Once you make the move, the first thing that you will want to do is live in an area among your own people. These maybe relatives, friends, country men or people from your own community. Toronto and its surrounding areas often called the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is one of the most diverse communities I have ever seen. While I’m sure that other parts of Canada have similar diversity, I cannot speak for them. The fact that the province of Ontario and the GTA is the most populous in terms of new immigrants explains my earlier statement.
Therefore the move becomes a lot more familiar, you see more people like you, you find shops with products that you used back home, you catch up with people you probably never met in your own country or find links to people from the city or village that you came from and this makes you feel home away from home. The GTA is the home of the World and there are little communities of almost every country in the world here. So you definitely feel safe and comforted.
Now, with this sense of belonging and the comfort blanket that the community gives you there is a great risk of becoming insular. So as much as it is necessary to be a part of your people and do the things they do, it is very important to integrate with the overall Canadian community. At the end of the day, we are in a different country and being Canadian first will help give our future generations a true identity.
The balance between where you came from and where you are is very important. By all means teach your children to speak their mother tongue because it is important that they know the language their parents speak, educate them about the customs of your country and raise them like you were raised, however, make sure that you also learn to speak better English so that you can communicate with other communities and do not alienate yourselves or your children from the rest. This will make your stay a truly pleasurable, invigorating and enriched experience!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Three Years On!
As I wait on the threshold of citizenship to a new country, I look back at the last three years and think of the things I did, to get this far wondering if I would do them any different, if I was starting this journey again. This is based on the successes that we have achieved and may help those that are starting their lives in this beautiful and splendid country.
I would like to start with the things I would do the same
1. Research – is the most important part of your move and this is a continuous process throughout your life. We spent hours reading forums, looking up information, reading books, checking maps and areas that we were going to visit. There are many more avenues now than three years ago. Social networking was just taking off and the ability to communicate with people overseas was limited to email, websites, forums and blog posts. With Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, Google Maps; information is now faster, current and accurate. With Google Maps you can actually see the neighbourhood that you are going to live in. You couldn’t see stuff like this three years ago. If you are intimidated by technology, local libraries, community and welfare centres still exist to provide answers. However, you have to adapt to technology in order to be successful. With all that has changed, even people’s attitudes to new immigrants have changed. There is greater acceptance and specific programs are designed by the local community to ensure that new immigrants have a seamless transfer. Banks have also changed their attitudes towards new immigrants most of them have programs specially designed to integrate new immigrants into society.
2. Time of Move – We came here in the summer and to me this is the best time to make your entry. When you move here in the summer (June – August) it gives you adequate time to get things organized before the cold weather sets in. If you have children, it gives them some time to acclimatize before getting ready for the school term. It is easier to get around when searching for jobs, places to live without having to depend on people to drive you around as the conditions as dry and there is daylight till 9:00 PM. It is also a great time to learn to drive as the roads are not that busy.
3. Job Search – I’m sure a lot of you have heard the much dreaded words ‘Canadian Experience.’ This is no different from experience anywhere in the world, however, it is something all employers want you to have. While most professions require you to take some reciprocity exams others do not recognize your qualifications at all. Nevertheless, I am a firm believer in attempting to find work in the profession that you were in your native country. It may take time, however, do not lose sight of what you want to achieve. In some cases you make have to take a few courses to get that dream job; it is important to have faith and be patient. You don’t have to settle for anything that comes your way.
4. English – You have to speak and communicate in English in order to succeed here. There are no concessions in this regard. We were raised speaking English so we never really had a problem and most of the locals are amazed that we speak English fluently. They do not expect people from South Asia to be fluent in English. So if English is not your first language make every attempt to master it by taking a class that focuses on conversational English. As basic as it may seem to some people, the ability to express your views, ideas and opinions in a language that people can understand is very important to be successful here.
Things I would do differently
1. Driving – I started driving almost two years after I came here. Although my wife started driving immediately, I took my time with it and used public transit. Driving in Canada is different and if you never driven before it does not matter. You still have to acquire skills that make you a safe driver and so do not be intimidated by this. Driving gives you the freedom and also broadens your opportunities. Relying on public transit limits the areas where you can live and work. At least one member of the family should drive as this makes you independent and allows you tackle those tough winter days. Imagine carrying a pile of groceries, school supplies on the bus or train in sub zero temperatures.
2. Renting v Buying – When we came here the global economy was steady and there were no obvious signs of a recession. So we chose to buy immediately and therefore did not know how to play the markets. After you pay double digit interest rates back home single digit interests are pretty attractive. If I was a new immigrant in the current market, I would rent for a year, looking at options and areas that I would finally like to settle in. This would also give you me to understand the financial environment so that I could take more informed decisions.
To summarise, we are very satisfied with the steps we took and while it may seem that things were simple, I must point out that it wasn’t easy. Be prepared for the worst and then whatever comes your way will be easy to overcome. Support each other and never focus on the things that you left behind. Being positive was our motto and it helped us tremendously. Final note, ‘The Lord always helps those, who help themselves.’ Do not expect results without efforts!
This piece first appeared on South Asian Christian, a website to keep the local Christian community informed and connected to various community events happening in and around the Greater Toronto Area now and throughout the year.
I would like to start with the things I would do the same
1. Research – is the most important part of your move and this is a continuous process throughout your life. We spent hours reading forums, looking up information, reading books, checking maps and areas that we were going to visit. There are many more avenues now than three years ago. Social networking was just taking off and the ability to communicate with people overseas was limited to email, websites, forums and blog posts. With Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, Google Maps; information is now faster, current and accurate. With Google Maps you can actually see the neighbourhood that you are going to live in. You couldn’t see stuff like this three years ago. If you are intimidated by technology, local libraries, community and welfare centres still exist to provide answers. However, you have to adapt to technology in order to be successful. With all that has changed, even people’s attitudes to new immigrants have changed. There is greater acceptance and specific programs are designed by the local community to ensure that new immigrants have a seamless transfer. Banks have also changed their attitudes towards new immigrants most of them have programs specially designed to integrate new immigrants into society.
2. Time of Move – We came here in the summer and to me this is the best time to make your entry. When you move here in the summer (June – August) it gives you adequate time to get things organized before the cold weather sets in. If you have children, it gives them some time to acclimatize before getting ready for the school term. It is easier to get around when searching for jobs, places to live without having to depend on people to drive you around as the conditions as dry and there is daylight till 9:00 PM. It is also a great time to learn to drive as the roads are not that busy.
3. Job Search – I’m sure a lot of you have heard the much dreaded words ‘Canadian Experience.’ This is no different from experience anywhere in the world, however, it is something all employers want you to have. While most professions require you to take some reciprocity exams others do not recognize your qualifications at all. Nevertheless, I am a firm believer in attempting to find work in the profession that you were in your native country. It may take time, however, do not lose sight of what you want to achieve. In some cases you make have to take a few courses to get that dream job; it is important to have faith and be patient. You don’t have to settle for anything that comes your way.
4. English – You have to speak and communicate in English in order to succeed here. There are no concessions in this regard. We were raised speaking English so we never really had a problem and most of the locals are amazed that we speak English fluently. They do not expect people from South Asia to be fluent in English. So if English is not your first language make every attempt to master it by taking a class that focuses on conversational English. As basic as it may seem to some people, the ability to express your views, ideas and opinions in a language that people can understand is very important to be successful here.
Things I would do differently
1. Driving – I started driving almost two years after I came here. Although my wife started driving immediately, I took my time with it and used public transit. Driving in Canada is different and if you never driven before it does not matter. You still have to acquire skills that make you a safe driver and so do not be intimidated by this. Driving gives you the freedom and also broadens your opportunities. Relying on public transit limits the areas where you can live and work. At least one member of the family should drive as this makes you independent and allows you tackle those tough winter days. Imagine carrying a pile of groceries, school supplies on the bus or train in sub zero temperatures.
2. Renting v Buying – When we came here the global economy was steady and there were no obvious signs of a recession. So we chose to buy immediately and therefore did not know how to play the markets. After you pay double digit interest rates back home single digit interests are pretty attractive. If I was a new immigrant in the current market, I would rent for a year, looking at options and areas that I would finally like to settle in. This would also give you me to understand the financial environment so that I could take more informed decisions.
To summarise, we are very satisfied with the steps we took and while it may seem that things were simple, I must point out that it wasn’t easy. Be prepared for the worst and then whatever comes your way will be easy to overcome. Support each other and never focus on the things that you left behind. Being positive was our motto and it helped us tremendously. Final note, ‘The Lord always helps those, who help themselves.’ Do not expect results without efforts!
This piece first appeared on South Asian Christian, a website to keep the local Christian community informed and connected to various community events happening in and around the Greater Toronto Area now and throughout the year.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Got Ma G!
Yeah baby! I got my G! Finally! To me that is a great achievement. Not only because it brings down my insurance, also because, I don't have to do anymore road tests! What a relief!
Driving the highway and practising on it for close to year helped me pass the test in a breeze. After waiting for four months for the strike to end, it was great to finally get a date for the test, pass the test and when I finally got the new G license it was one of most satisfying achievements.
Good luck to all those attempting the test. Remember, this test is all about observing how you drive. The examiner expects that you know how to drive and all they are looking for is your ability to perform all the manoeuvres when you were taking the G1 exit as well as your observation skills when do them.
The only way to do well on this test is to keep practising on the roads, the more you drive, the more confident you will get on the test. It is a test so there will be some nerves which is perfectly normal. Once, you get over the initial nerves, it will be a breeze.
Driving the highway and practising on it for close to year helped me pass the test in a breeze. After waiting for four months for the strike to end, it was great to finally get a date for the test, pass the test and when I finally got the new G license it was one of most satisfying achievements.
Good luck to all those attempting the test. Remember, this test is all about observing how you drive. The examiner expects that you know how to drive and all they are looking for is your ability to perform all the manoeuvres when you were taking the G1 exit as well as your observation skills when do them.
The only way to do well on this test is to keep practising on the roads, the more you drive, the more confident you will get on the test. It is a test so there will be some nerves which is perfectly normal. Once, you get over the initial nerves, it will be a breeze.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Back after 2 1/2 years!
Back in Mumbai after two and half years and it was absolutely amazing. Transitioned seamlessly, almost as if, I never left. At first it was a little scary trying to get across the street without any pedestrian crossings or STOP signs, however, within a matter of a couple of days, I was back dodging the B.E.S.T buses, rickshaws, motor bikes and numerous cars.
Mumbai is fabulous now, the splendour in the restaurants, malls and places of interest is great. Even Mumbai airport which once resembled and smelt like a massive urinal is now a clean, user - friendly and state of the art airport. Comedian Russel Peters will now have to change his famous piece where he says that the moment the plane doors open you are greeted by this strange smell, almost like telling people to s*@t, s%#t and go! Now, there is no smell and the place is clean and tourist friendly.
Interestingly, the overall cleanliness of the city has improved. The underground passes at Marine Lines (Dhobhi Talao) are spotless. They are extremely well planned and it is so easy to get across the streets whether you want to get to St Xavier's college, Crawford Market or Princess Street.
Three years ago getting into downtown Mumbai by road during the day was something that I would never dream off. However, this time around, it was completely different. I could get from Central Mumbai to VT Station or Crawford market in under an hour.
What has changed for the worse, is the traffic and the congestion. Almost everyone in Mumbai seems to have forgotten how to drive. Although I never drove a car in Mumbai, I always rode a Kinetic Honda, I would never get behind the wheel over there, not even if I was guaranteed the Lotto Max millions . There are at least a 100,000 more cars on the road and maybe 500,000 rickshaws and two wheelers. Nobody follows the lanes or traffic signals, though the roads are well marked now.
Getting into North Mumbai, (Malad or Kandivili) is a nightmare. Even though there are numerous flyovers built on that stretch, the sheer population size living in that area seems to have grown ten-fold.
Another noticeable fact is the people of Mumbai are displaying their wealth. The fancy cars, the lavish apartments and crowds in the malls show that there is more expendable income in the hands of the people. I saw more 5-series BMWs on the city streets than I have seen in Toronto. It does not look that the people even know that there is a recession going on in the WEST.
The other irritating part of Mumbai is television. There is practically nothing interesting to watch. The TV channels have gotten bolder and the News Channels sensationalize every little piece of information. During that time I was there all I heard about was the boycott of Shahrukh Khan's latest film.
Overall it was great to be back, see all my friends and feel the buzz again. The great part was that I did all that when I was on holiday.
Mumbai is fabulous now, the splendour in the restaurants, malls and places of interest is great. Even Mumbai airport which once resembled and smelt like a massive urinal is now a clean, user - friendly and state of the art airport. Comedian Russel Peters will now have to change his famous piece where he says that the moment the plane doors open you are greeted by this strange smell, almost like telling people to s*@t, s%#t and go! Now, there is no smell and the place is clean and tourist friendly.
Interestingly, the overall cleanliness of the city has improved. The underground passes at Marine Lines (Dhobhi Talao) are spotless. They are extremely well planned and it is so easy to get across the streets whether you want to get to St Xavier's college, Crawford Market or Princess Street.
Three years ago getting into downtown Mumbai by road during the day was something that I would never dream off. However, this time around, it was completely different. I could get from Central Mumbai to VT Station or Crawford market in under an hour.
What has changed for the worse, is the traffic and the congestion. Almost everyone in Mumbai seems to have forgotten how to drive. Although I never drove a car in Mumbai, I always rode a Kinetic Honda, I would never get behind the wheel over there, not even if I was guaranteed the Lotto Max millions . There are at least a 100,000 more cars on the road and maybe 500,000 rickshaws and two wheelers. Nobody follows the lanes or traffic signals, though the roads are well marked now.
Getting into North Mumbai, (Malad or Kandivili) is a nightmare. Even though there are numerous flyovers built on that stretch, the sheer population size living in that area seems to have grown ten-fold.
Another noticeable fact is the people of Mumbai are displaying their wealth. The fancy cars, the lavish apartments and crowds in the malls show that there is more expendable income in the hands of the people. I saw more 5-series BMWs on the city streets than I have seen in Toronto. It does not look that the people even know that there is a recession going on in the WEST.
The other irritating part of Mumbai is television. There is practically nothing interesting to watch. The TV channels have gotten bolder and the News Channels sensationalize every little piece of information. During that time I was there all I heard about was the boycott of Shahrukh Khan's latest film.
Overall it was great to be back, see all my friends and feel the buzz again. The great part was that I did all that when I was on holiday.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Two Weeks - What a Concept? What a Success?
Two weeks down in the IPL and the excitement is just so riveting. The tournament is still wide open and finally the indomitable Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils have been beaten. There is no undefeated side in the tournament now and the third week promises to bring in some new surprises and changes to the TOP 4.
Unless Delhi and Deccan play horribly and they each repeat a performance from last year like Delhi did in the semi-final and Deccan did for the whole tournament, I think they are sure to be in the semi-finals this year. This means that the tournament is going to have a different set of semi-finalists.
Last years champs Rajasthan Royals, will really have to play out of their skins to get one of those spots while Mumbai, Chennai & Bangalore fight hard amongst themselves for the other one. Punjab will be the dark horse while Kolkata (sigh) they're going to be up for sale soon.
They are the biggest disappointment of this year's tournament. Just like last year they have a strong side on paper, however, a poor one shows up on the field. With all due respect to Brendon McCullum, he has very limited experience captaining a side at the highest level and it is showing in the way he is performing with the bat. Even after giving up the wicket-keeping duties he is unable to get the job done for his team. The statement he made above resigning from captaincy if his team does not get to the semi-finals is also evidence of his inexperience.
Harsha Boghle who is back on the air-waves again after I guess a termination of contract with ESPN-Star Sports has been fantasizing about the over 35's versus the under 23's (which I totally endorse) and to me, the over 35's, currently, are winning the show. Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Sachin Tendulkar, Herschelle Gibbs & Sanath Jayasuriya have all proved their prowess with the bat.
Shane Warne should surely be their captain for his leadership and success with the ball, Gilchrist should be his deputy and if they schedule a match like that, Glenn McGrath might get a game (LOL). The bowling department would also be bolstered by Muralitharan, Kumble, Kallis and Boucher keeping wickets. Sourav Ganguly would make the cut while VVS Laxman would the dark horse.
Balls of the week:
Ball #1:
K P Appanna (Royal Challengers) bowling A B DeVilliers (Delhi Daredevils) with a beauty, drawing him out, beating him in flight and the ball clipping off-stump.
Ball #2:
Lasith Malinga's (Mumbai Indians) devastating yorker that got rid off Venugopal Rao (Deccan Chargers)
Innings' of the Week
Innings 1: Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai Indians) v Kolkata Knight Riders
Innings 2: Yusuf Pathan (Rajasthan Royals) v Delhi Daredevils
Favourite Commentator - Jeremy Coney
Unless Delhi and Deccan play horribly and they each repeat a performance from last year like Delhi did in the semi-final and Deccan did for the whole tournament, I think they are sure to be in the semi-finals this year. This means that the tournament is going to have a different set of semi-finalists.
Last years champs Rajasthan Royals, will really have to play out of their skins to get one of those spots while Mumbai, Chennai & Bangalore fight hard amongst themselves for the other one. Punjab will be the dark horse while Kolkata (sigh) they're going to be up for sale soon.
They are the biggest disappointment of this year's tournament. Just like last year they have a strong side on paper, however, a poor one shows up on the field. With all due respect to Brendon McCullum, he has very limited experience captaining a side at the highest level and it is showing in the way he is performing with the bat. Even after giving up the wicket-keeping duties he is unable to get the job done for his team. The statement he made above resigning from captaincy if his team does not get to the semi-finals is also evidence of his inexperience.
Harsha Boghle who is back on the air-waves again after I guess a termination of contract with ESPN-Star Sports has been fantasizing about the over 35's versus the under 23's (which I totally endorse) and to me, the over 35's, currently, are winning the show. Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Sachin Tendulkar, Herschelle Gibbs & Sanath Jayasuriya have all proved their prowess with the bat.
Shane Warne should surely be their captain for his leadership and success with the ball, Gilchrist should be his deputy and if they schedule a match like that, Glenn McGrath might get a game (LOL). The bowling department would also be bolstered by Muralitharan, Kumble, Kallis and Boucher keeping wickets. Sourav Ganguly would make the cut while VVS Laxman would the dark horse.
Balls of the week:
Ball #1:
K P Appanna (Royal Challengers) bowling A B DeVilliers (Delhi Daredevils) with a beauty, drawing him out, beating him in flight and the ball clipping off-stump.
Ball #2:
Lasith Malinga's (Mumbai Indians) devastating yorker that got rid off Venugopal Rao (Deccan Chargers)
Innings' of the Week
Innings 1: Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai Indians) v Kolkata Knight Riders
Innings 2: Yusuf Pathan (Rajasthan Royals) v Delhi Daredevils
Favourite Commentator - Jeremy Coney
Friday, April 24, 2009
One Week Later - Excitement Galore!
The IPL is exactly one week old and the excitement has been fascinating. After some upsets on Day 1 with the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals losing, the tournament is shaping out to be another roaring success, save for the rain interruptions.
Sometimes I think if more countries played cricket, we would have lesser famines and droughts in the world
The first week has provided some really thrilling games with yesterday Apr 23, 2009, being the most special. After a superb defense by the Delhi Daredevils or should I say a choke from the Super Kings, the game between Rajasthan Royals and the Kolkata Knight Riders is clearly the game of the tournament so far.
Once again, the leadership of Shane Warne has to be commended, the things that he does on the field are amazing and it is a shame that he did not lead Australia on more occasions. Had he not taken the medication (drugs) that his mum gave him before the World Cup game in 2003, I think he would have been Australia's captain and not Ricky Ponting.
Yusuf Pathan was magnificient and to treat the mystery of Ajantha Mendis with such utter disdain says a lot of his character. He is such a clean hitter of the ball and his ability to clear even the biggest of grounds makes him the most apt player for this form of the game.
The other highlights for me in IPL2 are the manner in which the Deccan Chargers are playing. Clearly the new captain, coach and uniforms have made a big difference to these guys. They have won both their matches comfortably with a great degree of professionalism. Adam Gilchrist is still showing that he has a lot of cricket in him and all the criticism that he received towards the end of his career are now a thing of the past. A good thing for India is that Rohit Sharma is showing some good form too.
One has to mention the performance of my favourite player of all times - the man, the god, Sachin Tendulkar. He has been on the field for just one game, however, he is displaying an amazing sense of purpose with every move that he makes. He batted brilliantly in the first game and led the team on the field with the only aim to win.
The Delhi Daredevils do look as the strongest unit of paper and have shown that on the field in the two games that they have played. They've not used the newbie Dave Warner as yet or have called on the services of the veteran Glenn McGrath and they look undefeatable.
My quote for the week, "I've never been left out from a squad." McGrath replying to Mark Nicholas' question during the first game of the Delhi Daredevils if he has ever been left out of a team.
My dance for the week - Jeremy Coney, Dancing with the Chennai Super Kings cheerleaders and playing a shot over fine leg
My ball of the week - Shane Warne drawing out Bala Akhil (Bangalore Royal Challengers) from his crease and then bowling him out. The true wizard of leg spin bowling
Sometimes I think if more countries played cricket, we would have lesser famines and droughts in the world
The first week has provided some really thrilling games with yesterday Apr 23, 2009, being the most special. After a superb defense by the Delhi Daredevils or should I say a choke from the Super Kings, the game between Rajasthan Royals and the Kolkata Knight Riders is clearly the game of the tournament so far.
Once again, the leadership of Shane Warne has to be commended, the things that he does on the field are amazing and it is a shame that he did not lead Australia on more occasions. Had he not taken the medication (drugs) that his mum gave him before the World Cup game in 2003, I think he would have been Australia's captain and not Ricky Ponting.
Yusuf Pathan was magnificient and to treat the mystery of Ajantha Mendis with such utter disdain says a lot of his character. He is such a clean hitter of the ball and his ability to clear even the biggest of grounds makes him the most apt player for this form of the game.
The other highlights for me in IPL2 are the manner in which the Deccan Chargers are playing. Clearly the new captain, coach and uniforms have made a big difference to these guys. They have won both their matches comfortably with a great degree of professionalism. Adam Gilchrist is still showing that he has a lot of cricket in him and all the criticism that he received towards the end of his career are now a thing of the past. A good thing for India is that Rohit Sharma is showing some good form too.
One has to mention the performance of my favourite player of all times - the man, the god, Sachin Tendulkar. He has been on the field for just one game, however, he is displaying an amazing sense of purpose with every move that he makes. He batted brilliantly in the first game and led the team on the field with the only aim to win.
The Delhi Daredevils do look as the strongest unit of paper and have shown that on the field in the two games that they have played. They've not used the newbie Dave Warner as yet or have called on the services of the veteran Glenn McGrath and they look undefeatable.
My quote for the week, "I've never been left out from a squad." McGrath replying to Mark Nicholas' question during the first game of the Delhi Daredevils if he has ever been left out of a team.
My dance for the week - Jeremy Coney, Dancing with the Chennai Super Kings cheerleaders and playing a shot over fine leg
My ball of the week - Shane Warne drawing out Bala Akhil (Bangalore Royal Challengers) from his crease and then bowling him out. The true wizard of leg spin bowling
Friday, April 17, 2009
My IPL Preview!
I've been waiting for this second season ever since the last one got over. Cliched as that sounds, however, it is true. If you know me well, you know that I am a glutton for cricket of any kind (my wife will reaffirm that). If you don't know me, this is another thing that you learn about me from reading my blog.
The Indian Premier League is a dream that I've always had and I am ecstatic about it becoming the greatest ever cricket spectacle. I am a great fan of the English Premier League of Soccer and the formation of this league in cricket makes the sport so much more appealing.
Cricket has never really had the club flavour to it in our part of the world (Indian Sub Continent) though domestic cricket leagues are well marketed and followed in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and of course England where it all began. The IPL though has the best flavour as it is a short format that packs in the most excitement.
The next big thing to watch will be the Champions League later this year after last year's event had to be cancelled after the Mumbai tragedy. Having said all that, the second season of the IPL has already had a ton of bad publicity because of its shifting to a foreign land amid all the chaos and confusion of the elections in India.
To me, this is a blessing in disguise because after what happened in Mumbai in November and in Lahore earlier this year, I don't think it would have drawn a lot of participation from the international stars if the games were played in India. The media has been very critical of the moves made by the tournament commissioner Lalit Modi which I have written about at length in an earlier piece. I feel that everyone should have opinions, however, I don't have to accept everything that people say and I am sure a lot of you who read this may not accept my opinions either.
Focussing on the games, my big picks for the year are going to be David Warner (Delhi Daredevils), Kevin Pietersen (Bangalore Royal Challengers), Brendon McCullum (Kolkata Knight Riders), Andrew Symonds (Deccan Chargers), Andrew Flintoff (Chennai Super Kings), Tyronne Henderson (Rajasthan Royals) and Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai Indians).
Tendulkar, I must make a special mention off as he has chosen to play only at the club level and not at the national level. This is the one format of the game that Tendulkar has not exceled in yet given the few games that he has played. His current form from New Zealand has shown us that he is now playing in the 'hot zone' and he is a proud man who would want the Mumbaikars to make some serious inroads at start of the tournament.
From the bowling perspective, I think both Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh (Mumbai Indians) are going to be a handful while Ishant Sharma (Kolkata Knight Riders) is going to use his speed to extract additional bounce from the now benign tracks of South Africa.
I feel the second addition is going to be a balance with a little in it for all departments of the game batting, bowling and fielding and I do not think the average score for most games are going to be in excess of 150 - 155 runs. Astute captincy and strategy employed by the coaching and management staff are also going to play a big part in how the games pan out.
With a lot of retired players still proving their class at the highest level, the second edition is going to be a challenging ones for the likes of Glen McGrath, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble to name a few who have been out of the game for a while now.
I certainly hope the young guns like Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja make the right kinds of impact on the tournament. I also hope that guys like Rohit Sharma, Robin Utappha and Irfan Pathan get a kick in their pants and start performing or else the big monies will soon dry up. The same goes for Robin Uthappa, I wouldn't be surprised if other teams adopt a similar strategy like the Rajashthan Royals did with the dumping of Mohammed Kaif.
This one is going to be a great one folks. Seldom have sequels done well in Hollywood or Bollywood, however, the IPL is only going to get better with each new edition.
The Indian Premier League is a dream that I've always had and I am ecstatic about it becoming the greatest ever cricket spectacle. I am a great fan of the English Premier League of Soccer and the formation of this league in cricket makes the sport so much more appealing.
Cricket has never really had the club flavour to it in our part of the world (Indian Sub Continent) though domestic cricket leagues are well marketed and followed in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and of course England where it all began. The IPL though has the best flavour as it is a short format that packs in the most excitement.
The next big thing to watch will be the Champions League later this year after last year's event had to be cancelled after the Mumbai tragedy. Having said all that, the second season of the IPL has already had a ton of bad publicity because of its shifting to a foreign land amid all the chaos and confusion of the elections in India.
To me, this is a blessing in disguise because after what happened in Mumbai in November and in Lahore earlier this year, I don't think it would have drawn a lot of participation from the international stars if the games were played in India. The media has been very critical of the moves made by the tournament commissioner Lalit Modi which I have written about at length in an earlier piece. I feel that everyone should have opinions, however, I don't have to accept everything that people say and I am sure a lot of you who read this may not accept my opinions either.
Focussing on the games, my big picks for the year are going to be David Warner (Delhi Daredevils), Kevin Pietersen (Bangalore Royal Challengers), Brendon McCullum (Kolkata Knight Riders), Andrew Symonds (Deccan Chargers), Andrew Flintoff (Chennai Super Kings), Tyronne Henderson (Rajasthan Royals) and Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai Indians).
Tendulkar, I must make a special mention off as he has chosen to play only at the club level and not at the national level. This is the one format of the game that Tendulkar has not exceled in yet given the few games that he has played. His current form from New Zealand has shown us that he is now playing in the 'hot zone' and he is a proud man who would want the Mumbaikars to make some serious inroads at start of the tournament.
From the bowling perspective, I think both Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh (Mumbai Indians) are going to be a handful while Ishant Sharma (Kolkata Knight Riders) is going to use his speed to extract additional bounce from the now benign tracks of South Africa.
I feel the second addition is going to be a balance with a little in it for all departments of the game batting, bowling and fielding and I do not think the average score for most games are going to be in excess of 150 - 155 runs. Astute captincy and strategy employed by the coaching and management staff are also going to play a big part in how the games pan out.
With a lot of retired players still proving their class at the highest level, the second edition is going to be a challenging ones for the likes of Glen McGrath, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble to name a few who have been out of the game for a while now.
I certainly hope the young guns like Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja make the right kinds of impact on the tournament. I also hope that guys like Rohit Sharma, Robin Utappha and Irfan Pathan get a kick in their pants and start performing or else the big monies will soon dry up. The same goes for Robin Uthappa, I wouldn't be surprised if other teams adopt a similar strategy like the Rajashthan Royals did with the dumping of Mohammed Kaif.
This one is going to be a great one folks. Seldom have sequels done well in Hollywood or Bollywood, however, the IPL is only going to get better with each new edition.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)