from Photographers Blog:
Before a ball is bowled
Reuters Photographer Parivartan Sharma takes us to the town of Meerut, north of Delhi, where cricket balls are still being made the old-fashioned way - by hand. India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will co-host the 2011 Cricket World Cup starting on February 19.
The Making Of A Cricket Ball - Cricket World Cup Preview from Vivek Prakash on Vimeo.
Are Muslims of troubled Kashmir treated unfairly by Indians?
Parvez Rasool, a Kashmiri cricketer, was briefly detained in Bangalore on suspicion of carrying explosives, an incident which triggered anger in the Muslim-dominated Kashmir valley.
This is not an isolated case.
Earlier actor and model Tariq Dar, a Kashmiri Muslim, was mistakenly imprisoned in New Delhi for weeks for having terror links. But Dar was later found innocent.
Delhi University lecturer S.A.R. Geelani, a Kashmiri, was even awarded the death sentence in connection with the 2001 Parliament attack case, but was later released.
Are Kashmiri Muslims, weary of decades of violence, treated unfairly by Indian authorities in different parts of the country?
The Kashmiri cricketer’s detention did not go down well in the strife-torn region, where anti-India sentiment still runs deep.
Rasool’s detention comes at a time when New Delhi has decided to resume peace talks with the leadership of the Himalayan region aimed at ending over 60 years of dispute.
Rajeev, you were right in pointing out the fallacy in thought. Its easy to denigrate our security forces but, we’ve to understand that those people live by hours, locking eyeballs with the enemy.
And this goes to the detractors-If you have to raise a din, do it for accountability, do it for better methods of policing, don’t just spew venom on the men in olive green. I think its high time the citizens cooperate with the government- else, if the nefarious designs of the terrorists succeed- they may not have a government to complain against.
Pakistan cricket plunges into crisis
It’s just not cricket.
Ducking for cover as bullets replaced bouncers… players evacuated in a military helicopter that lands right next to a 22-yard pitch… the same strip at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium that saw Thilan Samaraweera score a double century the previous evening.
Samaraweera was hit on his leg during an audacious attack by armed militants on a convoy taking his team to the venue, an attack that left six cricketers injured and more than half-a-dozen Pakistani security personnel killed.
The world of cricket will never be the same again.
More worrying is the fate of Pakistani cricket. Tours to Pakistan were already a trickle with teams like Australia refusing to travel.
The matches against Sri Lanka came after more than a year of near pariah status. And even this tour was hastily arranged after India pulled out post-26/11.
After months of shadow boxing and pulled punches, the ICC had to suspend international cricket in Pakistan.
being an indian,i can’t thank God enough that india cancelled its tour of Pakistan.God knows what would have happened to them.Maybe the incident was top show how deep terrorism has reached into the core of Pakistan.
All the same i also feel sorry for the Pakistani public and people…Pakistan has always enjoyed and has been good at cricket.Now without any tours,PCB will find it difficult to maintain pakistani cricket at its current standards.
Can Jeev become India’s Major Singh?
Last week’s Singapore Open triumph once again revealed Jeev Milkha Singh’s talent, temperament and burning desire to excel.
Singh kept his cool in the final few holes despite major winners Padraig Harrington of Ireland and South African Ernie Els breathing down his neck, both one good putt away from forcing a playoff.
Title number three for the year came despite requiring the physio’s attention for a stiff neck and back. The pain did not stop him from becoming the first million-dollar man in a single season in the fast-growing Asian Tour. This has virtually made sure he will top the money list for a second time, after claiming the 2006 Order of Merit.
Singh, regarded as the pioneer among India’s professional golfers, finished tied ninth in this year’s U.S. PGA Championship on an Oakland Hills Country Club, Michigan course dubbed “The Monster” by Ben Hogan.
A huge achievement for Indian golf, it was drowned in the celebrations that followed the success of another Chandigarh sportsman. Shooter Abhinav Bindra it was, who won India’s first individual Olympic gold medal within hours of Singh’s excellent finish.
Into the top 50 in the world ranking, Singh is expected to figure in all four majors next year.
Will 2009 be the year when India’s own Singh emulates his Fijian namesake Vijay Singh by bagging a Major?
He has gained confidence and does not look scared or intimidated when he is teeing off with other champions.
Dont know if he can be a Masters winner but definitely he has the power to get indians to start watching Golf on weekends.
Parivartan, Vivek and Danish, thanks for the insight into this shiny, red and perfectly rounded world. Looking forward to the cricket world cup