Perspectives

blog.co.uk has been good but I have found my free service providing wordpress without hassles finally.

Thus my sports analysis becomes Sportolysis and Perspectives finds a new incarnation

The downhill continues. Colin Croft shows his angst and anger and the question to be asked really is who benefits from all this. The WICB, Sri Lankan cricket board, the players or even the sponsors who seem to have agreed to some clauses with the WICB which the WICB cant backtrack.

Indian cricket had a similar problem earlier and thankfully better sense prevailed and the horrors of ambush marketing didnt mean India would have to field a second XI.

The spectators - real share holders of the game will not take the joke beyond a certain point. Already the selection process and the performance of the team is a joke.

Why should the Windies supporter root for the team if they cant see the best XI players on the field? There was the contract dispute before the series in South Africa, before the series in Australia, meant the team fielded a second XI in the home series versus South Africa and now such a disaster at the moment.

The ICC has decided to grant one day status to 5 more teams. Would I really have to live to see a Windies squad lose to one of such teams? I dread such a scenario and pray that day doesnt ever come.

Its been raining every where, Calcutta, Edgebaston and Wimbledon. That didnt stop some excellent sports to ensue yesterday. Whether it was classic McEnroe playing doubles with Fleming with trademark Nadal pants, or Hayden and Jones slugging it on the cricket pitch or the pencil thin, still growing Sharapova as the commentator so aptly described her.

That the England-Australia match contained classic cricket with a tussle all the while, entrhalled me. The bouncers, the early stroke play from Martyn, the building of pressure from Giles and Flintoff before an excellent partnership between Hussey and Symonds got Australia out of trouble was a pleasure to watch.

And Gough struck again and Lee managed a few runs before a low scoring final over to balance it and make every one smack their lips.

Almost too early though as the rain gods had the last laugh.

So Wimbledon Quarters today and another classic tussle between Brazil and Argentina likely in football. The rain gods will hopefully take a rest for the sports gods to have the say on this day.

The new kits:

The home shirt maintains the club's tradition of blue and maroon, but there are more stripes than in previous seasons. The shorts are red, described as cochineal, for the first time in the club's history. The Catalan senyera is also present on the colour at the base of the neck for the first time.

The away shirt is bright yellow, described fluorescent pistachio, with blue and black trim and the traditional home colours are detailed on the sleeve.

I do not like the fact that the home shorts have been changed to red. The traditional home kit colour combination was top notch according to me.

The away kit is a marked improvement from the dull thing they used earlier though.

happier times

I remember Shane Warne said once in an interview that his dream vacation would be to be alone with his then fiancee Simone on a deserted island.

I thought then that this was a couple which could never be separated. Its very sad thus that they have decided to file for divorce. They will "remain friends" for their children has been said officially.

The media ofcourse will write more judgemental columns on the casanova of Australian cricket deciding wisely that he is a hero or he is a villain. Warne would be used to this by now ofcourse but at such a difficult time in Warne's personal life, it would be common courtesy to lay off.

As Ponting said, I too hope it doesnt have a bearing on Warne's Ashes form. With a few weeks off from cricket as he has been given a rest from the county circuit ahead of the Ashes, I can only feel for Shane Warne, Simon and their kids.