Magic of 09/09/09

Really interesting times......

All set for kick-off

Its finally upon us. With just hours to go.

Euphoria rocks TVM 4 GECBH

It was really a once in a lifetime opportunity for all Trivandrumwallas as Euphoria came to rock the city last Sunday, 15 Feb. It was really a proud occasion for all Bartonities as it was the first time Euphoria was coming for a concert in Trivandrum, all thanks to GEC Barton Hill. However, the show didn't match the hype surrounding their arrival- in fact; their LIVE performance beat all the pre-arrival hype hands down. They once again proved that they are still the best Indian hindi band. Their concept of Hindrock instead of Indipop is still the inspiration for hordes of other bands. It began with a bit of suspense as Palash was missing from the stage causing lots of oohs and aahs from the audience. However, our panic was to be short lived (thankfully) as Palash was greeted to wild cheers from the crowd. He began with a dhoom (not bang) as we were treated to dhoom Pichuk straightaway. Palash began with his trademark one-liner" aaj kya baith ke hi gaana sunna hai". It was enough to turn the crowd on. What followed was more than 3 hours of non-stop dhoom. They sang all their hit numbers including Dhoom pichuk, Ab na jaa,Aana meri gulli,Maeeri,Soneya. It was not just about their songs, they also sang many recent and old songs like Mera laundry, Dil se, Dil chahta hai...with aplomb. Not to mention some English numbers incl. Rock U. Palash and co. are damn good performers and they know how to sync with the audience. They kept raising 'GEC ki Jaiiiiiiiii' slogans. Whatz more, they even sang a Malayalam song 'Karale' to make the crowd go totally wild.Indeed, it was one hell of a night for all those who were present there courtesy GEC Barton Hill. You might get an idea by checking this video and photos.

Really, one had to be there get the feel. They finished the concert in true desi style by chanting ' Bharat Mata Ki Jaiiiiiiii". What sets them apart from other bands is that they are Indian in every sense of the word. The way they mix the tabla with the guitar is truly incredible. I reaaally do hope that they would release a new album as soon as possible. Keeping fingers crossed.

Towards an uniform calendar

With the success of IPL, cricket boards around the world began chalking out their plans for creating their own cricket T20 leagues. Though nothing concrete has come out, the mushrooming of cricket leagues would begin sooner than later. ECB’s EPL, a T20 league for southern hemisphere and in the pipeline and are expected to slog off (rather than kick off) from 2010-11. And all are demanding a separate window for them. Surely this would lead to choked calendar. Therein in lies a serious problem. The ICC must act instead of allowing all and sundry to shift the blame on the BCCI. Come on, one must accept the fact that the IPL has added n (not just 1) new dimensions to the world of cricket. The concept of franchise or club cricket looks really promising. The future holds immense possibilities. However, it must be controlled effectively. Here are some of my ideas.

1.      There must be 3-3.5 month calendar free of international cricket for domestic cricket. It could run from Mar-May.

2.      All the T20 leagues should be played at the same time. A player can play only for one team or league like their football counterparts in Europe. This would help creating a loyal fan base.

3.      50-over format can also be protected by promoting it the franchise leagues around the world. A knockout or round-robin cum knockout 50-over tournament between IPL teams should definitely be interesting.

4.      The franchise or club system will help in the globalization of the games. With the creation of multiple leagues around the world, talent scouts will be forced to look beyond the Test world. Talented cricketers from Nepal, Afghanistan, Ireland, Fiji etc. where there is good interest for cricket can play in the leagues.

5.      1-1.5 month of the 3-3.5 months calendar should be preserved for domestic cricket. The finals of the Ranji or Pura Cup can be played with the full availability of international stars.