Aakash Chopra
Former India opener Aakash Chopra is one of the best thinkers and writers on the game. Find out more at www.cricketaakash.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @cricketaakash
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The Ajit Agarkar vs Mumbai fiasco
‘The Ranji Team for the domestic one-day games had been announced, and the morning’s newspapers were carrying the line-up. I was looking for the new names that had found their way into the team. But something was hugely awry. The player <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/12/05/the-ajit-agarkar-vs-mumbai-fiasco/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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Ground Realities!
Imagine reading a 'Caution' sign board on a cricket ground saying - do not play fast bowlers in the nets, you could break either your fingers or toes. ... <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/11/25/ground-realities/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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How Ranji Trophy Pitches Reward Mediocrity
We need a radical shift in the way we approach and conduct our domestic cricket. The quality of the playing strip is directly proportional to the quality of cricket and players we produce. <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/11/11/how-ranji-trophy-pitches-reward-mediocrity/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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Ranji Trophy 2011-12: What to expect
(Playing with the reigning Ranji champions Rajasthan, Aakash Chopra will share his experiences on the circuit in a series of posts, exclusively on Yahoo! Cricket. This post is the fourth in the series.) <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/11/03/ranji-trophy-2011-12-what-to-expect/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy – serving no purpose
BCCI has been meticulous enough in planning its string of first class tournaments - while the Ranji Trophy determines the best state side; it also throws in new talent that can last five day games. The Duleep Trophy is meant to take the standard a notch h <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/10/24/syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy-serving-no-purpose/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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Challenger not Challenging anymore
(Playing with the reigning Ranji champions Rajasthan, Aakash Chopra will share his experiences on the circuit in a series of posts, exclusively on Yahoo! Cricket. This post is the third in the series.) What's the sole purpose of having the Challenger <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/10/13/challenger-not-challenging-anymore/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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Battered and bruised
(Last week's Irani Trophy kicked off a new domestic season in India. Playing with the reigning Ranji champions Rajasthan, Aakash Chopra will share his experiences on the circuit in a series of posts, exclusively on Yahoo! Cricket. This post is the second <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/10/10/battered-and-bruised/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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Nerves & Niggles – Coping With The Season Opener
This week's Irani Trophy kicks off a new domestic season in India. Playing with the reigning Ranji champions Rajasthan, Aakash Chopra will share his experiences on the circuit in a series of posts, exclusively on Yahoo! Cricket. <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/10/02/nerves-niggles-coping-with-the-season-opener/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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The Scourge of Age-Fudging
We can tackle this menace by stop giving undue importance to age-group tournaments. <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/09/25/the-scourge-of-age-fudging/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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India’s Time To Rebuild
The humiliation in England provides a chance to rebuild a team, plan player workloads, and put fitness on a pedestal. <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/09/18/indias-time-to-rebuild/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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All is not bad with the IPL
Test Cricket's evil cousin T20 may have done enough harm to it by robbing it off its supporters, even its players who seemed to have given up on both the technique and temperament needed to play it. Yet, one might want to look beyond the usual charges aga <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/09/09/all-is-not-bad-with-the-ipl/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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Time For Home Improvement
India's domestic cricket structure is full of misplaced priorities and redundant ideas. The humiliation in England offers a chance to analyse its failings. <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/08/28/time-for-home-improvement/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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IPL’s impact on Indian cricket
"Now that India has lost so miserably in England, kids would listen to me when I tell them to get their forward defense right" said a visibly frustrated veteran cricket coach. When someone of his standing, having groomed nearly a dozen Internati <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/08/21/ipls-impact-on-indian-cricket/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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Preparation is a process that requires foresight
The day we lost the first Test at Lord's, the knives had come out. Experts blamed the lack of preparation for India's poor start - we should have played at least a couple of warm-up games to get used to English conditions, they'd opined. Even as I echo th <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/08/13/preparation-is-a-process-that-requires-foresight/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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Show Dravid Some Respect
Dravid has been India's handyman. But will he be dumped again after this stop-gap arrangement for England? <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/08/06/show-dravid-some-respect/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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Zaheer’s possible replacements
Zaheer missed the second Test match, not necessarily as a precautionary measure, but since it actually takes that long a time to heal the injured hamstring. An early induction into competitive sport could result in relapsing and making the injury worse. T <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/07/30/zaheers-possible-replacements/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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Gearing up for the Lord’s Test
Team India's last net session on the eve of the first test match had an air of confidence, while at the same time the air was also thick with nervous energy. The happy-go-lucky attitude, which is synonymous with most net sessions, got abandoned for the ti <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/07/21/gearing-up-for-the-lords-test/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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Doping Part II – Need to spread awareness
A Dope Test, irrespective of its eventual outcome, inevitably spells trouble for sportspersons playing at any level. I remember feeling a bit edgy when the first time anti-doping officers were to visit a club I was playing for in Holland. All kinds of que <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/07/08/doping-part-ii-need-to-spread-awareness/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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Doping Part I – The web
Heidi Krieger of East Germany reached the pinnacle of her career by winning the Gold medal with a putt of 21.1 meters at the European Championship at Stuttgart in 1986. She was one of the many child prodigies who were given the golden opportunity to pursu <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/07/06/doping-part-i-the-web/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
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ICC recommendations – a review!
The ICC's nod to measures that would refurbish world Cricket may have finally come, yet it would be interesting to note their impact and influence on the dynamics of the game. Let's probe further into each of the modifications made. DRS minus the Haw <a href="http://healthout-dr.bagmane.corp.yahoo.com/yahoocricketcolumns/2011/06/29/icc-recommendations-a-review/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>