He would be lot more effective if he improves his pace as history indicates that the best swing bowlers had swing as well as pace. And several promising swing bowlers went away with making a mark due to lack of pace. He is young and can (and should) add little bit more pace in his deliveries.

Having seen Irrfan Pathan and Ajit Agarkar show a lot of promise and yet losing out on a long and successful career, I am nervous about Bhuvneshwar Kumar's prospects. I hope he does not go away in similar manner. He looks extremely promising and I hope he is able to serve the country (as effectively) for a long...long time.

Shit Just Hit The Fan!!!

Yesterday, I got test results and like most tests (all kinds) in the later part of my life, the result did not give me any reason to celebrate. In fact, this time around the results are much 'different'. I am not talking about an academic test that I have recently appeared for. I am quite done with those. I am talking about medical test and those are the kind of tests that I have been appearing for quite regularly.

Coming back to the results, some knowledgeable people around me told me that the results give an early indication that I need to change a few things. I do not agree. I do not need to undergo medical tests to reach that conclusion. My bathroom mirror has been giving me such indication for sometime now.

This time around, the results tell much more. They indicate that I do not ONLY need to change a lot of things but I need to change them as quickly as possible. Shit has hit the fan!!!

For a while, loved ones have been telling me that I should try and bring myself back on track. They have always given suggestions and have shown a lot of concern. It has always made me uncomfortable. I have always tried to avoid or end such conversations by hiding behind excuses as well as genuine limitations. 

I can no longer afford to hide behind anything. The test results have not 'indicated' anything. They have not given me any kind of subtle message. Rather, they have grabbed me by the collar and slapped me a few times to give me a reality check.

'I have a family to take care of'. I always knew that but I do not think I have ever realized it more. I knew that I need to change things and I may be on the path to doom. But I always foolishly hoped that I may get lucky and manage to scrape through. The test results have shown that I am probably running out of luck.

I do not know if it is too late to make any resolutions and to start changing anything. It could well be too late. I would come to know the specifics only after a fortnight. However, irrespective of what those 'specifics' tell me, I am prepared to give it my best shot. After all, it is now or never. 

I am committing myself to give up on a lot of things that I love in order to not give up on a lot of people I love. Not from next Monday, not from coming weekend, not from tomorrow morning...I vow to change myself from this very moment. I am committing myself for that and I promise all the people who matter to me that I WILL try my best to turn things around. I would not stop 'hoping' though. But this time, I would just hope that it is not already too late. Wish me luck!!!

Wrong Debate

Just watched an interesting debate on whether, in cases of heinous crimes, the threshold age for 'juveniles' be lowered from 18 years to 16 years. There were some interesting arguments that were put forward by the panelists. Statistics, which indicated that there has been a sharp rise in the crimes committed by juveniles, were discussed during the debate. Apparently, all this hulla-gulla has started after Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi, called for tweaking of the legal definition of juvenility. I completely disagree with her!!!

In cases of heinous crimes like rape and terrorism, I firmly believe that the debate should not be on '18 years or 16 years?'. Rather, the debate should be on '2 bullets on the chest or 1 bullet on the head?'. Irrespective of the convict's age, gender, religion, cast or creed.

Water Games

Whats special about Ranchi?

Every time I am traveling to India, colleagues in office ask to bring anything. That makes me start thinking what would be that special something that I can bring back.

From Kuala Lumpur,  where I am working and staying right now, I typically travel to Ranchi (my hometown) via Kolkata. There are no direct flights to Ranchi. Ranchi, the capital of the state of Jharkhand, is a small town. The place lacks good infrastructure. That was the reason why Jharkhand was separated from Bihar in year 2000. Not that much has changed or got any better. Pretty sad looking malls have come up, population has increased, vehicles on the roads have increased. However, the infrastructure is still poor.....extremely poor.

There is nothing special that is made in Ranchi. It is not known for any special sweets, dish....nothing. Tribal handicraft is there but it is not anything great. Moreover,  am sure my colleagues do not mean handicrafts when they make such requests.

During this trip, I tried really hard to find something special. Something unique. And something that can last the long journey back. But I couldn't think of anything!!! That was depressing.

Is there nothing special about the place? Then why do people live here? Why do people visit the place? The weather used to be really good but no longer. Then why do I visit the place whenever I come to India? Why do I want to visit only Ranchi if I am making a short trip to India?

I have lived a nomadic life, mainly thanks to my father's transferable job. Couple of years in Gurdaspur, Udhampur, Bangalore, few years in Bareilly, ten years in Ranchi, ten years in Hyderabad and now few years in Kuala Lumpur. The longest I have stayed at any place has been in Ranchi. Spent the last leg of my school life as well as my graduation days in Ranchi. Made a lot of friends.  Learnt about the world outside an army cantonment. Ranchi has been special.

Ranchi smells different too. Most people may only smell the 'aroma' of overflowing trash cans. But I smell home. It may not be known for ANYTHING but Ranchi is home and so....would always be SPECIAL.

Kolkata Airport: Something to think about

Kolkata's new airport (now has been around for a while) is much better than it's predecessor. Its cleaner, more spacious and more....'acceptable'. Have used the airport on multiple occasions and have always thanked the concerned authorities for providing this much better and much-needed alternative.

The new terminal was still new when I last took a flight from here. There were some teething troubles but no one complained. After all, people had experienced much worse.

One area in which the new terminal has still not improved is the scanning of baggage before check-in. Most bigger airports now no longer ask the passengers to scan their baggage before check-in. Kolkata still does. It may not sound like a big issue but it causes a lot of inconvenience, especially to foreign travelers. They are not used to of such practices. Though the authorities have put signs to inform passengers, the signs are not noticeable (especially when no one is expecting such a sign). I noticed several passengers spent considerable time in the check-in queue before they were told that they need to scan their baggage first.

I do not know whether putting in place the supporting infrastructure is a costly affair or not. I do not know whether it is not a very safe practice or not. However I do know that most bigger international airports are doing it and there is no reason why Kolkata cannot do it. It would definitely go a long way in enhancing the customer experience.

Railways likely to get on track

The rail budget is here. It has made a lot of promises and shows a lot of promise. How things finally shape up remains to be seen. I am neither getting restless nor panicky (unlike a lot of people). I am happy that the intent has at least been shown. It has touched upon some crucial areas. Cleanliness, speed are significant issues. Privatization definitely is a step in the right direction. I am hopeful that things would only get better from here. Lets wait and watch.

Fish Fry @ 'The' Home

There is nothing in the world like food from Mom's kitchen

BOOYAH!!!

Trip to Cameron Highland

Dost, they say time heals. Have been trying but it has not helped....at least so far. It would take more time. Till then....take care

Yeh na socha tha kabhi, itne yaad aaogey tum

Rome was not built in a day

Till an hour back, you had no food and no hope of food. Your cook was not making anything. In fact he and his assistants were eating away the supplies that you were giving to them. This was going on for days. There was no menu, no plan, no ingredients and no hope. You were depressed. 

Half an hour back, your fired the cook and his assistants. You brought in a new cook, who was popular and in his last job, he successfully served a smaller household. You became hopeful. 

At present, the new cook is taking stock of the situation, making plans and preparing the ingredients. It takes a little time as it is not a magic. And since the last cook and his assistants did not leave behind any supplies, it would take little more time to arrange the ingredients. The cook is not only thinking about your next meal but is also trying to ensure that you do not go hungry ever. 

However, some of the members in your household are skeptical. I can understand that all of you are hungry. I am hungry as well as I am also a member of this household. However, we should be patient. We should provide the required supplies to the cook instead of only enquiring about the food. Try to help (or at least try not to interrupt) the cook if you want things to expedite. 

The ingredients look right. The kitchen smells good. The food will be exceptional. Just have a little bit more patience.

This is from the doctor's clinic...and believe me...the one on the left is the patient!!!!

Someone hit the gym!!!

Is the fare hike by Indian Railways justified?

Indian railways recently announced price hike, which was (of course) followed by hue and cry, stone-pelting, the usual dharnas and all. The hike would definitely pinch the pockets of the Indian middle class and lower-middle class (as they are ones who travel by train). They are already braving inflation and this hike would make their lives even more difficult. So, is this hike justified? 

Following are some fun facts that one should be aware of;

1. Indian railways is among the world's largest railways network
2. It is also among the top 10 employers (by the number of workforce)
3. It carries ~24 million passengers and ~2.8 million tons of freight......DAILY 
4. About 70% of its revenues are paid-out as salaries!!!
5. Indian Railways is going through a financial stress. It is cash-strapped, which is not a good sign for an organization that is heavily dependent on infrastructure
6. Passengers are not paying what they should be paying as government subsidizes the fare. The consumer subsidy is around INR 26,000 crores!!!
7. Railways need INR 4.5 lakh crores to complete 586 pending and ongoing projects
8. No investment for safety and investment as there is not enough money left

(Source: Wikipedia & Times of India)

So now, the facts are in front of us. The next thing that we need to do is to ask a few questions to ourselves. Is there a need to change anything? Does Indian Railways require better infrastructure so that it can give the passengers their money's worth? The answer is YES.

Indian Railways must improve its infrastructure. It needs to expand its reach. It may be among the world's highest railways network but India is a BIG country. There are several places that are not yet connected. Railways need to deploy faster trains. Railways needs to make the trains and platforms cleaner. Railways need to serve hygienic food. Railways need to improve the safety of its infrastructure and passengers. Railways need to create a self-sustaining and profitable model. We all want that, isn't it? That is not the issue. The issue is that we want it to be free. Things must improve without us making any contribution. That happens in Panchtantra and Dada-Dadi ki Kahaaniyaan. Probably, not even there.

We cannot ask for better governance, standard of living etc on one hand and freebies on the other. Governments have been subsidizing several essentials but Indian economy can no longer sustain that much burden. Central and State governments of the past have been giving away freebies. Free rice, idlis, television etc. and probably we have become a little used to of all the freebies. One has to understand that when they give freebies, the economy takes a hit and then we start paying higher for other essentials. Nothing and no one develops in this process. 

It is high time that we start believing in the reform measures. These measures are neither short-sighted nor aimed at gaining instant popularity. It would make our lives more difficult in the short run. However, we all will win in the long run. Have faith and patience.

Expert in a Minute!!!

Manager: There is a project involving Economic Impact Analysis?

Employee: Hmm...Interesting. However, I have never done a full-fledged project involving Economic Impact Analysis

Manager: It involves quantitative as well as qualitative assessment parameters

Employee: That sounds more complicated. It may give result only in qualitative terms

Manager: That's okay. Talk to someone who has done something like this.

After a while....

Employee: I have checked with others. Only few have done it and they say it takes time

Manager: How much time?

Employee: Framework itself takes at least 2 weeks

Manager: That is fine, we will let the client know

Employee: But, most agree that it would be difficult to use quantitative as well as qualitative assessment parameters without getting qualitative results. Do you know how to do it?

Manager: No I do not. But, 'we will find a way' 

Employee: Before committing anything, we should know how to do it, isn't it?

Manager: Yes but we cannot find out now. I do not know as well and that is okay. 'We will learn together'

Employee: Hmmm....

Manager: Let's have a call with the client and understand what he wants. We will communicate the challenges

Employee: Ya, that is better

On the call....

Manager: Hi, this is something which is going to be challenging

Client: I understand. But please do it

Manager: Of course. We also understand that it is a time-consuming exercise

Client: I understand. But please do it in 1 week. That is what we have

Manager: Of course. But in that timeframe, we can only create a high-level model

Client: Hmmm....

Manager: We will conduct a workshop. We will take you through the model and tell you how to do this

Client: Okay, but we want someone who can tell us exactly what needs to be done

Manager: Of course. We can do that. Employee over here has done this in the past. He will champion this

Employee: .........hmmm....ok....but I have a few questions

Client: I cannot answer anything. It is top-secret

Manager: That is okay, we will do it. Employee please start working on the framework

Employee is wondering, what happened to all the issues that were discussed and what happened to "we will find a way" and "we will learn together". Employee is also wondering why was he suddenly projected as an expert!!!

....And there goes the weekend!!!

Common Mistake

Many a times people use 'lightyear' to describe a significant amount of time. People say things like, "my wife takes a lightyear to get ready", "I have been waiting for you since one lightyear", "my system takes a lightyear to boot" etc. It is strange that a lot of people do not understand that 'lightyear' is not a measurement of time. Instead, it is a measure of distance!!! Common mistake

Everyone is going crazy over the ongoing FIFA World Cup. As a minority, who does not really follow or enjoy soccer, I am understanding what my wife goes through during IPL

I know I am difficult...not fun to be with.....But I care for the people I like and consider close to me.

Yet....I do not have a single good friend!!! 

May be I did not do a good job in retaining them....I am of course bad in making friends.

There were a few....I got busy, they got busy. Some said things I did not like and I am sure some drifted away as I may have said things that they did not like. Some were not meant to last long anyways as my priorities are different. 

Yet....not a single good friend!!! 

Well, that sucks!!!

Wrist Pain is BACK....

Khataara ki Sawaari

Will Nadal Win 18 Grand Slam Singles Events?

Read a news article on Rafael Nadal's amazing 9th triumph at the Roland Garros. The article also had comments from Nadal about what he feels about his future in the game. It threw a light on what the player honestly believes regarding where he is headed. His comments were disappointing for his fans.

Nadal has 14 majors in his kitty and is currently tied with 'Pistol Pete' (Pete Sampas). After so many majors and a career Grand Slam, he is already a legend. However, he is not the leading Grand Slam singles champion...yet. He is still three short of Roger Federer's mark, who is still playing but is way past his prime. As a hardcore Nadal supporter, I would like him to go past 17 Grand Slam victories. However, it is not going to be easy and now it is out that Nadal believes the same.

Nadal is already 28 and not many have won a Grand Slam singles event after crossing 30. Tennis is a physically draining sport and at this age, players start to slow down and thus, leave the door open for younger and fresher legs. 

If Nadal has to go past 17 Grand Slam wins, i.e., 4 more titles, he cannot rely only on wins at Roland Garros. That would require 4 perfect years and he would be 32 by then. Thus, he has to do better (than everyone) in other Grand Slam events as well. However, his Grand Slam victory record is skewed as he has won French Open more than any other event. He does have an all-round game but he is not as dominating on grass and hard courts.

Grand Slam Singles Victories of 3 Leading Grand Slam Winners

The above picture clearly shows that though Nadal is an all-time legend, he has not been as effective on other surfaces as he has been on clay courts. However, that is true for most other greats as well. Federer has been extremely effective on grass and hard courts (both acrylic and synthetic) but has largely struggled on clay courts. Pete Sampras never won a French Open and he was more effective on grass and acrylic hard courts (US Open).

So, the challenge in front of Nadal is that he needs to win few majors other than French Open. That is NOT going to be a cake walk. His style of play puts a lot of pressure on his knees and ankles. Moreover, he does not only have to worry about the challenge posed by Novak Djokovic as on other surfaces, there are few others who can give a serious fight. Andy Murray has been effective on grass as well as hard courts. Others like Stanislas Wawrinka and Juan Martin Del Potro are no pushovers as well. Wawrinka defeated Nadal in Australian Open final (though Nadal was struggling with a back trouble). Del Potro is indeed enigmatic and injury-prone but on his day, he can beat ANYONE. He possesses one of the strongest backhands in tennis and that negates Nadal's strength.

It is evident from his comments that he understands that he has tough times ahead. However, at the same time, it is clear that Nadal is planning to have a serious go. He was cramping in the French Open finals on Sunday but on Monday morning, he hit a grass court to kick-start his preparations for Wimbledon, It is an extremely positive sign and is encouraging for his supporters, including yours truly. 

If he wants a serious go at 17+ Grand Slam victories, he needs to probably reduce the number of events that he plays in. He should pick and choose the right events, which will (a) give him match practice against decent opposition and (b) help him in preparing for the majors. He needs fresh legs and a fit body to be able to climb the 'Mount 18 GS' summit, which is not going to be easy at his age and with his current workload.

So the answer to the question, 'Will Nadal Win 18 Grand Slam Singles Events?' is not clear yet. We do know that it is going to be a big challenge but we also know that the Champ is gearing for the final push. That is what all of us want, isn't it?

Note: The picture has been 'put together' by Animesh Kumar but it contains several pictures and icons, which have been taken from other websites. All pictures, trademarks, icons and logos are acknowledged as the properties of their owners. 

Awesome Run!! More to Come

ऐ राही, तू बस अब चलने की तैयारी कर

माना की तुझमें कमियां हैं,
पर जिनको मिला वो कहाँ के सिकंदर थे,
बंदर-बाँट मची है यहां,
तू खड़ा रहा बाहर बस और वो ख़ज़ाने के अंदर थे,

तूने ना भीख मांगी,
ना छीना ना धमकाया,
पर हक़ का मिलेगा यहां,
हुआ सोचना तेरा ज़ाया,

कुछ नियम हैं ज़रूर इस खेल में,
नियम तोड़ सब तख़्त पर चढ़े हैं,
आईने बेच रहा है तू यहां मगर देख,
यहां तो सब अंधे हुए पड़ें हैं,

मिलता तुझे तो कुछ है नहीं,
काम, चिंता और आशाओं के बीच तू जूझता है,
मिलेगा भी कैसे जब,
नियम के पालन के लिए ही सही, तू सवाल बड़े पूछता है,

सवाल पूछने और काम करने वालों को,
कब मिला है अपना हक़,
हां-में-हां मिलाने और पीठ खुजाने से,
सब मिल जाता है यहां बेशक,

बदल कर अपने को रहने को तो यहां,
रह सकता है मगर,
तू ना बदलेगा मालूम है मुझे,
सो ऐ राही, तू बस अब यहां से,
चलने की तैयारी कर

Twitter is Character-Less

I may have said this in the past but what the hell, I would say it again. Twitter is the most annoying social media tool on planet earth. You go on social media to share what you think, what you feel about topics, issues that you are passionate about.  But what really happens over there? Twitter kills your thought process, passion and mood.

You write something passionately and then realize that you have crossed 140 character limits!! Then starts the process of shortening of words. 'The' becomes 'd', 'to' becomes '2', 'come' becomes 'cum' (!!!) and so on. Do not know about others but I hate writing like that. What am I...a teenage college girl?  

If, even after shortening the words, your tweet does not fall under permissible limit, then you start restructuring the sentences and removing certain word. For example, 'I would like to' becomes 'wud lik 2'.

And if, even after all that tactics, you are still not where you want to reach, you start the process of breaking your tweet into multiple shorter and permissible tweets. 

It is common to see intellectual and inspiring personalities tweeting like 'wht it wud b like 2'. It becomes difficult to get the real message as it is difficult to take such communication seriously. I like to share things that I am passionate about. However, instead of sharing what I really feel, I start worrying about how to win this Twitter character-limit game!!!

Dnt lik dis....2 frstratng!!!

Saare jahaan se accha....

Yesterday, an Air India jet was hit and damaged by a catering truck at Newark airport. AI is seeking compensation from Ports Authority of New York and New Jersey, who manage the Newark Airport. 

However, most interesting bit is the statement of a Senior Pilot, "Such things like aircraft getting hit by ground vehicles or passenger boarding ramps flying around during strong storms are common at Indian airports. But something like this happening in New York is unimaginable"!!! 

Point to Ponder - 2

Superhero fans come in all shapes, sizes and age groups. I, for that matter, am not a superhero fan. If I have to select the superhero that I like the most, I would probably go with the 'HULK'. 'Who is the best superhero?' is an argument that I have witnessed on multiple occasions. But has anyone ever thought about who is the shittiest superhero? Some can fly, some can stretch, some have super bikes/cars. My answer to that question is, without any doubt, Spiderman. Just think what will happen to Spiderman if he is left in the middle of the desert. The stupid, useless bugger can only try to walk home and in the process, he would die!!! Isn't it?

Point to Ponder - 1

I see a lot of women buying and carrying 'Pepper Sprays' these days. I am curious to know how do they make out that the product that they have purchased is actually effective? What if bogus companies are selling water filled sprays? One may not ever find out. After all, what are the odds that one would actually use the spray?

Drinker's Club...Good Old Symphony Days!!!

Siem Reap

All the best Manish Pandey

Times of India has published a nice article on Manish Pandey. I have always liked the young cricketer. He definitely has the technique for International cricket. However, he probably lacks the temperament and of course the experience. He should take a leaf from Robin Uthappa's book, who was on the same boat but have now become much more consistent. I hope Manish Pandey makes his debut in International cricket pretty soon.

Manager of the Year!!!

Here is a story of a Manager and what you can learn from them (at your own risk);

1. In 2013, the Manager gave double promotion to a guy (let's say Mr. Toyota), who screwed up a project with the largest client. Learning 1: Quality and successful delivery of consulting projects are secondary priorities!!! Indeed. After all, in research and consulting environment, such attributes do not have a place!!!
2. The Manager acknowledged that the project was a disaster but reasoned that Mr. Toyota has helped in generating sales of over USD 1M. Fair enough. However, it was pointed out to the Manager that the sales executive was the one who contributed most to those sales. She was awarded for the same as well. Is it not double accounting of some sort that two people are getting rewarded for the exact same dollar contribution. The Manager said that "ya.....but Mr. Toyota is older than everyone else in the team". Learning 2: Over here, year of birth is a key criteria for promotions!!!
3. Whenever there is a complex project, the Manager looks for more 'able' and 'competent' resources in the team. To quote him, "Mr. Toyota would not be able to execute such projects. I typically hand him projects that require mere coordination by a Japanese resource". And the Manager has said such a thing for Mr. Toyota (who is the second senior most member in the team) on multiple occasions. Learning 3: It is not important to create a team where juniors look up to their seniors. If the senior is a nincompoop, it does not matter!!!
4. 2012 was a good year. The market handled by Mr. Toyota was a key contributor. And the client, whose project was royally screwed by Mr. Toyota, was a big contributor as well. In 2013, the client refused to work with the company. There was no business from them. As a result (and due to other factors), the market and the region did not meet its target. And due to that, the Manager have low increments to 'everyone' and no one got promoted. Learning 4: It is okay to penalize others or everyone for the fuck ups done by one or few!!! After all, certain chosen ones are the ones who matter and they should be protected, even at the cost of others.
5. There are several team members in this region. Most of them are based in Malaysia. Few are in Singapore. Out of them, one manages Thailand, Indonesia and neighboring countries. Mr. Toyota manages a far off market. Another senior resource works from Australia. He handles Korea. They spent considerable money on the travel, which is fairly regular. If the team gets shitty increments and no promotions, the Manager is quick to point that the team did not meet its target. However, if these senior resources move to their markets or to Malaysia, which is a much cheaper location, the bottomline would improve. The team may also be able to hire 1-2 good resources in the dollars that are saved. And with the freed-up bandwidth, the team can focus upon generating more business. So, the question is.....is there a reason why these people are sitting in costlier locations....well, other than preferential treatment? Of course there 'must' be. Learning 5: If faced with tough questions, give lengthy nonsensical explanations, put the blame on Partner/President or make promises that you are not intending to keep.
6. In team meetings, the Manager shows performance of resources on key parameters like utilization. However, he does not share the details of ALL team members. The details of the 'elite' few are suspiciously missing when he discusses the individual performances. Learning 6: Tell the commoners that they are not doing well so that they do not question later. They cannot question the deals given to the elite as there are no stats available!!!
7. An employee has been raising the issue of his promotion to the Manager since last 2 years. The first year, the Manager said that the employee is not eligible as he has spent very little time with the company. Later, when the employee pointed that others with fewer time spent in the company have been promoted, the Manager blamed the HR and other BU leaders. Then the Manager told the employee that he would get promoted the next year. The next year, the employee was again overlooked. When questioned, the Manager shared certain KPIs on which the employee was judged. However, those KPIs were never shared with the employee. They were different from the KPIs that were shared with him at the beginning of the year!!! Learning 7: If you do not want to give a better deal to an individual, Step 1: promise him/her something so that he/she shuts up for a year. Step 2: Set KPIs so that he/she believes that you are serious about your promise. Step 3: Later, do not give him/her the deal they are looking for and introduce 'hidden' and "most important" KPIs. Step 4: If he/she is dissatisfied, make additional promises like monetary gains and buy time. Step 5: Do not fulfill the additional promises as well and give another set of lengthy nonsensical explanations or put the blame on HR and/or Partners. Step 6: Buy a BMW!!!

Disappointing Selections

Indian selectors picked up the teams for the ODI series in Bangladesh as well as the 5 Test series in England. The team that has been picked for Bangladesh has several new faces and that is a good thing. It lacks experience but if the players play to their true potential, they should be able to overcome the challenge of a full-strength Bangladesh side. Uthappa makes a comback, after a splendid run in the IPL. Tiwary is back. Kedar Jadhav, a heavy scorer in the domestic circuit has been given a nod and that is a positive sign. 

There are indeed a few names that probably do not make that much sense and probably there were better alternatives available. However, at the end of the day, it is a series against Bangladesh. Who gives a damn!!!

The England-bound team, on the other hand, is extremely important. Firstly, it is a five match test series,  which is a rare event in case of India. There are three reasons that I can think of - (a) England has started to take Indian team seriously (b) ECB is interested in the monetary benefits. After all, matches with India means higher number of eyes watching the matches and (c) England wants to improve their test ranking. They beat us all ends up the last time. Whatever may be the reasons (or combination of reasons), it is a significant tour.

Selectors have done the right thing by selecting Gambhir for the tour, as the reserve opener. He may play a bigger role than a 'reserve' opener as Dhawan's technique would be tested in the swinging conditions that England presents.

The other thing that the selectors have done is that they have picked a 18 man (!!!) squad. Probably, the potential injuries to the players after the gruelling IPL tournament was the reason behind the thought process. The last time around, the injury list was pretty big.

Selectors have loaded the team with pace options. The usual suspects are there. Bhuvaneswar Kumar and Mohamad Shami have obviously been included. Ishant Sharma has been picked as well and it is a shame that we cannot see beyond him. For how long would the selectors go merely by potential? Performances need to be considered as well. Ishwar Pandey has been selected and he seems like an interesting and exciting prospect. Varun Aaron, for his extra pace, is an interesting selection. 

However, the last pace option is baffling. Why Pankaj Singh? Or probably, a better question is, who is Pankaj Singh? He may have had a good domestic season but is clearly not the kind of bowler who is likely to trouble English batsmen. Better options are available. Considering the swinging conditions, selectors could have gone with Dhawal Kulkarni, though he had a pretty average run in the IPL. However, performances in IPL (good or bad) should not be the yardstick for selection of a test side. Umesh Yadav is also a better choice than Pankaj Singh. Since  Praveen Kumar is now fit (and has served his informal ban on disciplinary grounds), he should have been considered. Afterall, he was by far our best bowler in the last tour to England.

The most 'surprising' selection is of course Stuart Binny. He has not even played a test match in India. In the limited chances that he has got in the ODI side, he has not done anything exceptional. His performance in the last domestic season was indeed good but there were better performances. Manish Pandey did well. If they were looking for an allrounder then Irrfan Pathan would have been a much better option. Another option was Abhishek Nayar. He had a decent run in the domestic season with the bat as well as ball. Moreover, he looks a better option for test cricket that Stuart Binny. Binny's military medium pace is not likely to be a very useful option in England. I guess his father's friendship the chairman of selection committee has played a role here.

Now when the teams have been selected, I hope everyone comes up with a great performance. This time around, we must give a better performance than the last tour to England (4-0 drubbing). 

Shahid

Started the day with an extremely well-made and thought-provoking movie. SHAHID is based on the story of lawyer Shahid Azmi, who was killed at the age of 32. He was known to fight for people wrongly accused in cases of terrorism. Brilliant performances by the entire cast. A must watch!!!

The Real Veeru Paaji Finally Stood Up!!

I am glad that KXIP have got the momentum back. In the past few games, they did not look like the invincible side that they were in at least the first half of the tournament.  And super happy that Veeru Paaji came to the party like only he can. When he hits something (read Dhoni/CSK)....it stays hit!!!!

100% FDI in Defence

As per an article in Times of India, the Narendra Modi government is planning to allow up to 100% foreign investment in defence production, in a bid to send a strong signal to global investors as well as to try and move the production base of some equipment into the country. 

This must be allowed. India needs to improve its defence infrastructure and bring efficiency in current defence production. The return on per dollar spent would increase. In the long run, the defence expenditure can be reduced without compromising on quantity and quality.

Also Read: Indian Defense Sector: 10,000 Feet View.html

Action Grids

Ananya's 1st Sports Day

Fun with Coins

Singapore Trip

Pool Time