Story Manager Diary [ICC 2005]

[crickap]

How long?

How long do all of you think I should go on for? I am keen to go on until I reach the top of the ODI rankings, but beyond that?
It would be great if people gave me more feedback. Also, does anyone know how long you can play for in the game, i.e. is there a particular year beyond which one cannot play?

Asma

 

[crickap]

WEST INDIES IN INDIA
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I decide to revitalise our pace attack by bringing in Gagandeep Singh and Salvi. I justify this on the basis that they have been the best bowlers in the domestic season. I also play Deshpande as keeper as Dhoni has been doing terribly with the bat this season. Some changes are made to the batting line-up as well, baring in mind the domestic averages.

I TEST
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I play Sehwag, Rowland, Dravid, Tendulkar, Gambhir, Venugopal Rao, Deshpande, Gagandeep, Kumble, Harbhajan, Salvi.


II TEST
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I play Acharya in place of Deshpande and ask Gambhir to keep wickets.



III TEST
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I bring in Zaheer Khan for Kumble, and Deshpande comes back, and Laxman is in as well in place of Gambhir and Acharya.



They save this game

ODI SERIES
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Kumble's omission is the major surprise in my selection. I retort that I have to prepare an ODI team for the World Cup in 2011 when Kumble(37) will not be around. I also pick Yashpal Singh.

I ODI
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We win the toss and get past 300 thanks to Kaif's brilliant century.



II ODI
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We win the toss and bat again. Sehwag comes up with a great innings:




We have a very good allrounder in Romesh Powar! An exciting prospect for our ODI team.

III ODI
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We win the toss, bat first and get past 300 again!


________________________________________________________________

This season has been a great one. We have beaten Australia and England away from home and West Indies at home. In ODI cricket, we have won the World Cup, won triangular series in England and Australia and beaten the West Indies.
Three batsmen - Dravid, Sehwag and Rowland have notched up more than 1000 runs in test cricket this year, and Sehwag, Dravid and Tendulkar have done the same in ODI cricket. Kumble and Harbhajan have picked up over 50 wickets in test matches, and Zaheer and Harbhajan have done it in ODI's.

TOP OF THE RANKINGS

After Australia's loss to Pakistan, we are top of the ODI rankings as well!!




Less than three years after my appointment as manager of the Indian team, I have taken them to the top of the ODI and test rankings as well as winning the World Cup! I started off by having Sourav Ganguly as captain, but then replaced him with Dravid after the begginning of the second season, and he has been immense since then. We have a great team and now I must look at improving it further, maintaining our position at the top and make a fair attempt at retaining the World Cup in 3 years time.

PLAYER RANKINGS

 

[w3lshrugby]

crickap - carry on, its a good diary.

 

[James_W]

is there any further you can take them? Maybe try and retain the WC, then start a diary with an under-acheiver like West Indies, Sri Lanka, New Zealand or SA! That would be good to read.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Add Bangladesh and Zimbabwe to the list specially Zimbabwe becuz it is a real challenge to compete

 

[Mr. Kurns]

The banglas are actually quite good!! habibul bashar is awesome in it

 

[crickap]

Thank You very much for your responses. I think I shall try to retain the World Cup and then try some other 'underachieving' team.
Or else how about Pakistan's first Indian manager!!!
I've also given a thought to moving to the county game!
But all this will have to wait at least until the world cup! I hope you're all eagerly awaiting the next update on the Indian team's progress.

 

[w3lshrugby]

Thank You very much for your responses. I think I shall try to retain the World Cup and then try some other 'underachieving' team.
Or else how about Pakistan's first Indian manager!!!
I've also given a thought to moving to the county game!
But all this will have to wait at least until the world cup! I hope you're all eagerly awaiting the next update on the Indian team's progress.

we are eagerly awaiting the next update, good luck with it!

 

[usy]

Asma good thread, nice to see a Female in PlanetCricket! .

 

[crickap]

PREVIEW TO SEASON 2008-9

A new season is upon us and with it comes new challanges and opportunities. Now, that we are at the top of the test and ODI ratings, my job along with the players is to keep us there and retain the World Cup in 3 years time in Australia-New Zealand.

We have a strong batting line-up. In test cricket, we have three good opening batsmen in Gambhir, Sehwag and Rowland. For the middle order, I have the unenviable task of selecting from Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Kaif, Yuvraj, Venugopal Rao. The wicket-keeper is one place which is wide open at the moment. Dhoni's performance with the bat has not been upto the mark, but he certainly deserves some more chances. Amit Deshpande has played too few games for me to make an assesment. In ODI's, Sachin Tendulkar can also open the batting! All rounder Powar has been impressive with the bat and Acharya can pitch in with some runs as well.

In the spin department, for test matches we have the proven duo of Kumble and Harbhajan. Acharya is waiting in the wings to replace Kumble as the second spinner when Kumble decides to retire. In ODI's, we have the all rounder Powar who is also impressive with the bat, besides Acharya. In the fast bowling department, Zaheer Khan, our best fast bowler will come back after his break in the West Indies series. Joginder Sharma, Gagandeep, Pathan and Salvi are other options, though none have been able to establish themselves in the team.

So, batting and spin bowling is fine, but I have work to do in developing fast bowlers and a wicket-keeper. Dravid will remain test captain for the forseeable future. But, he is already 35 and I must start looking for an ODI captain before the World Cup comes around.
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[crickap]

TOUR TO SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka are the only side I have not beaten away from home in my tenure.

I select an 18 man squad which includes all the usual suspects plus 21 yr old Mohammed Rasheed who has topped the first class averages.




We win the first ODI comfortably, but a shock defeat in the second where we are bowled out for 159 levels the series. Put in to bat, we get past 300 before bowling them out for 280 in the final game.

 

[crickap]

IND VS SOUTH AFRICA

We play South Africa at home.
I TEST

I play Sehwag, Rowland, Dravid, Tendulkar, Yuvraj, Laxman, Deshpande, Sharma, Kumble, Harbhajan, Zaheer.



For the second test, I retain the same 11.


The last test is now a practise game! and I intend to bring in some of the youngsters.

Mohammed Rasheed's brother Wasim Rasheed is 19 yr old and averages over 50 in his first first-class season. So, he is picked as well. Ramprasad is a 19yr old medium pacer who did well for Karnataka.

I pick : Gambhir, Rowland, M.Rasheed, W.Rasheed, Kaif(C), Rao, Deshpande, Harbhajan, Acharya, Ramprasad, Sharma.



306 was chased down in 66 overs.

Wasim Rasheed is a very good batsman. However, Mohammed Rashid certainly deserves a few more tries. But, I am yet to make any judgement. Ramprasad is a rookie and needs time in domestic cricket.

 

[crickap]

ODI SERIES

We lose the first ODI after being bowled out for 185. But, come back strongly in the second, bowling out South Africa for 171. However, in the third, we chase 273 on a turning Mumbai wicket and fall 17 short.

SHOCK LOSS in the series 2-1.

THE REPERCUSSION

I am furious at this loss. I call Dravid to my office and shout at him for the bad field placements and bowling changes. He apologises but points out that it is his first series loss as captain. I am even more furious at this and tell him that I want his resignation or else he would be sacked and his career as batsman would also be over.

He decides not to take me on. We agree that he will resign as ODI captain immediately but will remain test captain for a year or so, until I decide to replace him. In the meantime he will continue as player in the ODI team.

THE END OF AN ERA: DRAVID STEPS DOWN FROM ODI CAPTAINCY
CricketIndia

Indian cricket has come to the end of an era. Rahul Dravid announced that he was stepping down from the captaincy of the Indian ODI Cricket team today. He said he was dissapointed by the recent loss to South Africa and was taking full responsibility and stepping down as a result. He will continue to remain captain of the test team.

Rahul Dravid has been one of the most successful captains, the Indian team has ever had. He has taken the team to test series victories against all test playing nations away from home and has won the World Cup for only the second time for India.

Asked if he had been under pressure from the manager, he said "No, not at all. She was very supportive. I decided to quit of my own accord following our performance against South Africa." When asked how long he would continue playing, Dravid replied that he would go on as long as the management wanted him to. Asked about the test captaincy, he offered no comment.

The manager, Asma Khan said, "Dravid has been India's best ever captain and his captaincy will be missed. However, we must move on and I will appoint a captain for the ODI's who can hopefully lead us into the World Cup."

The Indian team go to South Africa to play three tests and three ODI's after
which they face Pakistan at home.



LAXMAN DROPPED FROM SA TOUR; KAIF IS ODI CAPTAIN

The manager of the Indian team, Asma Khan sprang two major surprises today. In a major surprise Mohammed Kaif was appointed captain of the ODI team ahead of vice-captain Virender Sehwag. Asma Khan said, "Kaif has shown immense character in all kinds of situatons and is the right man for the captaincy. Sehwag is already 30 and I was looking for a captain who will be there in the long run." Asked if he would be test captain as well once Dravid hangs up his boots, considering that he has played just 9 tests so far, Asma Khan was non-commital. She said she would evaluate the situation as and when it arose. Sehwag will continue to be vice-captain. Asked if he was expecting to become the captain, Sehwag replied that he was happy to be the vice-captain of the Indian team.

The other surprise sprung by the same woman is the omission of V.V.S.Laxman from the touring party to South Africa. Justifying this decision, Asma Khan said, "I decided to go in with young exciting prospects like Wasim Rasheed. Venugopal and Gambhir deserved to keep their places. I had to make a choice and although Laxman has contributed immensely to Indian cricket over the years, I had to make the choice." Irfan Pathan gets a recall who along with Sharma, Gagandeep Singh and Zaheer Khan will make up the seam quartet. Kumble, Harbhajan and Acharya are the three spinners."

The touring party in full is:
Dravid(C - test), Sehwag, Tendulkar, Yuvraj, Kaif(C - ODI), Rao, W.Rasheed, Gambhir, Deshpande, Kumble, Harbhajan, Acharya, Powar, Zaheer, Pathan, Sharma, Gagandeep Singh, Rowland. Manager:Asma Khan


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Rasheed scores a hundred in the first class game and I pick him for the first test.

I TEST

I play Sehwag, Rowland, Dravid, Tendulkar, Rasheed, Kaif, Deshpande, Sharma, Gagandeep, Kumble, Harbhajan.

 

[crickap]

We win the toss and bat first. After, the early loss of Sehwag, Dravid and Rowland get centuries and take us to 304/1 at stumps on the first day.
Both of them get double centuries on the second day, Tendulkar gets a fifty, and despite Kaif's dismissal for 1, we are 582/5 with Deshpande and Rasheed at the crease. Wasim Rasheed scores a maiden test hundred at Pretoria and I declare soon after on 690/7.

An ambitious declaration on the final day costs us the game.




I am again furious that we lost having scored 690 runs!

However, I decide it best to stick with Dravid until the end of this tour and then reasses the situation then.

II TEST

I bring in Zaheer Khan for Gagandeep but keep the rest of the team as it is.

We win the toss, and this time we get to 819.


III TEST

It's all down to the decider now! I play Yuvraj in place of Kaif who is out of form, but make no changes otherwise.

They win the toss, bat first and put 601 on the board. We reach 143/0 at stumps on the second day. We reach 523/5 at stumps on the third day. Now, it is fairly even! We are bowled out for 622 before lunch.



After this debacle there is no more future for Dravid as captain. I refrain from saying anything until the ODI series is over. I hope to salvage some pride there. I am furious with the players but tell them to concentrate on winning the ODI's.


I ODI

Kaif's first ODI as captain!

We lose the first game after being bowled out for 218.

II ODI
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We successfully chase 278 and even get there in 43.2!

III ODI
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I play Powar in place of Zaheer Khan.

We win the toss, bat first and finish on 291/7.
We bowl them out for 170 to win the series!! Some joy at last!!!


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[jimbob]

unlucky in the test series, you scored nearly 700 in the first game and still lost whats going on with your bowlers