Mihir Bose's Blog, page 29
August 12, 2015
Death of a Gentleman – the future of test cricket
BBC Today Programme
A new documentary on test cricket is arguing that there was a golden age of test cricket that’s gone. Sam Collins directed ‘Death of a Gentleman’ and we’re also joined by sport journalist Mihir Bose.
Today Programme
Interview starts from 02.47.15
A new documentary on test cricket is arguing that there was a golden age of test cricket that’s gone. Sam Collins directed ‘Death of a Gentleman’ and we’re also joined by sport journalist Mihir Bose.
Today Programme
Interview starts from 02.47.15
Rugby World Cup 2015: This England side will continue to develop after tournament, says Lancaster
London Evening Standard
The Rugby World Cup is little more than a month away but, for Stuart Lancaster, it starts this Saturday. England host France at Twickenham in the first of three warm-up matches for the tournament and the head coach says: “They are not friendlies. If we adopt a friendly mentality going into these games, it’ll be a waste.”
This is the sort of response you would expect from a man who is famous for his attention to detail.
The players still talk about their first meeting with Lancaster when he took over from Martin Johnson after the disaster of the 2011 World Cup. Lancaster gave each player a certificate on which their parents described what it meant to see their son in an England shirt.
Rugby World Cup 2015: This England side will continue to develop after tournament, says Lancaster
“When you play for England, it’s not just about you, it’s about everyone who supports you on your journey,” says Lancaster.
The Rugby World Cup is little more than a month away but, for Stuart Lancaster, it starts this Saturday. England host France at Twickenham in the first of three warm-up matches for the tournament and the head coach says: “They are not friendlies. If we adopt a friendly mentality going into these games, it’ll be a waste.”
This is the sort of response you would expect from a man who is famous for his attention to detail.
The players still talk about their first meeting with Lancaster when he took over from Martin Johnson after the disaster of the 2011 World Cup. Lancaster gave each player a certificate on which their parents described what it meant to see their son in an England shirt.
Rugby World Cup 2015: This England side will continue to develop after tournament, says Lancaster
“When you play for England, it’s not just about you, it’s about everyone who supports you on your journey,” says Lancaster.
August 7, 2015
Interesting article in defence of cricket by Jonathan Freedland
Football shouldn’t be allowed to deny cricket its moment in the sun
Jonathan Freedland
The Guardian
Today at least I had an excuse. Like plenty of others this summer, I’d been sneaking guilty peeks at the cricket during the working day, checking the score, hitting refresh on the webpage, occasionally donning the headphones for a cheeky dose of Test Match Special. Yesterday morning the urge became irresistible, as Australia crumbled, the entire team wiped out in the time it usually takes a team to clear its throat, having scored a paltry 60 runs.
Today the drama continued for cricket fans, luring the eyeballs of all but the most conscientious away from that budget document or urgent spreadsheet towards Trent Bridge, where England are on the verge of wresting the Ashes back from their century-long rivals. I particularly like the doctor who admitted he furtively checks the score on his laptop while seeing patients: they assume he’s looking up their test results. When the doctor’s jaw dropped at the scale of the Aussie collapse, his elderly patient assumed he was about to be told the worst possible news and was on the verge of tears. “It took me a while to calm him down.” No such conflict for me today: I could openly follow proceedings in the name of column-related research. What could be better, on a warm summer’s day, than to see England uncurl those Australian fingers from the urn and win back cricket’s most fabled prize?
Except, what’s this? In a few hours’ time the attention of the nation’s sports lovers will swing away from cricket towards football. Yes, even though August is in its infancy and the days are still long, we shall tomorrow hear the whistle of the ref, the outraged howl of crowds baying for a penalty and the protestations of innocence from players who’ve dived as extravagantly as if they’d leapt from Tom Daley’s highest board.
A quirk of the diary it might be, but it feels like an offence against nature all the same. For the football season to begin now, as the Ashes reaches its climax, is all wrong. There are rhythms to our national life, tides and currents that mark the seasons as surely as the falling of the leaves or the darkening of the nights, and this seeks to upend them. It is a violation on a par with the premature “back to school” poster I spotted in a high street window last week, a form of words that can make the heart sink in early September, let alone a month in advance.
Jonathan Freedland
The Guardian
Today at least I had an excuse. Like plenty of others this summer, I’d been sneaking guilty peeks at the cricket during the working day, checking the score, hitting refresh on the webpage, occasionally donning the headphones for a cheeky dose of Test Match Special. Yesterday morning the urge became irresistible, as Australia crumbled, the entire team wiped out in the time it usually takes a team to clear its throat, having scored a paltry 60 runs.
Today the drama continued for cricket fans, luring the eyeballs of all but the most conscientious away from that budget document or urgent spreadsheet towards Trent Bridge, where England are on the verge of wresting the Ashes back from their century-long rivals. I particularly like the doctor who admitted he furtively checks the score on his laptop while seeing patients: they assume he’s looking up their test results. When the doctor’s jaw dropped at the scale of the Aussie collapse, his elderly patient assumed he was about to be told the worst possible news and was on the verge of tears. “It took me a while to calm him down.” No such conflict for me today: I could openly follow proceedings in the name of column-related research. What could be better, on a warm summer’s day, than to see England uncurl those Australian fingers from the urn and win back cricket’s most fabled prize?
Except, what’s this? In a few hours’ time the attention of the nation’s sports lovers will swing away from cricket towards football. Yes, even though August is in its infancy and the days are still long, we shall tomorrow hear the whistle of the ref, the outraged howl of crowds baying for a penalty and the protestations of innocence from players who’ve dived as extravagantly as if they’d leapt from Tom Daley’s highest board.
A quirk of the diary it might be, but it feels like an offence against nature all the same. For the football season to begin now, as the Ashes reaches its climax, is all wrong. There are rhythms to our national life, tides and currents that mark the seasons as surely as the falling of the leaves or the darkening of the nights, and this seeks to upend them. It is a violation on a par with the premature “back to school” poster I spotted in a high street window last week, a form of words that can make the heart sink in early September, let alone a month in advance.
August 4, 2015
Gary Lineker backs Chelsea to retain title but admits Arsenal will pose biggest threat to Mourinho’s crown
London Evening Standard
Gary Lineker may be a former Tottenham striker but his hope that Chelsea do not get off to a runaway start again this season has nothing to do with club allegiances.
Last term, it took until December for Jose Mourinho’s men to be beaten, losing 2-1 at Newcastle in their 15th game of the Premier League campaign.
Aside from a remarkable 5-3 defeat to Spurs on New Year’s Day it was pretty much plain sailing for the Blues after that as they eased to the title with an eight-point advantage over their closest challengers Manchester City.
This season kicks off on Saturday and, as host of Match of the Day, Lineker would love the title race to go the distance but he fears that will not happen if Chelsea build up a similar head of steam.
“You’d have to say Chelsea are very strong favourites for the title; they’ve added to their squad, they were comfortable last season so there has to be quite a big turnaround for another club to challenge them,” says the former England striker. “Obviously the other clubs are making additions and they desperately need it. But it often takes time when you’re bringing in lots of different faces to find the balance to your side.
Gary Lineker may be a former Tottenham striker but his hope that Chelsea do not get off to a runaway start again this season has nothing to do with club allegiances.
Last term, it took until December for Jose Mourinho’s men to be beaten, losing 2-1 at Newcastle in their 15th game of the Premier League campaign.
Aside from a remarkable 5-3 defeat to Spurs on New Year’s Day it was pretty much plain sailing for the Blues after that as they eased to the title with an eight-point advantage over their closest challengers Manchester City.
This season kicks off on Saturday and, as host of Match of the Day, Lineker would love the title race to go the distance but he fears that will not happen if Chelsea build up a similar head of steam.
“You’d have to say Chelsea are very strong favourites for the title; they’ve added to their squad, they were comfortable last season so there has to be quite a big turnaround for another club to challenge them,” says the former England striker. “Obviously the other clubs are making additions and they desperately need it. But it often takes time when you’re bringing in lots of different faces to find the balance to your side.
August 2, 2015
Former Fifa ethics chief says Platini no better than Blatter
Sunday Times
With Iain Dey
THE election of Michel Platini as president of Fifa would be “a tragedy” and bring no improvement on the scandal-blighted tenure of Sepp Blatter, according to a former ethics chief at world football’s governing body.
Michael Hershman, who served on the international governance committee established by Fifa in 2011 in the wake of a first wave of allegations about bribery and corruption at the organisation, said: “Platini has been in the system and on the executive committee for many years now. He has not been an outspoken leader of reform.
“In fact, some of the reforms proposed by our independent governance committee were opposed by him.
With Iain Dey
THE election of Michel Platini as president of Fifa would be “a tragedy” and bring no improvement on the scandal-blighted tenure of Sepp Blatter, according to a former ethics chief at world football’s governing body.
Michael Hershman, who served on the international governance committee established by Fifa in 2011 in the wake of a first wave of allegations about bribery and corruption at the organisation, said: “Platini has been in the system and on the executive committee for many years now. He has not been an outspoken leader of reform.
“In fact, some of the reforms proposed by our independent governance committee were opposed by him.
Africa plots to beat Platini
Sunday Times
The executive committee of CAF, the African football confederation, is to meet in Cairo on Thursday to discuss a move to scupper the campaign of Michel Platini, president of Uefa and front runner in the race to take over from Sepp Blatter as president of Fifa.
The Frenchman has been gearing up to take over world football’s top job for the last two weeks. At the same time, African football officials have been holding secret meetings to hone a strategy to prevent Platini, three-times European footballer of the year, from moving into Blatter’s palatial office in Fifa House in the hills above Zurich.
The executive committee of CAF, the African football confederation, is to meet in Cairo on Thursday to discuss a move to scupper the campaign of Michel Platini, president of Uefa and front runner in the race to take over from Sepp Blatter as president of Fifa.
The Frenchman has been gearing up to take over world football’s top job for the last two weeks. At the same time, African football officials have been holding secret meetings to hone a strategy to prevent Platini, three-times European footballer of the year, from moving into Blatter’s palatial office in Fifa House in the hills above Zurich.
August 1, 2015
Ahmedabad: A City in the World by Amrita Shah, book review: Riveting account of a key city
The Independent
Shah's book is much more than the story of a city made by Indians
The focus on Indian cities have often borne out the truth of Nobel laureate Amartya Sen's insightful observation that when it comes to India the British give the impression that they have authored the country. So books on Indian cities concentrate on the four great cities that were either developed by the British, Bombay, Calcutta and Madras, or radically altered, Delhi.
For that reason alone Amrita Shah's biography of Ahmedabad would be welcome. This is a city that bears the imprint of various Indians starting with its founder, the Muslim ruler Ahmed Shah, who gives his name to the city. And of Gandhi, who had his first big Ashram here, on the banks of the Sabarmati, from where he set out on his historic walk to the sea in March 1930, a protest to mark the iniquity of British rule. Right down to the imprint of India's current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who made his mark on the Indian political scene as chief minister of Gujarat (Ahmedabad is the region's most important city and former capital).
But Shah's book is much more than the story of a city made by Indians and told by an Indian. What makes it exceptional is that Shah emerges both as a novelist and a historian as she narrates how the city has developed and changed. And like any novel there is a central character: Miraj, a Muslim.
Shah's book is much more than the story of a city made by Indians
The focus on Indian cities have often borne out the truth of Nobel laureate Amartya Sen's insightful observation that when it comes to India the British give the impression that they have authored the country. So books on Indian cities concentrate on the four great cities that were either developed by the British, Bombay, Calcutta and Madras, or radically altered, Delhi.
For that reason alone Amrita Shah's biography of Ahmedabad would be welcome. This is a city that bears the imprint of various Indians starting with its founder, the Muslim ruler Ahmed Shah, who gives his name to the city. And of Gandhi, who had his first big Ashram here, on the banks of the Sabarmati, from where he set out on his historic walk to the sea in March 1930, a protest to mark the iniquity of British rule. Right down to the imprint of India's current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who made his mark on the Indian political scene as chief minister of Gujarat (Ahmedabad is the region's most important city and former capital).
But Shah's book is much more than the story of a city made by Indians and told by an Indian. What makes it exceptional is that Shah emerges both as a novelist and a historian as she narrates how the city has developed and changed. And like any novel there is a central character: Miraj, a Muslim.
July 29, 2015
Mark Sampson: Women’s World Cup was just the start of a journey… here’s how you can help
London Evening Standard
England boss spells out role parents can play in growing the women’s game
England’s women footballers cannot rest on their laurels, warns manager Mark Sampson. “We’ve got a long way to go,” he tells me.
This seems remarkably pessimistic given that England wowed the nation at this summer’s World Cup in Canada with 2.4million staying up into the small hours to watch the agonising own goal defeat in the semi-finals by Japan. The women recovered to claim bronze — a remarkable turnaround from 18 months ago when Sampson took over. Back then, England finished bottom of their group at Euro 2013 and did not win a game.
However, the 32-year-old, who took books on psychology and management to read on his summer holiday in Cyprus, believes only hard-headed realism can help turn England into “one of the top nations in the world in women’s football”.
He says: “I wouldn’t describe us as a top-tier nation quite yet. USA, Japan, France, Sweden, Brazil are, probably, above us. They are nations who have been deeply entrenched in women’s football for many years and we’re playing catch up. We have a long way to go in every area, whether that be participation at grass-roots level or developing our youth teams if we want to get ourselves in their bracket, certainly closer to America [the world champions].”
For that to happen, he says, women’s football needs the help of the nation’s mums and dads. “In England, the culture is that a dad and his son go to the local football club and they go through the process together.
England boss spells out role parents can play in growing the women’s game
England’s women footballers cannot rest on their laurels, warns manager Mark Sampson. “We’ve got a long way to go,” he tells me.
This seems remarkably pessimistic given that England wowed the nation at this summer’s World Cup in Canada with 2.4million staying up into the small hours to watch the agonising own goal defeat in the semi-finals by Japan. The women recovered to claim bronze — a remarkable turnaround from 18 months ago when Sampson took over. Back then, England finished bottom of their group at Euro 2013 and did not win a game.
However, the 32-year-old, who took books on psychology and management to read on his summer holiday in Cyprus, believes only hard-headed realism can help turn England into “one of the top nations in the world in women’s football”.
He says: “I wouldn’t describe us as a top-tier nation quite yet. USA, Japan, France, Sweden, Brazil are, probably, above us. They are nations who have been deeply entrenched in women’s football for many years and we’re playing catch up. We have a long way to go in every area, whether that be participation at grass-roots level or developing our youth teams if we want to get ourselves in their bracket, certainly closer to America [the world champions].”
For that to happen, he says, women’s football needs the help of the nation’s mums and dads. “In England, the culture is that a dad and his son go to the local football club and they go through the process together.
July 23, 2015
FIFA reform needs practical ideas not wild, stupid ones
Inside World Football
Any organisation in crisis prompts outlandish ideas on what should be done to reform it. But even then some of the ideas proposed to reform FIFA are so absurd as to make you wonder if those proposing them are really serious or just seeking sound bytes. That FIFA needs reform is a given. But to reform FIFA we need to understand what kind of an organisation it really is.
It is fundamentally a trade organisation whose trade is football. And like many trade organisations it has peculiar rules like the one which says no organisation that belongs to FIFA can take FIFA to court. Clause 3 of Article 64 entitled "Obligations" imposed on the football associations that make up FIFA could not be clearer or more stringent. And its trade, football, also has peculiar rules such as that a club cannot poach a football player, manager, coaching staff, or anyone connected with its on field football activities, from another club without the permission of the club which employs them.
Any organisation in crisis prompts outlandish ideas on what should be done to reform it. But even then some of the ideas proposed to reform FIFA are so absurd as to make you wonder if those proposing them are really serious or just seeking sound bytes. That FIFA needs reform is a given. But to reform FIFA we need to understand what kind of an organisation it really is.
It is fundamentally a trade organisation whose trade is football. And like many trade organisations it has peculiar rules like the one which says no organisation that belongs to FIFA can take FIFA to court. Clause 3 of Article 64 entitled "Obligations" imposed on the football associations that make up FIFA could not be clearer or more stringent. And its trade, football, also has peculiar rules such as that a club cannot poach a football player, manager, coaching staff, or anyone connected with its on field football activities, from another club without the permission of the club which employs them.
July 22, 2015
Rangers boss Mark Warburton: I am well aware of the size of the task… I relish the challenge
London Evening Standard
A year ago, Mark Warburton was preparing Brentford for their first season in the second tier of English football for more than two decades.
Now, he is trying to lead Rangers back into the Scottish Premiership for the first time since 2012, when the record 54-time champions were dumped into the Third Division with Rangers oldco later liquidated.
The difference in the scale of the tasks is huge and Warburton is well aware that little patience will be shown if results do not go his way. In May, after being thrashed 6-1 on aggregate by Motherwell in the Championship play-off, Stuart McCall was sacked — and he was Rangers’ third manager of the campaign.
“The objective this season is very clear: get promotion,” said Warburton, who signed a three-year contract. “Rangers are a huge club and need to be in the top division, fighting for the major titles within the country. Our fans want us to be playing Celtic. That is the weight of expectation, we acknowledge that.
“I want to see us play a brand of football which the supporters are excited by. As I always said at Brentford, I want to make sure that people go home and feel they have had value for money.”
A year ago, Mark Warburton was preparing Brentford for their first season in the second tier of English football for more than two decades.
Now, he is trying to lead Rangers back into the Scottish Premiership for the first time since 2012, when the record 54-time champions were dumped into the Third Division with Rangers oldco later liquidated.
The difference in the scale of the tasks is huge and Warburton is well aware that little patience will be shown if results do not go his way. In May, after being thrashed 6-1 on aggregate by Motherwell in the Championship play-off, Stuart McCall was sacked — and he was Rangers’ third manager of the campaign.
“The objective this season is very clear: get promotion,” said Warburton, who signed a three-year contract. “Rangers are a huge club and need to be in the top division, fighting for the major titles within the country. Our fans want us to be playing Celtic. That is the weight of expectation, we acknowledge that.
“I want to see us play a brand of football which the supporters are excited by. As I always said at Brentford, I want to make sure that people go home and feel they have had value for money.”
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