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.

Small analysis of Netherland Vs England

England needs to do some soul seraching. They need big hitters, some one who can clear the rope with ease. Bopara can do that, Shah possibly yes, Collingwood yes but what about the rest? England with their pathetic field placement and below par fielding gave away this match. England needs to find some answers soon or else resurrecting the pride (inventors of the game) will remain the elusive dream always. They invented the game and others honed it. What a pity. It was the type of start the event desperately needed on a cold, grey, damp day which forced the opening ceremony to be cancelled. It didn't seem the most astute scheduling to open with a game involving a minnow, but now the tournament is alive.

Good to see that the minnows stunned the Goliaths. This what cricket is all about.

Some great moments:

The Pre Analysis: ICC World T20 India Vs Bangladesh on 6th

This is going to be a belter by all accord. Both team meets each other after a long gap. After 2007 World Cup debacle, when Bangladesh ousted India from the prelims they gave a shocker to the world. They qualified for the super 8 leaving the men in blues in absolute disdain. Much water has flowed through Padma and Ganges after that. India in between went on to win the World T20 the same year under the leadership of Dhoni, and proved their mettle in other formats in the succeding years. 

Bangaldesh till date has played only 10 T20 games with a win loss percentage of 0.42. However these statistics are for the people who savour the taste of mere numbers.  Overall Bangladesh's statistics is not impressive but they've competed in all most every game. Their most famous win came against West Indies in the 2007 edition of this tournament, when their heavy duty duo, Mohammad Ashraful and Aftab Ahmed, knocked West Indies out in a vicious manner.

It is in Twenty20 that Bangladesh are the most dangerous because they have aggressive players equipped to deliver in bursts. A 9 ball 21 or a 22 ball 47 can be devastating in T20's, and that's one of the strengths this side has.

However it's the nerves that is rarity in this team. The volatile nature of the batsmen means that if they don't start with a bang, then they are unsure over how to approach a run chase. Often it comes down to a pair of trigger happy's to salvage the innings and that's where the uncertainty between attacking or nursing the strike can seriously hamper Bangladesh.

Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mashrafe Mortaza and Ashraful are the key players to watch out for. Personally my dark horse is Shakib Al Hasan. 

Bangladesh needs to hold on to their nerves and have to ensure that their batsmen remain cool and calm (they seems to be very very aggressive) and the seamers need to fix their line and length. Too much wayward and they should know, they have to deal with Rohit, Mahi, Yuvi, Viru (if he plays), Gambhir (can be the real booster of a match for him), Raina and the seasoned rookies down the line who can hit almost anything. 

India comes in to the game as the hot favorites and they are tipped to encore the epic tale of 2007. The squad displays immense talent and the most balanced side of all. A superb opening pair, a trio of three outrageously gifted timers of the ball to follow, a clutch of allrounders, crafty medium pacers and seamers, tidy spinners and a captain+batsman+wicketkeeper who has balanced the demands of leadership with honing his own game. Every successful team needs a astute leader, and Dhoni has fit into that role with ease. These are some of the game's best players and when packed into the same XI. Our Men in Blues is the toughest team to beat. The top order is excellent, the middle brings in weight, the fielding is athletic (offlate have dwindled a bit), the spin squad is brimming, and the pace department top rate.

However the team has a major problem in hand i.e. fatigue both physical and mental. All these players have played a lot of cricket, both domestic, international and in the IPL, and there is a concern that a few are carrying injuries of concern. Zaheer Khan sat out the second half of the IPL and India's warm-up's and he will remain critical on medical grounds until the final eleven is announced.

Pragyan Ojha, Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma are players to watch out for. My dark horse remains Suresh Raina. 

Certain key areas both the team needs to focus on:

Bowling: 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. 160 plus is a winning score.

Here is an interesting depiction of how run's were scored in 2007 edition

The Pitch:

The Trent Bridge pitch is very unpredictable, and pitch quality depends to a large extent on the groundsman’s work just prior to a match. Regular ground conditions present teams with a flat wicket and a low bounce, making the ground conducive to Twenty20 cricket. However, there have been several occasions at which the Trent Bridge pitch has produced dramatic batting collapses as well as very low scores. So both teams watch out.

Overall Verdict:

India wins. Expect to see Bangladesh giving a good fight. They are underdogs and comes to the game without any baggage. 

Best Odds:

(Implied Probablity)

Let's see the result. 

World T20 Fixture

Ok I am little late in posting this fixture and may be you already have an access to this. However I thought, it's good to update once again. Between I am Live for all the matches that features India. And will cover the matches of interest on days India is not playing. More analysis and more fun to come. Stay tuned. 

Date and Time	Match	Weather
Fri Jun 5   17:30 local | 16:30 GMT	1st Match, Group B - England v Netherlands Lord's, London	10 - 16° C
Sat Jun 6  10:00 local | 09:00 GMT	2nd Match, Group D - New Zealand v Scotland Kennington Oval, London	11 - 17° C
Sat Jun 6  14:00 local | 13:00 GMT	3rd Match, Group C - Australia v West Indies Kennington Oval, London	11 - 17° C
Sat Jun 6   18:00 local | 17:00 GMT	4th Match, Group A - Bangladesh v India Trent Bridge, Nottingham	7 - 13° C
Sun Jun 7  13:30 local | 12:30 GMT	5th Match, Group D - Scotland v South Africa Kennington Oval, London	10 - 17° C
Sun Jun 7   17:30 local | 16:30 GMT	6th Match, Group B - England v Pakistan Kennington Oval, London	10 - 17° C
Mon Jun 8  13:30 local | 12:30 GMT	7th Match, Group A - Bangladesh v Ireland Trent Bridge, Nottingham	8 - 16° C
Mon Jun 8   17:30 local | 16:30 GMT	8th Match, Group C - Australia v Sri Lanka Trent Bridge, Nottingham	8 - 16° C
Tue Jun 9  13:30 local | 12:30 GMT	9th Match, Group B - Netherlands v Pakistan Lord's, London	11 - 18° C
Tue Jun 9   17:30 local | 16:30 GMT	10th Match, Group D - New Zealand v South Africa Lord's, London	11 - 18° C
Wed Jun 10  13:30 local | 12:30 GMT	11th Match, Group C - Sri Lanka v West Indies Trent Bridge, Nottingham	N/A
Wed Jun 10   17:30 local | 16:30 GMT	12th Match, Group A - India v Ireland Trent Bridge, Nottingham	N/A
Thu Jun 11  13:30 local | 12:30 GMT	13th Match, Group F - TBC v TBC (D1 v A2) Trent Bridge, Nottingham	N/A
Thu Jun 11   17:30 local | 16:30 GMT	14th Match, Group E - TBC v TBC (B2 v D2) Trent Bridge, Nottingham	N/A
Fri Jun 12  13:30 local | 12:30 GMT	15th Match, Group F - TBC v TBC (B1 v C2) Lord's, London	N/A
Fri Jun 12   17:30 local | 16:30 GMT	16th Match, Group E - TBC v TBC (A1 v C1) Lord's, London	N/A
Sat Jun 13  13:30 local | 12:30 GMT	17th Match, Group E - TBC v TBC (C1 v D2) Kennington Oval, London	N/A
Sat Jun 13   17:30 local | 16:30 GMT	18th Match, Group F - TBC v TBC (D1 v B1) Kennington Oval, London	N/A
Sun Jun 14  13:30 local | 12:30 GMT	19th Match, Group F - TBC v TBC (A2 v C2) Lord's, London	N/A
Sun Jun 14   17:30 local | 16:30 GMT	20th Match, Group E - TBC v TBC (A1 v B2) Lord's, London	N/A
Mon Jun 15  13:30 local | 12:30 GMT	21st Match, Group E - TBC v TBC (B2 v C1) Kennington Oval, London	N/A
Mon Jun 15   17:30 local | 16:30 GMT	22nd Match, Group F - TBC v TBC (B1 v A2) Kennington Oval, London	N/A
Tue Jun 16  13:30 local | 12:30 GMT	23rd Match, Group F - TBC v TBC (D1 v C2) Trent Bridge, Nottingham	N/A
Tue Jun 16   17:30 local | 16:30 GMT	24th Match, Group E - TBC v TBC (D2 v A1) Trent Bridge, Nottingham	N/A
Thu Jun 18   17:30 local | 16:30 GMT	1st Semi-Final - TBC v TBC Trent Bridge, Nottingham	N/A
Fri Jun 19   17:30 local | 16:30 GMT	2nd Semi-Final - TBC v TBC Kennington Oval, London	N/A
Sun Jun 21  15:00 local | 14:00 GMT	Final - TBC v TBC Lord's, London	N/A