“Following this decision, we began the search for a replacement and can confirm discussions have taken place with a number of players about a short team deal, including the Pakistani left arm seamer Sohail Tanvir,” said Gus Mackay, managing director of Surrey Cricket. “However, despite recent reports in the Pakistani media, a deal has yet to be concluded.” Harbhajan and India are due to play a tri-series in Sri Lanka, along with New Zealand, at the end of August

The Board has already finalised 12 teams, including two from Air India (AI), and four more corporates could be added to this impressive line-up in the tournament which would act as a tune-up for the upcoming short tour of Sri Lanka. The Lanka-bound cricketers are expected to undergo a short conditioning camp, either in Bangalore or Chennai, lasting four or five days at the end of August before they represent their respective companies in the Corporate Trophy, according to BCCI sources.

Among the AI players who are expected to play are Dhoni, flamboyant batsman Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh as well as the out-of-favour Irfan Pathan. The national carrier, which may field the teams as AI Red and AI Blue, is also expecting to have the services of India left arm pacer Rudra Pratap Singh, Mohd Kaif and Robin Uthappa, besides Dhawal Kulkarni, Sidharth Trivedi, Naman Ojha and former ICL player Dhiraj Jadhav.

But the team would be missing VVS Laxman “as he’s playing county cricket in England”, Dilip Pinge, Secretary of the AI Sports Board explained. Former India skipper Rahul Dravid, who has been named in the preliminary thirty-member Champions Trophy One-day squad, would be representing India Cements, owners of the Chennai Super Kings IPL franchise outfit, along with current Tamil Nadu Ranji players S Badrinath, L Balaji, ICL-returned Hemang Badani, Abhinav Mukund and R Ashwin.

Oil firms Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation have a fleet of top cricketers at their disposal to represent them in the event. IOL would have the services of ODI regular Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Ranji players Wasim Jaffer, Ajinkya Rahane, Saurashtra’s Cheteshwar Pujara and UP’s Ravikant Shukla, among others.S Sreesanth, out of the Indian team for a long time now, would have the chance to impress by turning out for BPCL along with Mumbai all rounder Abhishek Nayar and ODI regular Pragyan Ojha.

While ONGC is unlikely to have the services of Sehwag, who is recovering from a shoulder surgery, it will have a strong pace bowling attack at its command, manned by Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel and Praveen Kumar along with leg spinner Amit Mishra. Opener Gautam Gambhir, recently crowned the world’s number one Test batsman as per the ICC’s latest rankings, would spearhead the batting with the experienced Mithun Manhas lending stability down the order.

Retired former India skipper Sourav Ganguly is expected to turn out for Tata Sports Club which has a host of current Mumbai Ranji players to choose from apart from exciting Jharkhand batsman Sourabh Tiwari and Ishant Jaggi, a member of the Emerging India players squad now touring Australia. A spokesperson for Reliance Industries Limited, which owns the Mumbai Indians IPL franchise outfit, said that they were awaiting a word from the BCCI before finalising their squad.
“We will do so if and when the BCCI gives the go ahead”, he said. RIL and four other corporates have shown their interest in taking part in the tournament which, at present, has been scheduled to be played among 12 outfits.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s technical committee at a recent meeting discussed the idea of switching from SG to any other make in domestic cricket. The BCCI’s move was prompted by the poor quality of the SG balls last season. The technical committee was considering the option of Duke and Kookaburra, the two other balls used in international cricket.

Harbhajan said the Duke, used mainly in England, would be a better choice among the two. “The Kookaburra is good for only 10-15 overs. After that the seam goes flat, the shine goes and the ball becomes soft. In our grounds, not the Test centres but other venues, the grounds are hard and it doesn’t last long,” the 29-year-old with 540 international scalps to his name said.

“The Duke ball lasts longer. It stays hard for about 90 overs… If you ask any batsman… If you ask Sachin Tendulkar… He would straightaway say it’s the Duke ball, because it doesn’t go soft soon and so it’s good for both the batsmen and the bowlers.” Although the Australian Kookaburra is used in most countries, including Pakistan, the Punjab bowler was of opinion that it would tilt the balance heavily in favour of the batsmen in Indian conditions.

“Kookaburra is not the best ball anyway. We used it in the Duleep Trophy one season and if you see scorecards that season, you will know. The middle-order batsmen, once they played 10 overs, put up big scores,” he said. On the issue of Test cricket coming under threat due to the rise of T20, Harbhajan had a simple solution: “We should play more Test cricket, yaar! I think that’s the only solution to save Tests.”

However, an indifferent show in South Africa means the franchise is no closer to the winning formula, with sources saying the coach hunt is on again in an effort to help team morale and confidence ahead of next season’s IPL. So, does that mean Pollock won’t be retained? “Pollock and fielding coach Jhonty Rhodes were in charge because of their knowledge of South African conditions.

“Next year, the IPL will be on home turf and again people with knowledge of local conditions will be necessary,” a source said. Officials, though, are not willing to go on record yet. But the hunt for a home-grown, desi coach might be on, just what the Knight Riders are doing right now.

“Both teams are exploring the best possible option. Interestingly, there are a few common names in their wish lists,” the source added. Mumbai Indians had a miserable second IPL season, finishing seventh among eight teams. Harbhajan Singh, a key player, complained that he had no idea what his role in the team was, and there were differences between Tendulkar and Pollock over issues like team selection and batting order.

What matters in the world of books is as to how you ensure that the controversial parts of the book publish in the media before the actual launch of the book. Nasreen applied this time-tested formula for her very average novel Lajja. It is not a secret thing that Taslima Nasreen and her publisher leaked the controversial parts of the novel and later reaped the fruits of huge sale of the book. John Buchanan, who was recently removed from his post of coach of Kolkata Knight Riders owner King Khan, followed the footsteps of Taslima Nasreen.John hit Sunny Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and others below the belt in his to be published book- The future of Cricket- The rise of  Twenty 20’. 

Orient paperbacks are publishing this book and it is very much possible that they would have deliberately leaked the certain portion of the book in the media. Buchanan  writes in his book that Sachin is not a player who can dominate in a Twenty-20 match. He believes that Sachin is no longer good enough for this format. Buchanan also puts Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in the category of Sachin, saying that they are great players of the game but not suited for the shorter version. Even  for Gavaskar, Buchanan  has no kind words. As it was expected, Buchanan comments created a storm in the Cricketing circle of India. Cricket lovers are especially hurt that John even made serious comments against venerable Sunil Gavaskar. However, the controversy generated would go a long way in promoting the sale of Buchanan book.

As this writer is part of the publication world, he knows that books without any salacious or controversial stuff hardly sell in the market. Readers hardly buy such books. In the publishing circles, it is said that non-controversial books are only purchased by writers themselves or at the most libraries purchase them. In the nutshell, credit must be given to John Buchanan and his publisher for generating huge curiosity for their yet to be published book.

In his newly released book titled ‘The Future of Cricket: The Rise of Twenty20′, Buchanan has taken swipe at some of the big names of Indian cricket including Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, and also business tycoon Vijay Mallya. “I read through the comments on an online news portal. The great coach indeed had some great comments to make, just like his great coaching methods,” Harbhajan wrote in his blog from UK where is holidaying with his family.

“I am not surprised at this. In fact, anything coming out of Australia does not surprise me anymore. It just shows how much they love me and keep thinking about me in their minds and hearts. This is not the first time an Australian has showered his praise on me and I am pretty certain he won’t be the last one either.

“What surprises (offends) me are the well crafted and framed comments on proven legends like Mr Gavaskar and Sachin by someone whose coaching credentials were doubted by the acclaimed and most respected Aussie legend leg spinner (Shane Warne). The coaching credentials were in testing waters again at an IPL team this year,” he added.

The temperamental off-spinner, who has a dubious record of run-ins with Australians, went on to suggest that it might be a tactic on Buchanan’s part to publicize the book. “There used to be a time when actions used to speak louder than words but now its vice-versa. Words draw more attention that action. At times, I wonder why all these things appear just before the launch of the book.

You have to be inventive, fearless. And I don’t see those qualities as part of Sachin’s make-up at this stage of his career. Sachin Tendulkar is still a great player, but not in this arena of T20,” writes Buchanan in his book according to report. Buchanan refers to Gavaskar as being ‘blinkered by bias and tradition’, while the former Aussie coach writes “Yuvraj Singh in a sense tries to be a modern-day Sourav Ganguly, but I don’t think he has the charisma or the dignity with which Ganguly carries himself”. The other players who have been the target of Buchanan’s pen include Harbhajan Singh who “camouflages his actions”, Kevin Pietersen and Shoaib Akhtar. However, Buchanan has nothing but praise when it comes to former India and KKR captain Sourav Ganguly, who he has compared to Australian cricketing great Ian Chappell.

As could be expected, these statements have caused a furore in India, forcing Buchanan to clarify his stand. “The book offers an insight into the world of cricket and people should read it before commenting,” Buchanan told CNN-IBN. He also said that he is supportive of what India is doing and how “they are going about their cricket”.Buchanan also said that though KKR didn’t have good results in the IPL under his tutelage, he enjoyed the experience.”I was very excited to be in the IPL in 2008. It was a real challenge. I enjoyed the experience in South Africa. We didn’t necessarily get the result we wanted but the experience with IPL is definitely something to be a part of,” Buchanan told CNN-IBN.

The swipe at Gavaskar comes while Buchanan is talking about a franchisee meeting with IPL bosses in Goa in February this year. When he suggested that more international players be allowed to figure in the playing XI, Buchanan claims, the IPL administrators decided to refer the concept to the technical committee headed by Gavaskar. “What this means is that any ideas that affect the way T20 might be played are referred to a committee chaired by a person who is blinkered by bias and tradition,” the former Aussie coach concludes.

Buchanan has taken a swipe at several Indian cricketers but has also had a few good words to say about former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly in his just released book. In the course of a chapter on Ganguly, in which he sometimes freely praises the former Indian skipper and even hands out left-handed compliments while maintaining that he is unsuitable for T20, he talks of Ganguly as “the model for the new breed of confident and combative Indian cricketers” akin to Ian Chappell for the Aussies.

However, Buchanan goes on to take a dig at dashing southpaw Yuvraj Singh while comparing him with Ganguly. “Yuvraj Singh in a sense tries to be a modern-day Ganguly, but I don’t think he has the charisma or the dignity with which Ganguly carries himself”. He is quick to clarify that he is not saying Yuvraj has no charisma or dignity, but the damage already done is compounded by adding that the Mohali team coach Tom Moody had told him “Yuvraj would just walk off after training, leaving all his gear and rubbish because he was used to someone else picking up after him”.

As for Bhajji, he talks of how the Indian offie is “good at dishing out treatment, lighting the fire, and then finding an appropriate means to camouflage his action”.

Talking of the Bhajji-Andrew Symonds showdown during the Test series in Australia in 2007-08, Buchanan says of Harbhajan, “in that instance he dished it out, but when it came to his turn he was not able to receive it back so well”. He then resorts to national stereotypes when he says: “Australians are direct and expect people to be direct back to them… someone who hides behind the protection of a captain or management or umpires, saying it was not me, such as Harbhajan has done, infuriates Australians. That is not the way Australians approach the game.”

Kevin Pietersen is quoted by Buchanan as saying on the eve of the Stanford Superstars versus England match that “I have a lot of mates doing it tough at the moment, people losing their jobs. There is no way I want to see people carrying on like clowns.” Yet, says Buchanan, there was no hint of Pietersen suggesting that players were being paid “obscene or over-inflated” sums or of any social responsibility in “dispersing or donating or sponsoring some of those friends who he said he knew were ‘doing it tough’.” All this in a chapter entitled The Chase for Cash.

There’s a chapter entitled The Shock of Shoaib, where Buchanan writes about how another former Aussie coach, Greg Chappell had warned him before the first IPL season: “He (Ganguly) won’t be your biggest problem…Shoaib will…He will make Warney (Shane Warne) look like a highly disciplined fitness fanatic in comparison.” For sheer economy of effort – three people swiped at in one short passage – that one takes the cake. Shah Rukh Khan is among the lucky few who come in for praise in Buchanan’s book. There is an entire chapter on what a wonderful and humble person Shah Rukh is and how he was always around to buck up and motivate the Knight Riders.

This victory illustrates a certain fighting spirit in the team. Team India had justifiably been savaged for its poor showing in the T20 World Cup. That it has clinched this series, despite fatigue and the absence of key players such as Sehwag, Sachin and Zaheer, shows a certain commitment towards excellence. That’s commendable.

Nonetheless, watching the games, certain questions kept troubling me:

1. Why was this series organised in the first place?: Only the BCCI could have come up with the inane idea of sending a team to the other side of the world to play a mere four ODIs. That too immediately after the gruelling IPL2 and the T20 World Cup. Isn’t players’ fatigue of no concern to the BCCI?

2. Wasn’t the BCCI aware that July is hurricane season in St Lucia (as Tony Cozier pointed out in his commentary) and that games were likely to be interrupted?

3. Normally, 3, 5 or 7 games to decide a series like this. The odd numbers help decide a winner. So why did we have four games for this series? Any specific reason?

4. How many of us watched these games with any degree of interest or involvement?: I suspect that the TRPs of this series would be among the lowest ever for a tournament involving India in recent times. And that’s not only because the games went on till 3.00 am and beyond. There was absolutely no buzz about this series. Which brings me to the larger question: Is the BCCI flogging the golden goose till it is dead?

Those are points to ponder. Anyway, here’s how the players fared according to me:

1. Gautam Gambhir: Still far from being his best. But his 44 off 38 balls was crucial to India’s triumph in India’s St Lucia. 4.5 out of 10

2. Dinesh Karthick: Made good of the opportunities that came his way in the absence of Sehwag and Raina. 6 out of 10

3. Rohit Sharma: Must learn to distinguish between T20 and ODI. Fielded well. Can be useful as a bowler as he showed in the second game at Jamaica. Badly needs a breather. 2 out 10

4. Yuvraj Singh: Back to being a match winner. His 131 was breathtaking. 7 out of 10

5. MS Dhoni: Led from the front. Kept well. Had a great series with knocks of 41, 95 and 46 not out. Showed patience and maturity in steering India to respectability in the second game. Anchored India to victory in the third. 9 out 10

6. Ravindra Jadeja: Not good enough to play for India as yet. 1 out of 10.

7. Yusuf Pathan: Had an excellent all-round game in the first Jamaica ODI with a power-packed unbeaten 40 off 38 and three wickets for 56. But faded out thereafter. 5.5 out of 10

8. Harbhajan Singh: Barring his slogging in the first game, nothing noteworthy from him as a bowler. Shouldn’t Pragyan Ojha be tried out? 4.5 out of 10

9. RP Singh: Got just one wicket in three games. But his mature batting in the second match at Jamaica was a revelation. 4.5 out of 10

10. Praveen Kumar: Failed to impress in the only game he played. 2 out of 10

11. Ishant Sharma: The overrated bowler disappointed again in game 1 and 3. Appeared to be bowling well in game 4 when rain struck. 2 out of 10

12. Ashish Nehra: Only Indian paceman to genuinely impress on the tour. Looked hungry for success. Showed how far he could have gone but for injuries and fitness issues. 6 out of 10.

West Indies: Chris Gayle (captain), Runako Morton, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Jerome Taylor, David Bernard, Suleiman Benn, Ravi Rampaul.

India: Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Abhishek Nayar, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ashish Nehra.