Debate: ICANN Bringing the Languages of the World to the Global Internet

Well I am not sure, how much of help it will be, to any one! If you look around the addresses are non relevant, when it comes to aggregating (the information). Why bookmarks were invented after all? Why there are vernacular versions of OS? Why keyboards are there for regional language's? I guess the whole vernacular thing is in run from the time WWW was invented. Typing the web address in your language is not going to solve anything, the information that the addresses serve will!

99% of the Chinese, Russian, Spanish, German or Japanese websites serves information using the language that people understand there. So it's not going to have any difference! Amazingly except Government Websites (gov.in, gov.nic.in) in India all .in and co.in's serves information in English! So it will be of no help for any one who don't know English (mere typing the web address will not serve the information in their language)! Going by the theory even if I manage to type timesonline.co.uk in Hindi, it will be of no help for me if I don't know the language in which the information is getting served from the address!

The only people who stands to benefit out of this are the localization guys! May be they have a big business here! Thanks to ICANN the much hyped IT industry, which is reinventing the same wheels again and again will have a new business to look for!

Take in case Hindi: Not every one understand traditional Hindi aka traditional Chinese so may be inventing Simplified Hindi may help like Simplified Chinese! For example on can visit this Page: http://www.google.co.in/intl/en_in/labs/suggest/about-hi-search_hi.html the language is easy to understand. However in the same page there is no Hindi for Transliteration! So here comes the bazooka! And same goes for Bengali etc etc etc.

More on this later.

Mahalaya: Online (Birendra Krishna Bhadra)

The greatest record of all time. no one can beat this:

Mahalaya Part 01

Mahalaya Part 02

Dedicated to all Bengalis Across the world

Permalink: http://frogdust.blogspot.com/2009/09/mahalaya-online-birendra-kishore-bhadra.html

Important Alternate Laws

LAW OF QUEUE: If you change queues, the one you have left will start to move faster than the one you are in now.

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LAW OF TELEPHONE: When you dial a wrong number, you never get an engaged one.

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LAW OF MECHANICAL REPAIR : After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch.

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LAW OF THE WORKSHOP: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

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LAW OF THE ALIBI: If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the next morning you will have a flat tire.

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BATH THEOREM: When the body is immersed in water, the telephone rings.

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LAW OF ENCOUNTERS: The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

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LAW OF THE RESULT: When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will!

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LAW OF BIOMECHANICS: The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

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THEATRE RULE: People with the seats at the furthest from the aisle arrive last.

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LAW OF COFFEE: As soon as you sit down for a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

The Wood Frame Story

When I started working, the buzz word around the industry was data centers. Every one, who was worth the salt, was planning for a data center. One cold May morning (Come on Bangalore was like that decades back) my boss called us for a meeting. It was about data centers. He said wrap up your socks guys we are going to be big here. We will offer “holistic services” to the data center majors and the upcoming data centers. He showed us a presentation about Exodus (it was still around and making news) and how 65% of the internet traffic relies on them and how much services they would need or breed of its kind would need to sustain and grow. Ultimately those were the days of internet and the growth story. We came down to the hallway and Ravi our ephemeral sales head said, this is going to be good all boss wants us to sale more and may be add some more innovative services. So after a brief sojourn we started our planning, after all boss had numbers in mind and he translated that beautifully.

My first stop was at a consumer Durables Company, (which was in to telephony also -not naming it here) and we met the systems head, who was arguably the most unsmiling face I ever met (till date). On a grump note he dictated out the requirements and it took him approximately 2 hours 32 minutes (yes K recorded the time) to tell us that the company has plans for data center. Did we hear correct was the first look we gave him! Hurriedly we jotted down the scope and the deliverables. We almost ran back to office and then what started can be called as an epic. The Singporean IT major I was working with was not all that tech savvy and in the sales department all we had was a slow dialup connecting us to the outer world. Google was still not known and Wiki was unheard of and the only way we could get some information was through internal literatures.

We decided hurriedly that this was our day in the space. We spoke to every one we know, you know the partners the big principals. Every one started sending us the best pricing possible (all laptops, servers, switches, desktops, routers, cables, connectors, racks etc etc) and we collated all of that and presented it to our solution architect Keshab. Keshab was at loss and was wary of the fact that none of us had any experience in data centers, we had done some projects by then in the network integration space, but come on, Keshab said, ”Guys do we really know what we intend to do here?” I still remember Ravi’s words, “Sara daal denge aur koi aacha sa naam de denge, jaise ki, the Wood frame Solution”. (We put all of that and will name the solution wood frame solution). Kehsab asked, “Ok! But what on Earth is Wood Frame?” Ravi with his blemish baritone replied, “It sounds good, nothing else matters!”

Well that’s how the journey begun. We posted it to our clients and sold 1000’s of gadgets since then over the two years. After years I met Ravi, and we had a quick drink (this was the time I was on the verge of starting on my own), I asked him, “Anna you remember the wood frame?” He laughed and said you won’t believe I still sell Wood Frame’s in the name of adaptive computing for a large company (lets not name the company).

Aren’t the companies across the world still do the same? Aren’t they selling wooden frames to there customers?

Read these Excerpts:

“Planning for the data center is critical, and gaining an understanding of your precise needs allows XXXX to tailor a solution specifically for your demands. After consulting with customers, current and future business needs are translated into optimized facility and system designs. Pinpointing the correct architecture and cooling capacity avoids costly over-shooting and delivers a solution that grows as you grow. Industry roadmaps, partnerships and XXXX’s engineering bench-strength in data center optimization allow our customers to deploy solutions that scale with their business needs. Services around data center design; layout, thermal flows and power optimization are combined with customized hardware to provide solutions that meet specific customer needs.”

“At XXX, we envision a world of many clouds, both public and private, that are open and compatible. We offer an extensive portfolio of products and services and are fostering open communities and partner ecosystems to make this vision a reality. It all starts with the delivery of the XXX Cloud, a public compute and storage infrastructure service, which is due out later this year.”

Isn’t it the same wood frame story? Every one is selling everything shrink wrapped. The world has just got smarter.

What Parents Should know about Swine Flu:

• If your child has fever, throat infection, body ache, consult doctor.
• Must go to a doctor at any government facility meant for swine flu.
• Swine flu testing is done only at government hospitals.
• Nose and throat swabs will be taken and tested.
• Child will not be quarantined if there are no symptoms.
• If clinical symptoms exist, child will be hospitalised, and tamiflu will be given only if the tests are positive.
• Act early to ensure quick recovery.
• Rapid screening advised by private hospitals not legal.
• Do not go for rapid screening as it's not 100 per cent accurate.
• In times of crisis the worst thing is to panic so if you or your family member is having flu-like symptoms without wasting time go to the nearest designated hospital or doctor and get tested if he advises.

If you have any queries don't listen to rumours and panic, call toll free helplines: 1075 or 1800-11-4377.

Swine flu is certainly curable with timely intervention, correct diagnosis and a five-day medication.

Some specific precautions to be taken against H1N1:

• A mask to cover your nose and mouth is a must. These are not just regular masks but a special one called N-95 which filter microbes in the air that you inhale and exhale.
• A mask is a must when you are in a high-risk situation particularly when you have to go to a hospital to get tested and you have to be in the waiting room. Also keep the mask on when you are in a crowded place.
• Cover your mouth surely while coughing and sneezing turn your head and cough into your shoulder.
• Wash your hands in case there is body contact with someone who's got cold and cough.

Swine Flu Guidelines

Following are guidelines about swine flu from the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi...

SWINE FLU SYMPTOMS: WARNING SIGNS IN CHILDREN

• Fast breathing or troubled breathing
• Bluish skin colour
• Not taking enough food or fluid
• Becoming irritable
• Difficulty in waking up
• Flu-like symptoms recur
• Fever with rashes

WARNING SIGNS IN ADULTS

• Difficulty in breathing
• Pain or pressure in chest, abdomen
• Dizziness
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not taking enough food or fluid
• Flu-like symptoms recur

TACKLING SWINE FLU: THE HOME GUIDE

• Isolate affected people, minimise contact for 7-10 days
• Stay at home, away from work, school and public places
• Frequently wash hands with soap
• Use wet cloth for cleaning, dusting
• Use disinfectants for cleaning
• Get plenty of sleep, be physically active
• Drink plenty of fluid, eat nutritious food
• Use face mask or handkerchief while coughing, sneezing

Chris Brown: Forever

Lyrics:

1, 2, 3, 4.

Hey Hey Oh...
Hey Hey Oh...

It's you and me moving
At the speed of light into eternity yer,
Tonight is the night to join me in the middle of ecstasy.
Feel the melody in the rhythm of the music around you, around you
I'm gonna take you there, I'm gonna take you there
So don't be scared
I'm right here baby
We can go anywhere, go anywhere
But first it's your chance,
Take my hand come with me

[Chorus:]
It's like I've waited my whole life for this one night
It's gonna be me you and the dance floor
'cause we've only got one night
Double your pleasure
Double your fun and dance
Forever (ever, ever)
Forever (ever, ever)
Forever (ever, ever)
Forever girl forever
Forever (ever, ever)
Forever (ever, ever)
Forever (ever, ever)
Forever on the dance floor

Feels like we're on another level
Feels like our loves intertwined,
We can be two rebels breaking the rules
me and you, you and I
All you got to do is watch me
Look what I can do with my feet
Baby feel the beat inside,
I'm driving you can take the front seat
Just need you to trust me
Oh ah oh
It's like!

[Chorus]

It's a long way down,
We're so high off the ground,
Sending for an angel to bring me your heart
Girl, where did you come from?
Got me so undone,
Gazing in your eyes got me singing what a beautiful lady
No "if"s, "and"s or "maybe"s
I'm releasing my heart and it's feeling amazing
There's no one else that matters
you love me and I won't let you fall girl
Let you fall girl oh
Ah ah ye yer
I won't let you fall, let you fall
Let you fall oh oh
Yer yer
Yer yer
It's Like!

[Chorus]

Oh ah ah ah ah ah
Yer
Forever (ever, ever, ever)
Forever ever ah.

Permalink: http://frogdust.blogspot.com/2009/08/chris-brown-forever.html

Gammon may get blacklisted. Well that's the sign of times. Alert: All construction company(s)

My earlier article Construction Industry: Talent Management Primer I highlighted on certain issues that are so critical for the growth, stability and maturity of the industry. Let me give you an inside view of the industry (as close as it can get).

The industry is actually disorganized. There's not much of effort that goes in doing something that I one may appreciate. Let me analyze that for you. In this industry all that matters is:

1) Amount of concreting done per day

2) Number of labors in the site (augment when client is around)

3) Do not sort out any labor issues, including the licenses

4) Ensure that the production should happen without fail and ensure that if the batching plant is suppose to give 60 MQ per hour (One can get around 45 at the best) show the production and charge the client. You know client billing / subcontractor billing

5) All labor colonies are always in shits and shambles

6) Mess facility offered to the engineers and supervisors are pathetic

7) No one speaks to the Project Manager as he has iron hands and can do any damage

8) Don't care about quality and project delays, money will be made through litigations, arbitrations and insurance

9) Entertain key client contracts and never furnish a proper MIS

10) Allow people to get closer to a ring and then allow the ones who are really close to do things that justifies

11) A junior engineer and a senior engineer and construction manager’s salary are almost at par at times

12) Mechanical is the most unlooked after department

13) Machine maintenance only happens for books and fuel. (You know what I am referring to)

14) No regular updates to the senior management to the client

15) Accidents are a norm. Always buy low quality gears

16) Compromise if it is necessary to avoid the axe

17) Hiring of engineers: Almost all junior engineers are jokes, they are there because they are required for client contracts

18) Gross violations of labor laws and other administrative laws

19) One who is doing well always gets the backseat

20) The only person who makes sense in this industry who can take all the shit and can make money for himself/herself (though this gender is rarity)

21) It's not at all man's world. It's a money making world by compromising

And there are many more.

This all stems from poor practices that have been carried out for decades. Most of these companies are family owned and they have no clue about what needs to be done. They just don't care.

This needs to stop. The companies needs to pull there socks back. This are hard times and hard times one cannot get away by doing any thing. It's the time the companies need to put in practice that can take them to a level higher.

More on that later.

PS: Get the HR guys! That's the only way one can solve this issues.

PPS: Doing business properly can still fetch/make money

A small thank you to people who matters and to the rest

Its not everyday you wake up in the morning and think and count about who matters to you the most. It’s not everyday that you try and find the ones who have contributed in your life in one way or other. I have many people who shaped my life to what it is today. May be I will try and summarize the efforts of the few here (possibly this is one way to say thanks to them):

Ma and Baba goes first on the list for everything under the sun

Wifey dear has to be second, as she stood by me during the most difficult phase of my life

Chichu and Rishi: My niece and nephew. Just darlings. They are the sweetest in the world.

Kaustav: Undoubtedly a great friend and some one who have managed to instill back the confidence I lost some where. A great pal to have. He did something, which will always remain special, i.e. he believed in me when the rest did not. He, Varsha (a doting lady she is the best half between them), Adi (good to see a wonderful kid who is been bought up so nicely), Uncle (his father; still the angry young man, and some one who can teach a lesson or two to any one in corporate India), Auntie (the lady with iron grips and some one who is always there for people), Rinki (his sis, humble and well learned; though have not interacted much as she lives abroad, but small anecdotes suggests that she is a super woman) and off course Jini (Ok she managed to cure my phobia: the great Bengali golden retriever, who loves to have aalo posto and bhaat) are family. Anytime there for you pal.

PG Days mates: Shout and they are there for help, Rahul, Suman, Krishanu, Bijay, Utpal, Bidhan, Soumya, Shreyam, The great mamu of all subho, papai, deep just great people. When we all stayed together never ever we thought that we are inseparable and the saga continues......Thank you people.

My Students: Oh they are the best in the world. They just made me what I am today. I am so indebted to them, so indebted. All are great. Guys like Nitesh (Morgan Stanley), Srikant (Citibank), Soumik (Reliance Retail) etc are doing so well for themselves but still they remain grounded to their roots and gives Kaustav and me the respect, which is so scarce in today’s world.

Our Cricket Team: Well how can I not mention about these two great brothers Toto and Dodo (Dipto and Dipon). Wonderful kids so well bought up by their parents, so well behaved and intelligent, a precious delight. Arijit ahem we call him haadi (that cooking utensil in Bengali) a great guy who is always behind his girlfriend and nagging her to do the gym), Vishal (a new friend yet we feel like being together for so long), Shishu: The great Shishu (pity if you don’t know him) and every one else apart from them.

Kaushik : Laziest amongst us all will agree:)) Such a great guy, humble but knows business when it matters

Ritzu: One must ask him what it is to be like Ritzu? And what it takes to be like Ritzu? Its difficult, its truly difficult. Ritzu is only one. A great friend and loved and hated at the same breath by all.

Supravat: Great associate. Has can do it all attitude, Just that he misses out on everything so often.

The list continues…..

May be some day I will try and compile all.

For today, may be this is all I can compile. Thank you People, thanks a lot for being there.

OK Last Minute life saver pack: Pooja "the crown princess of Doon": I leave her here and then I am dead. Can't take that risk. Wonderful lady, just one needs to live with her whims and fancies:))))

from an INFOSCION to a POLITICION - Nandan's Chronicles - 2

Credit for the blog post: http://ideasinfinitum.blogspot.com/ (The blog where it is published)

Credit for the Blog Post 02: Nitesh Surana (Morgan Stanley India) - A dear friend

Presented on "AS IT IS" BASIS

------------------------------------------------

Continuing my tryst with capturing the life and times of Nandan Nilekani in his new avatar as a Cabinet Minister, here is what he had penned after his first day in the Parliament.

The last entry stopped when the House was just about to begin. Let’s see what happened thereafter…

The House was in pin drop silence as the Speaker to her Chair. I was brimming with anticipation and excitement!!!! Manmohan had informed me that my introduction was one of the important points of the agenda. I hoped that I will be able to make my speech properly. After so many interviews and conferences, I was nervous today!!!!

After the Speaker indicated that the proceedings of the House could begin, Manmohan formally introduced me to the entire House. He mentioned that as the head of the Unique Identification Authority of India, I was responsible to ensure that each and every Indian had a digital smart card as a proof of his existence. Manmohan spoke about why I was selected and also some references to the various projects executed by me in Infosys were mentioned. The House listened with rapt attention. I was asked to say a few words and I did exactly the same!!! I thanked the Government of India for having given me this opportunity and I assured the House that I would strive to successfully deliver this project. The Speaker then formally inducted me into the House and before the proceedings could move any forward, there was a small commotion on the other side of the hall. It was Minister of Textiles who had a comment to make before the next point on the agenda. He made a request that I should be attired in a more austere way instead of a flashy suit. It did not go well with the image of a minister who should live to serve the common man and should be less ostentatious in his habits. I stood up to reply. I offered my apologies to the Honourable Minister and assured that I shall be in a more acceptable dress next time. I felt that he was right. We also used to have corporate dress code in Infosys. So it s here as well!!!!

I sat down and felt somebody nudging me. I turned around and to my surprise; it was the former Indian skipper and one of my favourite batsman Mohd. Azharuddin. I remembered that he had recently won the elections. I smiled at him and mentioned to him that I used to like his game very much, shaking his hand. No Rolex, I noticed.

Azhar told me that he would “fix” me an appointment with an Italian designer who had designed his dapper Kurta suit. An Italian designer in Milan doing Kurtas!?!?!?!

I made a note of this and reminded myself to give this example to Friedman for his next book,” The World Markets are flattened”. Since there was no doubt about the “Fixational” capacities of Azhar, I told him to give me the details and I would consider.

The proceedings of the House went on with numerous bills being debated and passed as I sat as a passive audience waiting for my project’s turn to come up. After the lunch break, it was the moment for me!!!! MY PROJECT”S FIRST REVIEW CAME UP FOR PRESENTATION. I was at sea. My laptop did not have any reserve power. I went to Manmohan and apprised him of the situation. I was sweating. He calmly replied that this would not be a cause of concern. I was flummoxed!!!!

The Speaker asked me to explain to the House on what were my plans for the Unique Identity Project. I replied that I have a plan prepared for 30-60-90-120 days’ milestones and I have presentation to make for which I need a power socket, a projector and a screen. I had no idea what was going to happen after this.

The next couple of minutes were a complete jolt for me. I was completely in a tizzy. Let me just summarize what happened.

A Joint Cabinet Secretary Committee was set up to judge the feasibility of my request. The Under Secretaries for the Ministries of Power, IT and Broadcasting will prepare a Viability Report after scrutinizing National Security threats to my request. This was because the power socket comes under Power, laptop comes under IT and projector comes under Broadcasting.

I have also been told to reconsider my timelines of 30-60-90 days and start thinking in terms of years. Probably, they are right. I did not have the foresight in this matter.

The summary of the issue is that I need to come up with a more inclusive, democratic, comprehensive long term plan for this project to be executed over the next five years. I have also been given a presentation slot 3 months from now (by which the issues related to the power cord etc will also be resolved).

I am filled with mixed reactions. I was planning for a quick resolution; the management wants a strategic solution. I come out of the House and text Murthy, “You won’t believe it but these guys work just like us. I am on a NATIONAL BENCH for the next three months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Credit for the blog post: http://ideasinfinitum.blogspot.com/

Credit for the Blog Post 02: Nitesh Surana (Morgan Stanley India)

The movie Festival Begins: Second Movie

The Second Movie on Air today:

"Night Train"

Permalink: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rn6xJGxkNI

The Channel Link: http://www.youtube.com/user/gmcsfilms

Permalink on my Blog: http://frogdust.blogspot.com/2009/07/movie-festival-begins-second-movie.html

The Movie Festival Begins

The first movie to go on air today is:

"Wall Street Chronicles"

Permalink: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIQjTuVhaw4

The Channel Link: http://www.youtube.com/user/gmcsfilms

Permalink on my Blog: http://frogdust.blogspot.com/2009/07/movie-festival-begins.html

GMCS Short Film Festival Summer 2009: Curtain Raiser

The 1st GMCS Short Film Festival, is all set to open on July 07, 2009 and will feature a showcase of much-acclaimed adapted versions of recent films of international origin.

Displaying the latest productions and hosting their performers and directors at GMCS 112, the GMCS Short Film Festival covers a line up of adapted versions of highly praised films produced during the last few years.

The festival will celebrate the diversity of cinema, art and culture; the movies are produced, directed, scripted to suit the Indian diaspora by young Chartered Accountants.

This unique festival will be available at My Channel in Youtube and here.

Stay tuned for more information.

Railway Budget 2009: Salient Features

Salient Features of the Railway Budget:

1. Request increased budgetary support for Rs 5000 cr in fiscal year 2010
2. Provisions for new lines at Rs 2921 cr vs Rs 1100 crore
3. To spend Rs 1750 crore on gauge conversion
4. To set up Northeastern rail development funds
5. New 'Izzat' scheme: Poor to get 25-rupee monthly tickets for 100-km travel
6. All students will receive a 60% concession on tickets
7. Non-stop train services between select cities
8. 12 new point-to-point train services
9. Safety is our first priority; improved safety signalling system will be in place: Mamata
10. Integrated security systems have been placed in 150 sensitive stations
11. Recruitment drive to fill-up backlog of SC/ST and women candidates
12. 800 new locations for ticket reservations; 3000 new un-reserved ticket counters
13. Passengers can buy un-reserved tickets from 5000 post offices
14. Multi-functional utilities like bookstores and STD booths will be made available in stations
15. Railways will extend a helping hand to physically-challenged people
16. We will put at least one doctor in every long-distance train
17. Toilets to be similar to ones in aircrafts; facilities for every journey longer than 2 hours
18. We have decided to develop 50 world-class stations: Mamata
19. The Railway must set an example of inclusive growth: Mamata
20. Mamata says the old mindset of economic viability must be substituted with social viability and that Budget should be based on social viability
21. Mamata Banerjee presents Railway Budget in Parliament for the third time

Steel Sector: The challenges ahead

The development of the steel industry since the end of the Second World War can be seen in three distinct phases.

Lets begin by considering developments over the last 20 years of the last century. This period witnessed a dramatic slowdown in the rate of growth of steel demand following the end of post-war reconstruction in Western Europe and Japan. It was also the period following the second energy price shock of 1979. The beginning of the 90s saw the collapse of the former Soviet Union, a collapse in its economy and a collapse in its internal demand for steel.

This 20-year period was one of rationalisation and reconstruction in the industry. There were closures of many plants in Western Europe and North America. With the introduction of new technology in steelmaking, casting and rolling, there were dramatic increases in labour productivity. Nevertheless, there continued to be excess production and falling prices for steel. Many steel companies suffered considerable losses in this period and unlucky shareholders and owners of steel companies saw destruction in the value of their businesses.

By 2000 the outlook started to change. The increases in efficiency in the industry were passed on to customers and this increased the competitiveness of steel, enabling it to recapture business lost to competing materials. Strong growth in steel demand in China absorbed the excess capacity that had developed in the former Soviet Union.

Governments realised that state aid in propping up inefficient steel companies was counterproductive and there was a move towards privatisation of the industry. This was particularly the case in Latin America, South Africa and Western Europe. In the case of India it took the form of liberalisation of the steel market which enabled a dynamic private sector steel industry to develop alongside the Steel Authority of India.

Lastly and perhaps most important of all, the steel industry realised that its failure to match its production to the real demand for steel and the temptation to chase marginal business at low prices destroyed the business for all.

Today we see a remarkable re-birth of the steel industry. We have seen six years of strong steel growth not just in China but in all parts of the world. The profitability of steel companies is at an acceptable level for the first time in a generation.

The new consensus in the steel industry is recognition that they are now truly a global business. Competition is positive for innovation in the industry and growing the market for steel against competitive materials. In the 21st century, sustainability is the key focus for the industry. Consolidation can help develop a more viable long-term structure for the business.

We believe that steel can and will be profitable over the complete business cycle. We see that demand for steel is growing strongly in both industrialised and developing countries. We know that steel is the most sustainable, recycled and innovative material.

We see steel as providing a safe and highly-skilled workplace for the employees. We see steel striving to minimise its environmental footprint and we believe that state aid is wrong if it distorts fair competition in the markets.

With this vision for industry, what do I believe are the key challenges that all steel companies face around the world today? I have identified six themes. These are: climate change, raw materials, people, capacity investments, growing the market in construction, and the image of steel.

Climate change

Lets start with the issue at the top of political agendas of the G8 countries today and it is climate change. The steel industry accounts for between 5 and 6% of total man-made CO2 emissions. This is less than accounted for by transport or power use by the general public, it does mean that the steel industry is in the frontline in making a contribution to fight global warming. We have seen that policies applied only in the Kyoto countries are not working in terms of making any reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions.

Today we know that China produces over 50% of total CO2 emissions by the steel industry and that this global problem requires a global solution.

How best can the steel industry help reduce CO 2 emissions? First, the industry needs to apply the best available technology everywhere. Whilst many steel plants are close to the limits of what can be achieved with present technology, there are many steel plants where energy efficiency and CO2 emissions fall far below the global best. Therefore the industry needs to either close or replace those plants.

Steel has a major role in the light-weighting of vehicles. With recent developments in ultra-high strength steels, steel provides a much more energy efficient solution than, for instance, aluminium. The sector needs to maximise the recycling of end-of-life steel. Steel is already the most recycled material in the world without government subsidies or intervention. Every ton of steel re-applied makes a big saving in net CO 2 emissions.

Lastly and most importantly, as an industry the sector needs to have the responsibility to undertake longer-term research on new technologies, to radically reduce the CO 2 footprint.

The industry advocates a global approach, but will a global approach work? I think the answer is yes, provided the approach is based on technology and best practice and does not seek to place an absolute cap on emissions for developing countries since the steel industry in these countries wishes to grow to meet the social and economic aspirations of its population.

Do I believe China will participate? Again my answer is yes, since the Chinese authorities know that concentration of steel production in the most efficient steelmaking plants is essential to improve the environment in their country.

Raw materials

The next issue is raw materials. The earth is made of iron. There is no shortage of iron in the longer term. However, today over 70% of the total seaborne trade in iron ore is dominated by just three companies: CVRD, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. As a result, the steel industry has seen a dramatic increase in the price of raw materials, including iron ore. It is crucial and important for the sustainable development of the steel industry to break out of the stranglehold that these three companies have on raw material supply. We are confident that this will occur over the next few years and India clearly has an important role to play.

People

The number-one priority for the sector is to create an accident-free workplace. The rate of accidents is falling but the goal is clear and it is zero. The sector should adopt a set of six principles to guide their safety policies.

The six principles are:

• that all injuries and work-related illnesses can and must be prevented
• that management is responsible and accountable for health and safety performance
• that employee engagement and training is essential
• that working safely is a condition of employment for everybody
• that excellence in health and safety supports excellent business results and
• that health and safety must be integrated into all business management processes

The industry ultimately deserves to be judged on how it treats its people. Steel is no longer a dirty and dangerous unskilled work environment. The sector belongs to high-productivity and high-tech industry requiring a highly-skilled workforce. The sector needs to encourage the best young graduates to join the industry.. The legacy of poor financial performance in the last 20 years of the 20th century was that not enough universities around the world were teaching ferrous metallurgy and that needs to change.

Capacity investments

The next issue is capacity. The sector believes that they are all in one business environment. Steel industries that have a comparative advantage and are most efficient in the production of steel should be able to export their products. There is no economic right for a particular country to balance its exports and imports. Having said that, at the present time the sector is concerned that some of the capacity expansions that is happening in China are leading to sharp rises in exports from that country. And all in the industry agrees that there is no fundamental reason why China has a comparative advantage in steelmaking and therefore it is unlikely that a strategy based on investment for net exports of steel is sustainable in the long term.

Growing market in construction

The last two issues are areas where the sector sees great opportunities for the industry, but ones that can only be fully grasped if steel companies work together. The first of these is growing the market for steel in construction. Construction is already the largest single market for steel and the sector have only started to scratch the surface of opportunities available to it.

To penetrate the market for steel in construction, particularly for residential construction the sector needs long-term market development investments by companies working together.

Image of steel

The last and perhaps the most important challenge of all is the image of steel. The industry is proud of the contribution that steel makes to modern society. It is indispensable in the welfare of mankind. However, recent surveys undertaken indicate that most of the population is ignorant of the contribution steel makes and as a result the sector cannot be satisfied with the image of steel in the world today.

A poor image for steel in society ultimately affects the choice of steel in products. A poor image of steel in young people affects their career choice. A poor image of steel in governments affects the choice of policies made on issues which affect the ability to serve society. Lastly, a poor image of steel in the financial community affects the valuation of companies and the availability of investment capital.

For all these reasons we believe a major positive challenge for the industry is to ensure that the image of steel in the general public matches the new vision for steel that the sector hold in the industry.

Lastly the future of the steel industry depends on how successful the industry is in attracting and retaining the highly skilled talent that will be required to keep the industry competitive, productive, and technically competent.

Bibliography:

1. cardiff university : Paper 52 - New Steel Industry Challenges

2. hindu business line: Steel industry facing challenges — `Only fittest will survive'

3. fitch reports: Russian Steel Industry Continues to Face Challenges

4. fitch research: Worldwide Steel Outlook -- Excess Capacity Expected into the Medium Term

5. columbia university: Challenges facing Japanese steel in today's global economy [academic commons]

6. british library direct: Challenges Facing the Steel Industry in Attracting and Retaining Engineers

7. ils steel industry notes: The oulook

8. ils research commons: The sectors we serve

Construction Industry: Talent Management Primer

The construction industry is the second largest industry of the country after agriculture. It makes a significant contribution to the national economy and provides employment to large number of people. The use of various new technologies and deployment of project management strategies has made it possible to undertake projects of mega scale. However, the industry is still faced with some major challenges. The biggest one is the "The human Capital Acquisition, Retention and Development". With the sudden slowdown the churn has been suspended for the time being, however we expect a third homecoming very soon.

The industry will always remain an enigma for the outsiders. It is possibly one of the most capital intensive, human resources intensive and riddled with myth sector in the world. Last few years we have spent quality time in understanding the various nuggets that drives this industry. Our experiences have been varied. With quality information on highway projects, flyovers, hydro power, rapid mass transit systems, Metal and Minining SEZ, Mega housing projects, thermal power, public transport facilities, bridges, cross country pipelines, urban sanitation, sugar plant, chemical plant etc and an understanding of the inside ring view of how these projects are tendered, planned, how costing happens along with allocation of manpower and machineries and at the end the execution I think we are now qualified to offer our insight’s on what drives this industry.

I and my colleagues will agree that it's the human capital that makes all the difference. India post liberalization has neglected the infrastructure industry to the hilt and was more focused on the services sector (I am from the same industry. It employed even the cows, which trespassed the facilities once. Incidentally some of the cows I know have made big for themselves), however the shift gradually happened some time in the mid 2000, when people woke up to this opportunity. They could see a gold mine that has been neglected for long. This ushered in the frenzy where every one started building one project after another and started committing money that was unheard of. The EPC (contractors) were the one's who ripped the benefits of this frenzy. From mere few hundred Crores suddenly they are close to a billion dollars companies with 10,000+ manpower and order books which were close to Lakhs of Crores for some I know.

However as I have said that services industry rode the maximum of the bike call liberalization, it created a void. There were times when the civil engineers made beelines in front of the services company's to get a job, which created demand supply gap and the industry remained stranded with only few choices for years. With the peak one could see the crunch. The industry was not equipped to supply so much of talent and the one’s who were part of the industry made big for themselves by switching jobs or else participated in poaching and then switching and re-switching. The industry as it was in its infancy when the peak happened suddenly crumbled under the pressure.

I know company's who are in existence for 80 plus years but had no HR departments till some years ago; the administration was the one who were saddled with the responsibilities of maintaining the HR stuffs. So Provident Fund, ESI and other statutory obligations suddenly became the part of talent management. This was a big body blow for the industry, till people woke up to the challenges and started building the department. Most of which were Greenfield and with no focus and with the absence of right strategy these departments and professionals were asked to do only recruitment, which boiled down to searching, poaching and re-searching the limited sets again and again, which resulted in a bigger chaos.

When we started our talent management and talent assessment practice couple of years back, we were startled with the revelations we had about the industry. The HR practices were minimal and the only focus was to hire, hire and hire. With no standardization in terms of compensation, acquisition, retention and development, what we faced was an 800 pound of gorilla ignorance and myth about HR as a whole.

Our work with one of the nation's largest infrastructure company has cultivated some fruits today as we could identify the rot layers, standardized certain practices and enabled management of retention with learning and development.

Let me share some pointers about what we have learnt and what we have delivered:

- OLD GAURD: HR is all about finding the people when it is needed.

Change: It's much more than that. It is about identifying the right capital at the right time, retain and develop the people.

- OLD GAURD: Hire any one

Change: Hire the right one

- OLD GAURD: HR is a cost center

Change: HR is a profit center

- OLD GAURD: It drains people out because of constant fear of getting sacked or replaced

Change: It is about people and it ends there.

- OLD GAURD: HR cannot identify rot. Cannot do competency mapping. Have no clue about the workings and the technicalities

Change: It can identify the rot, can assess people of their capabilities and can save millions if pressed right

- OLD GAURD: Do it for ISO and other mandatory regulations

Change: If you don't practice, you perish

- OLD GAURD: Admin and HR is same

- Change: Thank you the systems are different

Talent management in the company’s we serve is no longer a step child of ignominy. The top management acknowledges the same and we have many points to prove on that count.

Last couple of years we have been able to save lot of direct and indirect costs. We are hopeful that another couple of years we will be able to provide more gains to the company’s we work with and the industry as a whole.

Companies we work with today are focussed on developing their talent's. They have put insustainable practices for:

1. Sourcing, attracting and recruiting qualified candidates with competitive backgrounds
2. Managing and defining competitive salaries
3. Learning and development processes
4. Performance management processes
5. Initiated retention programs
6. Structured their promotion and transitioning strategies

To know more you can mail the Infrastructure practice department of ILS or can speak to a lead consultants.

Website: http://www.ilsnetwork.org

Find out yourself or perish

Why one needs to assess his or her strengths? Why one needs to identify the core elements that make them tick? Why one needs to identify the negative shades in their lives? Why one needs to identify who they are?

In today's world, which is the true reflection of the phrase "dog-eat-dog", it is important for one to identify and reconnect with oneself. It is critical for one to identify what it is that will make them stand by the winds of change.

With changing times, employers are becoming more and more demanding. They are looking for quality traits in individuals that will stand by the tide of times. They are scanning the intrinsic and extrinsic behavioral patterns and aligning it with their organizational goals. Human capital is so much more important for them.

Uncertain times have challenged the very existence of the strategies, which were sacrosanct for talent acquisition till date. What was OK yesterday is no more Ok with the top management today. They are looking at ways to reduce the incapability and inconsistency burdens in their organization layers. They are looking for true sets. By true sets they are clear about what they need. They are clear about what values the true sets will bring in. They are clear about the receivables and deliverables, and to add they are clear about the time period in which these true sets needs to perform.

My experience shows that well-qualified candidates are always in demand. Today the issue for employers is two-fold (1) having enough qualified candidates and (2) selecting the candidate who best fits both the culture and the specific business situation.

Apart from changing times the cost of selecting the wrong person for the job is potentially devastating for an organization. For example, conservative estimates put the cost of replacing a manager at three to four times that person's annual salary. Multiply those across several instances and you have a huge expense that is mind boggling.

Today’s organizations are facing a market with not enough qualified employees to fill necessary job roles. In order to stay afloat and gain competitive advantage, these companies are becoming and getting prepared for future performance with a “ready now” workforce. Companies no longer view human capital as a commodity but as an asset, and they recognize the criticality of investing in a talent acquisition strategy, as a way to identify, attract and engage high performers.

Organizations are not leaving any stone unturned to negate the wrong identification process. Across the industry, across each and every sector employers are looking for talents that can fit in to their situations and can be able to multitask and perform when times are demanding.

That's why it has become so much more important for one to identify their uniqueness, their strengths, their latent energies and negative shades. It is important for one to identify their strengths and motivations toward work. They need to outline their learning style, communication style, management style and leadership preferences. These are the traits the employers are searching for today.

Whether one is a mid career professional, an executive or else starting their career, it is important for the one to establish, re-establish and hone the skills that will make one tick.

It is important for one to assess oneself and identify the areas that they need to improve upon and areas that can be harnessed for better tomorrow.

However to do this one need to have solution partners who will engage in a one to one model with the individual and will formulate a basic and advance level plan that will help the individual to excel.

Internet offers many tools and solutions online where one can actually fill some forms and can get a basic report about who they are and what they are capable off. But this is highly debatable. These interfaces do not offer the assessors to understand the people in totality. First these assessors are algorithm and number based systems, which are tuned to generate only limited sets of results and it does not verify the other important element like people in actual. The people in actual is lot different from the one online.

For today's demanding talent marketplace one needs to find organization which can offer a blended solution i.e. tests and one to one interactive engagement model to individuals for their assessment needs.

In Kolkata a boutique strategic human resource management company call ILS is doing this to the perfection. They are able to offer individuals with blended results based assessment solutions. They are focused and their consultants have spent quality number of hours doing and perfecting this system.

If you are looking for some thing of this sort, you can possibly get in touch with Kaustav the consulting partner for more details.

The company’s website is http://www.ilsnetwork.org

A generation call MIKEY

I belong to the generation which grew up with a staple diet of his songs. Born in a remote part of India, in our days the only English song that was popular and was played in pandals during festivities was that of Michael. To begin with let me admit, none of us could ever make out what actually the songs were all about, but we loved the tunes, we loved the beat and we knew that nothing can make you dance so much as his songs (or music).

My elder B was rather a fortunate man, he lived in the silicon valley those days and had access to all the great albums that he and his contemporaries churned. I still remember that Sony Walkman he bought for me and two tapes, one was Thriller and the other was the making of the Thriller (VHS Tape). All of us (my cousins) would sit through the tapes or listen almost religiously everyday and would applaud whenever the man use to get up for the final shot, which incidentally was the song.

He was lauded and ridiculed. He broke down barriers and built them around himself. He soared to heights unimaginable with his music, and he made the ignominious front page of gutter tabloids worldwide.

For Michael Jackson, the spotlight was always present, and the rest of the world followed.

Many reams are written about all these and many pages have been devoted. All I will do here today is-- put a small tribute in my way to this legend called Michael, the god of entertainment and the father of the music videos.

Michael's Top 05 for me:

01. They don't care about us

02. Black or White

03. I am bad

04. Thriller

05. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough

Michael's best video:

01. I am bad

Reason: Last night it was every where and first time ever I didn't smile, I didn't hummed the beats, for the first time ever I switched off the TV, because tears rolled out.

Thanks Michael. You will always live in us.

TOI & TNN. What a shame!

I changed track after a month to write about something, which is so threatening and has the ability to damage the social fabric that ties us to the basics of faith. When we approach a doctor do we check whether he is Hindu, Muslim, Shikh or Christian? No we approach with the faith in the system that tells us that they are part of the ecosystem that thrives by serving the humanity irrespective of class, race, gender or religion. Times of India and Times News Network (Yogesh Naik: The reporter) has reported today this piece, which is disturbing and can threat the very existence of this ecosystem. (Read it by clicking here. See the headline.)

I understand these are trying times. With low advertising spend the media houses are looking for sensationalizing every bit of information that has the potential for mass consumption and can some how offset their low advertising earning's/revenue's. Boosting the paper sales is Ok, but resorting to irresponsbile reporting to enhance the circulation of the broadsheet, which is read by millions and more is a shame.

How news of these color passes through the editors table? Definitely it gets on to the front page because it has the blessings of all.

See the comments here. Some are sensible but it has already started taking a turn. You can see the communal colors once you move forward. Read the comments by clicking here...

More on this later.

It's Curtain for India

Thank you very much. The innings and the outing for this year ends here. Revenge has never been so sweet. England managed to bounce India off the tournament, the way they were whacked off last season. Here goes the defending champs down the drains of hype and hoopla. I from the start was never enthusiastic about India's chances. And in my last post I lowered the ratings and the percentage of win to 20%. However I never thought that defending champs will crash out this way.

To tell the truth I am in no mood today to write any further. Only will add that thanks to IPL, every player gained from it except the Indian's. Thanks Mr. Modi for putting the country through this shame. Don't get me wrong, I have reasons for these. May be once I feel like giving an explanation I will do so.

Calypso Blues

Well first thing first. I missed out on this occasion. I behaved like a true blue fan and picked up the last outing of the West Indies as the guide for the verdict. I overlooked Bravo (who was very ordinary in his IPL stint) and Edwards (I under estimated his short balls and speed). The Indian's were right on spot after that great Indian batting debacle, by getting the opening duo cheap. Some where the brilliance of Bravo and the rest over shadowed the efforts of the invincible. Some where the threat is now big. Indian's looked so vulnerable to short balls and balls coming off round the wicket (a good ploy by the Indies). Something wrong with Dhoni. Why on earth he is playing with all the burden on his shoulders? He is natural power hitter, but he looked so ordinary yesterday. Good to see Yuvi back in form in totality. About Gambhir, much less I say is better. He has spent lot of time in the middle, but that has done no good to his form and confidence. Rohit Sharma must understand that he is no Sehwag. He looks to me as a spoilt brat now. Going up to the commentators and then giving statement like, "I should have waited there, but that's not the way I play, I play this way, and it's OK if I have failed in this occassion". How immature that could be.

Come on people, you are playing the world cup not the IPL. Some one needs to tell this bunch that they are representing India not a team owned by some uber rich kids with money at disposal any time.

Nothing much to write back home. Only the Indian think tank needs to get in to the slot and now figure out how they can win the rest of the games and keep the net run rate good to enter semis. The battle is tough, but like all other die hard Indian fans I remain enthusiastic.

India's chances by all means are down to 20% for winning this championship now. Every team has watched them and they know what needs to be done to tame this so called paper champions, who are behaving as if they are the best in the world.

If West Indies can retain there performance then they have a good chance. I give SA a thumbs up on winning this competition.

PS: Ishant Sharma should know that bowling with mangalsutra's on is not the only thing he is suppose to do, he is suppose to field also.

PPS: Lalit Modi was around and must having the joy of seeing how he has managed to instill club play among this bunch of super talented people, who have started neglecting there national duty.

PPPS: Good to Sachin around. He looked so anxious. Some one who was really worried about the side. Missing you and Sehwag so much.

The calypso beat

Here comes the super 8. In reality I have nothing much to write now as I guess I have already put in my thoughts about what needs to be done. The Indian's need to stick around with the game plan that suits them the best in these conditions. However one may have noticed that I am clear from the day one about the seam bowlers and what they should be doing. The results are for all to see. Zaheer pitched the ball right up there to the batsmen and he was unplayable at times. He landed the ball on the seam and the ball did the trick for him. These are not very suitable conditions for swing because the cold seems to beat down the friction that is required. Had the weather been anything between 17-18 degrees celcius then seam and awing would have been perfect. Wicket to wicket and on the seam, pitching it up is the key.

About the rest of the team they look in harmony, however the niggles they are nursing is a cause of concern. I hope each of them had adequate rest and are ready to go.

West Indies may have displayed good cricket till now and they were ruthless with Aussies, but I feel Indian's have an edge over them. It is now palpable that without Gayle the team has nothing much to talk about. However Gayle is the big cat. Some one needs to bell him.

If Windies bat first they should be restricted to 140-150 and if Indian's bat first then 190 + is a good score. Even if Gayle is around this is defendable.

My verdict for the game India wins (chances though is 60%). I hope Gambhir plays his usual game this time.

Irish Coffee had wine

Lets not get in to how and how well India won the match. Certain intuitions I had, came right. Ireland would have collapsed like a house of cards except those easy run out chances. From no where they went on to score 112 in 18 over's and the last 3 over's yielded 40+ runs for them.

They bowled well and looked like they have spent quality time in analyzing the faults and vulnerabilities of the Indian batsmen. They kept Gambhir and Sharma on the edge through out the innings and got Dhoni cheap. Gambhir again showed his vulnerabilities, he needs immediate attention. He should speak to the ex cricketers or coach at the earliest. He is a weak link. So is Irfan. Rohit sharma looked at unease! What was the problem? He was looking uncomfortable. His facial expressions were bizarre. He must have cold or else hard partying last evening (as per IST) had it's effects. But surely he is not well. Same with Irfan on the runup he was gasping for breath and one can see that he was trying to clear his blocked nose! Well if that's the case they need medication and some rest immediately.

In cricket I have learnt one small thing, if you are a right handed batsman and you are missing out on your bottom hand (kind of slip) when trying to play a drive, it means that you are unable to connect (all wrong timings) or else you are committing yourself. That's exactly what was happening to Rohit Sharma yesterday.

Dhoni with his attitude looks dangerous for the team. Again no Raina. He should have allowed Raina to come out as he needs some batting practice too.

Good to see Zaheer. He seems to be better than what he was with Bangladesh.

India's biggest threat as of today is opening pair, the death overs and some slimy fielding. Bowlers except the slower ones are extremely vulnerable at the death overs. If Ireland can do this think about the others whom we are going to face at super 8 starting tomorrow.

More about Super 8 later.

Some great Incidents and Comments: Borrowed from Cricinfo and other sources

In stark contrast to the IPL, which had sponsors even for Lalit Modi's dental fillings, the World Twenty20 has seen a return to cricket as usual. "We call a boundary a boundary. We call a six a six. If we had a spade handy, we'd call it a spade," explained ICC president David Morgan helpfully. However, IPL commissioner Modi's response was laced with sarcasm. "Who would want to sponsor a dreary event like this?" he sneered. "Maybe the ICC should have approached the pharmaceutical giant Roche and worked out a deal to get Valium on board as the title sponsor," he winked, giving further evidence of his ability to see a branding angle to almost anything.

This was also the week in which fans discovered that Ajantha Mendis is an anagram of Masthead Ninja, Nasser Hussain discovered that you shouldn't make critical comments about Anil Kumble when he's standing behind you in the commentary box, and Ranil Abeynaike discovered, to everyone's amazement, that Brett Lee's slower delivery is slower than his normal delivery.

The big news of the tournament is the early exit of heavyweights Australia, who were soundly thrashed by Sri Lanka and West Indies to be bundled out in the group stage. "I really can't think of a reason why we lost," said Ricky Ponting, the captain, after the Sri Lanka game, choosing to overlook rather obvious ones such as Chris Gayle rearranging Brett Lee's figures, Ajantha Mendis rearranging Ponting's own stumps, and Andrew Symonds rearranging his personal priorities in favour of a few pints at the local pub over playing in a World Cup. "Aha! I've got it. We're no longer coached by John Buchanan! No, wait… ," he signed off, leaving hurriedly to prepare for the Ashes.

Headline of the week

"Cricket is no longer so boring": a Dutch newspaper the day after Netherlands beat England. Well said, though it forgot to add that neither are the Dutch any longer a bunch of clog-wearing, pot-smoking, tall, blond, pancake-eating, flatlands stomping, fjords-traversing, road-cycling, bread-baking people.

Headline of the week II

"Clogs 1, Clots 0": The Sun, as ever, takes the narrower, short-term perspective.

Greatest contribution to the 80s revival

Rubel Hossain, of Bangladesh, who not only thinks this is the 80s, but also thinks he is West Indian. Else, what is with the bouncer barrage?

Reorientation of the week

Undergone by all viewers who suddenly, rudely, realised there are no such things really as "DLF maximums" or "Citi moments of success". In the real world, they are called sixes or great catches and run-outs.

Are you a Pakistani in disguise?

Stuart Broad's infamous last over against Netherlands embodied two time-honoured Pakistani traits. The young Broad hit a magnificent yorker length, preventing any boundaries and keeping Netherlands under pressure, much as the two Ws so often did. Unfortunately, in missing three run-outs and dropping a catch in six balls, he also fielded like a Pakistani.

No, we're Pakistan

Incensed that young Broad had stolen their thunder - and West Indies had tried to against Australia - Pakistan roared back against England to prove that there is no worse fielding entity in the world. Their fielders were nutmegged by a bloke 70 yards away, they were beaten by spin, they dropped five catches, and turned ones regularly into threes. Had they not taken the field at all, they might have conceded fewer runs.

Cricket Australia's loss is

The AAA's (Australian Anglers Association) gain.

Bling innings of the week

Chris Gayle, for smashing Australia all over and out of the park and making Brett Lee feel and look as quick as Mark Ealham. Gayle's boundary-heavy50-ball 88, including one monster six to monster all others, all but took West Indies to the second round. In all fairness, though, Gayle could have been bowled for a first-ball duck and it'd still be the most bling innings of any week.

Bling innings of the week II

Not to be out-blinged by mate Gayle, Kevin Pietersen hit back against Pakistan. Having missed the first-game loss to Netherlands, KP put pain and injury aside and country ahead by putting Pakistan to the sword with a 38-ball 58 to set up a crucial win. A painkiller-fuelled Ashes awaits as a prize, as does, surely, a knighthood.

Conspicuous absence of the week

Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Shilpa Shetty, Katrina Kaif: doesn't Twenty20 come with Bollywood stars free?

Comeback of the week

Fake IPL Player

Quote of the week

"It would be sad if we don't make it, but I have never attached too much importance to Twenty20 cricket, as it is fun cricket. I mean it is more for entertainment, even if it is international cricket. It is all for the crowd."

Younis Khan puts the loss to England into perspective. Unfortunately, it's the wrong perspective.

Quote of the week II

"In this form it is better to take it easy and have fun. It is like WWF."

Younis tries to explain Twenty20 some more. Exactly like WWE, in fact, what with the steroids, the pumped-up bodies, the crazy soap-opera storylines, the fixed matches, crazy chairmen with no qualms about nepotism... oh wait, did he mean Pakistan cricket or Twenty20?

I've seen the future… and it is shorter

Scotland's "match" against New Zealand, which was reduced by rain to seven overs a side.

Glass-breaking moment of the week

Ireland's six-wicket win over Bangladesh, to guarantee their spot in the Super Eights. They have now beaten Bangladesh in a Twenty20 international and an ODI. What chances of a Test win within the next two years?

Background lurker of the week

The Ashes

Spell of the week

Ajantha Mendis' three-wicket spell against Australia, which not only knocked out the Aussies, but proved that they play spin as well as the English do opening ceremonies.

Wicketkeeping spell of the week

Kamran Akmal has had an awful couple of years behind the stumps where he has struggled to catch even a cold. But since Younis has taken over, his keeping has steadied: so much so that a man who was averaging a drop a game, has not missed one for at least eight international games now. And a record four stumpings against Netherlands - including an outstanding one off a Shahid Afridi faster ball - suggest he may be getting his 2005 sheen back. All Pakistanis, touch wood.

The fastest bowler in the world this week

Was a Dutchman.

Credits:

Cricinfo.com

Cricinfo.com Editorials

Page 2 Cricinfo.com

ESPN

Irish Coffee

India and Ireland have both qualified for the Super 8's and their groups are decided so in terms of criticality in this tournament nothing rides on this match. But India won't want to go to the next round with a shock defeat, nor will Ireland want to go without a fight after beating Bangladesh - which, by the way, they didn't consider an upset. At any rate they are yet to lose a Twenty20 international from the five they have played.

This is threatening. India still looks rusty. Many reams have been spent on qualifying the merits of the team by the media and great's of the game but I still feel there's much more than the eye's meet. Viru's acrimonious exit have thrown open many questions that one may need to deal with once back in India. This match looks difficult to predict with all honesty. On pen and paper India leads and may get in to Super 8's as group champions. But ... But... I am not sure.

All cricketing senses tell me that Ireland will crash land in this match and they may collapse as a house of cards but there determination is not allowing me to have the great comfort from these intuition’s.

India needs to put in above 180 on the board if they bat first. Raina needs to kick in at number 3, Dhoni can wait. Yuvi and Rohit are the two players who needs to fire the cylinder. Gambhir is yet to get on the board. Yuvi looks good. Rohit needs to hang in there for at least 10 overs and ensure that the runs are scored at 8-9 runs per over.

If India is chasing then the bowlers needs to do there bit. Lot rides on spinners and slower ones, for once I guess we can have more bats on the team than bowlers. However dropping Zaheer will not be a good idea. Ishant needs to keep the ball tight and Pathan needs to get his swing going.

Certain key areas India needs to focus on:

Bowling: Please stick to basics. Don't try anything great. Pitch it up to the batsman. Try to land the ball on the seam. Let the ball do the talking. Only try and put some extra pace to bounce it up to the batsman after the mandatory 6th over. Ensure that each over has atleast one dot. Avoid wides and No's (especially the front footers). Do not go negative because negative in this game means more power to the batsmen who are looking for quick runs. Try scalp atleast a wicket or two in the first 4 overs.

Fielding: Be aggressive and charge the ball. Restrict the quick two's. For sixes nothing much can be done but for fours slide and chase as much as possible.

Batting: Wait for the ball. It will seam and the air will aid. Avoid the blood rush. 50 runs in the first six can set the tempo. Do not loose quick wickets, not atleast in the first six. Loft the ball in the begining over the mid wicket, you are assured of runs there if is timed well. 180 plus is a winning score.

The Pitch: The pitch has behaved well. Lets hope it remains the same

My prediction for the match: India wins.

India Vs Bangladesh: Post match analysis

Ok, something's are so apparent that they can be seen through blurred visions. Lets not get so jubilant with India's win. This wasn't a regulation win. It came with battle well fought in the middle overs.

Zaheer is nursing his injuries and is short on confidence. Did any one notice, on the run up he dropped the ball before he bowled the first ball? Enthusiasts may ask so what? But that is that my dear friends. He is low on confidence, which showed on his bowling and fielding. Playing RP is a better idea. Viru couldn't make it again, we don't know what's happening at that front! Gambhir is still to regain his confidence, again a 50 but after what struggle!! Didn't I tell you last time that he is struggling? But the highlight remains, this 50 is better than the warm up one against Pakistan. He was able to middle the ball well in this match, but still not finding the gaps frequently. One more match, if he stays there till the last then I guess Gambhir will be ready.

Irfan is good with bat than ball nowadays it seems. What happened to his famed swings? Ojha impresses, he is one player I chose in the pre analysis to watch out for. Dhoni somehow looks high on attitude! Why on earth he came to bat at number 3? When Raina is available for the spot! What he trying to prove? He is good batsman, but surely not in the class of Raina! Raina needs few balls to get adjusted with and that's his spot.

Rohit Sharma is wasted as usual again on the opening slot. He is fine middle order case, please stick him there, May be Raina can be promoted if Viru is not available for the next few matches. One more observation, why on earth Yusuf Pathan was not sent when the spinners were bowling!? He is the best player of spin on the side and some one who can clear the fences with ease. He should be utilized properly.

The fielding remains an enigma, Yuvi took a brilliant catch and then he dropped a dolly! How do I compare?

The only highlight of the match is Ojha and Yuvi. T20 world looks like Yuvi's favorite hunting ground and he brings in power to the team, delighted to see that he is in form.

Team Bangladesh came as a real surprise. They look much better than what they were may be couple of years ago. Cannot leave behind Junaid now. He makes in to my list after his impressive 41. Tamim still remains my black horse. He is good but needs maturity, after hitting the ball so well throughout the over he should have concentrated on rotating the strike rather than trying to charge, he paid the price. Ashraful will always remain an illusion to me, such a good stroke player and crafty bat he always misses out when it matters the most! Naeem Islam impressed me a lot. This Bangladesh team is good. Would like to see them progress to the next level. They should win the rest matches.

I promised a belter and it was a belter. That 25 runs loss of Bangladesh is immaterial in front of the goose bumps and uncertainties they were able to provide throughout.

Last but not the least, good to see India rested their ghost from the past behind. Well done team India on that front.