Average it out..

There was an article in the Asian Age where a pair of managers (some Insurance company I think) came up with a new way of computing averages. They have included a factor of the average number of balls faced in an innings and use this if the batsman remains not out. This is primarily to take readjust the number of not-outs which finishers like Bevan benefit from.

I found this an interetsing concept, however the point is why should one not count the not out innings. The anlogy I draw (weak it may be) is let's say a football match or basketball. You count the whole game and not the time one played the game. Similarly in Cricket I don't see why a not out batter gets an advantage for the average, since once the game is over, there does not exist any opportunity for scoring more.

The so called BCCI Whip...

How would it be, I wonder , if my employer decided to rstrict me to three hobbies to pursue ?

To me the whole restriction is an eye wash. The BCCI wanted to do something 'visible' and it has. Where as simple logic dictates, if a player does not perform , out he should go. That would take care of all endorsments and ensuring the players do the right things for themselves. Who knows next the BCCI may declare players can not get married or have kids near tours (15 days before I guess).

Why Dravid needs to go

Dravid needs to be the first to admit that it was his team which failed (carefully picked, choices like Bhajji over Powar, persisting with Veeru, deporting Sachin to the middle order). It was gutsy, but has no one to blame up himself and I think he should drop out as the Indian Skipper. He may have been a great skipper if India was Oz, but then that is not the case.

His biggest folly was pushing Sachin down the order. As Hayden, Jayasuriya, Smith and Gilchrist have shown the World Cup will be won by the top order. Dravid had the best weapon in his arsenal but he chose not to use it and this should be his biggest regret. I am sure we would have been in the World Cup had Sachin opened.