Camkerala win first game of green winter sport season

by Girish Menon

On the first day of the green winter* sport season CamKerala beat Burrows Green (from Newmarket) by 18 runs thanks to good performances by Austin, Vincent, Shinto, Jijo and a two wickets off two balls burst by Manuel. The game played at the Hills Road Sports Centre cricket pitch off Sedley Taylor Road, had a good pavilion but a slow pitch with small square boundaries and a heavy outfield.

Vincent won the toss and elected to bat. In the third over Vibin tried an uppish on drive which refused to spill out of short midwicket's hands. Girish and Austin played the next 7-8 overs carefully seeing off a good offspinner. At the first bowling change, Girish tried an expansive drive and was bowled by a slower ball. this led to a minor collapse with Austin and Manuel following Girish back to the pavilion. Vincent steadied the ship on one side, while Anil dispatched his first two balls for six over the midwicket area, one of the balls went on the railway tracks and a new ball had to be used. Anil perished in his cavalier way and then a good partnership between Vincent and Shinto rescued Camkerala. Govind in his debut match of proper cricket, as against the rubber ball cricket that he played before, managed 11 runs and the rest of the team folded quietly on 135 in 35 overs.

A good batting partnership by the opening pair of Burrows Green had CamKerala worried as they reached 55 runs without any loss. At this point Shinto held a well judged catch off Austin and the first breakthrough was achieved. Then Manuel in his first over bowled two batsmen off consecutive balls and was unlucky to miss a hat trick. Jijo then held an excellent catch on the square leg boundary and another  at point which allowed Austin to get a 5 wicket haul. Vincent then bowled well to get the tail end wickets. There was some panic towards the end as the scores got close but when Vincent bowled the last man there was relief all around. Joshy laboured hard on the field and Matthews was unlucky not get any wickets in his six overs.

Overall, it was an auspicious start to the season. To look at the positives, Austin and Vincent bowled good lengths which resulted in wickets. Shinto and Jijo held good catches which turned the game. But the old frailty of not batting the entire 40 overs seems to persist and this is a cause for concern. Nonetheless a win is a win.

*Green Winter - An African writer explaining the weather in North Europe stated that there were two seasons here. White winter and green winter. He said he preferred the white winter because they'd put on the heaters. This writer turned up for this game wearing thermals.

Is James Andersen an Alan Sked of English cricket?

Girish Menon

You might wonder what is the relationship between James Andersen the cricketer and Dr. Alan Sked the original founder of the UK Independence Party (UKIP)?  Prima facie, not a lot; one is a cricketer with not much connection with academia and the other is a tenured historian at the London School of Economics. But look closer and you can find both of them living in the past.

I attended Dr. Sked’s history lectures many moons ago. He was a fine orator and I fondly remember him after so many years, His pet theme was the greatness of the British Empire and the downward spiral of the UK since World War II especially with the increasing integration of erstwhile enemies into the European Union. At one of our social do’s we had the following conversation:

‘Alan, the UK needs a clock that rotates backwards’

‘Why?’ he asked

‘Because you seem to be forever living in the past’

‘Girish, do you know who you are talking to? I will be marking your papers in the summer’

‘Alan I am not from colonial India, I am from a more confident India’….

I had been out of touch with Dr. Sked until his proposal to start a UKIP of the left – however this proposal did not see the light of day at least not in the form Dr. Sked envisaged. Today's early morning reverie however linked Dr. Sked with James Andersen a great English bowler. Andersen, whose career appears fast fading, criticised the Indian captain Virat Kohli on the day he scored 235 runs. Kohli’s over 600 runs in four test matches has Andersen unimpressed. He suggested that Kohli is not so much an improved batsman, as a batsman playing in conditions that do not exploit his "technical deficiencies".

"I'm not sure he's changed," Anderson said. "I just think any technical deficiencies he's got aren't in play out here. The wickets just take that out of the equation.

"We had success against him in England, but the pace of the pitches over here just take any flaws he has out of the equation. There's not that pace in the wicket to get the nicks, like we did against him in England with a bit more movement. Pitches like this suit him down to the ground.”

"When that's not there, he's very much suited to playing in these conditions. He's a very good player of spin and if you're not bang on the money and don't take your chances, he'll punish you. We tried to stay patient against him, but he just waits and waits and waits. He just played really well."

Andersen, like Dr. Sked, loves to invoke the past when he does not wish to deal with the current reality. Virat Kohli may indeed fail on his next trip to England in 2018 on England’s doctored pitches. But Andersen could be a little less churlish, live in the present and share some of the Yuletide spirit.

Economics for Non Economists 1: What is a free market economy?

by Girish Menon

Suma, you have asked a really fundamental question and I will try to answer it in two parts viz;

-         What is a market economy?

And

-         What does free mean in the context of free market economy?

So let’s start with the first aspect – What is a market economy?

The activity of buying or selling a good is called a market transaction or a market activity. Thus a market is a set of arrangements where goods are exchanged for money.

Today most countries in the world adopt the market model for the production and consumption of goods and services. They believe in the Adam Smith quote, ‘It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.’

Google Dictionary defines self interest (own interest) as ‘one's personal interest or advantage, especially when pursued without regard for others.’ Some economics texts assume that the self interest of a goods producer is to earn profits whereas the self interest of a consumer is to maximise her happiness by paying for goods she requires.

Adam Smith’s theory expects citizens in an economy to be both producers and consumers of goods. As a producer you are expected to generate a profit from your toils. You, as a consumer, are expected to use the profits to buy other goods to live your life.

Based on the above logic, market theory predicts that if all the citizens of an economy are left to pursue their self interest then it will result in the automatic production of all goods and services that citizens require in order to be happy.

Though Adam Smith preferred the word ‘invisible hand’, I have used the term automatic. Google dictionary defines automatic as ‘working by itself with little or no direct human control’. In other words producers make and sell goods which they think will be demanded and hope to profit from it. There is no authority other than their anticipation of consumer needs that guide their decision to produce and sell goods. Similarly, consumers pay for a good because they think it will make them happier and there is nobody telling them what to buy and consume.

Thus, a market economy would be an economy where the production and consumption of all/most goods and services is determined by the self interest of its producers and consumers. This system is also known as capitalism.

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So, what is a free market economy?

These days it’s not only the UK, USA etc. but many other countries who call themselves free market economies. But are they truly free market economies where the production and consumption of all goods are determined automatically with its citizens unabashedly following their self interest?

I notice that you seem to be shaking your head. Especially in this Covid climate you will have noticed the role that the UK government has played in your life and the way it has affected your pursuit of self interest and happiness. So what I will now do is list the conditions necessary for Adam Smith’s theory of the invisible hand to work:

1. There are many buyers for a good in the market and no buyer is large enough to get a discount on the price.
2. There are many small sellers of a good in the market and no seller is large enough to set its own price.
3. The goods produced and consumed are identical or homogeneous. In other words a consumer cannot recognise the producer of the good.
4. There must be freedom of entry to the market – or no barriers that prevent a potential producer from entering the market.
5. There must be freedom of exit from a market – if a producer wishes to quit a market then s/he should be able to do so freely and without any sunk costs.
6. There must be perfect knowledge. Producers must have full knowledge of the technologies used by its rivals and consumer preferences. Consumers must be aware of the short and long term benefits and costs from consuming a good.
7. The factors of production must be mobile. It means that the land, workers, machines used for producing a good should be easily redeployed to producing any other good when demand changes,
8. There must be no transport costs.
9. There must be independence in decision making. No external forces affect the decision making ability of producers and sellers.
10. No externalities. The act of production and consumption based on self interest should not result in benefits or costs to third parties.

I am sure that after you have read the above conditions you will agree that neither the UK economy nor for that matter the Indian economy is anywhere close to being a free market economy. I don't think there is a single economy in the whole world that satisfies most of the conditions of a free market.

I will now let Ha Joon Chang have the final word on free markets:

“The free market (economy) does not exist. Every market has some rules and boundaries (by governments) that restrict freedom of choice. A market looks free only because we so unconditionally accept its underlying restrictions that we fail to see them. How ‘free’ a market is cannot be objectively defined. It is a political definition. The usual claim by free market economists that they are trying to defend the market from politically motivated interference by the government is false. Government is always involved and those free-marketeers are as politically motivated as anyone. Overcoming the myth that there is such a thing as an objectively defined ‘free market’ is the first step towards understanding capitalism.’

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• When I presented this article to Suma she said, 'Girish, you have not understood my question. I meant where can I find the free goods that should by definition be there in a free market?' 

'Yasir Shah is the best bowler in the world, he's ranked no. 2 in the ICC rankings'.

by Girish Menon

There is no better friend than an England Test match when you are lying in bed unable to get out of it physically but mentally still alive. The recently concluded test match was such a friend as I recovered from an ailment. But this piece is about cricket and not my ailments and here are some of the things that I noticed in the radio commentary:

1. Ramiz Raja is the family's favourite commentator. He was critical of Shoaib Malik and his use of a leg slip, "Why is Shoaib using a leg slip, he should attack more on the onside, maybe he should bring a silly mid-off".

He also said the following in the same breath, 'Yasir Shah is the best bowler in the world, he's ranked no. 2 in the ICC rankings'.

2. They were extra harsh on the English spinners viz. Ali, Rashid and Patel while similar harshness was visited on English batsmen who collapsed for the 18th time in 25. Joe Root's failure to deliver was never mentioned.

3. The name of KP was not discussed.

4. The statistician Andrew Sampson was awesome with his brilliant comparisons, especially the possibility that Hafeez might break Bannerman's record of the highest contribution by a player to the team total.

5. Tuffers was awesome with his take on National Cliche day. That's when I realised that all language is cliche and Britons seem to revel in it.

A Factory or an Ashram?

By Girish Menon

In the Malayalam cult classic Chintavishtayaya Shyamala, Mukundan the protagonist wishes for a carefree life playing and hanging out with friends despite having a wife and two school going daughters. As the pressure grows, from his wife and other members of his extended family, to change his ways Mukundan runs away to an ashram where the sadhus are known to meditate for moksha (release from worldly cares). After 6-7 months at the ashram, the head sadhu (note the hierarchical corporate structure) invites Mukundan for an interview (6.17). The head sadhu mentions that Mukundan had not yet volunteered to either teach at an ashram school or offer to take care of the ashram cattle. In the following scene Mukundan mentions to a fellow sadhu, ‘I did not know this was a factory. If I had to work, I could have stayed in town and not come this far’.

Today, in an increasingly religious India, such ashrams seem to burgeon all over the land. Amazingly, these ashrams seem to be run by unpaid volunteers who work from 5 in the morning to 9 in the evening, seven days a week. Many of these volunteers are retired from corporate jobs and have chosen to spend the rest of their lives obeying the diktats of a saffron clad guru and his managers. More importantly, these volunteers claim that their minds are at peace doing seva (service) for the guru.

There might be some inner need which the ashram job seems to fulfil and which the modern corporations are unable to do so with their workforce. I have seen some of these ashram volunteers complain incessantly when they were working at their corporate jobs. Today, the same person uses all her waking hours advancing the cause of the ashram without any material gain. Some of them have been known to give up their personal homes and even pay rent to the ashram for an opportunity to provide seva.

Of course, there is a difference in the profile of the volunteer as compared to the corporate worker. The volunteers are usually retired, have an empty nest and are at a loss to spend their waking hours. The corporate workers are younger, aspirational, have demanding partners and kids and are perennially short of time.

David Cameron, the former British Prime Minister, made a good point that volunteers need to be encouraged to take over large sections of society. This has increased the number of volunteers running sports clubs, charities etc. in the UK.  Usually, some of the older volunteers bring a lot of worldly experience which could enable their voluntary organisations to perform better than with younger paid employees. In India, the saffron clad gurus have shown their smartness by recruiting such zero-cost volunteers to enhance their corporate goals. However, this begs the bigger question i.e. is India forcibly retiring its experienced workforce too soon?

Assumptions of Modern Science

by Girish Menon

Modern science is founded on the belief in the Genesis, that nature was created by a law-giving God and so we must be governed by "laws of nature".

Equally important was the belief that human beings are made in the image of God and, as a consequence, can understand these "laws of nature".

What do scientists have to say to that?

I say all scientists are therefore Judeo-Christian in their beliefs.

Why should we shoot ourselves in the foot by not playing Pakistan?

by Girish Menon

Tarek Fatah (a Pakistan exile and Indophile) has often lamented the lack of strategic thinking among India’s elite who are obsessed with a mercantilist (baniya in Hindi) worldview. He opined that so long as the Indian intelligentsia was preoccupied with profit and becoming CEOs, the suicide bombers of Islam will always have an edge on the Indian nation. I was reminded of this viewpoint when I heard Vinod Rai the head of BCCI (Indian cricket board) say:

“Why should we shoot ourselves in the foot by not playing (Pakistan in the cricket world cup)? We should seek their ouster and remove them from the cricketing committee.” (Indian Express 23/02/2019)

I interpret Mr. Rai as saying that ‘we (the cricket-business complex) don’t want to take any monetary losses on an issue of grave national concern.’

So what will happen if this view prevails is that there will be a lot of jingoism in the form of advertisements, flag sales etc leading to the match and the business interests will count their profits while flaunting their patriotic fervour.

The BCCI is the cricket world’s dominant body. Also, it has a force-majeure national event (Pulwama blasts) that it could use in its defence for boycotting the Pakistan game. Despite all this power, and when other Indian sports bodies have taken a stand and paid the price, the failure of BCCI to boycott the Pakistan game exposes its mercantilist nature.

This pattern of behaviour is not unique to the cricket-business complex. Some Bollywood nationalists continue to peddle their wares in Pakistan with Manikarnika still showing in Pakistan cinemas.

There could be many other business interests that continue to do business as usual with Pakistan and still stoke the fires of revenge by the military.

This also reminds me of the NIMBY (Not in my Backyard) argument. These better off nationalists do not mind ordinary Indians being sacrificed in a military conflict with Pakistan so long as their own profits from trade with Pakistan continue uninterrupted.

I too am faced with a similar dilemma. I have a student of Pakistani origin who has a crucial exam coming up soon. Should I stop my tuition and stop him from excelling in the exam just to make a point? But as a trained economist I too have come up with an ‘on the other hand argument’ which satisfies my mercantilist worldview. 

What is a market?

What is a market? asked a Russian
It is a form of coordination
Where many producers
Meet demands of consumers
Using profit as a consideration

Copyright - Girish Menon

Christian India

by Girish Menon 

I studied in a Christian school

I speak and think in English

I have crossed the ocean

I eat animals and the holy cow

Am I a Hindu?

The government regulates my temples

'Free will' applies to the church

Ghar wapasi is frowned upon

Love crusade is the norm

How do I practise as a Hindu?

Christian India, Christian India

No Hindus left in Christian India

India’s constitution is secular

But look at the demographic change

The army of Jesus grows faster

With their offshore bureaucratic might

 How do I survive as a Hindu?

The Congress party hates us

So do the Communists,

Muslims and Dalits

The parliament loves Americans,

free marketers and evangelists

How do I survive as a Hindu?

Christian India, Christian India

No Hindus left in Christian India

Africans and Koreans have seen the light

Many Chinese believe in Jesus

The Nagas all used their 'free will'

to embrace the Holy Father’s gospel

The missionaries work in stealth

How do I survive as a Hindu?

Christian India, Christian India

No Hindus left in Christian India

Do rich countries undermine democracies in developing countries? Economic History in Small Doses 3

Girish Menon*

The IMF led consortia (World Bank, WTO…), have represented the interests of the rich countries. Historically, they have advocated free market policies in developing countries. Whenever such weak economies got into economic trouble the consortia have insisted on harsh policy changes in return for their help. By such acts, are the rich countries really helping the growth of democracy in developing countries?

---Also read

1. Ideological Positions and Economic History

2. Is Corruption An Obstacle to Economic Growth? - Economic History in Small Doses 1

3. Are Democracy and Capitalism in Conflict? Economic History in Small Doses 2

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Free market policies have brought more areas of our life under the ‘one rupee one vote’ rule of the market. Let us examine some of these policies:

The argument is framed thus, “politics opens the door for perversion of market rationality; inefficient firms or farmers by lobbying their politicians for subsidies will impose costs on the rest of society that has to buy expensive domestic products.” The current farmers’ agitation in India is being tarried with this brush.

The free marketer’s solution is to ‘depoliticize’ the economy. They argue that the very scope of government activity should be reduced to a minimal state through privatisation and liberalisation. This is necessary, they argue, because the politicians are less competent and more corrupt. Hence, it is important for developing countries to sign up to international agreements like the WTO, bilateral/free trade agreements like RCEP or TPP so that domestic politicians lose their ability to take democratic decisions.

The main problem with this argument for depoliticization is the assumption that we definitely know the limits where politics should end and where economics should begin. This is a fundamental fallacy.

Markets are political constructs; the recognition of private ownership of property and other rights that underpin them have political origins. This becomes evident when viewed historically. For example: certain tribes have lived in the woods for centuries until the point when this land is sold off by the government to a private landowner and then these tribespeople now become trespassers on the same land. Or the re-designation of slaves from capital to labour was also a political act. In other words the political origins of economic rights can be seen in the fact that many of these rights that seem natural today were once hotly contested in the past.

Thus when free marketers propose de-politicizing the economy they argue that everybody else accept their demarcation between economics and politics. I agree with Ha Joon Chang when he argues that ‘depoliticization of policy decisions in a democratic polity means – let’s not mince our words – weakening democracy.’

In other words, democracy is acceptable to free-marketers only if it does not contradict their free market doctrine. They want democracy only if it is largely powerless. Deep down they believe that giving political power to those who do not have a stake in the free market system will result in an ‘irrational’ modification of property and other economic rights. And the free-marketers spread their gospel by subtly discrediting democratic politics without openly criticising democracy.

The consequences have been damaging in developing countries, where the free-marketers have been able to push through anti-democratic actions well beyond what would be acceptable in rich countries.

* Adapted and simplified by the author from Ha Joon Chang's Bad Samaritans - The Guilty Secrets of Rich Nations & The Threat to Global Prosperity

On Walking - Advice for a Fifteen Year Old

  

By Girish Menon

Only the other day at the Bedford cricket festival, Om, our fifteen year old cricket playing son, asked me for advice on what he should do if he nicked the ball and the umpire failed to detect it. Apparently, another player whose father had told him to walk had failed to do so and was afraid of the consequences if his father became aware of this code violation. At the time I told Om that it was his decision and I did not have any clear position in this matter. Hence this piece aims to provide Om with the various nuances involved in this matter. Unfortunately it may not act as a commandment, 'Thou shall always walk', but it may enable him to appreciate the diverse viewpoints on this matter.

In some quarters, particularly English, the act of playing cricket, like doing ethical business, has connotations with a moral code of behaviour. Every time a batsman, the most recent being Broad, fails to walk the moralists create a crescendo of condemnation and ridicule. In my opinion this morality is as fake as Niall Ferguson's claims on 'benevolent and enlightened imperialism'. Historically, the game of cricket has been played by scoundrels and saints alike and cheating at cricket has been rife since the time of the first batting superstar W G Grace.

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Also Read

Cricket and DRS - The Best is not the Enemy of the Good

Sreesanth - Another modern day Valmiki?

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Another theory suggests that the moral code for cricket was invented after World War II by English amateurs to differentiate them from the professionals who played the game for a living. This period also featured different dressing rooms for amateurs and professionals, there may also have been a third dressing room for coloured players. One could therefore surmise that 'walking' was a code of behaviour for white upper class amateurs who played the game for pleasure and did not have to bother about their livelihood.

This then raises the question should a professional cricketer walk?

Honore de Balzac once wrote, 'Behind every great fortune there is a crime'. Though I am not familiar of the context in which Balzac penned these words, I assume that he may have referred to the great wealth accumulated by the businessmen of his times. As a student and a teacher of economics I am of the conviction that at some stage in their evolution even the most ethical of businesses and governments may have done things that was not considered 'cricket'. The British during the empire building period was not ethical nor have been the Ambanis or Richard Branson.

So if I am the professional batsman, with no other tradable skill in a market economy with no welfare protection, travelling in a last chance saloon provided by a whimsical selection committee what would I do? I would definitely not walk, I'd think it was a divine intervention and try to play a career saving knock.

As you will see I am a sceptic whenever any government or business claims that it is always ethical just as much as the claims of walking by a Gilchrist or a Cowdrey.

I am more sympathetic to the Australian position that it is the umpire's job to decide if a batsman is out. Since dissent against umpiring decisions is not tolerated and there is no DRS at the lower echelons of cricket it does not make sense to walk at all. As for the old chestnut, 'It evens out in the end',  trotted out by wizened greats of the game I'd like to counter with an ancient Roman story about drowned worshippers narrated by NN Taleb in his book The Black Swan.

One Diagoras, a non believer in the gods, was shown painted tablets bearing the portraits of some worshippers who prayed, then survived a subsequent ship wreck. The implication was that praying protects you from drowning. Diagoras asked, 'Where were the pictures of those who prayed, then drowned?"

In a similar vein I wish to ask, 'Where are the batters who walked and found themselves out of the team?' The problem with the quote, 'It evens out in the end' is that it is used only by batters who survived. The views of those batters with good skills but who were not blessed with good fortune is ignored by this 'half-truth'.

So, Om, to help you make up your mind I think Kipling's IF says it best:

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch and toss

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

Then, you may WALK, my son! WALK!

There is another advantage, if you can create in the public eye an 'image' of an honest and upright cricketer. Unlike ordinary mortals, you will find it easier, in your post cricket life, to garner support as a politician or as an entrepreneur. The gullible public, who make decisions based on media created images, will cling to your past image as an honest cricketer and will back you with their votes and money. Then what you do with it is really up to you. Just watch Imran Khan and his crusade for religion and morality!

The writer plays for CamKerala CC in the Cambs league.

Why are Asians under represented in English cricket?

by Girish Menon

A recent ECB survey found that 30 % of the grass root level cricket players were of Asian origin while it reduces dramatically to 6.2 % at the level of first class county cricketers. Why?

When this question was asked to Moeen Ali, he opined among other things, "I also feel we lose heart too quickly. A lot of people think it is easy to be a professional cricketer, but it is difficult. There is a lot of sacrifice and dedication," While some may view Ali's views as suffering from the Stockholm syndrome, in my personal opinion it resembles the 'Lazy Japanese and Thieving Germans' metaphor highlighted by the economist Ha Joon Chang. Hence, Ali's views should not be confused with what in my perspective are some of the actual reasons why there is a dearth of Asian faces in county cricket.

The Cambridge economist Ha Joon Chang has acquired a global reputation as a myth buster and is a must read for all those who wish to contradict the dogmatic neoliberal consensus. Chapter 9 of Ha Joon Chang's old classic Bad Samaritans actually discusses this metaphor in detail. He quotes Beatrice Webb in 1911 describing the Japanese as having 'objectionable notions of leisure and a quite intolerable personal independence'. She was even more scathing about the Koreans: '12 millions of dirty, degraded, sullen, lazy and religionless savages who slouch about in dirty white garments...'  The Germans were typically described by the British as a 'dull and heavy people'. 'Indolence' was a word that was frequently associated with the Germanic nature.

But now that the economies of Japan, Korea and Germany have become world leaders such denigration of their peoples has disappeared. If Moeen Ali's logic was right then Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Indians living in their own countries should also not amount to much in world cricket. But the evidence is to the contrary. So the right question to ask would be why has English cricket not tapped into the great love for cricket among its citizens from the Indian subcontinent?

If it wants the truth, English cricket should examine the issue raised by the Macpherson report on 'institutional racism in the police' and ask if this is true in county cricket as well. Immigrants, as the statistics suggest, from the subcontinent can be found in large numbers in grassroots cricket from the time they joined the British labour force. There are many immigrants only cricket leagues in the UK, e.g in Bradford, where players of good talent can be found. But, as Jass Bhamra's father mentioned in the film Bend it Like Beckham they have not been allowed access to the system. Why, Yorkshire waited till the 1990s to select an Asian player for the first time.

----Also read

Failing the Tebbit test - Difficulties in supporting the England cricket team

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Of course, if the England team is intended to be made up of players of true English stock only then we need not have this discussion. Some of the revulsion towards Kevin Pietersen among some of the establishment could be better understood using this lens. However, now due to its dwindling base if the ECB  wishes to get the support of Asian cricket lovers it will have to transform the way the game is run.

Secondly, to make it up the ranks in English cricket it is essential to have an expensive well connected coach. Junior county selections are based on this network and any unorthodox talent would be weeded out at the earliest level either because of not having a private coach or because the technique is rendered untenable as it blots the copybook. So, many children of Asian origin from weaker economic backgrounds are weeded out by this network.

This is akin to the methods adopted by parents in the shires where grammar schools exist. Hiring expensive tutors for their wards is the middle class way of crowding out genuinely academic oriented students from weaker economic backgrounds. Better off Asians are equally culpable in distorting the grammar school system and its objectives.

So what could be done. I think positive discrimination is the answer. We only need to look at South African cricket to see what results it can bring. My suggestion would be that every team should have two places reserved: one for a minority player and another for an unorthodox player. This should to some extent break up the parent-coach orthodoxy and breathe some fresh air and dynamism into English cricket.

Personally, I have advised my son that he should play cricket only for pleasure and not to aspire for serious professional cricket because of the opacity in the selection mechanism which means an uncertain economic future. He is 16, a genuine leg spinner with little coaching but with good control on flight and turn. Often he complains about conservative captains and coaches who were unwilling to gamble away a few runs in the hope of getting wickets. Many years ago, when my son was not picked by a county side, I asked the coach the reason and he said because, 'he flights the ball and is slower through the air'. With what conviction then could I have told my lad that you can make a decent living out of cricket if you persevere enough?

Making Test cricket interesting

By Girish Menon

Recently most commentators seem to justify lifeless pitches from a commercial point of view i.e. to make the test match last a minimum 4 days if not the full 5. I wondered if there is no other way to have exciting cricket and make it last 4-5 days as well. Then I had an idea which I wish to share with you and which, I hope, will make for exciting test cricket on lively pitches.

If a team collapses in any innings thereby enabling their opponents to win a test match in say 2/3/4 days then the losing team can invoke a third innings wherein it has to score more runs than their opponents whilst taking thirty wickets within the time left in the test match. If the team that invoked the third innings fails to take 30 wickets whilst scoring more runs than their opponents then the victorious result after the second innings will stand.

I look forward to your comments below:

Cricket and DRS - The Best is not the Enemy of the Good

by Girish Menon

The anonymous source who once wrote, 'To err is human; to really foul things up requires a computer' was spot on when it comes to cricket and its Dreadful Review System (DRS). After tragicomic incidents in the just concluded Ashes test, the world, as represented by Adam Gilchrist, has begun to appreciate India's 'Luddite' approach to the DRS. This writer feels that cricket and technology both need to evolve a lot before they can become mutually compatible and enhance the spectators' and players' experience.

Firstly, umpires in cricket need to adjudicate only on events based on facts and eliminate those decisions based on opinion or interpretation. The first casualty of such a change will need a repeal of the LBW law. Cricket should find a way of penalising those batsmen guilty of using unauthorised means of impeding the ball. For example one could modify the 'three strikes' rule in baseball and rule out any batsman who has illegally impeded a cricket ball three times. Thus this decision will be based on fact and will not rely on the convoluted law that explains an LBW decision. Along similar lines, all decisions made by umpires need to be evaluated on the fact-opinion dialectic and ways to eliminate opinion based decisions need to be found.

If this is done, then adjudicating a cricket match can be mechanised. However, the current level of technology in cricket leaves a lot to be desired both on the validity as well as the speed perspectives. The validity of the technology has been debated ad infinitum and I feel that once technology is used for fact based decision making then its validity will be convincing to even Luddites.

However currently used DRS technology has a problem with speed. Gordon Moore's axiom about a microprocessor's power doubling every eighteen months does not seem to hold true with the technology suppliers to the cricket industry. How else does one explain that Hotspot was not available to adjudicate on the Trott decision because 'its resources were concentrated on processing the earlier delivery'.

Thus cricket's struggle with DRS arises not only because of the shortcomings of technology but also because of some of its anachronistic traditions. While Voltaire has been quoted as saying, ' The best is the enemy of good', in the case of cricket and DRS Voltaire may be wrong. So both cricket and DRS need to evolve before the sceptics can be convinced about technology based decision making, until then some may even prefer human howlers.  

Wilburton walkout ends exciting game

 by Girish Menon

 

CamKerala 3s (CK3) were around 162 runs for 6 chasing Wilburton’s 208 with 14 overs left. A partnership of over 6 overs and 40 runs had developed between Fabio and this writer when Fabio cross bats their spinner over midwicket. The ball is caught but the fielder was standing on the boundary line. Umpire Adarsh signals a six but Wilburton walkout ending an exciting game that appeared to be once again moving towards CK3.

For scorecard please click here

 

Wilburton turned up for this game at Comberton with a mood to right the wrongs they suffered against TAC in a friendly last week. Their 16-17 year old betrayed this view as he was the first arrival on the ground and told this writer that in the last match TAC had been liberal in calling wides and no balls. This lad righted TAC’s wrongs by being unduly harsh on CK3’s wides, no balls and lbw appeals. That set the tone for the game and this writer had to indicate to Saheer the harshness of the wides and the no balls. Another notable incident was during CK3’s run chase. The same lad denied CK3 a four by claiming the ball did not cross the line. Some CK3 players watching the incident began protesting this decision while a Wilburton spectator joined the argument on the other side. A pregnant Martha (Savio’s wife) was so convinced the ball had crossed the line that she was seen expressing her view.

 

The game began on a disappointing note for CK3 who were denied the chance to bat first (despite having a 75% probability of doing so according to captain Saheer). After a couple of early wickets Wilburton consolidated their innings with a couple of mature gentlemen, one of who later played as the wicketkeeper and was the agent provocateur of the walkout. This man swatted a few full tosses and egged on the lad to be harsh on no balls etc. This pair put on a good partnership and Wilburton edged towards a good score. The other partner scored a 70 and shepherded the rest of their batting which was not poor. In a late flourish CK3 took a flurry of wickets and Wilburton were all out in the 40^th over. Debutant Herald bowled an excellent spell of offspin, with Saheer and Himanshu helping to wind up the innings.

 

CK3 started tennis ball style trying to hit boundaries. This was epitomised by Freddy who hit a six and trying to repeat the action was bowled in the next delivery. So, the run rate was high but wickets kept tumbling. Arun tried to calm things down and he had a good partnership with Saheer before Saheer was declared run out. Herald also declared Arun out lbw which brought Fabio and this writer to the crease. Fabio and this writer operated on the principle that if CK3  batted the full 40 overs then a win would follow. It was decided that one boundary and 1-2 singles was what would be attempted each over and good balls defended. What happened thereafter has already been highlighted in the introduction and will go down in CK3 folklore.

 

Wilburton players followed the script of the pigs in Animal Farm with their dictum " Our Umpires Good, Theirs Cheats". Also, revenging the TAC game against CK3 because of 'similar looking people' may be considered racist. They also ensured a continuous flow of sledges while CK3 were batting.

 

CK3, after last week's start with its main players declared lbw, may have seen the writing on the wall as far as lbws go in self umpired village cricket leagues.  And Captain Saheer’s Cornwall holiday mood may have ended quickly due to above events at Comberton.

Re: Support for Raj Thackeray

 
 
Let me actually defend Raj Thackeray for a change. I know the right to abode is a fundamental right of every Indian and to that extent every Indian is free to move and live where s/he wants. But what most people have done is trivialised Raj Thackeray and ignored the issue that he highlights.
 
The right to abode does not mean the right to squat on any government or private land. It is the rampant criminal-politico occupation of lands previously meant for open spaces under town planning schemes that is the crime. This issue is completely ignored. So what we have For example is goondas like Abhiram Singh and Kripa Shanker Singh - both in Mumbai North West area - annexing land and making huge profits.
 
Secondly, since these squatters tend to vote en masse, they change the demographic politics of the city and that is the worry of Raj Thackeray.
 
Thirdly, if only the so called protectors of the squatters viz Lalu, Mulayam et al had introduced development in their states, such huge numbers would not be forced to migrate. This issue is being sidelined too.
 
I find it strange defending Raj Thackeray, but the following email demonstrates an unwillingness on the part of some people to discuss the relevant issues involved in Mr. Thackeray's protests. It appears convenient to lampoon Mr. Thackeray while not penalising and punishing those politicians responsible for the failed states of UP and Bihar - instead the irony is that Mulayam and Lalu seem to pose as heroes.
 
A worser irony of course is that the hapless migrant (a la Do Bigha Zameen) finds himself between a rock and a hard place. My heart goes out to these poor immigrants. Alas!!!


Girish Menon

---

> Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 16:52:55 +0530
> From: R.Singh@airindia.in
> To: mgirish7@hotmail.com
> Subject: Fwd: Support for Raj Thackeray
>
>
>
> This is a wonderful mail circulating in favour of RAJ Thackeray have a
> look. We all should support Raj Thackeray and take his initiative ahead
> by doing more...
>
> 1.We should teach our kids that if he is second in Class, don't study
> harder..
> just beat up the student coming first and throw him out of the
> school
> 2. Parliament should have only Delhiites as it is located in Delhi
> 3. Prime-minister, President and all other leaders should only be from
> Delhi
> 4. No Hindi movie should be made in Bombay/Mumbai. Only Marathi.
> 5. At every state border, buses, trains, flights should be stopped and
> staff changed to local men
> 6. All Maharashtrians working abroad or in other states should be sent
> back as they are SNATCHING
> employment from Locals
> 7. Lord Shiva- Rama-Ganesha, Mother Parvati-Sta, Saraswati, Durga, Kali
> .....should not be worshiped
> in our (Maharashtra) state as they belong to north (Himalayas)
> 8. Visits to Taj Mahal, Benares..... should be restricted to people
> from UP only, Gaya to Biharis etc.
> 9. Relief for farmers in Maharashtra should not come from centre
> because that is the money collected
> as Tax from whole of India, so why should it be given to someone in
> Maharashtra when such divisive
> mentality exists?
> 10. Let's support Kashmiri militants because they are right to killing
> and injuring innocent Hindu people
> for benefit of their state and community......
> 11. Let's throw all MNCs out of Maharashtra, why should they earn from
> us?
> We will open our own Maharashtra Microsoft, MH Pepsi and MH
> Marutis of the world.
> 12. Let's stop using cell phones, emails, TV, foreign Movies and
> dramas. James Bond and others
> should speak Marathi
> 13. We should be ready to die hungry or buy food at 10 times higher
> price but should not accept
> imports from other states
> 14. We should not allow any industry to be setup in Maharashtra because
> almost all machinery
> and most of the raw material and inputs comes from outside
> 15. We should STOP using local trains...Trains are not manufactured by
> Marathi manoos
> and Railway Minister is a Bihari. Nor most of the Petrol or its
> derivatives, so everyone
> should walk. Even cycles are amde in Punjab and Haryana
> largely....
> 16. Ensure that all our children are born, grow, live and die without
> ever stepping out of Maharashtra,
> then they will become true Marathi manoos
> 17. Mumbai must be returned to Gujarat, and so also Maharashtra, as it
> belonged to them before.
> 18. Maybe Mumbai where more than 60% of the population is non-Marathi,
> and certianly most of
> the investment and brains were from British, Anglo-Indians and
> Parsis, then South Indians and
> then only Marathi and North Indians should therefore be declared
> UNION TERRITORY.
> 19. Victoria Jubilee became Veermata Jeejabai, and Victoria Terminus
> became Chhatrapati Shivaji...
> Bombay Municipal became BrihanMumbai ....and so on...
> This kind of short cut of renaming, instead of building
> institutions must be adopted by all states...
> It wont be long by the time alls tates will look and feel like we
> imagine Bihar has become....
>
> This mail should somehow reach Raj Thackarey so forward it to as many
> people as possible.
> This mail needs to be read by all Indians. So please help in this
> cause. Keep Forwarding.
>
> JAI MAHARASHTRA! JAI MUMBAI !
>
> Just for information.....
> Most Indian religions originated from monks or kings residing along the
> banks of Ganges, and Bihar...
> The famed Nalanda Univ. Taxila, Bodh Gaya, Gaya etc. are in Bihar...
> Iron ore, Coal deposits, Forest produce
> Minerals, were in Bihar. Besides Sita from Janakpur, Sikh Guru Gobind
> Singh is from Patna, as is modern
> singer Daler Mehdi.... Just give Biharis a chance and they do wonders
> by their hard work, and
> unassuming manners....
>
> Upto 1950s Bihar was adjudged the best administered state of India,
> (and also the most
> endowed in minerals, which was used for development of the country).
> The first President of India
> was a Bihari, as were Chanakya and many other scholars of ancient
> India, when all others were mere
> illierate or poor peasants and jungle folk....
>
> Highest number of Doctors in US are from Bihar today.... So are many
> other professionals overseas.
>
> Tata's foundation city is Jamshedpur in erstwhile Bihar.....
>
> Bihari labour brought in Green revolution and prosperity in Punjab.
> The same labour is now running tea gardens in Assam and Far East,
> and risky road and other construction work in J&K where none others
> dare to venture, and get killed.
>
> They pay a price fro being quiet hard-working, silent and docile.....
> as they are doing in Mumbai under the new RAJ.....
>
> Conclusion: Something is wrong with Independent India, that it
> impoverished a rich and well run
> state like Bihar over the years, while other states prospered.... Are
> we Indians not to blame for
> the ills of our country, including imbalanced growth, and poor
> people...
>
>
> DISCLAIMER:
> This email (including any attachments) is intended for the sole use of the intended recipient/s and may contain material
> that is CONFIDENTIAL AND PRIVATE COMPANY INFORMATION. Any review or reliance by others or copying or distribution or
> forwarding of any or all of the contents in this message is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you are not the intended recipient,
> please contact the sender by email and delete all copies; your cooperation in this regard is appreciated.
> Air India Ltd.

---

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Structural Adjustment

I'm being made redundant
In a land which is abundant
Employment is high
Market boom is nigh
It's called Structural Adjustment

Copyright - Girish Menon

What's in a Taimur name?

by Girish Menon

I am an Indian Muslim

I have the right to religious freedom

I have the right of parental choice

It's within my freedom of expression

So why crib about my name choice?

I have named my son Taimur

Others chose similar warmongers

I have the right of parental choice

Ashoka, Alexander or Aurangzeb  

So why crib about my name choice?

Remember, you’re half a Tagore

A man Iqbal despised

Taimur's a hero two nation theorists love

Something your father despised

Hence we crib about your name choice!

Delhi, after Sack of Timur Lang

Do and be damned; don’t and still be damned

Girish Menon

It’s been a week since the BJP government abrogated Article 370 and included Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India. Most of the reaction to this move has been positive within the provinces of Jammu and Ladakh. It is difficult to gauge the views of the population in the Muslim majority Kashmir valley because of the news blackout. I’d guess there should be a significant number of people who may be upset by this decision. In mainland India, the move has been welcomed by most of the people and a majority of MPs in both houses of the Indian Parliament.

Outside India, Pakistan politicians including their selected Prime Minister have been venting their spleen on this surprise move by India. Opinion in the rest of the world has been muted much to the chagrin of Pakistan. It is rumoured that the US President was forewarned by India of its plans.

So what next for the protesting Kashmiris? The Kashmiris living in the valley could be divided into the ruling elites, those families directly affected by the violence since 1989, and other citizens living in the region.

As far as the ruling elites are concerned, they must admit that it is their actions since the 1950s that has enabled the Indian government to get the support of the rest of India for such a move.

As far as Kashmir residents who have lost their family members in the intermittent 70 year old war with Pakistan there is no likelihood of an immediate peace in the region. Pakistan’s proxies, along with some local politicians will make it difficult for the Modi government to boast that they have solved this perennial problem with a piece of legislation. This means that in the short term there could be more deaths in the valley.

Those valley residents who have only been indirectly affected by the war so far, in the short term some of them may be unlucky to get caught up in the fire exchanged by the warring forces. I hope that their bad luck will run out soon and they will be able to experience a ‘normal’ way of life soon.

The Indian government appears intent on a hard stance on law and order matters while being liberal on incentivising industry to start productive activity and employment in these parts. Both parts of this strategy needs to succeed to convince the Kashmiris that their interests are better served with India. This could lead to the chants of ‘azaadi’  (freedom from both India and Pakistan) to die down.

The current Indian government has five years to get this brave decision right. If the situation deteriorates then they further jeopardise their dreams of continuous power for the next decade and beyond. Already the weakness in their handling of the economy is manifesting itself in the Hindu rate of growth with deleterious consequences for employment. If they fail on Kashmir as well, there will be a rising number of citizens who will soon call Modi’s Article 370 decision the second time when he has been foolhardy.

Just wait and watch.

Using HCQ for Covid - Is it Cheating the Ignorant Patient?

By Girish Menon

My piece ‘Does Modern Medicine have a Platypus Problem?’ unleashed a 'minor storm in a teacup'. So, to improve my own understanding I write these words in the hope that some patient man will spare some time to clear my doubt.

In the immediate aftermath of my piece, a friend* suggested that using Dr, Immanuel's prescription to treat Covid was similar to using semen to cure Covid.

Another friend provided a slide showing the negative effect on countries not using HCQ. This data according to a third friend was fake news.

In the meantime:

The BBC carried an ad hominem article on Dr. Stella Immanuel stating that she was a pastor who had made wild claims about aliens in the past.

The WHO carried out a study which claimed that HCQ (hydroxychloroquine) was ineffective in the treatment of Covid. However, the WHO on the same page also stated " The decision to stop hydroxychloroquine’s use in the Solidarity trial does not apply to the use or evaluation of hydroxychloroquine in pre or post-exposure prophylaxis in patients exposed to COVID-19" (sic).

Yesterday another friend announced that her friend in Mumbai had recovered from Covid. During the illness she was given HCQ.

So, I asked this friend ‘does that mean HCQ cured her of Covid?’

She replied, ‘I don't know. She had tested negative for Covid. Her symptoms started with a rash which was not a symptom of Covid and yet her doctor diagnosed her condition as a Covid attack.’

So does this mean that at least there could be a positive correlation between HCQ and Covid treatment?’

‘I don't know’

‘Suppose you were in Mumbai, contracted Covid and a doctor you trust prescribed HCQ would you take it?’

‘Yes’

‘Now in a thought experiment, suppose you were teleported to Cambridge say four days later, still having Covid and the GP does not prescribe HCQ?’

‘I will obey the Milton physician.’


All these discussions reminded me of Omar Khayyam's "Myself when young did eagerly frequent doctor and saint, and heard great argument about it and about: but evermore came out by the same door as in I went."

And my questions remain:

What conclusion should a layman draw about HCQ and Covid?

Should I take HCQ as a prophylactic?

---

* All friends quoted in the article are related to science and medicine.