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The Times Of Eeshan

ICL World Series- Rigged?Well, Yesterday ICL India defeated the ICL World team to win the first *International* ICL Series.ICL Pakistani was the other team in the Tri-Series. At night, I was talking to a friend on the phone, discussing semiconductors. Bias was the word that shifted the conversation to ICL. That's what made me write this.

She said that this whole ICL thing was rigged, and just to provide fodder for the large egos that we Indians have, when it comes to the country. Well, atleast in Cricket. What she pointed out was that after ICL India lost the 1st match, attendence for the next one was very much down. The stadium looked three-quarters empty. She didn't think that it would have gone down nice with the ICL Bosses. To fill the stadium, get India to win. Sure shot formula to get viewership. Even in the Edelweiss 20s challenge, Lahore Badshahs were roaring louder than any lions or tigers. Pun intended. And then, something just shut em' off. Stuck a bone down their throats. Or maybe a roll of banknotes. After all, they are the *Lahore* Badshahs. How is it possible that a *Pakistan* team win a local Indian League? Kapil Dev's head would have fetched crores.
Very much valid. Point taken. But not agreed to. Fixing maybe the sure shot way to commercial success, but money can't change one's abilities for the better. Unless it comes the legitimate way, inspiring you to work harder. No amount of money could make jhunjhunwala's direct hit last night to send Damien Martin possible. What made it possible was his passion. C'mon. It's like their dreams come true. Getting an India Cap is probably what everyone who plays cricket in the country, wishes for. Even in my U-14 days, I had this dream. Many a times. It's natural. So what if it's only ICL? Sure it dosen't make a large difference, given that you get to play with legends like Chris Cairns, and Inzy. Most of these players who signed up with ICL would never have had an India cap under the BCCI. Here you're playing along a full Pakistan *international* side (most of em' have many international caps for the ICC Pakistan team), and over 20 assorted legends in international cricket. What more could they want? Even on the money front. ICL India walked off with a cheque of 1.25 crores. The World team got 75 lacs for their effort. Such kind of money was unheard of in India, before the ICL was launched. And most of these players come from very modest backgrounds. But all this apart, If i were a part of that team, I would have pushed my limits to the maximum, if not for the above reasons, for the sense of pride, elation, and satisfaction to have my National Anthem played for me in front of an audience of thousands live, and many lacs on TV.
I do think that it was this that got ICL India that cup, not some riggin' crowd attracting tactics. Also, if it were so, an India-Pakistani clash would make much more sense. As for the LB defeat in the Edelweiss, I have reasons to argue that when they saw the bowling beauty of a pitch here in Gurgaon, their batting lost the momentum, and never was able to regain it. And their bowling slackened a bit with he extra assistance from the pitch. They somehow managed to cross the hurdles of the semi-finals but never got back to the peak they were earlier at.
P.S. It would have been an interesting thing to have the 2nd final in Gurgaon, as per the original plan. Maybe would have turned the tables.Keyboard Vs Guitar #2Sada pra Sarthak recently started off a good topic of discussion, the Guitar Vs Piano battle.
See his post here.
I, on the other hand, don't think such a battle is needed. Music, i beleive, is not about the instruments. It's about the feeling. It's not about playing for everyone to enjoy, but for personal satisfaction. Neither the piano, nor the guitar has the ability to do that. It is the person who plays em'.
Rock is not a genre of music. It's a culture, a way of life. It's about rediscovery, about fueling the fire within. Who cares what one plays? If you get immersed in yourself while jamming, if you have no other care in the world when with your music, you are a part of the rock culture. It's the music culture. Ustad Allahrakha Khan, the legendary tabavadak, makes content for an example. When his son Zakir got the Ustad padak, He went to tell his father. He was in his riyaz. Several messages were sent to him telling him that his son wanted an immediate audience. Zakir was made to wait for above three hours, and Ustad Zakir Hussain waited. That is what music is about. I happen to know the band Orange Street. They had hit success in the west recently. Their rock was well appreciated everywhere. Anirban Chatterji, who happens to be the vocalist, and the synth guy, once told me that the tabla created the magic in their music. Rare combination, right? The typical Indian Classical instrument, the Tabla, in rock music? Just adds concrete to my point. All instruments have equal importance, close to none. It is what the musician can do with it, how he can mix, match and blend the available to make something that satisfies his thirst for satisfaction is important.

P.S. No offence meant to any musician. These views are my personal way of looking at things, and have public responsibilities towards any consequence.Get The ToolbarHerez a sensible toolbar for you, only from EeshanZone. Jzez got:

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