A triumph to savour

Prem Panicker | Faisal Shariff

devd : great to see some action from you Prem - so how do u feel after India's one of the greatest perf.
Prem Panicker : Actually, mixed feelings. Delighted that the young boys are coming through -- it's been a long long time coming. And apalled that our seniors continue to carry such amazing amounts of mental baggage around with them.

Prem Panicker : Procedural note: "A very warm welcome to all of you"! There, that lets me out of saying hello as each new person comes in, otherwise I will end up doing only that for the next one hour. *g*

Bob : So Prem, are you planning to get back to cricket writing?
Prem Panicker : For now, I am in the US on assignment -- and it is kind of tough writing on something you can't really watch. I do intend to start writing issue-based columns again, starting next week, but not the match reports yet

sunny : yep our team is unpredicted team it can score 400 in a match and 40 on other
Prem Panicker : Yeah, precisely. That is the most uplifting, and frustrating, part of this team -- we walk on an ocean one day, and drown in a puddle the next. The team actually redefines the word 'enigma'

devd : where were the seniors in the final - Tendulkar cud not perform
Prem Panicker : Tendulkar, judging by how he batted, forgot what he was there for. He was more intent on trying to "teach Giles a lesson" -- and that is a sad sign, when personal ego gets in the way of professional objectives

Mahendra : prem dont u think sachin is hyped up a lot?i mean he played a strange knock..absolutely no responsibility
Prem Panicker : I dont know about "hyped" a lot -- when you have that record of achievement over 12 years and more, would you then suggest he is crap? I'd think it is more about praising when due -- Sachin or whoever -- and condemning when deserved. And this final performance of his deserved flat out condemnation.Hi, Sri, good to see you

Bob : Prem: have enjoyed both yours and Faisals columns a lot (also Laidlaw). Look forward to seeing you back.
Prem Panicker : Thanks pal....

daj857 : i dont think people are being fair to tendulkar, considering the man did score 2 centuries... both of which put us in very commanding situations. and had 1 of the games not been rained out i feel we'd have probably won both
Prem Panicker : Precisely. Those innings deserved praise. The final innings deserves, well, frankly, to be roundly booed. The tragic part of it was that both of them -- Sachin and his alter ego, Sehwag -- got this bee in the bonnet about Giles. If you look at the ball that got Sachin out, the easier way of teaching Giles a lesson was to step INTO the stumps, not back away -- if he had done that, at least two of his deliveries in that over would have been called wide, and you would have forced Giles to alter his line

Gaurav : Prem don't you feel that last year in a column you posted after the India-SL series, you overrated the ability of SL's batsmen to play the moving, bouncing ball and also the depth of their fast bowling resources?
Prem Panicker : Not at all. If one bad series in England leads you to a rethinking of the entire capabilities of a team, what then would you make of their previous performances? They struggled in England, yes -- but I dont think guys like Sangakaara (who I'd rate highly), Jayawardene, Atapattu et al have lost it.

george : Hello prem and faisal, Iam an Indian dictor working in uk, thoroughly enjoyedthe thrashing of the barmy armyhowever little worried the way sachin is shaping up to Ashley Giles any thoughts.
Prem Panicker : Yes well, the only thought is, someone ought to give Sachin a shaking and point out to him that playing trick shots is okay for the circus, but the real way to counter what is undoubtedly a negative line is to play him orthodox, and take him out of the attack. If you remember, in an earlier match in the tournament Sachin had in fact done that to Giles -- played him on merit and took him apart. Here, he allowed the personal to dominate, and that is very, very unprofessional.

AKB : Hi Prem, Do you think Dravid should keep wkts in the test matches?
Prem Panicker : I think not -- for all that he did a decent job barring in the odi finals, Dravid is not really a keeper. Watch him -- you'll find he stands tall as the ball hits the deck, the same mistake Deep Dasgupta makes. In a test, you only get so many chances to break through, and you can't afford fumbles.

Beckham : Hi Prem, have you refrained totally from presentingmatch reports?
Prem Panicker : I am in the US and dont get to watch much. So, no reports, cause how do I write about what i ahven't seen?

crikcrazy : lets go direct to some weak spots in Indian team line up. what do you think the reason behind the two spinners in the final 11 ?
Prem Panicker : Bad thinking, basically. The track, and the game, called for a three seam, one spin attack with the likes of yuvraj, sehwag, sachin et al filling in as the alternate spinner.

Srikanth : Do you think thisd team can win the world cup?
Prem Panicker : If the world cup is played next week? no. If they all focus on building on the gains of the last two series? I'd think they can get into the last four... from then on, it is all about courage, nerve, as much as it is about cricket

vinay : PREM: In one of the columns I was reading on a diff website, it said that india is now on the "A" class but it still has to improve esp in the bowling side to get to the "A+" grade like Pak, SA & Aus. What do you think?
Prem Panicker : I'd agree. The seed is there -- two young batsmen who also field outstandingly well and match anyone in running between wickets. One bowler in Nehra who is incisive and economical. Et cetera. But we don't have consistency, yet -- like, to give you one example, the guy with the highest number of ODI wickets this year, thus far, is AGarkar. He is also the guy I would be dead scared to give the ball to, because he can suddenly go 30 in three overs and lose me the game before I know what is happening. The really successful teams are the consistent ones, where your performance doesn't swing 180 degrees from match to match.

Jayachandran : Everybody has taken the Indian team to the sky. But Indian team is an unpredictable team in terms of performance. what is you view on this?
Prem Panicker : Of course it is, no one would argue. In a sense, though, that is the charm of our side -- no other team in the world can give you these kind of spectacular highs. The flip side of course is that when we mess up, we do that spectacularly, too

keralaguy : sir why Tinu Yohannan got only one chance, what is your openoion about Tinu?
Prem Panicker : He is a hard working bowler -- like, I'd love him as my stock bowler in Tests. I dont think, though, that he is incisive enough to be a strike bowler, ever

1996dxb : PP- victory was sweet- but few observations - the body language of our players, especially Sachin, Kumble and Zaheer - Kumble's was the most pathetic and Zaheer was bad too- ok he got the winning runs..
Prem Panicker : Kumble looks to be feeling the strain -- he is no longer the match winner he used to be, hasn't been for quite a while. Sachin -- frankly, his finals performance was inexplicable. And condemnable

Mahendra : hey prem...seeing sehwag's performance shouldnt he be given a chance to perform in the tests as a n openeri mean he is the best we have got das looked lost in the windies
Prem Panicker : Yes! I'd want to see that happen. He would have the same impact a Srikkanth had -- and he is not as wild as Sri. It is this staid, conventional thinking of ours -- that an opener has to go out there and bore everybody for two hours before he scores his first run. I'd rather see an opener who went out there and if the ball was in the slot, blasted it out of the park. That would put the bowlers on the defensive, and spread the field -- playing the way we have recently, "looking to bat out the first two hours", only lets the bowlers and fielders settle in.

sathish : prem how do u feel the absence of srinath in the test series
Prem Panicker : It's a pity, actually... and I suspect the reasons are more personal than professional. He is unhappy about something -- I keep wondering what.

catz : Who is this PREM PANICKER??? Are you a former cricketer?? or just a columnist???
Prem Panicker : Err... who did you reckon I was when you decided to log on and chat?

biju_ch : Tendulkar doesn't play in big matches like Arvinda or Steve Waugh , pl comment
Prem Panicker : Sure, if you say so. I remember reading someplace this saying -- "Even god doesn't judge a man till the end of his days." I'd prefer to judge an individual performance -- as opposed to make huge, sweeping value judgements where the value is spread over some 12, 13 years.

kaif1 : Prem, what do you think are India's bowling options? Do you see any future for Yohannan?Otherwise, why is he in the team?I think Agarkar has proved to be a failure in Tests.. The indifferent form of Kumble and a mediocre pace attack for the tests make me nervous in spite of all the celebrations going on now..
Prem Panicker : Yohanan would have a future as a stock bowler -- and hey, teams need one of those two, the kind who will hold an end up and get you the occasional wicket. Kumble, well, he is one of our holy cows. One of these days we will learn to pick bowlers based on the conditions, and current form. To me it is a pity that this knee jerk thing of picking a "senior' no matter what has meant the continued exclusion of talents like Murli Karthik

kaif : On what basis r u choosing on the questions u have to answer.
Prem Panicker : The questions are coming through very quick. I refresh once, take all I can see, then refresh again. Since all of you are anonymous handles, what other basis is there for me to chose?

ASHegde : Dear Premji,Can winning one series, after losign many, change the image of the Inidan Cricket team. Don't they have to prove it atleast in one more seris?
Prem Panicker : Sure, who said the image has changed?

1996dxb : PP- one thing, we are quite emotional..how can one explain the idea of retaining Kaif and Mongia..what about the fringe palyers selecetd already for the tests? or else you could have postponed the test match team well after the finals or just announced 14 and kept 2 spots for the future???
Prem Panicker : I think, frankly, that both ofthem should have been there anyway. And further, that Kaif is test material. Also, do remember that Dalmiya has specifically said this is part of an attempt to keep players match fit for the ICC trophy, and that they wont be playing in Tests (actually, I think it is a touch unfair for him to say that openly, but that is another story). So it really makes no difference to the fringe players

Harish : Prem/Faisal, I live in cricket starved Tokyo and match reports are all that I have to look... how has India's feilding been in the series?
Prem Panicker : Like the proverbial curate's egg -- good in patches. Like, Yuvraj, Kaif etc are outstanding fielders. AGinst that, we have quite a few fielders to hide -- nehra, zahir, even kumble increasingly, laxman when he is playing, etc. I'd think it will take at least three, four more of the youngsters coming in before we become an all round fielding side -- and our bowlers HAVE to learn to field

srijosyula : Hi PP, Do you think that dropping key players for couple of matches will be good in improving their performance.
Prem Panicker : Absolutely yes.

pulsar : prem/ faisal is the logic of having two squads for ODIs and tests OK?
Prem Panicker : Sure, why not? Some guys are just not ODI material. I mean, look at this, the world applauds Bevan as the world's best odi player, but he doesn't cut it in Tests. So just because he is good in one form of the game, you dont blindly pick him for the other. Like you dont ask Maurice Greene to run the Boston Marathon, say.

Avi : Dont u guys think just because of one stunning win after so much of time, we are making a lot out of it, should not we see the team little bit more playing, this is the problem with us, we just because of one win make our team a HERO and then give them lot of stuff, and then when they loose next match we are in depression, see I am very much in favor of our team, it was a stunning victory but should not we wait for more stunns??What do u think Prem?
Prem Panicker : Ummm... who is making too much out of it? Look, a stunning win is a stunning win, and will be celebrated -- irrespective of who achieved it. That does not mean that you immediately go about proclaiming y0u are the best in the world and as far as I know, no one is saying that about the Indian team.

Beski : Do u think that's enough for Tendulkar in that match? How do u think that he should have played? What makes Sourav to keep the ball away from him?
Prem Panicker : I think Sachin should have looked to bat through, rather than play personal grudge games against Giles. He was never looking at the target -- the moment Giles came on, it was liek Sachin was saying aw shucks this bloke will bowl outside leg, okay, I'll show him. Look at the ball that got him -- if he had stepped into the stumps, instead of backing away, that would have been wided. And the shot selected was a horror -- if you watch, he is actually backing away when trying to play the forcing cut-drive, in other words, going one way and trying to hit the other way. Wierd. And irrresponsible

abhishek : prem...whats your honest opinion - is ganguly a good captain or not?
Prem Panicker : He is like most Indian captains in recent times -- has his good points and a lot of negatives as well.

casanova : I believe Tendulakr by the end of his career will have a lovely statistical reconrd - ra ther a phenomenol one. But other than that, he will still not have any contributions in any critical game, that India will win. I think partly it is because we expect a lot out of him, and partly because when he is on the field, the opposition is trying that much harder to get him out. Any Comments?? Reconred phenomenol, but key contributions - NONE!!!!
Prem Panicker : Um. Just checking -- would wins in league games that get you into finals count as "critical games"?

gopi : what do u think of sourav`s captaincy?suddenly every one seems to notice good points in his captaincy/
Prem Panicker : Hey, there ARE good points to the man. It is just us -- when we do badly, we condemn the individual as opposed to analysing the faults alone. And when we do something good, we praise the entire individual, as opposed to the good he does.

Sridhar : Prem/Faisal, don't you think Laxman could fit into this one day side in place of Mongia
Prem Panicker : he could. thing though is, at some point the team needs to decide which of the two has the potential for that number three, then PERSIST with that person. The way we shuffle them around reminds me of a bad card player holding an average hand -- pick one drop one pick one without a clue what the hell it is all about

Mihir : Do you think Sachin Tendulkar will feel complexed after this win, as even after he winning so many matches for India. Will this not hamper his performance in future?
Prem Panicker : *LOL* Geez, if you guys had been around some 75, 100 years back, the whole history of psychoanalysis would have been different! Hey -- why would anyone feel complexed as you call it because someone else scored in a team game? I mean, by that yardstick, Brazil is one Ronaldo and 10 other individuals ready for the psychoanalysts' couch

panickerhater : Hey Prem why did you stop writing cricket reports and became a BJP/GOVERNMENT hater.
Prem Panicker : Why did you stop beating your wife?

rmirakhur : Prem do we really need to have 2 different teams for one dayers and the test. maybe the senior players are threatend by the young blood.
Prem Panicker : As of now, we have a team that is slowly moving towards being the same in both forms of the game -- I'd think, in a year's time, the distinctions would have blurred even further. For now, though, given the nature of the game and the playing styles of some of the guys, I think you need these two teams

saranggadgil : PREM and Faisal ..I am in US and I watched the Zee News clipping of the match report.Our team manager was asked how he felt after the match , He said after Tendulkar was out we had lost hope , captain was sitting beside me and we said to each other "Lagta hai match haath se gaya " considering two specialist batsmen on the crease that time, how appropriate was his comment ? How appropriate was it to make them public ?
Prem Panicker : Very stupid. And thoughtless. But then, I dont think we have ever had a professional team manager -- that job is a sinecure, given to please people, and a different person each tour.

Srikanth : What do you think about Saurav's and Husain's behaviour during the finals
Prem Panicker : Hussain, frankly, sucks. He is a typical English captain -- boorish, ill behaved, petulant, mannerless -- and on top of all that, holier than thou. And frankly, I'd give points to Saurav in this game for wearing his heart on his sleeve -- it is only when we do it that questions are asked, in anyone else it would be patriotism, etc.

sunnybhargava2@rediffmail.com : Don't you think Tendulkar is over-rated. Cause, if one sees his record closely, it'll reveal facts that like out of his ODI centuries only five are out of the subcontinent. And his record in Tests against teams like Pak and SA is a dismal 33.
Prem Panicker : Ummmm.... in other words, scoring centuries in the sub-continent dont count?I sometimes wonder why others dont score them too, then

BKS37 : Hi Mr. Paniker, will you be returning to writing the match reports? I miss them a lot.
Prem Panicker : Only when I am backi where I can see matches live, pal

gauravmehta : THis is a bit out of way , BUT don't U THINK that NAYAN mOnGIA deserves A PLACE in tHis 11 ???
Prem Panicker : Which place would that be?

crikcrazy : Can we start bringing in sodhi or some all rounder to fill in the weak spot?
Prem Panicker : Hmmm... this is another of our problems. We fill in the blanks, not necessarily with the most appropriate person, but with whoever is handy. Laxmi Shukla, Sodhi, whoever. Kapil once told me, when I interviewed him, that we should learn to make do with what we have, not keep on looking for what we dont have. And the fact of the matter is that at least for Tests, we do not have an all rounder capable of making the grade

sharda : PREM, don't you guys feel that nobody has given any credit to the coach/physio for such a splendid performance of the indian team? Even REDIFF hasn't commented much on this!!!!!!
Prem Panicker : Duh!!! We've been talking of the coach and physio all along. And pointing out the changes. Doesn't mean that after a win we need to write it all voer again. See, that is the thing -- why does analysis have to be pegged to results? We last wrote about Wright adn Leipus when it came time for their contracts to be reviewed. If India had lost that chase, it wouldn't have been because of those two, right?

Sunder : prem, it wasn't just the team manager who thought we had lost after SRT got out - even Kaif's family turned off the TV and went to watch a movie!!!
Prem Panicker : It is not about thinking we had lost -- everyone probably did. It is about what you say in public. A bit like, it was okay for Lele to think India would have been creamed in Aus, that time -- but as a board official, you dont say stupid things about your own team

sachinfan : what do u think abt the BCCI decision to play Kaif only for the first class matches and then saying that if need be, he will play tests..?? really a meaningless decision true to the working of BCCI..
Prem Panicker : But of course. And even more meaningless to actually say so, in so many words. What, tell the world hey, I dont think this bloke is good enough to play Tests? Typical of the insensitive nature of our administration

yhyut : Ka Prem bhaiya , fir se question repeat karoon kya ??
Prem Panicker : which question?

daq : Will Sourav now stick to his request for best of three matches to determine the final winner? I think he shd.... if he belives that it is the way to go... thoughts Prem?
Prem Panicker : He was right, and he is not the only one who has asked for that. Waugh, Pollock, all of them have, and it is a good idea. Instead of three teams playing each other thrice in the league, reduce that to twice, and have a best of three final.

Bakshi : Mr prem and Mr Faisal, I want to get into cricket column writing. How do I go abt it?? will u guys help me ??
Prem Panicker : The only way to get into writing is to write, no? Think of what you want to say, say it, then sit back, read it, think whether it makes sense, rewrite -- there is no magic wand, pal

harohalli : Hi Prem, I think Anil Kumble should be playing only tests and not one days any more. Bajji should be playing more of one days. Some times he can be a useful bat too. What do you say?
Prem Panicker : Umm, by that theory, Bajji wouldn't have played against the Aus at home, the Test series we won. I think the mistake we are making is in picking players without reference to conditions.

sachin-chavan : Hi Prem, How was the US Trip? Did you teach the Yankees to play cricket? So buddy, do you think Sehwag and Yuvaraj should open in tests since they cant be accomodated in middles order? I think they will sieze the opportunity!
Prem Panicker : Was no -- is. I am still here. *L* Tell you what, though -- was watching baseball -- these guys swing and swing and connect mebbe once in a while. They wouldn't make a school cricket team! *L*

Toughestindian : HEllO PREM!!!...I GUESS U REMEMBER LAST TIME I ASKED U "WILL IT TAKE A MIRACLE TO TAKE INDIA ON TOP?"...WELL...INDIAN VICTORY IN NATWEST SERIES DID EXACTLY THAT....MIRACLE...RITE??WAT DO U SAY???
Prem Panicker : Yes, well... we as a nation deal in miracles. Look at all our best wins. On paper, we can't chase -- yet this is the second time we are setting the world record. That is typical of us -- either sublime, or ridiculous, nothing in between

Sharad : Prem/Faisal - one final question...hope you answer this one! Why do we have so much trouble bowling to left-handers?? Look at Sanath jayasuriya, Matt hayden, Saeed Anwar, Marcus Trescothik, Andy Flower, Gary Kirsten....most of their best innings are against us. Apart from Roger Binny and Prasad, none of our bowlers have ever bowled decently to left handers.....what is the technical shortfall??
Prem Panicker : Because we don't practise much against them. Look at it this way -- against right handers, we sometimes go round the wicket. Ever seen our bowlers do it even once this series?

gopi : where does bangar fit in this indian test side?on basis do u think he has been selected?
Prem Panicker : He doesnt. What basis? My answer could be libellous, so let it lie

hehehe : Prem - Why is there no competition for 3,4,and 5 slots in Indian team. Is it marketing considerations ?
Prem Panicker : Good question. It is our bureaucratic mentality actually -- if you are a "senior", you are automatic.

vikaschandra : Prem - Do you think of Agarkar should be in ODI team for India?
Prem Panicker : Duh! Agarkar is the one guy I can never figure. He bowls very well -- and then gives it away in the space of two overs, and you can never tell what mood he is in on a given day.

alphanumeric : Prem there is talk about the Indian team 'peaking' too soon. In a team sport do think there is something known as peaking esp when the induviduals from game to game are not the same. Also does this mean that this is the best our team can do. What do you think.
Prem Panicker : Boss, there is a tremendous amount of talk. Peaking for what too soon? The world cup? that is over half a year away -- and by that token, any team that wins a tournament these next few months is "peaking too soon". As to whether this is the best we can do, I certainly hope not -- we were not particularly distinguished in the field, in that final

AMARRG : Prem, Heard that they are allowing umpires to refer even LBWs to the third umpire. Does not it mean umpires on the field would just be dummies in the hands of technology
Prem Panicker : ACtually, assume that is true, so what? Would you rather have the absolute correct decision, or worry about what the umpire on the field looks like? Judging by the way the best of them have been goofiing of late, they deserve to be made to look like dummies. For me, the bottom line is, if there is a way to get the absolutely correct decision let's go for it -- to paraphrase something WG Grace once said, we are here to watch cricket, not umpiring

Raisen : Hey Faizal and Prem…Don’t you think we sell our game…BOOKED FOR MONEY??? IS THIS NOT A FACT???
Prem Panicker : Yeah, well, when I write something and get paid for it, I am selling my ability to write. I like three square meals a day same as you, so what is wrong with that? AS to the other -- putting a lot of stuff in caps does not necessarily make it right.

bandekar : hello prem, i think introducing kaif and yuvraj to tests now would be a big mistake. i think we should let them play odis for a couple more years so they mature and then bring them in. otherwise we might mess up their careers. what do u think?
Prem Panicker : In other words, let them fully imbibe odi bad habits, then bring them to Tests??????

sachinfan : Prem, stopped writing columns now.. btw,the recent column on the travails of pak. SC and the rule of president was terrific..!!
Prem Panicker : *grin* I did NOT say a word about Pakistan.

ashu : hey , prem..it seems to me sachin can no longer take the burden of expectastions as he used to do it before
Prem Panicker : Donno, pal. Considering that there is expectations from him each time he goes out to bat, that would mean he will never ever score, again

yhyut : PP , yee raha mera pahila sawal cum suggestion ,Hi Prem , I think INDIA should adopt the same strategy in Test Series as in ONE DAY at least in foreign tours. Play with 7 batsmen and just few bowlers. At least they will not loose the series and If the opposition batting does not click in any match they might win the series also.
Prem Panicker : In tests, it doesnt matter how much you score, if you can't get the other team out twice, yoiu cant win. Period. IN odis, it doesnt matter, the other team can score 325 and you can get one run more. Different games, different requirements

Bajji : Does ROBIN SINGH as a player has a future in LOI? What do u guys reckon. I think he can come in at No. 3.
Prem Panicker : Which Robin Singh? The guy who used to play a few years back? Duh!

Bakshi : Don't you thnk , it should be fair if we play Sehwag as a opener in th etest side coz he has got the technique and aggression not to question about his temparament
Prem Panicker : Absolutely, in fact I think we should

niveshp : Can you share with me your views about our chances in the test series against India
Prem Panicker : AS in England's chances? *L*

Prem Panicker : HEY, BACK IN TWO

ra : Why Tendulkar is always fielding at boundry line when he is such a good fielder
Prem Panicker : Um... i dont think individual fielders get to decide where they will stand, that is for the captain to decide

vgopi : hi prem/faisal what do u think abt the ego of sachin?he has quite often let down the team with his personal duels.isnt it time for some one to speak to him frankly what is necessary for the team?
Prem Panicker : Yes, that is right. Big players do have personal egos -- in sachin's case, it sometimes gets the better of him

Jargon : Prem are u still in NY city?
Prem Panicker : yes sir

casanova : Well, Prem just said that Agarkar was coming of age and that he MUST be in the Indian sqaud and that he is a good first change bowler, and he just answered that One can never figure out what Agarkar is all about. Gusy - this is crap - Prem/Faisal think no one read this ,, but hey,, I am reading everything, and there will soon be an article on this,, so watch what you say. Prem/Faisal.
Prem Panicker : ??????????? Amazing -- none of those words that follow "Prem said..." was said by me. Then again, I am not the only Prem in the world, so.... *shrug*

BeeGees : Hi prem/faisal - regarding saurav ganguly's shirt-rip off incident, dont you think it was childish of an international captain to take a dig at another international player ? it seemed like a small boy snatching candy from another. soooooo immature !!
Prem Panicker : No, why? Where does it say international players have to be completely mummified and incapable of emotion? If someone sticks a fist in your face, hey, stick it right back -- a bit of red, hot blood in a sportsman is absolutely fine. I'd rather that, than the theatrics Mr Hussain, OBE, gets up to

vidhyashankarb : Prem:Can we meet in NY sometime.. I will be in NY next week... and what is the work you are doing in NY ?
Prem Panicker : Sure. Mail me when you get here, it is prem@us.rediff.com. AS to what I am doing here, hush -- I don't kknow myself and I'm trying to keep my editor from realising that fact. *L*

rrsg : Prem, how do you say Sachin's ego gets the better of him, beats me? PLease explain
Prem Panicker : I said that on occasion, it does. And the reference was to the way he played Giles in the final. Did you watch the game?

bringonoz : Prem, am a big fan of ur columns. Used to wait for them. Why have u cut down on the frequency of late?
Prem Panicker : Thanks. Haven't got to watch much cricket, here in the US.... hence haven't written much.

saranggadgil : PREM ,Are you still in New York ?I tried to contact you in AprilI would still like to meet you
Prem Panicker : Yes I am

ShriJaya : Prem... reactions to goughs comments that the Indians played hardball with the rules?
Prem Panicker : I dont think England players are worth responding to. They whine. all the time. What rules are we supposed to have played hardball with? By the way, is Gough aware there is now a rule against deliberate leg side bowling with a leg side field?

samirg : Hi Prem/Faizal, My team for the World Cup - Saurav, Sehwag, Mongia, Yuvaraj, Kaif, Sodhi, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan, Agarkar, Zaheer, Nehra. YOURS?
Prem Panicker : I'd think it is a shade too early to pick WC teams -- incidentaly, none of us have seen Patel play. Let's do this sometime early next year, be more appropriate

vidhyashankarb : PREM: If I were to start contributing columns to rediff, what is the method and whom to approach?
Prem Panicker : Write what you wish to say, and send it in -- to Faisal, Ivan, me, whoever.

Bob-returns : New York cricket get-together: can comeone in NY find an Irish pub or something. Maybe we can have a cricket-themed get-together and have Prem come there too.
Prem Panicker : *L* Sure thing

Jargon : Prem, how to get in touch with you to meet personally I travle quite frequently to NY city, lower Manhattan
Prem Panicker : 646-432-6040 gets me. alternately, prem@us.rediff.com

Rajesh : seeing the current form, who do you think will win the Champions cup in SL? India?Pak? Aus? NZ? IS THIS QUESTION OUT OF CONTEXT OR WHAT?? I FIND YOU ANSWER RUBBISH QNS LIKE HOW OLD R U, WHAT IS UR SEX, COME TO THE POINT MAAAAAN!
Prem Panicker : Talking of coming to the point -- I dont remember answering the qeustion, so why the all caps? Haven't seen current form of Pak. SL on current form, no. India, Aus, possible. Dont forget South Africa.

Raj : Prem,What according to you has been the biggest contribution of John Wright in the current makeup of the INDIAN team...
Prem Panicker : He has got them thinking basics -- lilke for instance, in this series, noticeably opur running between wickets has improved. Earlier, it was four or nothing -- he has them now focussed on cutting out dot balls, improving the singles quotient. That is Wright -- tkaes the little things, focusses on them and makes sure we do them well.

archana : PREM WHERE IN NEWYORK DO U LIVE? I LIVE IN NEWYORK TOO
Prem Panicker : In Manhattan

dani : Hi Prem...Wht do u think will be the key for India to carry on with same momentum till the World cup which is still around six - seven months away??
Prem Panicker : There really is no one magic solution. They need to keep doing this -- trying players, combinations, settling on what works, then looking at the weak areas and finding solutions -- like for instance, our bowling. The idea should be to try all possible players, and combinations, till around Decemeber, then figure out the best way to go, pick a team accordingly and get them fine tuned forthe Cup

puneri : Prem, Have you stopped writing cricket articles ?
Prem Panicker : Nope, merely suspended them for the duration of mys tay here inthe US

pinaki : Prem/Faisal,Don't you think we should be more flexible regarding Tendulkar's batting position in ODIs
Prem Panicker : We ARE being flexible, I thought? By moving him down the order? If you mean should he bat in a different position every game, nope -- not only does that put him off, it puts everyone off

ChuckInn : Guys ... PLEEAASSEEE answer .... SS Das is suposed to be an opener but he spends his time tapping back all deliveries ... he is slower than a snail ... isn't an opener's job to score runs too ... this guy only taps them right back ... what gives with so much of trust in him by the team management?
Prem Panicker : Ah... if we knew the answer to why certain players have such unjustifiable tenures...! I agree with your assessment, but frankly, I dont have a clue why.

harohali : Hi Prem, I think India though won the Natwest cup, missed the services of Javagal Srinath. Do you think he will be in the One day squad for the ICC tropy in Sri Lanka
Prem Panicker : I doubt it -- the selectors are pig headed, and they are in teach srinath a lesson mode

ck : Prem, from the comments I have seen in the press it appears that the young Indians spoilt the party the english had set up even before the match? You thoughts on this? Also why was Marcus Threcothick given the man of series award and not Yuvraj?Did you see the Kumble wicket, you could have driven a camel and and elephant through the gap between Kumble's bat and the ball?Was there a fix on?
Prem Panicker : There was the Kumble wicket, there was the gough wide, there was a lot of inconsistent umpiring including the not calling Giles on his line -- was that a fix? I dont know. It could equally be England's typical mindset of whatever we do is right

raninene : Prem,You are wrong in saying that John Write has forced Indian team to work on singles instead give due credit to Indian Think tank(Including Skipper and Selection committee for selecting young team like Kaif, Sehwag etc. Otherwise running between wickets is same with Ganguly, Kumble (Awefull) and Ganguly is still working around his off stump and fours and sixers. Don't get into habit of praising Outsiders for nothing.
Prem Panicker : How does ONE response to ONE question become a "habit"?

ShriJaya : Prem/Faisal... Gough in his most recent column at the natwestseries.com website made the allegation that the ball change requested by the Indian team was what did the Englishmen.. He also said that the Indians played hardball with the rules.. Any comments and/or reactions?
Prem Panicker : Gough is typical of the English cricket team -- a bloody whiner. Ball changes are in the rules, right? If I can't see the ball I ahve the right to ask for a ball? And the umpire makes the decision on whether to grant my request or no? So what is he crabbing about -- his column is in fact tantamount to questioning the umpire's decision.

pverma : Prem , U R the best , I loved your Cricket columns and political columns as well! Good Luck
Prem Panicker : Thanks. :-)

Abhijit : Hi Prem,I just joined. Don't know if you have discussed this yet. Who would be your final 11 for the first test?
Prem Panicker : We'll do a cricket preview, will talk of that stuff then

tom : hi prem sharif are you guys married?
Prem Panicker : Is this a proposal? Joint, or individual?

raninene : Prem,I mentioned that Habit because I have seen your several columns ehere you have high praise for John Write and that is why I made my impression about your habit.In general we Indians always feel that we can only get deceplined by Foreigners.
Prem Panicker : I am not an "in general Indian". And I have no qualms about giving credit where it is due.

xyz : why are we wasting time on these jerks masquerading as cricket experts ?
Prem Panicker : Exactly. Bye, good day

TK : Prem: Why are selectors out to teach Srinath a lesson?
Prem Panicker : Because they feel slighted at the way Sri decided to retire from Tests.

vikaschandra : faisal/prem - do u think sehwag should open in TESTS in npower test series
Prem Panicker : yes indeed

rohini : Prem, I have to DISAGREE with YOU when you say that India needs to try new combination etc. We are talented enough right now. John wright has spent good time improving fielding, running between wickets etc. What we really need is to remain calm. That will come out of yoga or meditation. I think then we can win.
Prem Panicker : Cool. I mean, who said my word was law or something?

Jargon : Prem/Faisal-any thoughts on improving our bowling by WCUP time
Prem Panicker : Try some of the lads we haven't been trying. WE didn't know for instance a Kaif or a Singh existed till we tried them and gave them a fair run. So how come we by rote pick the same bowlers -- especially the spinners? We know for instance what Kumble can do, we dont need any more trials. So how about trying a few others -- a Sarandeep, a Karthik, etc, so we have a basis for figuring out who works and who doesnt?

contactpavan : Prem, I have always liked your columns along with Ayaz Menon's columns. Could i know what makes them so interesting? alternately was there a consciuos effort in developing your writing skills??
Prem Panicker : *shrug* Donno, pal. I mean, it is not like you sit down and say, christ, i have to make this interesting. It is more about having something to say, and saying it simply and clearly, I guess -- if the subject matter is interesting, your writing will be too. Kind of like, no point saying the cinematography has to be brilliant, if the story of your film sucks

ryan : I can't understand this Raninene having a bee in his/her bonnet re John Write (Wright...right?!!! ha ha)
Prem Panicker : Ah that is the swadeshi thing.

azzu : What is your opinion on the rumor that there is rampant homosexuality on the Paki team?
Prem Panicker : Does it impact on their play? No? Then I dont reckon it is any of my business. Or anyone else's, for that matter

immadi : prem/faisal r my questions too tough for u? if not then get up from ur asses and and answer them
Prem Panicker : My my. If instead of all this muscle flexing -- rather amusing, since you are using an anonymous handle -- you had posted the question again, we might have answered it. As it is, adios

ShriJaya : Prem/Faisal... For the sixth time i ask you... Any reactions to Goughs column where he implied that the Indians played hardball with the rules and that the ball change was not warranted?
Prem Panicker : Instead of asking me for the sixth time, do try reading the ansewrs possted. I answered this, twice

Prem Panicker : GUYS, IS THE MIDDLE OF A WORKING MORNING -- NEED TO GET BACK TO WORK. LET'S DO ANOTHER ONE OF THESE A WEEK FROM NOW

Jargon : Have a wonderful day Prem nice chatting with you, u made my day. hope to meet u in NY city
Prem Panicker : CAtch you, boss, whenever

Bharathoo7 : prem why dont u write match reports anymore. faisals reports are not spicy
Prem Panicker : I dont get to watch cricket here

panickerpremi : If you dont get to watch cricket in NY then why are you here?
Prem Panicker : Is there a rule that this place is only for those who watch cricket in NY? In a bid to be abrasive and in your face, you are merely being stupid. Adios.

Prem Panicker | Faisal Shariff