#but the same mentality is affecting serie a now. like I see technical players being overlooked bc they don't 'drip' enough

[mchiti]

I don't want to be that person but football is nothing fair sometimes and I detest that this kid didn't get what he should have deserved. Really he'll forever be a rose that never bloomed and I hate it when I think about it. A kid grown up in utter poverty in the outskirts of the netherlands, last of 8 kids, lost his father young, subjected to all europe has to offer to moroccan / migrant youth (nothing except for cultural and financial isolation). Climbed the social ladder step by step, came to football almost by chance. No muscles, no physique-du-role as per today's modern football requirements...he offered tons creativity, vision and touches of magic. He should've played another football in another time, instead he found himself in the prem where the most overrated dumbster can cost 100 million of nothing only because he can run forwards at a certain speed. It makes me sad for real in words I can't express, it's like this world is never meant for some people.

[awildgingeishere]

https://equalizersoccer.com/2021/03/05/christen-press-forward-position-training-profile-uswnt/

Christen Press is known for scoring world-class goals. The onlooking public swoons over the final product which is so often a picturesque finish bent into the side netting or hammered into the upper corner. Press often does this with such confidence that she makes the extraordinary look easy, even though it is anything but.

That final product, though, is in some ways the simpler part of the process. Press’ training habits and approach to the game embody the notion that most of an athlete’s work is done away from the public eye, on training fields and when nobody else is watching. Her unique approach to the game starts with individual training, where her focus on off-ball movement and manipulating tight spaces — rather than shooting for the sake of it, or individual dribbling drills — develops her ability to distinguish herself from any other forward. More than most, she can seamlessly transition between wide and center-forward roles.

“I think especially in the U.S., we don’t have as many players that manipulate space with off-ball movement,” Press said in an interview last year. “[It’s] something I learned in Europe and I think all European forwards do this, but we don’t often have players who do that. We typically have had players who are using strength to create space. So, I think when I play in the nine specifically, but even wide, my strength is off-ball movement, being very unpredictable, hard to mark, being dynamic and being kind of like blindside, off-ball so that I’m always stretching the line. And I think that’s a huge strength because it gives the midfield more room to play.”

All goal-scorers require a certain level of selfishness to be successful, which Press recognizes. What sets her apart is the execution in those moments. To paraphrase her teammate, Megan Rapinoe, you can always make a selfish decision to shoot and not pass… as long as you score.

“In the final third, I think I’ve always had a goal-scorer’s mentality,” Press said. “Once I’m in range of shooting, I don’t think about anything else. If I happen to pass, it’s because I couldn’t have shot. And I think that there’s a breed of players that are just wired that way. And then there’s a breed of players that play the same position that aren’t. I am wired like that, and there’s also pros and cons to it, but my first thought is always setting my feet to score, setting my feet to take a touch and then score. And then anything else that happens in that space is just a second option, honestly.”

***

Press blazed her own path to being a United States women’s national team regular. She left the U.S. club scene in 2012 to play in Sweden, feeling as though she needed to make a change after largely being left out of the U.S. picture by then head coach Pia Sundhage. Her back story has been recounted ad nauseam over the past decade, but it is still essential to understanding the person and the player – a do-everything forward who has been shaped by these experiences. Her path is unique among her peers of the same generation, and it shows in her different approach to playing forward.

Press famously thrived in Gothenburg, becoming the first American to win the Damallsvenskan’s golden boot. That move abroad — at a time when U.S. internationals not only were not playing abroad, but were actively discouraged from doing so — ironically solidified her place in the United States team ever since. Her goal in last month’s SheBelieves Cup against Argentina was her 60th, tying her with Shannon MacMillan for ninth in U.S. history.

Press grew up as a pure No. 9, a goal-scorer. She carried on with that through college, lighting up the scoring record books at Stanford, and used that to her advantage during that glorious first stretch of her career in Sweden. Cracking the national team was a different story. Abby Wambach was the incumbent No. 9 at the time, often alongside Amy Rodriguez, and Alex Morgan — who graduated college the same year as Press — burst onto the scene as the U.S.’ up-and-coming No. 9, meaning Press was often relegated to wide positions.

For a long time, Press’ place there felt shoehorned, no doubt a contributing factor to a relatively quiet World Cup in 2015, when she was pegged by so many to be the breakout star. Slowly, however, she adapted, choosing to accept whichever role she was given if it meant playing for the best team in the world. Now, she thrives in both wide and central roles. The difference was tangible at the 2019 World Cup, where the wide role which once looked so uncomfortable for Press was the one which she stepped into for the semifinal against England, due to Megan Rapinoe’s injury. Press scored 10 minutes into that impromptu start, helping the U.S. reach (and win) a second straight final.

“I think that I have more of a responsibility than any other forward to play in all the roles as needed and I think that’s historically been because I’ve been a substitute coming on,” she said. “So, you kind of have to be ready for whoever’s coming out; you’re the first sub on. And now, I think it’s just flexibility because I’ve done it and I’ve done it okay in several positions that everyone’s like, ‘oh, well she can.’ So, I think that’s a blessing and a curse. It gets you on a roster to be versatile, but I feel like having a stake on the field is like you’re in one position and you’re always going to show up in that position. I think that that has its pros as well.”

Today, it is accepted as fact that Press can play across all three positions on the front line: center forward, wide left and wide right. For years, that versatility was a burden she carried, a struggle through the purgatory of being an elite player without a defined position. Now, however, she has leveraged this to her advantage. Press has for so long juggled different forward positions that she has mastered each of them. Her lack of a defined position contributes to the outside world’s inability to explicitly qualify her greatness, but it is also the very thing which makes Press such a singular talent.

Her shift throughout the front line illustrates how the forward position varies between certain roles, even if in nuanced ways. Press said the definitions are a little more blurred in this system, and that each forward shares the responsibility to get in behind and score, but the physical difference in where each position lines up on the field affects how she plays each position.

“I think technically it is very different playing in the different positions, because your orientation is just completely changed,” she said. “And I think my whole career, I played with the offside line behind me. That’s a nine. So, playing wide for the first time was really hard because you see the whole game through one eye. And your dominant foot and your mobility of your hips — I know it sounds crazy — really affects what you can and can’t do on each side. But now I’ve been passed around so many times, I feel like I’m like, okay, my second eye is — I can still see out of this one.”

***

Press views each offseason as a little book of its own. In past years, she would write a draft of what those figurative chapters would be, listing the things she wanted to improve in her game and designing drills to achieve those goals. Press said that she has had trainers in the past, but nobody knows what she needs better than her.

She tries to balance the design of her training sessions to work on skills she thinks she is exceptional at and areas where she thinks she is not very good. Anything in between gets lost. This is where those subtle foundations are formed daily.

“I have a very regimented way that I train, a flow of when I control practice, this is how it flows,” Press said. “Within each segment of my training, I’ll have specific things that I’m working on, and always starting in the beginning of training with the most simple drills that you would never actually see a professional do —really, really childish and then just working on the mechanics and growing from there.”

Press points to quick-release shooting as one of these simple things she trains: she starts as basic as lining up a bag of balls on the six-yard line and quickly shooting with only one step, to work on generating power. Press executes this better than any other teammate and that is because she has, through the years, taken what is seemingly a disadvantage and figured out a way to create an advantage out of it.

Instead of viewing the ball as stuck under her feet, Press sees an opportunity to catch a defender between steps or a goalkeeper flat-footed. Whereas many forwards are especially dangerous when barreling down the field at speed, Press might be the best goal-scorer in the world from a standing-still position in open play. She trains that — again, by beginning simply. Press will line up a bag of balls on the six-yard line and shoot in quick succession, taking only one step back to reset. This is the foundation of generating power.

“I think that if I look through the years [at] the space I train in, it’s in that exact ‘D,’” she said, referencing the arch at the top of the 18-yard box. “And I think the way that you most often score there is using your defenders as a shield and a little bit into negative space, and then bending the ball. I think that’s absolutely my best way of scoring.

“And I think that’s because of my strengths. I can get into the pocket with speed often. I don’t actually like dribbling around defenders very much. I don’t practice dribbling so I’ve got one way to get by them, but I often work on manipulating my defenders so they can’t block my shot, rather than working on manipulating them so I can get by them. And I think that’s why then I developed a shot that I can take basically with the ball under my feet and generate a lot of power, because it’s unexpected for the goalkeeper and it’s out of reach for the defender.”

Training this type of skill is very intentional. Even on a field by herself, with no active defenders, Press knows that if she takes four steps before a shot, she has failed. In a game, with real defenders, she will have been tackled or her shooting window will have closed.

Soccer is about a feeling, Press says. U.S. Soccer sends film to players after each training session so they can self-evaluate. Press says she does not look at how she performed technically, but rather what her body language said about her approach to a given training session.

She has not gone without dry spells or rough patches, from the more subtle grind of transitioning to wide roles and changing teams, to the more obvious and overt moments, such as the penalty-kick shootout miss in the 2016 Olympic quarterfinal against Sweden.

There is a notion that forwards need short memories, to not dwell on such misses. Press said she views things slightly differently, borrowing some inspiration from fellow teammates.

“I think instead of even a short memory, I always told myself since I was a young person: the more I miss, the closer I am to my next goal,” she said. “Because it’s almost like once you play long enough, you’ve missed so many times that it’s no longer emotional. I guess a certain miss in a certain moment might be, but even those, I’ve done it; I’ve missed as bad as you can miss and I’ve let the team [down]. So, life goes on and I feel like if I’m in a game and I’ve missed an easy goal, that means the next one, I’m gonna score. Because I’ve missed a million easy goals before, and I’ve always scored again. So, that’s kind of how I approach it and I actually think I see this a bit in Carli [Lloyd]. If she ever misses an easy chance, she kind of becomes ravenous. She hunts and hunts because she wants to replace that memory with something else, and I try to even embody that a bit, where I’m even more hungry in the final part of that field.”

Lloyd and Press combined for a goal against England at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup. The play was a microcosm of all these things: Press intentionally drifting into open space on the opponent’s back line before receiving the ball, opening her hips to face up to goal in one fluid motion, and firing a quick shot which caught England’s defenders and goalkeeper by surprise. The camera angle from behind Press showed just how much the ball bent to tuck into the side netting. ESPN announcer Sebastian Salazar screamed a phrase which quickly made its way to a t-shirt: “Christen Press, what have you done?!”

It was another spectacular goal from Press, one worthy of all the plaudits it received. What had she done? Well, it was the same she has been doing for a long time, drifting between forward positions and scoring a noteworthy goal from skills she has developed away from the public eye."

[alittleyellowdinosaur]

TUA Thought Experiment

So last night I started thinking, what would the Umbrella Academy be like with alternate powers? Still a massive fuck up? Obviously. But how would their personalities change? I got a little invested in the thought experiment, so I decided, I want to write a fic about this. I want one that follows the show as closely as possible, but very different at the same time. And I thought I’d share my thought process on how I got their powers and how I got the changes to personality that would come with those. So... Enjoy! (This gets long, js)

The Powers

To pick what powers they’d have, I wanted to do something directly opposite to their current powers... Only to realize that, for everyone but Luther, Five and Klaus, I was stumped on how to do that. Is there a direct opposite to throwing shit good? no, no there isn’t. So I decided, let’s start in an opposite-like direction, and go from there. Here’s what I decided:

Luther: Super speed. I think that’s a fairly easy leap from super strength. 

Diego: i started with, okay, he can throw good, so maybe he can... catch good? But that’s not so much a power, just a baseball player. To make it a bit more power-y, I decided, okay, he’s got magnetism, but only for already magnetic things (like not just all metal like Magneto. I’m not making Diego all powerful guys.) So he can like, call magnetic objects to him sort of thing. i’ll make it work. 

Allison: Changing reality with her voice doesn’t have a clear opposite, which sucked. I thought about cancelling things with her voice, but she can do that already so it’s not alternate powers enough. In the end I decided mind reading. Since I do want the fic to follow the main story closely (to a point), I figure being able to read minds will get a similar enough backstory for Allison to work with (ie her manipulative personality) 

Klaus: Klaus was easy. If he can see dead people, then the opposite would be to prevent dead people. So he can heal people. This caused problems with Ben, but I’ll get to him in a minute. I thought about having opposites of his comics powers (levitation and telekinesis), but that got too complicated so he’s just going to have healing abilities. 

Five: Five can time travel, so what’s sort of the opposite of that? Stopping time, a la the Handler. This then posed the problem of ‘where did he go for all those years and how does he know the future?’ so I added clairvoyance into the mix, which I’ll explain later. If Klaus can canonically (in the comics) have multiple powers, Five can to. Fuck off. 

Ben: Here’s the tricky one. I wanted Ben to still be a part of the story, but if Klaus can heal then he can’t see Ben’s ghost. I thought about Klaus being able to see the dead people he couldn’t heal, but that’s too similar to canon. So then, maybe Klaus healed him before he died? But then he wouldn’t hang out with Klaus all the time and it’d change too much. I considered making Ben’s powers allow him to be present, maybe able to appear in dreams or instead of having an eldritch monster in him, he was an eldritch monster (hence this going here in the post, not later). In the end, I decided that Ben would still be dead, Klaus wouldn’t be able to see him, and for powers he’d keep the tentacles. Since he’s not a real player in the story himself, I didn’t feel the need to change that. 

Vanya: I wasn’t sure what powers to give Vanya, as apocalyptic telekinesis doesn’t have a clear opposite, and I still want it to be apocalypse causing. In the end, I decided she could get earth powers. Yes i know, kind of basic and ambiguous, but I was trying to think of “how can she destroy the earth/the moon” and well, the moon is rock, the earth is rock, she gets to control rocks. I’m still going to have sound/music center it, because the violin is just too central to Vanya’s character for me to fuck with it. 

---

The Effects

So we’ve got the new powers, great, great, but how do they affect the characters? How do their backstories change? As I mentioned with Allison, I’m trying to keep this similiar-ish to the canon (so Klaus is still going to be a depressing disaster, just a major trigger warning for him). Obviously things changed, but we’re going to keep it as close to the same as possible. 

Luther: Luther is probably the most similar to canon, in that nothing really changes. He still gets the leader complex, still gets turned into a buff monkey (since I think that was mostly the serum not his powers at play), only with that bit he becomes much more clumsy and shit because he’s not used to running with that bulk. He still gets sent to the moon too. Woo hoo. 

Diego: Again Diego is fairly similar. Stutter, rivalry with Luther, mommy’s boy, all the same. Still goes to the police academy and meets Eudora and fights crime in kink gear. Only difference I see obvious is he probably uses a magnetized knife or bullets or something to fight since he can call it back/manipulate it’s path. 

Allison: She still got really manipulative as a kid, always knowing what people were thinking and such. Since I headcannon that Reginald trained her into thinking she can only change reality with “i heard a rumor” even though she could do it anyways, as like a way to control her, I think he likely did the same with mind reading. So say, now she can only do it when touching someone even if she technically doesn’t need to. She still likely got to be a super star by always knowing what they were looking for/blackmailing, snagged Patrick by being everything he ever wanted in a girlfriend, and manipulated her daughter leading to the divorce and losing custody. Now she wears gloves and long sleeves to prevent touching someone since she doesn’t want to read minds anymore. 

Klaus: Again, trigger warning, this one gets dark. Since he could heal, and his family was being put into dangerous situation when they were like, 10, he probably had immense pressure put on him from family, Reggie, and himself. I imagine for training, Reggie would bring him to hospitals where he’d have to see and heal domestic violence victims, terminally ill children, attempted suicides, burn victims, etc, just horrible things from the time he was young. Reggie probably also hurt him to see if he could heal himself, possibly Grace helping as she could cause pain without permanent damage, and possibly also hurt his siblings for added punishment/’motivation.’ With the pressure and the memories of those he couldn’t save and his siblings suffering, he turned to self harm and self destructive tendencies rather than drugs, as ‘punishment’ for failing. When Ben died and Klaus was unable to save him, he tried to kill himself, only for it not to work as his healing ability kicked in before he could die (see your bitch still got that immortality in there!) Instead he turned to really terrible self destructive tendencies. He wound up in mental health hospitals a LOT which just made things worse as he was surrounded by depressed people who he couldn’t help since he can’t heal mental illness, but he’s still got that ‘i must save everyone or i am worthless’ mindset Reggie gave him. I’ve got more for him, but I kind of want to save some of it for the fic, as he will be the POV character (obvi.) 

Five: Got a vision of the future apocalypse that he tried convince Reginald to take seriously, but he didn’t since Five didn’t get many details except the date (which as we know Reggie already knew). Since Reggie was no help, he left to find out more and stop it on his own, got picked up by the Commission pretty soon after leaving (do you think they WOULDN’T want a person who could stop time/see how different deaths would affect the timeline without long math problems/was crazy smart and excellent at killing? No, they’d swoop him up as soon as he was away from Reggie). He’d eventually come back when he figured out how to tamper with the briefcase they gave him to make it untraceable. Problem was he messed part of it up and it turned him young again (though he was never as old as he got in the series). Delores was another person at the Commission who helped him out. No mannequin fucking in my good Christian household today you hear me? 

Ben: Dead. Torn apart by the tentacles and unable to be healed by Klaus because it’s hard to reattach shredded bodies even with powers. Luther pressured him into using his powers that day, but everyone told him it was okay, so they all feel like they share the blame. I think Klaus probably had a feeling it wouldn’t be...

Vanya: Caused an earthquake as a kiddo when she had to eat oatmeal. Reggie got annoyed because how dare a four year old have a temper tantrum and put her on medication. She got ignored except for by Ben and Five. So about the same. 

The Fic

I haven’t actually started writing the fic yet, again this was just the brainstorming/thought experiment I had at... midnight? one am? Somewhere around then. If you are interested in the idea of this fic, or have any ideas on their powers/plot ideas, please please please leave me a reply or send an ask!! I’d love some feedback and ideas. Whenever I start posting I’ll post the link here as well as on my writing blog @elliot-orion. Thanks for reading!

[pelikinesis]

it could be mostly because of the 2020, but i don’t handle it particularly well when someone has to cancel D&D, which happens more often than i’d like. to clarify, i mean i feel bad in various ways, but i don’t lash out or anything.

i know that part of it is because it’s one of only a few outlets for socialization i have, and because the world is uncertain enough as it is. but i’m beginning to think there’s a bit more to it than that.

storytelling is kind of a big deal for me. understanding and creating narratives is probably the only skill i’ve been really focusing on for the past handful of years, and the more i think about it the more that makes sense. the narrative i had of myself was ripped to shreds awhile back, and ever since then i’ve been somewhere in between clinging to familiar narratives as if i could absorb their integrity of continuity, and trying to write one myself as if that accomplishment would give me the missing piece needed to work on my own life story.

the collaborative nature of D&D comes with its share of challenges, but whether as GM or player, there’s something relaxing in the fact that in session, i don’t have to create that narrative all by myself. i only need to contribute, by setting up the board or playing my part. and a narrative happens. a story happens, even if i’m not doing everything. and it happens the way it does precisely *because* i’m not doing everything.

maybe i’m upgrading my understanding of isolation and loneliness, what they are and how they affect people, particularly me. yet another chunk of the “(re)learning how to process emotions and recovering from numbness” thing. it’s amazing how many feelings are out there, which at some point early on i deemed i didn’t have the luxury of accepting. bewildering or overwhelming might be a more true adjective.

i kept something like a journal in the first year after julien died, and i’ve read through it here and there recently, in addition to finding the first and only letter i ever wrote my dad, shortly after he went to jail for trying to kill my mom. the letter reads like something a lawyer wrote. completely dispassionate and rational. the motivation was to demonstrate to his family that he was the one out of control, not us. a defense against dismissal and invalidation.

but even i’m surprised at how cold the whole thing is. i was so angry at what had happened i had to cut myself off from emotions or else i’d have done something completely crazy. and clearly i wasn’t fully aware i was doing it, and won’t be so long as i continue to downplay and minimize how hard it is to recover from that.

in regards to the journal, i was surprised to remember at some point i’d started breaking down the meaning of Japanese haiku, and Czech idioms, because i’m not particularly good at learning languages. at the time, i just thought i missed learning and wanted to occupy my mind with something, and didn’t bother thinking about why that in particular. it was as good a pastime as any, and that was the extent of my concern.

in hindsight, i was struggling with an absolute collapse of meaning. i understood human interaction and social realities through the lens of English, and neither of those things made sense to me anymore. so it makes a sort of sense i’d jump into the deep end of linguistic unfamiliarity. out there, it was impossible to take anything for granted. i had no choice, no risk of cutting corners on interpreting the meaning of every single word being said.

In English, i had the luxury of negligence, of carelessness. these were great sins of mine. that’s how i felt about it. but it was slow work. slow was reassuring, because i wouldn’t crash into anything, or anyone, or miss a turn i needed to make. 

but so long as i associate slowness with safety, and speed with danger, i will struggle with the motivation to believe and act in a way that allows me to keep up with the pace of modern life. i think some people resolve this conundrum by adopting a simple living kind of lifestyle, and i definitely see the appeal in that sense. 

but i’m pretty invested in the more normal speed of things, regardless of my current ability to keep pace with it. another way of looking at it, is that there’s a force opposing my natural desire to speed up. i’m not the most patient guy. when i’m snowboarding, i like going pretty fast. there are plenty of avenues in which i enjoy acceleration and velocity. i don’t lack the desire to accelerate my life. it’s just that trauma is a blockade. a series of spike strips. i’m so busy trying to figure out what’s wrong with my engine, i didn’t notice my tires were shredded. 

one of my textbooks mentioned that in folk/pop psychology, “trauma” is a term used in such a way that conflates (A) the event which results in the traumatic experience, with (B) the negative lasting effects on a person as a result of exposure to that event. And it seems i’m making that same conflation now.

Is trauma the blockade and the spike strips? or is trauma the shredded tires of the car? Technically, it’s the latter. the former is the event. a monster truck would crash through that event, and it’s jumbo-sized tires would probably be unaffected by spike strips. an event produces trauma, but trauma is not distributed evenly among individuals. 

bolts of lightning are never straight lines, or regular shapes. lighting is branched, and jagged, and crooked. electrons burrowing through the past of least resistance across the gaseous molecules of a furious sky.

i say “path of least resistance,” but “conductivity” is another way to describe this property, particularly in the context of metals. There is a vast connotational gulf between the two, and yet both are true.

i forgot i was talking about D&D originally. i doubt this was the original intent, but there’s something i’ve always found fascinating about listening to horror stories about awkward and bewildering and fucked up games of D&D, whether due to bizarre player or GM behavior. certain themes emerge though, when you read through enough of them. they all involve forms of acting out, of people reacting to emotional flashbacks and demonstrating the effects of poor differentiation.

and it makes sense that wacky countertransferential-type dynamics could emerge, since D&D creates an intersubjective container not dissimilar to the holding space of a therapeutic alliance, freeing people up from the constraints of normal social reality. but GMs aren’t therapists. i mean in a year or so, i might be both, but the point is that there’s no signing and briefing on informed consent forms, and no process of licensure for GMs, and of course group therapy differs from individual or couples therapy in a number of ways.

the point is, i’m not surprised that RPG horror stories exist, any more than i’m surprised that there will always be stories about terrible dates. expectations are rarely openly shared. everyone comes in with a set of assumptions and often do very little to share, compare and contrast. talking these things through is a skill, one which i don’t know the word for, and one which isn’t taught in school.

i consider this rambling, what i’m doing right now. i don’t do it all that often, but it’s good to have another recorded example. i have conversations with people who are more prone to it than me, and at times i found myself wondering about their internal processes and motivations, what needs are met in doing so.

part of it’s because more often than not, i only share or speak up if i have a particular point to make. it’s a lingering influence from my background in Communication. but there’s something a bit mechanical. in contrast, this whole bit of writing feels extremely organic, by my standards anyways. 

rambling came to mind because when it comes to the people who tend to ramble, i often find myself questioning to what extent they need someone to serve as a wall to bounce their thoughts and feelings off of. whether or not someone like that confuses this for true, two-way interaction.

naturally, that’s not actually an issue here, considering i’m just shouting into the void. but there is a sense of freedom and fluidity in engaging in this form of mental meandering. a soothing, relaxing quality even in the process of engaging with potentially distressing subject matter. i think i can see why they do it. of course, in a true interaction, there’s the potential that the distressing effects of the content is transmitted to the listener.

a repeated theme in some of my class readings this quarter is the idea that many of us are missing a permission, a sense of safety to feel certain ways, express things, to accept and share openly. and there’s a common tendency to try to replace this with something stringent, to impose a rigid structure or procedure as if this externalized integrity can function as substitution for something meant to freely flow. it’s a tendency that has us focusing on execution, and results, instead of on actual human connection.

and it’s probably one of the most prosaic and insidious forms of dehumanization out there in the world today. this part, too, feels similar to the rambling people i talk to sometimes. this arrival at some grandiose conclusion, this habitual seeking to state some truth about the world not directly attached to my own concerns--or presented as such.

at these points in those conversations where i am the listener, i feel the most like a sounding board. because those moments of conclusion tend to feature ideas that i find to be personally copasetic, but not particularly profound in relation to the amount of time and words it takes for the other person to arrive at: Misogyny sucks. Masculinity is toxic. A person i described as inconsiderate is inconsiderate. the movie industry sucks at casting Asians. it’s bad that people in my life made me feel bad for having feelings and opinions.

i get the feeling i’m meant to respond like some sort of cheerleader. give them the ‘you go girl’ treatment. and i suppose biggest reason i don’t feel like doing that, is because these are people who have many conflictual relationships. both have diagnoses for borderline personality disorder, but the main reservation from my point of view is that i find myself skeptical that they are working on their shortcomings, because of how often they act out or violate personal boundaries or demonstrate a lack of self-awareness or otherwise don’t seem to recognize or acknowledge the consequences of their actions. direct and indirect past experiences have left me feeling as though i can’t take it for granted that they’ve learned from past mistakes.

but then i wonder about my own shortcomings. how i rarely feel like i’m overcoming the worst parts of myself. my own capacity and willingness to change for the better is still in question. and here’s the part where i sympathize with those people the most: my natural instinct is to heap blame and guilt on myself with the implicit expectation that this will motivate change. 

but the cumulative toll of that tendency is not only counterproductive, but devastating. you can’t actually build yourself up much if you’re constantly demolishing your own foundations. but as far as internalized oppressive-abusive tendencies go, that one’s a real pain to excise once it gets under your skin.

if there’s one thing i can say on my own behalf here, aside from the fact that i’m blogging this instead of talking about it with someone, is that as i write this, i don’t feel frantic, or despondent, or otherwise overwhelmingly negative. part of it is because i’m pretty darned high, but i feel like if i’ve been emotionally activated at certain points in writing this, it hasn’t been to an overwhelming extreme. ii’ve been feeling mostly chill throughout this increasingly long bit of journaling. 

i know it’s questionable to frame things in terms of “at least i’m not talking about this with someone directly”, but i think part of that has to do with the fact that if i tried talking to someone about this, my capacity to really think through and feel though all this would be constrained by the constant consideration of keeping up some sort of appearance, or being overly concerned with the other person’s experience of the conversation. 

it’s one of those balance things. one of those instances of being so caught up in the imperative of being considerate to the other person, that the imperative gets in the way of actually being considerate to that person. 

if i tried to read all this back just now, i imagine i’d have two distinct conclusions: (1) wow, that’s a lot to think about, and (2) why is this taking me so long to process, an is this actually productive or am i just faffing about? And then a part of me wants to go on a tangent where i think about whether or not i’ve ever used the term “faffing about” out loud, and where i got it from. 

one thing i’ve done before in poetry, if not in blogging, is learned to write within a certain freedom of restriction, something learned by figuring out how to clear away all expectations concerning form and slant rhyme or slam judge scores, and freely do what i set out to do. it’s quite liberating, but an experience i’ve seldom experienced outside of poetry. to write and perform without undue concerns about winning the slam, or getting published, because of the reaction and feedback received from the audience in front of me.

and i suppose if there’s another avenue i have for that rare thing, it’s when i’m playing tabletop RPGs with friends. on the one hand, i’m absolutely invested in meeting a standard of excellence. it’s just that the standard of excellence exists on my terms, and is shaped in a manner not affected by intrusive imperatives from invalid sources, but rather by what i truly hope is a more authentic connection with my friends. 

anyways so that’s why playing D&D is fun, and why suddenly not getting to play D&D sucks.

[dukeofriven]

FOOL: “By the Lord, fool, I am not mad.”— But do you remember? ‘Madam, why laugh you at such a barren rascal; an you smile not, he’s gagged?’ And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges. - Twelfth Night, 5.i For fuck’s sake. Let’s just, for the moment, set aside the utter horror of the event itself - the mourning, the agonies physical, mental, spiritual, the trauma that will afflict people for the rest of their lives. Let’s lay aside the secondary horrors, of everyone not ‘there’ who now has to process the event - the clean-up, the identification and cataloguing of the dead. Let’s set-aside the feelings of helplessness and gut-wrenching self-recrimination of people who will spend years blaming themselves for what happened - the ‘could have done betters’ the ‘why didn’t I realizes’ the ‘if only I acted fasters,’ because events like this are never singular in their trauma, they spread it in tendrils of loathing. Let’s set aside what we all know will happen next: ‘thoughts and prayers,’ a refusal to accept mass murder as a political statement and a demand not to politicize the event, the same Candide-esque, almost zen-like statements in support of a culture where sickening mass murder happens weekly and nobody does anything about it because why would you? America has more guns than people As Is Their Right and acting like there are consequences to that fact would be foolish or, worse, political. Let’s set aside the millstone of the second amendment - both the repeatedly fatal modern misinterpretation of its language and the broader, never-examined inability of a nation to even consider that it’s founding members might have erred in framing its legal foundations - either from bias, oversight, or simple failure to accurately predict the technological and social changes of the subsequent two and a half centuries. Let’s set aside the gross obscenity that is the Department of Homeland Security informing the public that is has uncovered no links to terrorism and that other venues are not at heightened risk - because if we examine that quote for even a second we come to the blood-chilling implication that the Las Vegas gunman didn’t need the financial backing of a nefarious terrorist organization to arm himself and carry-out an attack that killed 50 and injured 400+ people - he just needed to go to a store, and therefore all venues are at the same terrible, unpredictable risk of lunatics who are allowed to own 10 firearms with little oversight or scrutiny that they were yesterday as they are today, and will be again tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that. Let’s even lay aside the fact that since the middle of last night every casino owner in Las Vegas has been locked in meetings with their business partners, lawyers, and accountants as they - almost paralyzed by blind panic - try and predict how this will affect revenue over the next six months and how they can best minimize the damage to their pocket books - because let’s not pretend that a corporate culture that was content to passively let people gamble their lives away is going to find a conscience when lives in the region are taken more actively. Let’s set all that aside because at the end of the day none of this is unique - if we neglected covering something in the litany of stark, sobering horrors above we shouldn’t worry: we’ll have another chance to mention it the next time the horror comes round. Even oh-so-edgy, truth-to-power, we-simply-must-change write-ups like this one are part of the process - a thousand came out after Orlando, a thousand came out after Sandy Hook, a thousand more will come out in the next few days, and they will all fall howling into the amaranthine void, having accomplished nothing. If Europe is place that cannot escape its past, America is a place that refuses to look directly at it, save through a mirror darkly. America is a place where pattern recognition is a mortal sin in the eyes of the political class. When the Challenger exploded the board of inquiry started asking a series of whys and hows - looking not only at the specific, technical failure that caused the shuttle to explode, but at the reasons for that failure in the first place: the culture of complacency, arrogance, and profit that existed within the institutions - NASA, Marshall, Morton Thikol - that had failed so badly to protect American lives. Whenever American society explodes, however - whenever the system fails to stop a madman from committing brutality and terror - you’re not allowed to ask more than one ‘why’ and one ‘how. “How did he do it” and “why”? The ‘how’ is always “he bought guns” and thank you, that’s all, no further questions. To examine the question further, to examine the culture that gets indignant at the thought of questioning gun ownership and the love and worship and appreciation of guns, is offensive, rude, ‘not the done thing.’ So let us set aside a cultural landscape where the act of social critique is far more disturbing and disloyal a trend then the weekly murder of the innocent en-masse. “America is full of responsible gun owners” the outraged will bristle, while doing nothing to address the fact that American guns owners are more consistently irresponsibly then any other nation on Earth not currently on the edge of or having collapsed, doing nothing to address the fact that America’s relationship to the consequence of mass gun ownership has no corresponding reflection anywhere else in the first world. ‘A few bad apples’ is the familiar refrain whether it is mass shootings or police brutality or sex crimes at fraternities - the annual, predictable harvest of bad apples is a quirk, an anomaly, and not a reflection that the orchard itself is not so much riddled with disease and sickness as it was seeded with toxic cultivars at the start; that these bad apples are the trees producing fruit as intended, that all of this is preventable if only anyone would actually tend to the orchard with a ruthlessness that would lead to tangible results. Let us set that all aside because it is a given - immutable, unchanging - and focus on the one thing in all of this sickening tragedy that is new, namely that this morning the president of the United States came within a heartbeat of sending the victims of senseless trauma his ‘warmest congratulations’ on the event of their being assaulted by a madman with guns. “Warmest condolences” isn’t a thing people should say - it’s some awful confabulation between ‘sincerest condolences’ and ‘warmest congratulations,’ born perhaps of confusion over the right thing to say in the moment. Culturally you’re allowed to be insincere with your congratulations, hence the intensifier of ‘I really mean it,’ but it’s gauche to be insincere when expressing sympathy. On any other day, with any other person, I would doubtless overlook it as a slip of the tongue. For all I know it is a regional difference and New Yorkers warmly offer condolences to one-another all the time - but after a week spent watching one Donald J. Trump repeatedly disrespect the mayor of a dying city he is failing to lend aid too, complain that football players are pussies for not putting themselves at greater risk of concussions for the entertainment of the masses, and cutting the legs out from under his chief diplomat for no other reason than he wants to seem like the biggest cock of the walk when it comes to nuclear war, I can only see this as one more example of a man whose lack of empathy takes my breath away. Donald Trump doesn’t know a thing about sympathy - but he knows what it sounds like when someone tells him how great he is, so that’s what he defaults too. That last little meaningless valediction - ‘God Bless You” - really sets my teeth on edge for it hollowness and vacuousness (coming as it does from a man who is his own god) but it’s that opening statement that is the most meaningless. (It is amazing how Donald J. Trump washes clean the sins of past presidents. How can we ever consider Nixon cold and unfeeling when compared to Trump? How can we feel that Regan’s rapidly deteriorating mental state made him unfit for the presidency when compared to Trump? How can Eisenhower, Kennedy, and LBJ choosing to mire America in the bloody charnel house of Vietnam rather than lose any face on the world stage seem nearly as bad when compared to Trump, taking the world to the edge of nuclear war for no greater reason than his infantile ego?) The panic, horror, and surreality of mass shooting have happened before. They will happen again. But now we are faced with a new element - sincerity so ineffectual, so insincere, so clearly forced that the national mourner-in-chief can not even find the humanity within himself to reflect upon the shocking, brutal loss of American lives in a way that makes any of this feel real. We have already become numb to mass shootings in American: are we now becoming indifferent? Is so little demanded of political leaders’ empathy and compassion that glimpses of grief - glimpses of the real people who inhabit the office - are surplus to requirements? The biggest mass shooting in American history happened last night, less than eighteen months after the previous biggest mass shooting in American history: in the time between the last great shooting and this one American has only gotten colder, more violent, and less caring. The trends above seem to go hand-in-glove with this new trend of a president who can shed only crocodile tears. How long before his incapacity finishes trickling down to the rest of them? How long before they stop acting like they should care? How long before we stop expecting them? How long before the next mass shooting becomes like the next drunk-driver crashing on the highway - beneath the notice of the great and powerful? After all, it happens every day - and it’s not like we can do anything about it. It is The Way Things Are.

[midlifewithavengeance]

Can You FLOAT Your Way To Better Sleep?

The blog post Can You FLOAT Your Way To Better Sleep? is available on MWAV Blog

I had a patient in my office recently for an appointment, and she couldn’t wait to tell me about an experience she’d had. “I did my first float,” she said, her expression both excited and serene. She described the experience as nothing less than transformative. She’d been a little nervous at first, she said, but she found it surprisingly easy to relax, once she was floating in the pool of warm water, wrapped in silence and darkness. “It was the most amazing thing,” she confided. “I thought maybe I’d fallen asleep, but I was awake the whole time. My mind just went into a whole different place, somewhere so deeply peaceful. For once, I had no sense of time.” She went on to tell me she’d been trying to meditate for years, and floating brought her to what she felt was a meditative mindset she’d never been able to experience before. The calm and relaxation she felt after her float session stayed with her for some time. She had already booked her next appointment.

Float therapy has been around for decades, since the 1950s when scientists developed early flotation tanks. Since then, scientific inquiry into the effects and possible benefits of float therapy continued for many years without much notice from the broader scientific community or the public at large. But in recent years, interest in floating has really taken off. There’s been an uptick in scientific interest in and study of floating. And the general public is increasingly interested in the potential benefits of floating for mental and physical health. One way to tell? Float centers are popping up all across the country, places where people can schedule a float session like you’d book an appointment for a therapeutic massage.

With float therapy experiencing something of a breakthrough—and inspired by the conversation with my patient–now seems like the perfect time to take a look at floating, and how it may help improve sleep. I’ve been working as a scientific adviser to a company, True REST, that is working to make float therapy widely accessible. What I’ve learned about the potential benefits of floating for sleep—and the characteristics and benefits it shares with meditation, one of the most deeply sleep- and health-promoting practices—are really interesting and promising.

Ready to dive in?

What is floatation therapy?

Simply put, float therapy uses the act of floating in water, in a carefully controlled environment, to induce a deep state of relaxation. By significantly reducing the external presence of sensory information—that’s everything from sight, sound, and smell to touch, temperature, taste, sense of body position, and even sense of gravity—float therapy quiets activity in the central nervous system, and relaxes the body and mind.

In technical terms, floatation therapy is a form of what’s known as Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy, or REST. Floating dramatically limits the sources of external sensory stimulation for the mind and body to process. That spurs the brain and body to shift its attention away from outside stimuli, and opens up awareness of our internal states, mental and physical. Scientists have over years of study identified a broad range of therapeutic benefits of REST in treating mental and physical health problems, including anxiety disordersand post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, substance use disorder, insomniaand fibromyalgia.

The mental and physical state that can be achieved by floating is often compared, by both scientists and practitioners, to that of meditation. And as you’ll soon see, research investigating float therapy suggests it may deliver similar states of deep relaxation as those achieved by highly experienced meditation practitioners.

What are the health benefits?Scientific study suggests float therapy may be effective in relieving stress, reducing pain, alleviating anxiety and depression, enhancing cognitive performance creativity, boosting immune function—and yes, helping sleep. Like meditation, float therapy is a non-pharmacological intervention. (I wrote just recently about the latest FDA warnings about prescription sleep medication. While these medications can be useful in some cases, they’re not broadly best suited for widespread and long-term use. Natural, non-chemical therapies for sleep are critical agents in helping those of us with sleep problems rest better.)

How does floating work?

People who use floating speak of the sense of profound calm, focus and well being that accompanies the practice. How does floating in a pool of water lead people to a state of deep rest and refocusing?

The conditions for floating are created with specifically designed enclosures—sometimes tanks, pods, chambers, or pools. (Different float centers offer different types of structures for floating.) The float chamber is filled with water that’s heavily infused with Epsom salts. This intensely concentrated salt water serves a couple of important purposes. Highly concentrated salt water creates tremendous buoyancy, allowing the body to float, fully supported by the surrounding water, in conditions that mimic a near zero-gravity state. The heavily salt-infused water also contains high concentrations of magnesium. I’ll talk more about the potential benefits of magnesium in a moment.

Within the float chamber, the temperature of the air and water closely matches body temperature. Chambers are also light-proof and sound-proof. You lie on your back—floating without effort, thanks to that salty water. Float sessions typically last between 45-90 minutes.

As you might have gathered from my patient’s enthusiastic story of her experience, the experience of flotation can be, for many people, a profound one. Practitioners speak about the unprecedented relaxation and letting go physically that can occur. They also highlight the emotional and psychological effects, of leaving a float session feeling mentally renewed and refreshed, with a deep sense of serenity and peace. What’s transpiring in the brain and body to create such a sense of physical and mental transformation? Scientific research offers us some important clues.

How floating affects the body and mind

Though we’re still relatively early in scientific exploration and documentation of floating and its therapeutic benefits, there is a growing body of research that suggests the practice of float therapy creates a distinct series of physiological and psychological changes in the brain and body—changes that can benefit sleep, health, and daily performance. Here, I’ll highlight several those effects on the body. Keep in mind that we’ve still got a lot to learn about what floating does, and there may be more to come.

Floating can lower cortisol.Several studies have measured significant reductionsto cortisolin people after they’ve engaged in floating. Cortisol is a hormone with broad-reaching effects in the body. Cortisol is involved in regulating metabolism, and plays an important role in immune system functioning, in part by controlling inflammation. Maintaining healthy cortisol levels is key to protecting mental and physical health. Too often, cortisol levels run chronically high, thanks in large part to stress and poor sleep.

Cortisol is intricately connected to both stress and sleep. A stimulating, alerting hormone, cortisol—like other hormones—runs on a 24-hour bio clock in the body. Cortisol levels rise to their peak first thing in the morning, helping deliver us the alertness and energy we need to wake and start being active. While fluctuating throughout the day, cortisol gradually declines as evening approaches, reaching its lowest levels in the middle of the night. Elevated cortisol levels can interfere with sleep, particularly when cortisol remains high in the evenings. In turn, a lack of sleep can aggravate cortisol levels outside of a healthy range.

What else contributes to high cortisol? The hormone’s role in stress is one very powerful way cortisol levels can become chronically elevated. Cortisol is probably best-known as a stress hormone. That’s because it is a major player in the body’s fight or flight response. When faced with a stressor of any sort, our bodies respond with a sharp increase in cortisol. When stress is routine, cortisol remains high. That can interfere with our ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Think about the times you’ve been under stress, and how tough it can be to drift off. Even after you do, you’re likely to wake during the night. That is cortisol at work. High cortisol levelstypically go hand in hand with diminished levels of melatonin, a hormone that is essential for paving our way to sleep each night.

Too much cortisol doesn’t only contribute to sleep problems. It creates other health issues, including poorly regulated blood sugar, suppression of the immune system, weight gain, microbiome imbalance and gastrointestinal issues including irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic anxiety.

Floating can improve other markers of stress. Several studies show that exposure to floatation therapy can lead to reductions in other key physiological and psychological signs of stress and anxiety. Float therapy has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce muscle pain and tension, improve fatigue and lower anxiety levels, while increasing positive mood, energy, and relaxation. For example, a 2018 study conducted by one of today’s leading scientific investigators of flotation therapy, Dr. Justin Feinstein, found significant reductions to blood pressure(an average of more than a 12-point drop in diastolic pressure) occurred in a group of participants during floating. At the same time, study participants experienced significant relief from muscle tension and mental anxiety. Dr. Feinstein, a neuropsychologist who is an assistant professor at Oklahoma’s University of Tulsa and a principal investigator at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research, is deeply involved in studying the therapeutic potential of floatation, specifically its value in treating mental health conditions including anxiety, addiction, eating disorders and other psychological conditions. These marked relaxation changes that are associated with floating that Dr. Feinstein and other scientists have measured are promising preliminary indicators of the potential float therapy has as a tool for treating mood disorders and also sleep disorders.

Floating can shift brain consciousness to a more relaxed (and creative) state.Several studies demonstrate how floatation therapy can move people into different, more relaxed states of consciousness, including the kind of deep relaxation where time perception is alteredand creativity is enhanced. Remember my patient who said she lost track of time while floating? That experience has been documented in scientific study. Recent analysis shows that the mind’s consciousness during floatingmay take on characteristics of stages 1 and 2 sleep. And other studies have shown that floating increases the presence of low frequency delta and theta brain waves, which are also present during sleep.

A shift into the state of deep relaxation where that allows time to slip away suggests some distinct changes to brain wave activity are happening during floating, likely similar to what happens in the brain during meditation. Studies have shown meditation alters brain activity, decreasing high-frequency beta waves and increasing low-frequency theta wave activity in different parts of the brain. Theta brain waves occur when we’re experiencing deep levels of relaxation, and also during the lighter stages of sleep. A waking brain that’s populated with theta waves is likely to be in a state of flow—that wandering, daydreaming, internally focused state of consciousness that is linked to creativity and to mental rejuvenation. (Beta waves, on the other hand, reflect a brain that is externally focused and task driven, responding to external stimuli, planning and meeting goals.)

Floating may provide benefits from magnesium.Magnesium is an essential macro-mineral we need in large quantities. It’s a mineral that keeps our muscles and nerves working well, that regulates mood and stabilizes sleep-wake cycles, that facilitates all sorts of enzyme-related biochemical reactions that keep our bodies functioning as they should. Our bodies don’t produce magnesium—we must take it in from outside sources. Magnesium deficiency is common; estimates suggest that most men and women in the United States aren’t getting enough magnesium. A lack of magnesium can:

interfere with energy production and the widespread work of the body’s enzymes

compromise muscle and nerve function and make us prone to physical pain

increase stress and anxiety

disrupt our ability to sleep

I’ve written in depth about how magnesium benefits sleep, and why it’s so important to maintain healthy magnesium levels for overall mental and physical health. When we’re lacking in magnesium (as many of us are), we’re likely to be more fatigued, more stressed, more tired and low in energy. There is ongoing scientific question and debate about how effectively magnesium can be absorbed into the body through the skin. Though it’s not yet clear whether floating can deliver magnesium as a nutrient to the body, magnesium found in float water is likely to contribute to the deep physical relaxation of the experience.

 Next, we’ll take a closer look at what the latest science says about float therapy’s benefits for sleep and sleep-related conditions, from insomnia and anxiety disorders to chronic pain. I’ll also share some tips for getting the most out of floating, for sleep, mood, and health.

Sweet Dreams,

Michael J. Breus, PhD, DABSM

The Sleep Doctor

www.thesleepdoctor.com

  The post Can You FLOAT Your Way To Better Sleep? appeared first on Your Guide to Better Sleep.

from Blog | Your Guide to Better Sleep http://thesleepdoctor.com/2019/05/21/can-you-float-your-way-to-better-sleep/

from https://midlifewithavengeance.com/can-you-float-your-way-to-better-sleep/

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/sports/i-have-a-lot-more-to-show-to-this-world-pujara/

I have a lot more to show to this world: Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara is the ice water that runs through the red-hot veins of the Indian Test team. It was his calming influence in the heat of the battle which saw India clinch its first-ever Test series in Australia with a 2-1 margin earlier this year. With 521 runs in four Tests and an eye-popping average of almost 75 (including three 100-plus scores), Pujara was the peg on which India built its historic edifice Down Under.

During his visit to the TOI Mumbai office last Saturday, the 31-year-old displayed the same tranquility while fielding some tough questions-on his batting strike rate, being dropped from the Test XI against England and his yo-yo test results. He agreed on the need to incentivise Test cricket, calling it the purest form of the game. The accolades for his batting notwithstanding, Pujara said he had a lot more to show to the world. He also laid stress on having the right balance in life, saying a professional sportsperson should be focused on the game but when there are no games, he needs to have another life too.

After finishing his 75-minute chat with the TOI Sports team, Pujara was waiting for his car to escort him back to the airport when he was mobbed by a few fans who requested him for pictures and selfies. We asked him, “Cheteshwar, Australia ke pehle ye hota tha?”. “Kabhi Nahin” was his blunt answer.

Excerpts from an interview where he talks about Kohli, Ranji Trophy and home…

Have your feats in Australia sunk in?

It was a special series for me personally as well as the team. All the players said that this is the most special win overseas. We have a young team and none of the team members had the experience of winning an overseas Test series. But at the same time we want to get better and stay at No.1. We don’t want to get carried away.

When you landed in Australia, people were looking at Virat as the main batsman and suddenly you go and dominate the series. Did you see the attitude among the Australians change?

Everything changed after the first innings (Adelaide). Whenever you go for a big tour, preparation is important. I prepared very well. Then I just tried to execute my skills and I knew what the bowlers could do because I had been there in 2014. I had faced Lyon, Starc and Hazlewood in 2014. Cummins was the only new addition to their bowling line-up. But I had faced him too in India in 2017. I knew their strategies and what line and length they would bowl.

I just wanted to bat normally. We were in deep trouble in the first Test when we were 40 for 4. I thought something special is needed to win this Test and I knew that I just had to bat through the first two sessions and didn’t think about anything else. And when we lost Ashwin, I thought that I will have to accelerate at some point since I was batting with tail-enders and at least put up 200-plus. I was really pleased with the kind of shots that I played despite us being in trouble.

You played more positively. Was it a conscious decision?

The situation demanded that. When you are batting with the tail, you always have to play your shots. There is a perception about me that I don’t play too many shots, but I try and not play them until the situation demands.

From the 2014 Australia tour to the 2018 tour, what has been the journey like and what are the changes you have made to your game?

It has been a different journey. I was inexperienced in 2014 and was on my first tour to Australia. We went to England and New Zealand too in 2014. All those series were my first series in those countries. Before that my first away series was in South Africa in 2010-11. Once you play in those conditions, you realize the changes that are needed. I made those changes over a period of time. I realized the mistakes I had made and worked hard to overcome whatever technical errors were there. Mentally I was very confident that I would do well because even in 2014, I batted well without getting the big scores. I was getting 30s and 40s and in one of the Tests in Australia, I even got an 80-plus, I just wanted to get past the 100-mark. Even in 2014, we put up a good show as a team, but we had never won a series. This time, even when we went to England we wanted to win the series, we played good cricket, but unfortunately we did not win. When we went to Australia, we were determined. There were two big away series in South Africa and England before, we were very sure that this unit can win away from home.

Did you make technical changes to your stance and grip?

Not my grip, but some changes to my stance and some other things. I don’t want to talk about them in interviews, because bowlers will prepare accordingly and plan.

Do you feel your stance is more upright now because in the Duncan Fletcher era, your stance appeared more crouched and wide which was causing you and other team members, problems?

There is a minor difference. My stance is pretty similar to what it was, but I have made some adjustments. In 2014, if I and the other batsmen failed, it was not because of the wide stance. Yes, Duncan Fletcher had his inputs. Some players liked it, others did not. It is obviously up to the individual to take the suggestion. There was no conflict.

Your father Arvind was unwell during the Australia series and was undergoing a heart procedure. How tough was it for you to focus on cricket and block everything out?

My father has been really supportive and is someone who really motivates me. He has always been there for me throughout my cricketing career. Before the surgery, our family doctor told me not to worry about anything and to just focus on cricket. Dr Patil was the guy who did his bypass five years ago. He assured me that there won’t be any complication in his procedure. My father too asked me to just focus on my game. I was lucky that my wife was there with him. She also told me to just focus on my game as we had an important game the next day. (Sydney Test). I was confident that he will be fine. But when I was walking in to bat on Day One, it was not easy. Subconsciously I was still worried and I was waiting for the end of the day so that I could quickly message my wife and check on him. I am glad I could still focus. I just watched the ball. Since I had scored runs before the fourth Test, I was confident and I just wanted to focus on batting. It was an important Test for the country. We had a chance to create history by drawing the Test or winning it. I had to be focused. Luckily, I am a tough cricketer mentally.

Can you tell us how tough is it to play in Australia? You’ve been there twice now.

They’re very strong. They’re well-aware of all the conditions … and their bowlers always have a very good plan to get the batsman out in their conditions. So, they’re well-prepared and they know what they’re doing. Even their crowd will always support their team. They’ll appreciate a good boundary hit by you, but not as much as what other people do in countries like England or South Africa. So their crowd is always behind their team.

Even their media…

Yes…everything. Even their media is always supporting their team. if you make any error, they always let the opponents know. So, as an Indian player, if there’s something wrong, or even if there is a minor discussion in the team, and if their media-person gets to know, then they’ll always go behind that player. It’s part of their strategy, which we understand. Mentally you’ve to be tough. At the same time, there’s always a little bit of sledging which is going on. But luckily, I’m someone who doesn’t get affected. In fact, I get motivated when they try and sledge me.

Do you remember any instance when the Aussies tried to intimidate you? If yes, how did you react to that?

There were many instances. But I remember the first Test. Nathan Lyon and Tim Paine tried to sledge me. They almost felt that the game was over when we were 40 for four, or when we lost the wicket of Ash (Ravichandran Ashwin)..,they thought that we’ll be bowled out for 150-160. And even later on, I think in the third or fourth Test, they were trying to sledge me but at the same time they started laughing in the end. Lyon came and told me: ‘Aren’t you bored of batting now? You’ve scored so many runs.’ So, yes, they tried to sledge me initially, but then got friendly.

Is that Lyon remark the best sledging comment that you’ve received?

Yes. I never thought that he’ll say such a thing. And then when we were playing against Australia in the third Test in Ranchi in 2017, one of the players came and told me ‘Now if you don’t get out, we’ll have to ask for wheelchairs.’ I was batting on 170-plus. That’s the best sledge I remember from an Aussie player.

Josh Hazlewood said that yours was the most precious wicket for the Aussies, and not Kohli’s. What’s your reaction to that?

I wasn’t following any of their comments, especially when the series was going on. I got to know after the Test that he had said that. I had mixed feelings. Virat is a good player. Hazlewood probably said I’m a prized wicket because I was performing well. I had scored runs in Adelaide. I think he made that comment during the second Test in Perth. He had bowled against me even in India in 2017 and knew that getting me out was challenging. It was a special comment. But as a cricketer you have mixed feelings, because you also want your players to play well.

Is Adelaide your best knock? Former Australia player & coach Darren Lehmann said that it was the best hundred he’d seen at the Adelaide Oval …

Yes, for sure. Because it came in a winning cause.

After your amazing performance in Australia, where does all the talk about intent and strike rate go?

If you look at this series, people have realized what’s required to perform well in Test cricket. Cricketing fraternity all over the world has started passing comments that this is how Test cricket should be played. People started appreciating the way I was batting, not just the Indian team management. Everyone has realized that there are different methods of playing this format. And because of white ball cricket, there’ve been players who’ve been playing many shots … they’ve been very aggressive. I still respect that because we still need players like Virender Sehwag, who’ve played Test cricket and still entertained people and scored runs for the team. So, there are different kinds of players, and each and every individual should be respected. You need to understand each and every player’s role. And when talk about intent and strike rate was going on, I just kept believing in myself, in my ability. I actually don’t get worried about what people are saying. Sometimes you just need to do the right thing for the team. When I’m playing for the Indian team, the most important thing is how I score runs and if I score runs, whether it’s helping the team or not. And if the answer is yes, you have to stick to your game.

This mindset of batting on, where did you inculcate that?

If I’ve won matches for any First Class team or the Indian team and contributed in a winning cause, you know that this is how games can be won, so you become even more confident. If you see Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, they have been very classical. Obviously Tendulkar was a different player, he liked to dominate, but there have been other players who have played Test cricket the way it has been played. Even Tendulkar when the situation demanded, has scored just 50 runs in 150 balls, so there is nothing wrong in that. You just need to understand what situation you are playing in and bat accordingly. Sometimes you have to score a 100 at a strike rate of 80 or 90 if you are batting in the second innings and the team is planning to declare.

With your brand of cricket, you will be under constant scrutiny depending on how the team has performed…

In Test cricket you don’t get criticised if the team doesn’t win and if I have scored a 50 in 120, 130 or 150 balls. I don’t think that it’s a batsman’s fault. Because there is a lot of time in the game. We may not win because other batsmen haven’t scored runs or we haven’t bowled well. But it is not because I have taken so many balls to score my runs. If I get criticised, I would still take it because out of 10 times, I’ll win games 8 or 9 times.

You are part of a side whose captain is very aggressive. You are someone who is very calm. Is there a risk of a personality clash?

Not at all. Ultimately, he (Kohli) also understands what is required to win. Many times I’ve given him suggestions and he has been more than willing to accept them. He might have a different personality but that’s his nature and that is how he should be. There’s nothing wrong in that. He can behave the way he wants to as long as he respects the game. He hasn’t been disrespectful to anyone else. He is not someone who will go and abuse everyone, but yes, I mean, sledging is something which he likes at times. And there is nothing wrong in that as long as you don’t cross the boundary. He also respects my nature.

How’s it like batting with him? You guys have had several partnerships…

I always enjoy batting with him and with all top-order batters. It is always good to have a good rapport with them. Someone like Ajinkya and Murali Vijay have played a lot of cricket with me. Playing with Virat is a special thing, and the way he plays his shots I think it’s remarkable. If you’re standing at the non-striker’s end, sometimes you just enjoy watching him play.

When he’s at the crease, does the opposition think twice about sledging?

Nowadays, opposition always wants to sledge whoever is there at the crease. When it comes to sledging, people wouldn’t think about that because they still want to get him out. Why do teams sledge? The reason is they want to get him out. So even if it’s Virat or me, or whoever is batting, I think they’ll try and say a few words. Obviously, they’ll just be careful of what they are saying.

How do you manage to bat for long hours? Do you practise meditation for such high levels of concentration?

I don’t meditate, but I have a routine. I pray every single day which helps me – it’s kind of a meditation. I also do yoga which helps me have a proper mindset. Yoga has helped me have a positive mindset. As a batsman, you should not have any thoughts. If you can have a blank mind, you can execute your skills better. Yoga has helped me to reach that stage where I’m thoughtless when I bat or even if I have thoughts, ensure that they are positive.

How do you react when you see guys like Rishabh Pant playing the shots he does, or a Prithvi Shaw? Do you cringe, do you smile, do you tell them ‘thoda aaram se’?

I laugh about it. Sometimes I get worried and say ‘what is he trying to do?’ But over a period of time, I’ve realized that you still need to respect them and their style because Pant has come from white ball cricket and we’ll have to give him some time to understand that if you want to play Test cricket, yes, you have to be attacking, which is his natural game, but at the same time, understand what is the right time to attack and when he cannot. That is what he has to figure out. If he’s battling with a tail-ender then it’s a different story, but if he’s batting with a top-five batsman, he might have to change his game a little bit and that is what I and the team management have tried communicating with him.

Growing up, your dad was really strict with the way you played. Do you ever regret that being too technically correct has sometimes not helped you establish yourself in white-ball game?

Not at all. My father always used to tell me to play according to the merit of the ball. And it’s not as if I wasn’t allowed to play any lofted shots. But he made sure that if I played a lofted shot, I had to execute it in a manner where it goes over the top. It should not just pop up in the air where someone can take a catch even in a practice session. Not many people have seen my white ball cricket and people have this perception. But the moment I play lofted shots, I always execute it in the manner where I get a four or a six. But in Test cricket it is not required as you are taking extra risk and risking giving your wicket away. You may end up scoring only about 30. But if you play down the ground you could end up with 150-160. If you can execute your shots then you should, but you should consider the chance of success. That’s important. If the chance of succeeding is less than you must curb your natural game and bat according to the situation.

Who is the best bowler that you have faced and can you recall a particular spell where you found it really hard to survive?

When I went to South Africa in 2010-11, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were at their peak. The way they were bowling, I was struggling, to be honest. That was the toughest bowling I have faced. There I realized what all I needed to succeed at the international level. There were some changes I had to make. The kind of swing Steyn was getting and the kind of pace and bounce Morkel was generating was very tough to negotiate.

Your father has often spoken about how flawlessly he has seen you bat in the nets. It’s his one wish that the world should see you bat like that. Would you say your performance in Australia fits the description that your father talks about?

Not completely. I have many more things to show the world. Obviously, I have been working hard on my game. I am still young and I am very sure that it will come at some point. What my father has been telling me has really motivated me. It gives me a lot of confidence because sometimes you start doubting yourself. But my father is the one who has always had faith in me and he told me that the world hasn’t seen you the way I have seen you. So don’t doubt yourself. At some point I thought because he is my dad he keeps motivating me then I started hearing things from other big coaches and then I feel what my dad is saying could be right. It could be technical also because sometimes I have seen many foreign coaches or Indian coaches say that what I am doing is technically perfect and I should not try and change anything. I try to communicate that with my father and try and tell him that what you have been telling me is right. But then he still tells me that I need to focus and not get carried away.

Pujara autographs the December 28, 2018 sports edition of Toldnews that captured his feat of scoring a century in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

Speaking about technique, coach Ravi Shastri recently said that you were left out of the Birmingham Test in England because there was a slight problem with your stance, something that can happen if you are playing continuously in county cricket. Can you recall if there was any such problem and how disheartening it was to be dropped for the 1st match of the series? I don’t discuss technical things much. The reason why I was not scoring many runs in county cricket were different. The kind of wickets I was playing on, if you look at the scorecard, the average score was 180-200 and even other batsmen didn’t score runs. There was one game where I was batting with Joe Root, Jonny Bairstaw and Adam Lyth who have played for England. Despite such a good batting line-up, we got bowled out for 50. When you look at such a line-up on paper, we were almost a Test team. We still won that game, but it was a challenging wicket. County cricket is different especially when you play for Yorkshire up north in April and May. The conditions are so challenging that you might not get a 50 but a useful 30-40 could be crucial. There were times I also got bad decisions which is part of this game and I accept it. If your time is not right people start thinking ‘oh, he hasn’t scored runs in county cricket.’ But people are not there to watch what is happening over there. It is very easy to say things from a distance. When I was dropped from the 1st Test, I was disappointed but at the same time I knew that my opportunity will come at some stage and I trusted my preparation because every player you asked would have vouched for the hard work I was putting in to succeed for Yorkshire. That helped me to play well in the next four Test matches.

How has country cricket helped you? You are someone who has played a lot in England. Do you feel other Indian batsmen should be encouraged to play county cricket to improve their game?

County cricket has been really helpful for me personally. Now whether it should be encouraged, I don’t know. I support it because if that’s done, it will be very good especially for our Test cricket. But when the IPL is going on most of our players are playing the tournament. And when IPL finishes it becomes difficult for players who are playing all formats because of workload issues. But if players who are just playing the Test format have time then I am sure they should go and participate in county cricket. Even white-ball specialists who aspire to play Tests should play in county cricket because it needs technique. Conditions are really challenging. Sometimes your weaknesses are exposed very quickly and then you can go to the nets and start working to rectify them.

In the current team, there’s Hardik Pandya, Parthiv Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and you who are all Gujarat-based players. Is there a lot of Gujarati being spoken in the dressing room?

(Laughs) Yes, there is. Sometimes we just joke about it and say that everyone will have to learn Gujarati at some stage. But on a funny note when we want to pass some comment on other players who don’t understand, we speak in Gujarati. There’s no sledging but cheerful banter. Even other players respect Gujarati culture and many of them have been to my home so they like Gujarati food so they sometimes ask where is your thepla or some other food.

You came back from Australia and straightaway joined Saurashtra’s Ranji team. When you look at a regular domestic cricketer, do you see a “Pujara” around you? Do you see a player growing up with the kind of culture you have cultivated for yourself?

I see many young talented players. I see a lot of commitment nowadays in domestic cricket. The importance of Ranji Trophy might have decreased a bit because of the IPL but at the same time I’ve seen many players who want to play Ranji, perform well, be recognized for the Indian Team whether it’s red ball or white ball cricket. A classic example is Mayank Agarwal and Vihari who have come from Ranji Trophy and performed well at the international level and when the team required it the most.

The average fan outside thinks that players are only interested in playing the IPL..

It’s not the case but if you look at young players who are coming up, someone who is below 14 or 16, when you speak to them they might say that they want to play in the IPL. They won’t even say they want to play in the Indian team. So sometimes there are players who just want to be famous but majority of cricketers still want to play for the country. At the same time, IPL is a good league, but the preference should be to play for the Indian team and your state team. If you are good enough, you can play in Ranji Trophy, IPL and the Indian team.

So there is much for Keery O’Keefe to come and see here.

I heard it only 3-4 days later. I read somewhere later that he apologized and that he didn’t mean it. I hope it’s true. I believe that he was just trying to be a little funny and it wasn’t serious. There shouldn’t be any questions on Indian First Class cricket. Ranji Trophy is up there.

After his comments, everyone came and spoke about Ranji Trophy and praised it. Was that a conscious move?

Little bit because there were so many questions. It wasn’t a conscious effort but if the questions in a press conference are asked then you have to answer. Players know how valuable it is. There’s a lot of importance in Indian First Class cricket and at the same time a lot of players are coming from U-19 and India A and credit goes to Rahul bhai (Dravid).

Did Rahul message you after the Aus tour?

Yes, he messaged me and congratulated me for what I and the team achieved.

Saurashtra have been very consistent over the past few years. What have you’ll done differently?

Since the time me and Ravindra Jadeja’s made their debuts, players have realized that if they perform well for Saurashtra, they can play for the Indian team. So many young players got inspired by that. Jaydev Unadkat also came in. We have three players who are representing the Indian team. Players are working hard. Actually sometimes even I get inspired by their commitment to the Saurashtra team. The team culture and commitment is good and that’s why I always look forward to coming and playing for them.

In the semis, you edged the ball but didn’t walk. That led to a huge debate. Did you feel bad about what happened?

Sometimes I do, but at the same time, my focus is helping the team win the game. If I didn’t walk that doesn’t mean I disrespect anything. Sometimes you get bad decisions and you accept it and just move on. So it’s part of this game. There have been many occasions when we have got some players out and they haven’t walked. No one else notices it because he’s a domestic cricketer. But now since I’ve performed well and the matches are telecast, there was a lot of attention on the game so people started passing comments.

When you started dating your wife (Puja), there were reports that she hardly knew the game. How are things now?

When we got engaged, she did not know anything about cricket, she didn’t know I was. Her knowledge of the game has improved a lot and my father and she discuss the game a lot. As he knowledge has improved, she has become very supportive of the fact that I am a professional cricket player and I have to be away from home. I miss my daughter very much but with technology around, it is not very difficult because I can make a video call. But when I am around and especially when I am in Rajkot, I try and spend quality time with them, I don’t go out much and I try and look after Aditi because as a mother it is very difficult to manage Aditi on her own and as a father I believe I should always support her whenever I am around.

Will you inculcate the same values in her like your father inculcated in you? Will you allow her to ride a cycle or as in your case, will you allow her to fly a kite.

It is a tough call. But I will be little more balanced. I will be strict for sure. But at the same time, with all the knowledge, I can strike the right balance I have always had this argument with my father and ‘you don’t allow me to celebrate any festivals and if we have to go out, you don’t allow me because you feel I have to rest. Over a period of time, he also realized that you have to switch off somewhere. So It is important to have the right balance in life or as a professional sportsperson, you should be focused on the game but when there are no games, you need to have a hobby or play different sport. Now I play badminton, I play table tennis. It is important to have the right balance and that is what I will teach my daughter.

Are you going to call Rishabh Pant for baby-sitting duties?

Now we have a new member in the Saurashtra team, Jaydev Unadkat. He has taken over the duties. Now that I am committed to play more domestic cricket, he has promised to baby sit my daughter for a couple of hours. Let’s see whether he can.

What’s your view on the Dukes vs SG vs Kookaburra issue?

I think we should stick to the SG Ball in India because in our domestic cricket we play with the SG ball and the player gets used to playing with this ball whether it is the batsman or bowler. You know what it does with the new ball, with the old ball. So I don’t think we should change at all. The debate was on the quality of the ball. The BCCI has communicated with SG and during the semi-finals, we got a different quality of ball. They worked on it and it is much better now. I am sure the seam and shape is lasting a little longer and even the bowlers from the Indian team have communicated what they felt with the ball.

Do you think the balls should be standardized?

Not at all. I think the beauty of this sport is having different balls in different conditions. In England, we have the Dukes ball. You cannot play with the SG in England. In their domestic cricket they play with the same ball so they have a slight advantage. So if you are visiting a country, the question is how quickly you adjust to the different ball. That is the beauty of Test cricket. Let’s stick to these differences.

In the Duleep Trophy you hit a century against the pink ball. Officially, the Indian team has not played with the pink ball in Test cricket. When do you think we should?

We are still in an early stage to decide about the pink ball. In India, it is very difficult for a bowler to pick a wicket. Most of the times, teams have scored more than 500 runs which should not be the case. If you are playing the longer format of the game there has to be a balance. It can’t be a batter’s game. In white-ball cricket, it is a batter’s game and the bowlers do not have too many chances to pick many wickets. In the longer version, bowlers should have enough leverage to get a batsman out so when we start playing with pink ball, it reduced that.

For the kind of pressures that a young cricketer is having these times, Rahul Dravid is advocating a backup cover. What is your take on it?

I completely agree. Now when you see that the young generation is well educated, even the young cricketers are well educated, not just in India, but overseas too. If you are educated, it helps you think better in this game and education is something that I always loved. I am not a graduate, but I want to do an MBA at some stage. Because I am playing this game continuously, I am not able to study. I think once I retire or whenever I get time, I will go back to studies because that is something that I love. It is very important to have a backup in life for a sportsperson. Because if you have a basic degree or some level of education, then there is less pressure because if you fail as a cricketer you can always go back to doing what you studied. If you want to play, it should not be for survival, it should be for enjoyment of the game because you love the game.

Do you think that is the case, domestic cricketers are playing for survival?

I think so because most of the cricketers are from the middle class level although the financial structure or the match fees have changed, in domestic cricket and even Indian cricket. So if you look at them, they are mostly from the middle class background and that puts that extra pressure on success and when you have such pressures, you may not always succeed.

The World Test Championships will begin later this year. Do you think it will revive interest in Test cricket? The Test Championships will begin when India tour the West Indies. How excited are you about this?

Not just me. I have spoken to other players and all of them are very excited. We have already started discussing about the format and points system. We don’t have all the details, but we have already discussed about the various possibilities. I am sure Test cricket will get a lot of importance going forward with all the boards thinking about the survival of Test cricket. That is the purest format of the game and it will survive. I have no doubt about it.

Rahul Dravid also made a very important point about finance management for young players. They are looking at serious money. How do you draw a balance when faced with such a situation?

Some monitoring should happen. I am not trying to say that they should be restricted with the money, but they should have the right guidance in life where they should understand that it’s not only about money. They should understand that focusing on how to manage money is also important. Once they start earning money and buying things, they should also think what if they are not as successful as what they are today. There has to be right planning and I am sure there are many corporate courses and the BCCI can think about guiding them too.

There is a perception that India, with all the money they are pumping into the game is killing Test cricket. So are we killing Test cricket or are we the flag-bearers of Test cricket today?

If you speak to any player in the Indian team and ask them about which format they like the most, all of them will say Test cricket. May be talent wise, they are not very successful in Test cricket but they will still say that this is the format that they would like to test themselves in. That is where the real challenge for a cricketer is and if they start performing in Test cricket, that is where the actual pleasure is. Because if you score a 100 in a Test and also in the shorter format, players will always say my Test 100 is always the more special one. The same goes for the bowlers. Yes, the game is moving on, there is a lot of white-ball cricket. Our ODI and T20 team is doing well in that. There’s nothing wrong, but at the same time there is a lot of respect for Test cricket in India as well.

Should a player who plays only in Tests and does not play IPL get a higher contract? That will give players more incentive to play Tests?

I agree. I have read things and I am assuming that that is the way forward to promote Test cricket. But at the same time, I also feel that First Class cricket and Ranji Trophy should be given more importance financially. I don’t know what should be the right structure, but players should get enough money even in domestic cricket because that is where Test cricketers are produced and if we can take care of players playing in Ranji Trophy well, then we will produce more Test players. The players too will focus on not just playing IPL, but focus on playing in Ranji Trophy and playing for India in Tests.

You have also been motivated to turn up for Saurashtra? You came back from a tough tour of Australia and immediately played in Ranji.

I always look forward to playing for Saurashtra because of the team atmosphere. Also, because that is where I started playing cricket. My roots belong there. I became a Test player just playing for Saurashtra. Whenever I get an opportunity, I never miss it. But now because I play a lot of matches, I have to look after my body, but I will always try and play for Saurashtra or any First-Class game.

Are you a fan of Yo-Yo Tests? And what is your score?

Yes. Yo-Yo Tests are good. My score is 17.5. Importance of fitness has increased overall across formats Yo-yo tests give you an idea of where you stand fitness-wise. If you are not working on your fitness, in the next Test you will find out that your score has decreased.

Have you finally mastered the ra dance?

No. I think Rishabh (Pant) was trying to do something and they forced me to do that and I couldn’t do that and ultimately it became the ra dance.

How does it feel to be the most wanted batsman in Tests?

It’s a great feeling when you are wanted in Tests. When you are liked about the purest format of the game, it’s a different feeling altogether. When players all over the world say that this is the format they love the most and if I am doing well in that, it is the proudest moment for me.

Australian coach Justin Langer said that you watched the ball closer than Tendulkar and Dravid…

It’s the best compliment I have ever heard in my cricketing career. Langer is someone I respect a lot He has brought in a lot of discipline to the Australian team, and although they were losing, he didn’t lose his temper. It is tough when Australia lose in Australia. Their team is going through a lot. I am very hopeful that he will take the Australian team upwards in the next couple of years.

[torentialtribute]

Ashes 2019: Stuart Broad can’t wait for Jofra Archer to go gunning for Steve Smith again

The bell rings for round four of this heavyweight Ashes fight on Wednesday with England insisting that they get nothing stop while they try to keep Australia on the ropes.

Eight days after the miracle of Headingley there was a palpable feeling of excitement in the camp of England on Monday when they met again in Old Trafford for what is certainly the most anticipated Ashes Test since the seismic summer of 2005.

And herb has been added because of the resumption of hostilities between Steve Smith and Jofra Archer, the man who placed him on the Lord's canvas and tests him from the third.

Jofra Archer is going to resume hostilities this week with Steve Smith of Australia in Manchester

Smith is back in the fold after missing the third test in Headingley for concussion "class =" blkBorder img-share "/>

Smith is back in the fold after missing the third test in Headingley due to a concussion [1 9459003]

How Smith, the difference between these two brittle bowler-heavy sides to Edgbaston returns after such a sickening blow to his neck and the concussion it caused will be the key to the outcome from the largest test series in cricket, which now stands at 1-1 with two to play.

Stuart Broad, who quietly had another excellent Ashes, was adamant that Smith will not stop anything when Smith makes his entrance on an Old Trafford field that is expected to be the fastest in the Ashes.

& # 39; Test cricket is a brutal sport in which countries go for leather, & # 39; Broad said.

& # 39; I'm sure Steve comes to Jofra in Joe Root's ear and wants the ball. That is the intensity of Test Cricket, that is the theater we are talking about.

& # 39; I may be halfway there, but I will be excited when Steve comes in and asks Jofra for that ball. It was a really nice piece of cricket with Lord.

& # 39; Smith played beautifully, but Jofra switched from 84 km / h to 95 and really came in. That kind of cricket is great enough to watch on television, but when you're on the field, it's pretty special.

Stuart Broad expects Archer to throw the ball when Smith this week comes out

Broad has taken 14 wickets in three test races so far in this summer's Ashes series

[1 9459012]

The dream is that someone will give Smith the first ball and Jofra will not have a bowl with him, but he is on average not for nothing 60-odd. There comes a period in this game in which the two come together again and touch wood. I'm on the field to watch it. & # 39;

Broad of course knows everything about being hit by the head and has never really been the same as a batsman since Varun Aaron in India broke his nose here five years ago in Old Trafford. The psychological impact on Smith will become clearer this week.

& # 39; He has slightly more skills than me, so it probably won't affect him, & # 39; Broad smiled. & # 39; But I don't think I've ever played in a series in which so many people have been hit on the head.

& # 39; Both sets of fast bowlers are bowling well and maybe the fields are a bit untrue, a two-stage bit. It feels like the doctors are running every 10 overs. & # 39;

It is more with skill than hostility that Broad has taken 14 wickets in three tests, four of whom held David Warner crucial for everyone except the first innings in Headingley.

Broad admits that & # 39; quite special & # 39; is to watch Archer bowl when he is on the field with him

& # 39; It was a great fight and I really enjoyed it so far & # 39 ;, Broad said about his success against Warner.

& # 39; I would say that I had the best for me for this series and I had always focused on its outer edge, thinking it would run over the ball to bring in the slips. But the guy actually has incredible hand-eye coordination.

& # 39; I had a different mentality and am now trying to get the stumps to play more against him. I do not want to take out too much credit and say that I have considered him or something else. And the fields were to our advantage with the new ball. & # 39;

Broad quickly saw a bit of the old Warner in Headingley in the aggressive approach of the man whose bad behavior embodied the toxic culture that led to the worlds of him and Smith disintegrated with the scandal sandpaper.

& # 39; We have not had any silly words in this series, but you can see that he has changed his mind to go more against the opponent and that suits him better as a cricket player.

& # 39; We expect him to come out here and that vague character is that he is so often. We will have to combat that by removing him quickly. & # 39;

Broad insists that he enjoyed his fight with David Warner after being fired four times

It is easy to forget that Broad could have been the strange man in the attack of England at the start of this test summer, but he has reacted to his place being pressured by taking on the Ashes challenge again.

& # 39; This is the best one I have thrown for three or four years, & # 39; he insisted. I see it as the fate that I missed a little bit last winter. I had time to sit back and change a few things technically.

& # 39; Now I think I will go bowling once I have done that for a while, which surprises me more than most. That is a rhythm and a time thing. I have bowled a lot in this series so far, but I feel excited and fresh. I arrived hungry and without problems in September. & # 39;

Broad is convinced that he will resume his old partnership with Jimmy Anderson at some point this winter – & # 39; He still has a lot of cricket in him, he insisted – but for now he is happy to see Archer tear while proving that there is still enough life left in his 33-year-old legs.

And that may be just enough to take England to another Ashes triumph.

Source link

[writingguide003-blog]

World Cup 2018: Guardian writers give their predictions for the tournament

New Post has been published on https://writingguideto.com/must-see/world-cup-2018-guardian-writers-give-their-predictions-for-the-tournament/

World Cup 2018: Guardian writers give their predictions for the tournament

Who will triumph in Russia? Which player will be top scorer? Who will be the breakthrough star? How far will England go?

Which two teams will reach the final – and who will win?

My time of selecting Spain to win every tournament is now officially over probably four years too late and Im reverting back to Germany, in a penalty shootout against France. Daniel Taylor

Brazil and Argentina, with Lionel Messi to illuminate the grandest stage, then retire from international football clutching its ultimate prize. Maybe. Dominic Fifield

Notoriously hard to call before a round of games has been played. Brazil beating Germany would be my preference. Barney Ronay

Brazil against Germany – the ultimate test of Brazils temperament and a tale of vengeance in result if not in scoreline. Amy Lawrence

Brazil to beat Germany. Brazil have got everything but, most importantly, balance and a hardier mentality under Tite. Germany remain intimidating and even greater than the sum of their parts. David Hytner

Brazil and Germany, and Brazil will ultimately be champions. Stuart James

Sign up for the World Cup Fiver, our free and funny daily email.

France and Germany would not be a massive surprise but a lot depends on which Paul Pogba shows up; the player who dictated a 100m move or the one which has struggled for consistency at Manchester United. Martha Kelner

Brazil and Spain, and Brazil will win. Tites side have been impressive in the build-up to the tournament, have solidity and have rested Neymar. Sid Lowe

The dream final would be France versus Brazil – a repeat of the final from 20 years ago, and hopefully with the same result. Marcel Desailly

Germany against Brazil, and Germany will win. Thomas Hitzlsperger

Im certain Brazil will be in the final. Who will join them is a hard choice to make but it would certainly be interesting, and make for a great match, if Argentina joined them. Marta

Neymar is well rested, in form and ready for revenge on Germany. Photograph: APA-PictureDesk GmbH/REX/Shutterstock

Who will be leading individual scorer?

Neymar is a decent shout and should be particularly fired up bearing in mind the way his last World Cup finished. DT

Neymar, whose goals will propel Tites side to the final and presumably then earn him a long mooted move to Real Madrid. DF

Romelu Lukaku. Or someone else. Ideally a surprise from a minor nation who gets four in one game then goes home. BR

Gabriel Jesus, supplied by Neymar and Roberto Firmino, could fill his golden boots. AL

Luis Surez. Uruguays draw is a dream and they will make the quarter-finals, at least, giving Surez plenty of game-time to do damage. DH

Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian has a good scoring record at international level and is the spearhead of a team that should go far. SJ

Antoine Griezmann could light up this tournament, arriving in Russia on the back of inspiring Atletico Madrid to a Europa League title. His record for France isnt bad, though, with 20 goals in 53 games. MK

Neymar.The Brazilian arrives in Russia with fresh legs and a desire to take his nation all the way. Frances Kylian Mbapp is also a decent shout. SL

Romelu Lukaku. Hes on great form, has everybody playing for him and some great passers to provide him with the ammunition he needs. MD

Gabriel Jesus. I watched him quite a lot last season and really liked his movement, not to mention his scoring rate. Hell get plenty of service playing in the same team as the likes of Neymar and Philippe Coutinho and, given Ive predicted Brazil will get to the final, he should play plenty of games, also. TH

Neymar. He was hurt, played two games and scored in both I cant wait to see him in action. M

Frances Kylian Mbapp and Antoine Griezmann are contenders for the World Cup golden boot. Photograph: Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images

Who will be the surprise team of the tournament?

Switzerland. The Fifa world rankings are not the best way to judge a team, perhaps, but there must be some valid reasons why they are currently sixth (ahead of France and Spain). DT

Serbia. Mladen Krstajics team are unfancied, but boast strength and quality. The key will be ensuring players perform to the same levels they invariably achieve at their clubs. DF

This question contains an internal contradiction. Colombia for the semis, maybe. BR

Uruguay, a mix of renewed confidence and wily old know-how. AL

I see Croatia going deep into the tournament maybe even the semi-finals. Any team with Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic deserves respect. DH

Denmark. Theyre 15 matches unbeaten and this could be the stage for Christian Eriksen to shine. Mind you, their opening game, against Peru, wont be easy. SJ

Peru return to the World Cup after a 36 year absence but they are full of hope, galvanised in part by their captain, centre forward and all time top scorer Paolo Guerrero managing to overturn a 14-month drugs ban just weeks before the world cup. MK

Would it count as a surprise for Egypt and Uruguay to do well? The two sides from group A certainly could do so. Uruguay have their usual qualities, have Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield and a quiet, competitive confidence. SL

Belgium. Technically they are so good, they have so many talented players. I truly think they can bring a new name to the nations that have won the World Cup. MD

England. There is little expectations around the squad but I think they will get to the quarter-finals. TH

Sweden. It is a country that I have a lot of affection for and I want them to do well in this World Cup. M

Denmark are unbeaten in 15 matches and Christian Eriksen makes them tick. Photograph: Lars Ronbog/FrontzoneSport via Getty Images

Who will be breakthrough player of the tournament?

Hirving Lozano of Mexico sounds good fun: talented, fiery and nicknamed Chucky because of his apparent resemblance to the Childs Play doll. Lozano scored 19 goals as a winger for PSV Eindhoven last season and is likened to Luis Suarez, though hopefully he will manage not to bite anyone. DT

Samuel Umtiti. That may sound odd given the French centre-half plays at Barcelona, but he was rushed into the team at Euro 2016, making a senior debut in the quarter-final, and is a far better player now. DF

Hes already at Barcelona and cost 90m but I think Ousmane Dembl could remind everyone exactly why. BR

Kylian Mbapp, who has achieved so much already but in his teens this will be his first major tournament. AL

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The 23-year-old Serbia and Lazio midfielder is tall, dynamic and has an eye for goal. Im looking forward to watching him, together with Moroccos creative midfielder, Hakim Ziyech, who plays for Ajax. DH

Polands Piotr Zielinski. The 24-year-old was a key member of the Napoli team that pushed Juventus all the way in Serie A last season. SJ

Karol Linetty. The Polish midfielders inventive play has seen him glitter for Sampdoria and catch the eye of one or two Premier League clubs. More could take interest if he has a good World Cup. MK

Marco Asensio and Kylian Mbapp. This could be the tournament when they underline just how brilliant theyre going to be. SL

Its difficult to say, but, if pushed, Kylian Mbapp. He has the potential to be a big World Cup star. But will it be at this World Cup? He is still very young. MD

Benjamin Pavard, a young defender I work with at Stuttgart and part of Frances squad. He can play right-back but, for me, is much better suited to being a centre-back. He is calm and composed, good in the air and aggressive when he needs to be. A real talent. TH

Hes still only 19 and there were ups and downs in his first season at Paris Saint-Germain but I feel Kylian Mbapp could make a really big impact for France. M

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

How far will England get?

There is a potential quarter-final against Brazil or Germany looming. Even with the new wave of optimism, surrounding Gareth Southgates team its difficult to see them getting past that stage. DT

The quarter-finals, playing some encouragingly enterprising football along the way. DF

Respectable/brave 2-0 quarter-final loss after narrow squeak to that stage based on discipline and a couple of flukey clean sheets. BR

The usual in all probability, maybe a quarter-final this time. AL

The quarter-finals, where we will lose on penalties to Germany. DH

They will get out of the group but its hard to see them progressing any further than the last 16. SJ

Quarter-finals. This is the minimum target the FA has set and is eminently achievable for a team which seems to have had the shackles removed. MK

Quarter-finals. Am I alone in thinking that England are actually quite good? I like the look of them offensively. SL

It is hard to say as England are short of experience. I feel they will need this tournament to grow as a group of players. MD

The quarter-finals. With a bit of good fortune and good play, they could even make the semi-finals. TH

They will definitely get out of their group and possibly go beyond that. M

Play Video

8:40

Panama’s World Cup journey: the former Millwall coach behind their success video

Who will be Englands best/most important player?

Harry Kane. People forget how poor he was in the European Championship, booed by the England fans, but if Kane is on form the team have a striker who can trouble any defence. DT

Harry Kane, making his mark at a major finals. The one player of real pedigree in English ranks. DF

Raheem Sterling. Will bring a dash of Manchester City to things and finally score a couple of goals – hopefully with his gun foot, before suggestively unfurling his sock for the cameras. BR

Harry Kane. Has to be. AL

Kyle Walker. He has a pivotal role on the right of Gareth Southgates back three, where he brings defensive cover and, crucially, pace on the transitions. Confidence is high after his superb debut season at Manchester City. DH

Harry Kane.Englands captain, principal goalscorer and, its fair to say, best player. SJ

Harry Kane is vital to Englands success as one of our few genuine world-class players. The captain has no shortage of motivation, claiming a World Cup victory would be trump winning the Champions League with Tottenham. MK

Marcus Rashford. On the basis he is given continuity, confidence and a certain level of freedom. SL

The guy who has really confirmed his talent on the big stage is Harry Kane and if he gets good service he could be one of the top scorers in Russia. MD

Harry Kane. He needs to score goals and Im sure he will. TH

Harry Kane. He had a great season with Tottenham Hotspur and his goals will make a difference for England. M

Harry Kane

Harry Kane

What are you most looking forward to, on or off the pitch?

The final. Its a World Cup final. For a journalist, theres no better moment when it comes to covering the sport. DT

Off the pitch, seeing The Motherland Calls in Volgograd. On it, that jaw dropping contest to match the drama of Belo Horizonte in 2014. DF

Discovering that, in fact, everyday Russians arent all Putin-mad dopes or gumshield-clad football hooligans. Also vodka. BR

Exploring Ekaterinburg and watching football in an unexpected place. Japan versus Senegal in a city known as the gateway to Siberia is what its all about. AL

The best thing about the previous World Cups Ive covered has been the carnival vibe. I hope its the same this time. DH

Seeing Colombia play. I had the pleasure of watching them in Brazil and they were a joy. I also havent forgotten how a few of their fans felt sorry for me when I ordered a table for one in a Brazilian steakhouse four years later and were still in touch. SJ

Im genuinely intrigued to see what sort of World Cup-host Russia will be and if they can succeed in reversing opinions of some visitors that the country is cold and unwelcoming. MK

The same thing you always look forward to at the World Cup loads of fans from loads of places making loads of noise and discovering players and teams..Some random player being brilliant. SL

Im excited to see which teams are going to surprise us AND which teams are going to show from the very outset that they are here to win it. MD

Although I think Germany will win the World Cup this looks like a really open tournament, with quite a few genuine major contenders as well as teams would could cause a major surprise. It should be fascinating. TH

Talking about soccer, watching beautiful and clean games, with sportsmanship, fair plays and no dirty plays. Thats what I hope to see, anyway. M

The Colombia fans were already out in force to cheer on their team at Kazan airport. Photograph: Luis Acosta/AFP/Getty Images

What are you most concerned about, on or off the pitch?

This might be the worst prediction of them all, but I dont think there will be the racism or riots that people fear. We heard similar before Euro 2012 in Ukraine and Poland, plus other scare stories before the World Cups in South Africa and Brazil, but it tends to be different in the big tournaments. DT

The inevitable shambles and confusion which will be VAR. DF

The only thing any football hack ever really worries about is the wi-fi. Will it be good? Will it come and go? Will it fade at kick-off? Im worrying about it right now. BR

Having been in Marseille for England versus Russia, digging out the old Italia 90 No All Violenza T-shirt and hoping for a peaceful tournament. AL

VAR leading to confusion inside the stadiums and, potentially, killing the emotion of big moments. DH

The battery life on my new mobile phone. Any incomplete answers in here are down to the fact my phone died while trying to file. SJ

That we will spend the next five weeks talking exhaustively about decisions made by Video Assistant Referees. MK

Connection issues and late goals. Long distances. Cyrillic script. On the pitch: teams turning defensive when it gets decisive. SL

That all the talk about security and organisation will overshadow the football. As a Fifa ambassador l have visited many stadiums, met many Russians, and l am confident in the capacity of Russia to run a great tournament. MD

Vladimir Putin and Gianni Infantino appearing on our television screens more often than the actual players. TH

Ugly incidents between supporters. Sport is not a tool for spreading hatred and disagreement but rather love, passion, and unity. M

The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us

[thechasefiles]

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 1/15/2018

Good Morning #realdreamchasers. Here is your news cap for Monday 15th January 2018. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Today (BT), or by Daily Nation News Newspaper (DN).

BEES ATTACK – Barbados Labour Party members launched a blistering attack on the Freundel Stuart-led administration last night as the party held its first mass political meeting for the year in Worthing, one of the areas affected by the ongoing overflow of effluent from the South Coast Sewerage Plant. Leading the attack for the night was Christ Church West candidate Dr William Duguid, who was escorted by enthusiastic poster-carrying supporters. With the odour from the sewage in the air, the former Member of Parliament told the hundreds of supporters present that the situation had become dire. He slammed Minister of Health John Boyce for telling residents there was no reason to panic in the wake of a number of gastroenteritis cases.  (DN)

NO NEED TO PANIC – Minister of Health John Boyce is urging the public not to panic even as the south coast sewage crisis continues. Boyce said the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) and the Ministry of Health have implemented short-term measures to tackle the crisis. “We have to be concerned but we need not panic in these circumstances,” Boyce told members of the media at his Christ Church South constituency office on Saturday. On Friday BWA Rapid Response and Communications Manager Joyann Haigh reported that there had been no effluent on the streets for the week and disclosed temporary measures taken for restaurants and businesses that have been affected by the year-long sewage problem. Providing a further update on the progress made by the Ministry of Health and the BWA, Boyce said that the BWA  was taking the necessary measures to mitigate the problem. He revealed that the BWA would be installing CCTV cameras to detect the conditions of the sewers. “Having got the situation into a satisfactorily dry environment, we now have at the technical level to insert visual camera equipment that can help us to see exactly what is happening in these areas,” the Minister of Health said while adding that the next step was to identify the area of greatest damage. Responding to concerns raised nationally about the quality of the tap water or potable water and the nearshore water on the island, Minister Boyce said there was no need for alarm. “The potable water has been monitored and there is no cause for alarm,” Boyce said. He also disclosed that based on investigations conducted in November and December, the quality of water on the beaches remain safe. With the United States, Canada and Britain issuing health advisories urging their citizens to take the necessary precautions along the south coast stretch, Boyce said that the next course of action was to “demonstrate to the countries involved . . . that the corrections are in place and all is well”. Making reference to the 35 reported cases of gastroenteritis publicized last week, the Health Minister said that there have been no more reported cases but he urged private doctors to report all cases of suspected gastroenteritis to the Ministry. “We are not saying nay to any of the experiences which Barbadians or visitors to Barbados may share but I feel duty bound to bring that level of assurance to the Barbadian public that these situations are monitored,” Boyce said. (BT)

TRUST WAY – The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) should not be the judge and jury when it comes to derelict properties around the island. So says the man who is fresh from saving Roland Edwards’ Speightstown, St Peter home, attorney Douglas Trotman. He wants to see a separate committee established by law to investigate whether buildings earmarked for demolition were actual health hazards or could be restored and then sold. The once two-storeyed, coral stone 17th/18th-century home of the man who composed the music of the National Anthem had been earmarked for demolition from as far back as 2003, when it was first added to the EPD’s list of derelict buildings. (DN)

BREAK-IN BLUES – Barbados Water Authority (BWA) officials are looking into an act of burglary and vandalism which occurred at its Bay Street lift station last Thursday. Calling it “an act of terrorism”, the BWA’s rapid response and communications manager Joy-Ann Haigh said the culprit turned off the power and defecated on the property. When contacted, police public relations officer acting Inspector Roland Cobbler could not confirm if any such report to either Worthing or Central Police Station was made by any official of the BWA. The incident comes as BWA officials try to fix the aging South Coast Sewage Treatment Plant, grapple with assorted foreign objects like foetuses and syringes in the lines, and repair the BWA’s battered reputation. “We found out on Thursday we had a break-in at the lift station and it wasn’t to steal something but to turn off the pump,” said Haigh, who was a guest on Starcom Network’s Sunday Brass Tacks yesterday.  (DN)

AG, NCSA POINT TO DANGERS OF GANJA – Barbadians leading the call for Government to legalise marijuana have been told to check the impact its use and other drugs are having on the nation’s youth in particular. The caution has come from Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs Adriel Brathwaite, who said a look at the number of youth being treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Psychiatric Hospital for substance abuse could guide the debate. Brathwaite was speaking at a church service to mark Drug Awareness Month at Black Rock Wesleyan Holiness Church in Clevedale Road, St Michael, yesterday.  He added that 2017 was a particularly concerning year with the large number of murders that appeared to be directly and indirectly linked to drugs and gangs. He noted a third of the young men in prison were directly involved in abusing some substance or a combination of substances. The Attorney General said it was not enough for commentators to query what Government was doing about the situation, since it was not a Government issue but one where the entire society needed to intervene. In that regard, the church has been called on to play a greater role in assisting people struggling with substance abuse.  Manager of the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA), Betty Hunte, called for people to be non-judgmental and act with forgiveness in the context of this year’s theme Taking Charge Of Change. She said when the substance abuse was on a personal level, individuals questioned how the person got that way, but when it was further away, the first response was “it serves he right. That is not the response of the church; it ought not to be”. Hunte said substance abuse should be seen as the mental health issue it was and not only a criminal justice matter. She said that out of concern for the early age children were being exposed to drugs, the NCSA would be reviewing its programming in primary schools so it could “respond to the needs in a different fashion”. She also called for “a few good men” in the church to partner with the NCSA when it launches a mentorship programme shortly. In his sermon, pastor of the church, Reverend Anderson Carrington, suggested that in the same way it was mandatory for children to attend school from age five, it should also be that they receive one hour of religious instruction every week.   (DN)

HOPE EAGER FOR MORE WINDIES VICTORIES – Winning the National Sports Council’s (NSC) Sports Personality Of The Year Award is a cherished honour for Shai Hope. As he approaches this year, however, he hopes that similar performances can redound to the benefit of the team. The 24-year-old cricketer, whose bumper year was highlighted by twin centuries that propelled West Indies to a memorable Test triumph against England at Headingley last August, beat out a host of rivals, including tennis ace Darian King, top surfer Chelsea Tuach and rising squash sensation Meagan Best to win the top award at the NSC’s 35th annual sports awards ceremony at the Frank Collymore Hall on Saturday night. There was an air of expectancy when the announcement was made before a packed hall that included three of the island’s most distinguished cricketers: Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Everton Weekes and Sir Wesley Hall. In addition to Hope’s Headingley heroics, the classy right-hander also carved out 90s against Pakistan and Zimbabwe in winning causes and also scored heavily on the regional front, fashioning centuries in the final and semi-final of the Super50 to go along with a record seven dismissals in the semis. Limited to four matches in the Professional Cricket League Regional 4-Day Tournament, he also impressed with a second career double-century on the way to an average of 75.40. While many regard the turnaround at international level to a shift from the top of the order to a more accustomed middle order position, Hope didn’t read too much into it and instead attributed his success to “just sticking to it and trusting the process”. Hope was also named the Senior Outstanding Sportsperson (Male) while King, the first Barbadian to reach the main draw of a tennis Grand Slam when he qualified for the US Open, had to settle for the Minister’s Award and the Performance Of The Year. Tuach was named Senior Outstanding Sportsperson (Female) on the strength of winning Barbados’ first silver medal at the Pan American Surfing Games, a fifth place at the World Surfing League’s Qualification Series 3000 Chiba Open and ending the WSL’s North American season ranked at No. 2 and No. 25 on the international rankings, the highest ever by a Barbadian. Best collected the Junior Outstanding Sportsperson (Female) award after retaining her senior Caribbean women’s title, winning gold at the Junior US Open and silver at the Junior Canadian Open, while chess player Orlando Husbands won the male equivalent for becoming the first Barbadian to win Central American and Caribbean Under-20 gold in 31 years, his elevation to International Master and a third successive CARIFTA Under-20 gold. (DN)

BFA BOOTS 4 – The Barbados national football team will be starting this season minus four familiar faces. This after the Barbados Football Association (BFA) sent suspension letters to captain of the national team Mario Harte, Paradise striker Mario Williams, Barbados Defence Sports Programme (BDFSP) midfielder Renaldo Trim; as well as defender Ricardio Morris, also of the BDFSP, who was disciplined for his behaviour during national training. BFA president Randy Harris confirmed the suspensions yesterday at the opening parade and ceremony of the domestic season at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex. “FIFA has shown an interest in the national team, and will be working with them this year. A source close to the situation added that the players were disciplined for playing in the New Orleans and Gully Hill tournaments after they were warned about it, as well as neglecting national duties. Last Thursday, during a media briefing at the association’s Wildey headquarters, general secretary Edwyn Wood hinted that disciplinary action was taken against a number of players.  “I don’t want to say this is the first time we have taken action, but the players have to realise this is a serious issue . . . . I think at the moment there is an unsanctioned tournament going on and we’ve had to discipline some national players . . . . With the new club licensing regulations, a player is obligated to his club for the entire year, meaning he cannot play for two clubs within the same calendar year. The rule is not from the BFA, but from CONCACAF and by extension FIFA,” he explained to the media, adding that he would not elaborate on the matteras it was “fresh”.We cannot have players going against the rules and doing as they please,” he said. A source close to the situation added that the players were disciplined for playing in the New Orleans and Gully Hill tournaments after they were warned about it, as well as neglecting national duties. Last Thursday, during a media briefing at the association’s Wildey headquarters, general secretary Edwyn Wood hinted that disciplinary action was taken against a number of players. In an effort to give players the opportunity to play out of season football, Wood said the BFA had asked tournament organisers to invite clubs, rather than create teams with members from various clubs across the island, to participate in any out-of-season tournaments. He added that while some players may see it as a deterrent to play the game, it was in fact a dangerous practice that could lessen their chances of making it to the “big leagues”. (DN)

CALYPSO FRATERNITY HIT HARD BY CHARMAINE’S DEATH – One of Barbados’ biggest calypso tents – De Big Show – has lost one of its pillars. On Friday, members of the local entertainment fraternity took to social media to pay respects to Charmaine Stuart. She had been working with the tent for about seven years, said chairman Hallam Nicholls. During a telephone interview yesterday, Nicholls said Stuart’s death was a shock. “She went to the hospital in the morning and by the evening she had died; so, it wasn’t as if she was in there for a week. It shocked everybody,” he said. Nicholls described her as a hard worker and said she was an integral part to the tent’s success. He said she would be hard to replace. She wore several hats, working on the tent’s marketing and finances, in addition to being in charge of the door on the nights the tent wasin session. “We normally start our preparation for Crop Over in January. She was really a reliable person; she took a lot of the strain off me because I didn’t have to worry about those things. To replace somebody like her it will not be easy,” Nicholls said. He added that some of the entertainers, including Red Plastic Bag, Mighty Gabby, John King, Biggie Irie and Mistah Dale would put together a tribute at her funeral. (DN)

OF MUSIC & FLOWERS – For the 19th year running, St Peter’s Parish Church was transformed into a kaleidoscope of colour for its annual Flower Show And Garden Festival. Visitors and locals flocked the church grounds in Speightstown to view over 30 arrangements under the theme Spring Into Summer, and they were not disappointed. Rector Canon Peter Haynes told the DAILY NATION it was about a celebration of life, and he was pleased with all the arrangements he had seen. “This year we have pulled back some of our designers. Three of the UK [United Kingdom] designers have not come out. When you go inside you will see the colour. Our theme this year, Spring Into Summer, it’s a celebration of life, celebration of the things that make life important, the good things in life. It’s almost harvest-like with a lot of colour. This year we have four main designers, but they’re flower arrangers from all over the island, including from our own church. Some are not even Anglican; some I don’t even know; some fresh new faces this year,” Haynes said. He added that owing to the growing interest in the flower festival, the decision was to expand it this year. Haynes said as long as he was around and the church could pull it off, the festival would be here to stay. Apart from the flowers, there was also entertainment by the Royal Barbados Police Force Band, as well as calypsonians Mr Blood and Mikey. On Friday night, the opening of the festival, guests were also treated to spectacular music. (DN)

That’s all for today folks there are 350 days left in the year Shalom! #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #bajannewscaps #newscapDsbystephaniefchase

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/sports/i-have-a-lot-more-to-show-to-this-world-cheteshwar-pujara/

I have a lot more to show to this world: Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara is the ice water that runs through the red-hot veins of the Indian Test team. It was his calming influence in the heat of the battle which saw India clinch its first-ever Test series in Australia with a 2-1 margin earlier this year. With 521 runs in four Tests and an eye-popping average of almost 75 (including three 100-plus scores), Pujara was the peg on which India built its historic edifice Down Under.

During his visit to the TOI Mumbai office last Saturday, the 31-year-old displayed the same tranquility while fielding some tough questions-on his batting strike rate, being dropped from the Test XI against England and his yo-yo test results. He agreed on the need to incentivise Test cricket, calling it the purest form of the game. The accolades for his batting notwithstanding, Pujara said he had a lot more to show to the world. He also laid stress on having the right balance in life, saying a professional sportsperson should be focused on the game but when there are no games, he needs to have another life too.

After finishing his 75-minute chat with the TOI Sports team, Pujara was waiting for his car to escort him back to the airport when he was mobbed by a few fans who requested him for pictures and selfies. We asked him, “Cheteshwar, Australia ke pehle ye hota tha?”. “Kabhi Nahin” was his blunt answer.

Excerpts from an interview where he talks about Kohli, Ranji Trophy and home…

Have your feats in Australia sunk in?

It was a special series for me personally as well as the team. All the players said that this is the most special overseas win. We have a young team and none of the team members had the experience of winning an overseas Test series. But we want to get better and stay at No.1. We don’t want to get carried away.

When you landed in Australia, people were looking at Virat as the main batsman and suddenly you stood up and dominated the series…

Everything changed after the first innings (in Adelaide). Whenever you go for a big tour, preparation is important. I prepared very well. Then I just tried to execute my skills and I knew what the bowlers could do because I had been there in 2014. I had faced Lyon, Starc and Hazlewood in 2014. Cummins was the only new addition to their bowling lineup. But I had faced him in India in 2017 too. I knew their strategies and what line and length they would bowl. I just wanted to bat normally. We were in deep trouble in the first Test when we were 40 for 4. I thought something special is needed to win this Test and I knew that I just had to bat through the first two sessions and didn’t think about anything else. And when we lost Ashwin, I thought that I would have to accelerate at some point since I was batting with tailenders. I was really pleased with the kind of shots that I played.

You played more positively…

The situation demanded that. When you are batting with the tail, you always have to play your shots. There is a perception about me that I don’t play too many shots, but I try and not play them until the situation demands.

Did you make technical changes to your stance and grip?

Not my grip, but some changes to my stance and some other things. I don’t want to talk about them because bowlers will prepare accordingly and plan.

Your father (Arvind) was unwell during the Australia series and was undergoing a heart procedure. How tough was it for you to focus?

Before the surgery, our family doctor told me not to worry about anything and to just focus on cricket. Dr Patil was the guy who did his bypass five years ago. He assured me that there wouldn’t be any complication in his procedure. My father too asked me to just focus on my game. I was lucky that my wife was there with him. She also told me to just focused on my game as we had an important game the next day (Sydney Test). I was confident that he will be fine. But when I was walking in to bat on Day One, it was not easy. I was waiting for the end of the day so that I could quickly message my wife and check on him. I am glad I could still focus. Luckily, I am a tough cricketer mentally.

Can you tell us how tough it is to play in Australia?

They’re very strong. They’re well-aware of all the conditions … and their bowlers always have a very good plan to get the batsman out in their conditions. So, they’re well-prepared and they know what they’re doing. Even their crowd will always support them.

Even their media…

Yes … everything. Even their media is always supporting their team. If you make any error, they always let the opponents know. So, as an Indian player, if there’s something wrong, or even if there is a minor discussion in the team, and if their media person gets to know, then they’ll always go behind that player. It’s part of their strategy, which we understand. There’s a little bit of sledging which is going on. But luckily, I’m someone who doesn’t get affected. In fact, I get motivated when they try and sledge me.

Do you remember any instance when the Aussies tried to intimidate you?

There were many instances but I remember the first Test. Nathan Lyon and Tim Paine tried to sledge me. They almost felt that the game was over when we were 40 for four, they thought that we’ll be bowled out for 150-160. And even later on, I think in the third or fourth Test, they were trying to sledge me but at the same time they started laughing in the end. Lyon came and told me: ‘Aren’t you bored of batting now? You’ve scored so many runs.’

Is that Lyon remark the best sledge?

Yes. I never thought that he’ll say such a thing. And then when we were playing against Australia in the third Test in Ranchi in 2017, one of the players came and told me ‘Now if you don’t get out, we’ll have to ask for wheelchairs.’ I was batting on 170-plus. That’s the best sledge I remember from an Aussie player.

Josh Hazlewood said that yours was the most precious wicket for the Aussies, and not Kohli’s. What’s your reaction to that?

I wasn’t following any of their comments. I got to know after the Test that he had said that. I had mixed feelings. Hazlewood probably said I’m a prized wicket because I was performing well. He had bowled against me even in India in 2017 and knew that getting me out was challenging. It was a special comment. But as a cricketer you have mixed feelings, because you also want your players to play well.

Is Adelaide your best knock?

Yes, for sure. Because it came in a winning cause.

After your performance in Australia, where does all the talk about intent and strike rate go?

People have realized what’s required to perform well in Test cricket. People started appreciating the way I was batting, not just the Indian team management. Everyone has realized that there are different methods of playing this format. And because of white ball cricket, there’ve been players who’ve been playing many shots … they’ve been very aggressive. I still respect that. When talk about intent and strike rate was going on, I just kept believing in myself, in my ability. I actually don’t get worried about what people are saying. Sometimes you just need to do the right thing for the team.

Pujara autographs the December 28, 2018 sports edition of Toldnews that captured his feat of scoring a century in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

This mindset of batting long, how did you inculcate that from so early on in your career?

If I’ve won matches for any first-class team or the Indian team and contributed in a winning cause, you know that this is how games can be won, so you become even more confident. If you see Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, they have been very classical. Obviously Tendulkar was a different player, he liked to dominate, but there have been other players who have played Test cricket the way it has been played. Even Tendulkar, when the situation demanded, has scored just 50 runs in 150 balls, so there is nothing wrong in that. You just need to understand what situation you are playing in and bat accordingly.

You are part of a side whose captain is very aggressive. You are someone who is very calm. Is there a risk of a personality clash?

Not at all. Ultimately, he (Kohli) also understands what is required to win. Many times I’ve given him suggestions and he has been more than willing to accept them. He might have a different personality but that’s his nature and that is how he should be. There’s nothing wrong in that. He can behave the way he wants to as long as he respects the game. He hasn’t been disrespectful to anyone else. Sledging is something which he likes at times. And there is nothing wrong in that. He also respects my nature.

How do you react when you see guys like Rishabh Pant playing the shots he does?

I laugh about it. Sometimes I get worried and say ‘what is he trying to do?’ But over a period of time, I’ve realized that you still need to respect them and their style because Pant has come from white-ball cricket and we’ll have to give him some time to understand that if you want to play Test cricket, yes, you have to be attacking, which is his natural game, but at the same time, understand what is the right time to attack and when he cannot.

Growing up, your dad was really strict with the way you played. Do you ever regret that being too technically correct has sometimes not helped you establish yourself in white-ball cricket?

Not at all. My father always used to tell me to play according to the merit of the ball. And it’s not as if I wasn’t allowed to play any lofted shots. But he made sure that if I played a lofted shot, I had to execute it in a manner where it goes over the top. It should not just pop up in the air where someone can take a catch even in a practice session. Not many people have seen my white-ball cricket. But the moment I play lofted shots, I always execute it in the manner where I get a four or a six. But in Test cricket it is not required as you are taking extra risk and risking giving your wicket away.

Your father has often spoken about how flawlessly he has seen you bat in the nets. It’s his wish that the world should see you bat like that. Would you say your performance in Australia fits the description that your father talks about?

Not completely. I have many more things to show the world. Obviously, I have been working hard on my game. I am still young and I am very sure that it will come at some point. What my father has been telling me has motivated me. It gives me a lot of confidence because sometimes you start doubting yourself. But my father is the one who has always had faith in me and he told me that the world hasn’t seen you the way I have seen you. So don’t doubt yourself. At some point I thought because he is my dad he keeps motivating me then I started hearing things from other big coaches and then I feel what my dad is saying could be right.

Speaking of technique, coach Ravi Shastri recently said that you were left out of the Birmingham Test in England because there was a slight problem with your stance, something that can happen if you are playing continuously in county cricket.

I don’t discuss technical things much. The reason why I was not scoring many runs in county cricket were different. The kind of wickets I was playing on, if you look at the scorecard, the average score was 180-200 and even other batsmen didn’t score runs. There was one game where we had Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Adam Lyth, almost a Test line-up and we won despite getting bowled out for 50. County cricket is different especially when you play for Yorkshire up north in April and May. The conditions are so challenging that you might not get a 50 but a useful 30-40 could be crucial. There were times I also got bad decisions. If your time is not right people start thinking ‘oh, he hasn’t scored runs in county cricket.’ But people are not there to watch what is happening over there. It is very easy to say things from a distance.

How has county cricket helped you? Do you feel other Indian batsmen should be encouraged to play in county to improve their game?

County cricket has been really helpful for me personally. Now whether it should be encouraged, I don’t know. I support it because if that’s done, it will be very good especially for our Test cricket. But when the IPL is going on most of our players are playing the tournament. And when IPL finishes it becomes difficult for players who are playing all formats because of workload issues. But if players who are just playing the Test format have time then I am sure they should go and participate in county cricket. Even white-ball specialists who aspire to play Tests should play in county cricket because it needs good technique to score consistently because the conditions that you play in are really challenging.

In the current team, there’s Hardik Pandya, Parthiv Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and you who are all Gujarat-based players. Is there a lot of Gujarati being spoken in the dressing room?

(Laughs) Yes, there is. Sometimes we just joke about it and say that everyone will have to learn Gujarati at some stage. But on a funny note when we want to pass some comment on other players who don’t understand, we speak in Gujarati. There’s no sledging but cheerful banter. Even other players respect Gujarati culture and many of them have been to my home so they like Gujarati food so they sometimes ask where is your thepla or some other food.

You came back from Australia and immediately joined the Saurashtra Ranji team. Do you see a player growing up with the kind of culture you have cultivated for yourself?

I see many young talented players with a lot of commitment to domestic cricket. The importance of Ranji Trophy might have decreased a bit because of the IPL but at the same time I’ve seen many players who want to play Ranji, perform well, be recognized for the Indian team whether it’s red-ball cricket or white-ball cricket. A classic example is Mayank Agarwal and Vihari who have come from Ranji and performed well at the international level.

So there is a lot for Keery O’Keefe to see here.

I heard it only 3-4 days later. I read somewhere later that he apologized and that he didn’t mean it. I hope it’s true. I believe that he was just trying to be a little funny and it wasn’t serious. There shouldn’t be any questions on Indian First Class cricket.

Will you inculcate the same values in your daughter as your dad inculcated in you?

It is a tough call. But I will be little more balanced. I will be strict for sure. But at the same time, with all the knowledge, I can strike the right balance. I have always had this argument with my father that ‘you don’t allow me to celebrate any festival and if we have to go out, you don’t allow me because you feel I have to rest’. Over a period of time, he realized that you have to switch off somewhere. You should be focused on the game but when there are no games, you need to have a hobby or play a different sport. Now I play badminton and TT. It is important to have the right balance and that is what I’ll teach my daughter.

What’s your view on the Dukes ball vs the SG Test vs the Kookaburra issue?

I think we should stick to the SG ball in India because in our domestic cricket we play with the SG ball and the player gets used to playing with this ball, whether he is a batsman or bowler. You know what it does with the new ball, with the old ball. So I don’t think we should change at all. The debate was on the quality of the ball. The BCCI has communicated with SG and during the semifinals, we got a different quality of ball. They worked on it and it is better now.

For the kind of pressures that a young cricketer goes through these days, Rahul Dravid wants them to have a back-up career. What is your take?

I completely agree. Now when you see that the young generation is well educated, even the young cricketers are well educated, not just in India, but overseas too. If you are educated, it helps you think better in this game and education is something that I always loved. I am not a graduate, but I want to do an MBA at some stage.

The World Test Championship will begin later this year. Do you think it will revive interest in Test cricket? How excited are you about this?

Not just me. I have spoken to other players and all of them are very excited. We have already started discussing about the format and points system. We don’t have all the details, but we have already discussed about the various possibilities. I am sure Test cricket will get a lot of importance going forward with all the boards thinking about the survival of Test cricket. That is the purest format of the game and it will survive. I have no doubt about it.

Should a player who plays only in Test cricket and does not play IPL get a higher contract?

I agree. I have read things and I am assuming that that is the way forward to promote Test cricket. But at the same time, I also feel that First Class cricket and Ranji Trophy should be given more importance financially. I don’t know what should be the right structure, but players should get enough money even in domestic cricket because that is where Test cricketers are produced and if we can take good care of players playing in Ranji, we will produce more Test players.

You came back from a tough tour of Australia and immediately played in Ranji for Saurashtra.

I always look forward to playing for Saurashtra because of the team atmosphere. Also, because that is where I started playing cricket. I became a Test player just playing for Saurashtra. Whenever I get an opportunity, I never miss it.

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/sports/its-important-to-have-the-right-balance-in-the-game-and-in-life-cheteshwar-pujara/

It's important to have the right balance in the game, and in life: Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara is the ice water that runs through the red-hot veins of the Indian Test team. It was his calming influence in the heat of the battle which saw India clinch its first-ever Test series in Australia with a 2-1 margin earlier this year. With 521 runs in four Tests and an eye-popping average of almost 75 (including three 100-plus scores), Pujara was the peg on which India built its historic edifice Down Under.

During his visit to the TOI Mumbai office last Saturday, the 31-year-old displayed the same tranquility while fielding some tough questions-on his batting strike rate, being dropped from the Test XI against England and his yo-yo test results. He agreed on the need to incentivise Test cricket, calling it the purest form of the game. The accolades for his batting notwithstanding, Pujara said he had a lot more to show to the world. He also laid stress on having the right balance in life, saying a professional sportsperson should be focused on the game but when there are no games, he needs to have another life too.

After finishing his 75-minute chat with the TOI Sports team, Pujara was waiting for his car to escort him back to the airport when he was mobbed by a few fans who requested him for pictures and selfies. We asked him, “Cheteshwar, Australia ke pehle ye hota tha?”. “Kabhi Nahin” was his blunt answer.

Excerpts from an interview where he talks about Kohli, Ranji Trophy and home…

Have your feats in Australia sunk in?

It was a special series for me personally as well as the team. All the players said that this is the most special overseas win. We have a young team and none of the team members had the experience of winning an overseas Test series. But we want to get better and stay at No.1. We don’t want to get carried away.

When you landed in Australia, people were looking at Virat as the main batsman and suddenly you stood up and dominated the series…

Everything changed after the first innings (in Adelaide). Whenever you go for a big tour, preparation is important. I prepared very well. Then I just tried to execute my skills and I knew what the bowlers could do because I had been there in 2014. I had faced Lyon, Starc and Hazlewood in 2014. Cummins was the only new addition to their bowling lineup. But I had faced him in India in 2017 too. I knew their strategies and what line and length they would bowl. I just wanted to bat normally. We were in deep trouble in the first Test when we were 40 for 4. I thought something special is needed to win this Test and I knew that I just had to bat through the first two sessions and didn’t think about anything else. And when we lost Ashwin, I thought that I would have to accelerate at some point since I was batting with tailenders. I was really pleased with the kind of shots that I played.

You played more positively…

The situation demanded that. When you are batting with the tail, you always have to play your shots. There is a perception about me that I don’t play too many shots, but I try and not play them until the situation demands.

Did you make technical changes to your stance and grip?

Not my grip, but some changes to my stance and some other things. I don’t want to talk about them because bowlers will prepare accordingly and plan.

Your father (Arvind) was unwell during the Australia series and was undergoing a heart procedure. How tough was it for you to focus?

Before the surgery, our family doctor told me not to worry about anything and to just focus on cricket. Dr Patil was the guy who did his bypass five years ago. He assured me that there wouldn’t be any complication in his procedure. My father too asked me to just focus on my game. I was lucky that my wife was there with him. She also told me to just focused on my game as we had an important game the next day (Sydney Test). I was confident that he will be fine. But when I was walking in to bat on Day One, it was not easy. I was waiting for the end of the day so that I could quickly message my wife and check on him. I am glad I could still focus. Luckily, I am a tough cricketer mentally.

Can you tell us how tough it is to play in Australia?

They’re very strong. They’re well-aware of all the conditions … and their bowlers always have a very good plan to get the batsman out in their conditions. So, they’re well-prepared and they know what they’re doing. Even their crowd will always support them.

Even their media…

Yes … everything. Even their media is always supporting their team. If you make any error, they always let the opponents know. So, as an Indian player, if there’s something wrong, or even if there is a minor discussion in the team, and if their media person gets to know, then they’ll always go behind that player. It’s part of their strategy, which we understand. There’s a little bit of sledging which is going on. But luckily, I’m someone who doesn’t get affected. In fact, I get motivated when they try and sledge me.

Do you remember any instance when the Aussies tried to intimidate you?

There were many instances but I remember the first Test. Nathan Lyon and Tim Paine tried to sledge me. They almost felt that the game was over when we were 40 for four, they thought that we’ll be bowled out for 150-160. And even later on, I think in the third or fourth Test, they were trying to sledge me but at the same time they started laughing in the end. Lyon came and told me: ‘Aren’t you bored of batting now? You’ve scored so many runs.’

Is that Lyon remark the best sledge?

Yes. I never thought that he’ll say such a thing. And then when we were playing against Australia in the third Test in Ranchi in 2017, one of the players came and told me ‘Now if you don’t get out, we’ll have to ask for wheelchairs.’ I was batting on 170-plus. That’s the best sledge I remember from an Aussie player.

Josh Hazlewood said that yours was the most precious wicket for the Aussies, and not Kohli’s. What’s your reaction to that?

I wasn’t following any of their comments. I got to know after the Test that he had said that. I had mixed feelings. Hazlewood probably said I’m a prized wicket because I was performing well. He had bowled against me even in India in 2017 and knew that getting me out was challenging. It was a special comment. But as a cricketer you have mixed feelings, because you also want your players to play well.

Is Adelaide your best knock?

Yes, for sure. Because it came in a winning cause.

After your performance in Australia, where does all the talk about intent and strike rate go?

People have realized what’s required to perform well in Test cricket. People started appreciating the way I was batting, not just the Indian team management. Everyone has realized that there are different methods of playing this format. And because of white ball cricket, there’ve been players who’ve been playing many shots … they’ve been very aggressive. I still respect that. When talk about intent and strike rate was going on, I just kept believing in myself, in my ability. I actually don’t get worried about what people are saying. Sometimes you just need to do the right thing for the team.

Pujara autographs the December 28, 2018 sports edition of Toldnews that captured his feat of scoring a century in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

This mindset of batting long, how did you inculcate that from so early on in your career?

If I’ve won matches for any first-class team or the Indian team and contributed in a winning cause, you know that this is how games can be won, so you become even more confident. If you see Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, they have been very classical. Obviously Tendulkar was a different player, he liked to dominate, but there have been other players who have played Test cricket the way it has been played. Even Tendulkar, when the situation demanded, has scored just 50 runs in 150 balls, so there is nothing wrong in that. You just need to understand what situation you are playing in and bat accordingly.

You are part of a side whose captain is very aggressive. You are someone who is very calm. Is there a risk of a personality clash?

Not at all. Ultimately, he (Kohli) also understands what is required to win. Many times I’ve given him suggestions and he has been more than willing to accept them. He might have a different personality but that’s his nature and that is how he should be. There’s nothing wrong in that. He can behave the way he wants to as long as he respects the game. He hasn’t been disrespectful to anyone else. Sledging is something which he likes at times. And there is nothing wrong in that. He also respects my nature.

How do you react when you see guys like Rishabh Pant playing the shots he does?

I laugh about it. Sometimes I get worried and say ‘what is he trying to do?’ But over a period of time, I’ve realized that you still need to respect them and their style because Pant has come from white-ball cricket and we’ll have to give him some time to understand that if you want to play Test cricket, yes, you have to be attacking, which is his natural game, but at the same time, understand what is the right time to attack and when he cannot.

Growing up, your dad was really strict with the way you played. Do you ever regret that being too technically correct has sometimes not helped you establish yourself in white-ball cricket?

Not at all. My father always used to tell me to play according to the merit of the ball. And it’s not as if I wasn’t allowed to play any lofted shots. But he made sure that if I played a lofted shot, I had to execute it in a manner where it goes over the top. It should not just pop up in the air where someone can take a catch even in a practice session. Not many people have seen my white-ball cricket. But the moment I play lofted shots, I always execute it in the manner where I get a four or a six. But in Test cricket it is not required as you are taking extra risk and risking giving your wicket away.

Your father has often spoken about how flawlessly he has seen you bat in the nets. It’s his wish that the world should see you bat like that. Would you say your performance in Australia fits the description that your father talks about?

Not completely. I have many more things to show the world. Obviously, I have been working hard on my game. I am still young and I am very sure that it will come at some point. What my father has been telling me has motivated me. It gives me a lot of confidence because sometimes you start doubting yourself. But my father is the one who has always had faith in me and he told me that the world hasn’t seen you the way I have seen you. So don’t doubt yourself. At some point I thought because he is my dad he keeps motivating me then I started hearing things from other big coaches and then I feel what my dad is saying could be right.

Speaking of technique, coach Ravi Shastri recently said that you were left out of the Birmingham Test in England because there was a slight problem with your stance, something that can happen if you are playing continuously in county cricket.

I don’t discuss technical things much. The reason why I was not scoring many runs in county cricket were different. The kind of wickets I was playing on, if you look at the scorecard, the average score was 180-200 and even other batsmen didn’t score runs. There was one game where we had Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Adam Lyth, almost a Test line-up and we won despite getting bowled out for 50. County cricket is different especially when you play for Yorkshire up north in April and May. The conditions are so challenging that you might not get a 50 but a useful 30-40 could be crucial. There were times I also got bad decisions. If your time is not right people start thinking ‘oh, he hasn’t scored runs in county cricket.’ But people are not there to watch what is happening over there. It is very easy to say things from a distance.

How has county cricket helped you? Do you feel other Indian batsmen should be encouraged to play in county to improve their game?

County cricket has been really helpful for me personally. Now whether it should be encouraged, I don’t know. I support it because if that’s done, it will be very good especially for our Test cricket. But when the IPL is going on most of our players are playing the tournament. And when IPL finishes it becomes difficult for players who are playing all formats because of workload issues. But if players who are just playing the Test format have time then I am sure they should go and participate in county cricket. Even white-ball specialists who aspire to play Tests should play in county cricket because it needs good technique to score consistently because the conditions that you play in are really challenging.

In the current team, there’s Hardik Pandya, Parthiv Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and you who are all Gujarat-based players. Is there a lot of Gujarati being spoken in the dressing room?

(Laughs) Yes, there is. Sometimes we just joke about it and say that everyone will have to learn Gujarati at some stage. But on a funny note when we want to pass some comment on other players who don’t understand, we speak in Gujarati. There’s no sledging but cheerful banter. Even other players respect Gujarati culture and many of them have been to my home so they like Gujarati food so they sometimes ask where is your thepla or some other food.

You came back from Australia and immediately joined the Saurashtra Ranji team. Do you see a player growing up with the kind of culture you have cultivated for yourself?

I see many young talented players with a lot of commitment to domestic cricket. The importance of Ranji Trophy might have decreased a bit because of the IPL but at the same time I’ve seen many players who want to play Ranji, perform well, be recognized for the Indian team whether it’s red-ball cricket or white-ball cricket. A classic example is Mayank Agarwal and Vihari who have come from Ranji and performed well at the international level.

So there is a lot for Keery O’Keefe to see here.

I heard it only 3-4 days later. I read somewhere later that he apologized and that he didn’t mean it. I hope it’s true. I believe that he was just trying to be a little funny and it wasn’t serious. There shouldn’t be any questions on Indian First Class cricket.

Will you inculcate the same values in your daughter as your dad inculcated in you?

It is a tough call. But I will be little more balanced. I will be strict for sure. But at the same time, with all the knowledge, I can strike the right balance. I have always had this argument with my father that ‘you don’t allow me to celebrate any festival and if we have to go out, you don’t allow me because you feel I have to rest’. Over a period of time, he realized that you have to switch off somewhere. You should be focused on the game but when there are no games, you need to have a hobby or play a different sport. Now I play badminton and TT. It is important to have the right balance and that is what I’ll teach my daughter.

What’s your view on the Dukes ball vs the SG Test vs the Kookaburra issue?

I think we should stick to the SG ball in India because in our domestic cricket we play with the SG ball and the player gets used to playing with this ball, whether he is a batsman or bowler. You know what it does with the new ball, with the old ball. So I don’t think we should change at all. The debate was on the quality of the ball. The BCCI has communicated with SG and during the semifinals, we got a different quality of ball. They worked on it and it is better now.

For the kind of pressures that a young cricketer goes through these days, Rahul Dravid wants them to have a back-up career. What is your take?

I completely agree. Now when you see that the young generation is well educated, even the young cricketers are well educated, not just in India, but overseas too. If you are educated, it helps you think better in this game and education is something that I always loved. I am not a graduate, but I want to do an MBA at some stage.

The World Test Championship will begin later this year. Do you think it will revive interest in Test cricket? How excited are you about this?

Not just me. I have spoken to other players and all of them are very excited. We have already started discussing about the format and points system. We don’t have all the details, but we have already discussed about the various possibilities. I am sure Test cricket will get a lot of importance going forward with all the boards thinking about the survival of Test cricket. That is the purest format of the game and it will survive. I have no doubt about it.

Should a player who plays only in Test cricket and does not play IPL get a higher contract?

I agree. I have read things and I am assuming that that is the way forward to promote Test cricket. But at the same time, I also feel that First Class cricket and Ranji Trophy should be given more importance financially. I don’t know what should be the right structure, but players should get enough money even in domestic cricket because that is where Test cricketers are produced and if we can take good care of players playing in Ranji, we will produce more Test players.

You came back from a tough tour of Australia and immediately played in Ranji for Saurashtra.

I always look forward to playing for Saurashtra because of the team atmosphere. Also, because that is where I started playing cricket. I became a Test player just playing for Saurashtra. Whenever I get an opportunity, I never miss it.