Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) T20 Cricket League Risks Mega Failure

I would love to be proven wrong and see the Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) 20-20 cricket league be successful. The MPL concept sure had the potential, but unfortunately the format and packaging makes it seem like the MPL will not deliver. Read more

Does the government have the right to refuse security to an Indian citizen or business?

The Indian Premier League security fiasco had me wondering if it is within the Indian constitution for a government to refuse security to a legal Indian citizen or enterprise. I am no constitution expert, but I would expect providing security of life and property to it’s citizens to be one of the founding principles of the constitution. It is the primary job of the government and there’s no way it can shirk the responsibility. If a government says that it lacks the ability to provide security to its citizens and enterprise, is it legal for the government to continue in power?

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Tendulkar Creates Something That Would Last For Centuries

Tendulkar today created something that might well last for 100s of years. No, not the record for the highest number of runs in Test cricket

Sachin Tendulkar today gave a super quote. When asked about the severe criticism he has faced in recent times, he said “Success is about turning those stones (thrown at you) into milestones”. Though not known for his ability to provide quotable quotes, I think Sachin Tendulkar might just have given the English language a quote that would last for centuries. I did some searches and don’t see this line attributed to anyone else.

So you might well have people in say the year 2200 use the line “Success is about turning stones into milestones” and know nothing about a certain Sachin Tendulkar who coined the line in 2008.


Finally, heartiest congratulations to Sachin, the special son of India on reaching the zenith of the sport of cricket. There are many things apart from his cricket that are admirable about the little man. Except for his apparent following of some hocus pocus god men, can’t think of anything about him that’s not admirable. He’s certainly one of the very few people in public life that Indians respect and look up to. Wishing him the very best!

Modern Day Maharajas?

Ministers are behaving like kings, giving away public money at their whims and fanciesPost the T20 world cup, Dhoni is said to be making crores more and every other cricketer is making lakhs more. Good for them and best wishes to them. However something that isn’t good for us, is how our tax money was blown by every government in the country during the post world cup money distribution ceremonies. I have nothing against good old Ajit Agarkar or the promising Rohit Sharma, but I think it was not right of the State government to dole out 20 lakhs of tax payer’s money.
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Cricket coverage on TV – Channels are milking the game dry

Have you been watching the India – England cricket matches on DD or on Sahara One? It doesn’t really matter as both channels are doing a pathetic job. Almost every over you miss the first ball as you are still viewing an ad while poor Pathan or Harbhajan is bowling his heart out to try and entertain you.

The last ball is actually even funnier as the batsman hits the ball to a fielder and as soon as the fielder touches the ball and it seems like there’s no run, you get an ad. So if there’s a runout or an overthrow happening in the background, the channel doesn’t think it’s that important for you to watch it live.

It’s painful that the channels are getting away with this and holding the nation to ransom. Cricket being the only popular sport in India, millions of Indians have no choice but to bear the torture.

Isn’t it part of the BCCI’s job to ensure that the channels stick to certain telcast standards? The administrators of the richest cricket board in the world are so busy with petty politics, grabbing power and ad money that they have no time for the game or its fans.

Cricket fans just don’t matter in India. Pack them into a stadium like a can of sardines with no water, no food, no shade and they will still pay to get to the stadium. Provide pathetic coverage on TV and the fans will accept it.
I had written about this to every Doordarshan admin email id I could find on the net and cced it to IndianTelevision.com. Of course no one ever replied.

Recently Zee grabbed the rights to some future cricket series. That’s just more bad news. As apart from ESPN-Star with Harsha Bhogle, Sunil Gavaskar… the other channels are just plain incompetent when it comes to broadcasting cricket matches.

So what I hope this blog will do is that you the reader will also bombard the channels with mails / phone / fax whatever and let them know that you are displeased. Below is a list of email and phone numbers that you can use. I have already written to most of the emails stated below. Don’t expect a reply but in all probability your mail will at least be read. Or just call the channel office.

** Indian Television Dot Com Pvt.Ltd.
317/318/319, Kuber Complex, Opp. Laxmi Ind. Estate, New Link Road, Andheri(W), Mumbai-53, India.
Email : television@vsnl.com, webmaster@indiantelevision.com.
Telephone: 91-22-26730660, 26730659, 26740642, 26740643
Fax: 91-22-26740644

** Sahara ONE
http://www.sahara-one.com/contactus.html
feedback@sahara-one.com

** Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
http://mib.nic.in/informationb/contactus/contact.asp

** Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI)
Apparently they do not have an official website. Crazy but true. The politician infested body doesn’t have the time to create a useful website for the public.

** STAR TV INDIA
New Delhi
1st Floor, Central Wing, Thapar House
124 Janpath, New Delhi 110001, India
Tel: (91 11) 5249 4900
Fax: (91 11) 5104 9490
Website: www.star.co.in

** ESPN STAR
http://www.espnstar.com/corporate/contactus/corpo_contactus.html

** ZEE Sports

REGISTERED OFFICE
Zee Sports Limited
Continental Bldg, 135, Dr. Annie Besant Road,
Worli Mumbai 400 018 INDIA
Tel: (+91 22) 5697 1234

CORPORATE OFFICE

Zee Sports Limited
FC 18, Sector 16 A Film City
NOIDA UP 201 301 INDIA
Tel: (+91 120) 248 8101
FAX: (+91 120) 248 8110
info@zeesports.co.in

** Doordarshan

Download an Excel Sheet from http://www.ddindia.gov.in/Information/Contact+Us and you will get phone numbers and eail addresses to all DD centers across India. Note that their multiple sheets in the Excel file.