Author: Boria Majumdar

If you are an Indian cricket fan, you will know that the series India and New Zealand are currently competing in is the IDFC First Bank T20 series. During the live broadcast, it is always interesting to read the trivia that appears in the bottom-left corner of the television screen, displayed in IDFC First Bank’s maroon and white colours. Few people, however, know that the trophy the two teams are playing for is unique: it is made from recycled materials — used cricket bats discarded by schools and leather from used cricket balls. It is a fantastic innovation and has…

Sourav Ganguly is a man of many roles. As I write this, preparations are under way for his forthcoming biopic, with the directorial team making the rounds of his Behala house. He is a show host, corporate speaker and able administrator, not to mention a doting father. But above all, he remains a cricketer, and that is his true calling. The Pretoria Capitals story is a clear case in point. The cricket pitch is where Sourav finds his true mojo, and that is where he really belongs. Pretoria started poorly and lost the first couple of games. Things were not…

Political grandstanding has won. Bangladesh are out of the T20 World Cup. The moment it became a case of cricket first or nation first, the writing was on the wall. There was no way the current establishment could afford to look weak in the eyes of its own people. If that meant sacrificing their cricketers and cricket, they were prepared to do so. Aminul Islam Bulbul, the BCB president, called the ICC’s decision unfair and suggested that they would keep fighting. Isolated, cornered, and having lost the vote 2–14, one wonders how. Some continue to hope for a miracle. The…

Bangladesh cricket should have seen this coming. For far too long, it has been driven by political posturing of entirely the wrong kind. For reasons best known to themselves, the authorities linked the removal of Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL to the ICC World Cup, without understanding that this would cut no ice with the ICC. The two issues are not remotely related, yet politicians turned it into a matter of national prestige. In doing so, they have damaged Bangladesh cricket and caused it potentially irreparable harm. With the ICC acting decisively and clearly stating its position, the BCB now…

The next six weeks could well define Gautam Gambhir’s legacy as India’s head coach. With the T20 series beginning today, this represents Gambhir’s final opportunity to streamline India’s title defence ahead of the World Cup, which begins on February 7 with a match against the USA in Mumbai. Gambhir has been on the receiving end of considerable criticism over the past two months. A below-par showing in red-ball cricket against South Africa, followed by a 1–2 series loss to New Zealand in the 50-over format, has pushed matters to the brink. However, I would not read too much into…

I have been reading reports for the last two days which suggest that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has promised the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that it will consider withdrawing from the World Cup in solidarity if the BCB’s demands are not met. While there is nothing official from the PCB on the matter, the fact is that the entire discussion is extremely childish to begin with. The question of Pakistan’s withdrawal sounds like nothing more than kite-flying. The PCB has signed a participating nations agreement, and there have been no violations whatsoever. It is playing its matches in Sri…

We have real estate projects specially curated for defence personnel. We also have some from men and women of culture in India. Is it possible to curate a special real estate project for athletes with disabilities (read: extraordinary ability), who have made the country proud? That’s how the conversation started with Sriram Mahadevan, the CEO of Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate. And one thing led to another. Sriram, an avid sports fan and one who has grown up in Kolkata, shares my passion for adda. And we did not have to do much to identify synergies of collaboration. I have…

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has suggested to the ICC that, if need be, the T20 World Cup groups should be altered and Bangladesh could play in Sri Lanka. The idea is that if Bangladesh and Ireland were swapped and the groups recalibrated, things could work out. Some people have suggested to me that this is a plausible idea and worth looking into. The truth, however, is that it is a very poor idea and one made with total disregard for the wishes of another member board. Ireland were informed of the itinerary much earlier, and Irish fans have…

Hosting the Tata Mumbai Marathon, I have to say, is one of the most humbling experiences. To see 65,000 runners on the streets of Mumbai early on a Sunday morning, running for a cause, is one of the most unbelievable sights imaginable. And the numbers keep growing year on year. My call time was 3:30 am, 30 minutes later than usual because all the paperwork had already been completed. But to my surprise, half the city was awake. When I reached the stage next to the old Victoria Terminus, it was buzzing. People were all set, greetings were being…

The ICC is doing all it can to try to resolve the Bangladesh crisis. That is how it should be. As the governing body for international cricket, the ICC must do everything possible to find a solution and move matters forward. Bangladesh is an important member board, and the fandom in the country is essential for global cricket. By doing what it is doing, the ICC has made it clear that it is giving the Bangladesh situation the importance it deserves. Headed by Jay Shah, if the ICC had not done everything it possibly could, it would have been…