"Don't bad mouth India if you like our money" - Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar Fortnightly Column

"I have a wife and three kids back in Melbourne and they are not impressed with the part of the world I am in" are the words of Darren Berry the assistant coach of the Rajasthan Royals after the bomb blasts that shook the pink city a few days back. One can understand the anxiety and concern of families who are miles away from India about their loved ones. Australia is indeed fortunate not to have the spectre of terrorism in their country and one can sympathize with them when they find themselves in a situation like the one in Jaipur.

But while sympathizing with Darren about the predicament he and the other Australians are facing, there is immense disappointment and not a little annoyance at the choice of words to describe India, "not impressed with the part of the world I am in." There were bomb blasts in India before too, so the situation in this part of the world is pretty well known and still Darren and his family did not think twice about it when the Dollar signs were flashed in front of their face to come down for the DLF IPL.

The solution is pretty simple as our common friend, the late doctor Jain would have said to Darren and that is for him to pack his bags and go home which presumably is an impressive part of the world. Never mind that it is where young Indian students, trying to earn an extra buck by driving cabs after university hours, get set upon by drunks when it comes to paying the fare or just for the heck of it. We are told that these attacks on Indian students are the result of the frustration that Australians feel about their jobs being taken by Indians. Just imagine if the cricketing fraternity in India were to look at it in the same way at the support staff of the various franchisees in the DLF Indian Premier League. Would that be justified?

The manner in which some people bad mouth India all the time but are the first on the plane to India when it is a question of making some easy money is well known and because we in India are a lot more tolerant than others it is being taken advantage of. Whenever there is an interview to be given to the papers back home it is invariably with a dig at India and Indians.

Why there are several who refer to India as "thats f-----g India for you" and still have the shamelessness to stay on and earn money here because they are pretty much unemployable back home. Indian cricket is like a river of gold and there are many who are dipping their hands in it with no loyalty whatsoever to India but only to their bank managers back home. There are some who are being paid six figure amounts in dollars but making occasional trips to India and not staying on for the duration of the tournament and will be the first to escape if the teams don't do well and the first to take credit if the team wins. What these guys don't understand is that the franchisees are not stupid. They haven't got into the prominent positions in their businesses and industry by fluke and they are all well aware of what's happening. This is the first year and so they are being a bit indulgent and watching it unfold and by the time the second year starts don't be surprised at the trimming of the personnel that will take place. They will want results and if they don't get them there will be wholesale sackings and not just of Indians as is the case at the moment. So enjoy it guys but just make sure you show some respect to the country that is putting more food on your table and allowing the family to buy designer stuff than the ones in the car boot sale.

The Harbhajan Singh episode is finally over and the BCCI too has pronounced it's punishment for him. It was surprising to hear that some felt that it was a rap on the knuckles. But hasn't he been punished by the IPL ? Yes, what he did was wrong but he didn't sell the country did he? More than criticizing the quantum of punishment what these critics should be doing is to help the spinner resurrect his career. The BCCI would do well to send him to an anger management course for that is where the problem is and while he is out of action maybe is the best time for him to undergo such a course. India has lost many players who were unable to cope with sudden fame and so we must ensure that a talent like Harbhajan isn't lost to Indian cricket. He is still young and has plenty to give to Indian cricket so it is the duty of all those who care for Indian cricket to help him find his way back to winning matches for India.

And to think that all this wouldn't have happened if his teammate had not burst into tears. It was the sight of Sreesanth crying like a baby that started the troubles for Harbhajan. What was worse was after that display of histrionics, the same guy says that it was ok as Harbhajan is like an elder brother and he has the right to do it and also adding that it is part of the game. Since when has physical assault become part of the game? Despite the coach Gary Kirsten's assertion that there wonÂ’t be bad blood between the two, it is not going to be easy for a person who has lost a lot of money and more crucially face to be able to regard the other in a favouarble way.

What Sreesanth did not realise is how he has exposed himself to the verbal taunts that are sure to come his way especially from teams like Australia and South Africa whose batsmen are not going to let him forget his flood of tears every time they hit him for a boundary. "Sorry about that shot. Hope you don't cry" is going to be the common comment that Sreesanth will have to face for the rest of his international career. Bhajji will surely chuckle at that.


Reproduced from http://www.dreamcricket.com/dreamcricket/news.hspl?nid=9150&ntid=4

Indian Premier League (IPL)

It's hard not to blog about the current fever that's gripped our nation. I have not been spared its wrath either and can not help but be glued to the television set anytime a cricket match is playing. It was high time that the country woke up to the opportunities of popularizing this sport at a domestic level. The way I see it, it's a great concept and offers a win/win situation for everyone. The players are happy as they get a lot of moolah and popularity. Moreover, the local players get a chance to shine and possibly a national cap. I bet the interactions with the senior and international level players are invaluable for the youngsters. The audiences are happy as this format of cricket (20-20) is absolutely exhilarating. The advertisers are happy as their brands get a lot of promotion. The restaurants get increased sales of 35% on their carry out/delivery orders.

Overall, I believe it's a nice change for Indian sports!

Planning to go to B-School?

1. Start early
   I can not stress the importance of starting year and a half before you plan to enroll. As you'll realize along the way, there are a lot of things you'll have to accomplish. The sooner you start, the better job you'll do of convincing those AdCom members to admit you.
   
   
2. Timeline
   April - Take the GMAT.
   May/June - Visit schools. Figure out your recommenders and start treating them nicely.
   July - Start working on those essays. Prep your recommenders.
   August - Continue working on those essays. You will need all the time you can spare.
   September - Visit events held by a school in your city. Get your essays proofread
   October - Make final edits and submit your applications.
   
   
3. Prepare your recommenders
   This is going to be one of the most important activities as this is the only thing in your application that you have no control over. If not done the right way, it could result in a lack luster recommendation, which might do you more harm than good. In this regard, I highly recommend Paul Bodine's "Great Application Essays for Business School". It has a chapter on recommendations which has really good tips. Moreover, I suggest photocopying the sample recommendation in that book and giving it to your recommender to give them an idea of how some people have written recommendations. The biggest key is going to be - examples, examples, and examples. For every claim that they make about your abilities, they should substantiate it with examples. It gives the recommendation more credibility and it'll humanize your application.
   
   Another thing to remember is that the recommenders are doing you a favor. You'll have to give them enough time to do justice to your candidacy. Give them 3-4 months heads up. Take them out to coffee/lunch and explain the entire process. Give them all your details (school deadlines, resume, notes, your goals, sample recommendation, stories you want them to highlight)
   
   
4. Essays
   Based on my own experience, this is the single most important component in your application. I think that this may hold as much as 50% weight. Sure, the other things are important components too. But those will keep you out. They are just numbers. This is the component that has the power of getting you in. Give them the time they deserve and you'll surely be able to get into the school that you deserve to go to. Getting your essays proofread from a person who does not know you would be a good idea. The reason I say this is 'coz family and friends would be able to fill in the gaps in those essays. However, a stranger would not be able to do so and would be helpful in picking those gaps up. Often on forums, people are more than willing to proofread your essays. Moreover, there are admission consultants who can proofread your essays. Also, there are independent websites such as www.editavenue.com who check your work on an individual basis and not as part of your application to a school. Another important thing would be to review all your essays for a school together. This will give you the complete picture that you are portraying to an admissions officer. Make sure you do not have inconsistencies, redundancies, and are able to highlight different aspects of you through different essays.

All the best in your B-School aspirations!

Blogging gone wrong!

I read something in Aamir Khan's blog yesterday which rather surprised me. http://www.aamirkhan.com/blog.htm

Well Shahrukh is once again begging for my attention, so let me get back to him. He is smelling too much, I think he needs a bath. “Heel boy, heel.”

I found this post unnecessary and unbecoming of an actor such as Aamir Khan. He talks about Shahrukh being his new dog! Give me a break! Is this supposed to be funny? I am not even a fan of Shahrukh's and till date liked Aamir quite a bit, and I still totally missed the humor!

Stanford India Fellowship created by Reliance Industries Limited

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/financialaid/reliance.html

It is heartening to find out that Mukesh Ambani has started this fellowship program to enable 5 bright students from India get premier education at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. This scholarship will cover tuition, board, living expenses, and travel for each of these five students for the two years that the program lasts. Moreover, there is a stipulation according to which the students are required to return to India within two years of graduating and have to work towards India's development for at least two years. So basically, every year we can be assured of having 5 Stanford grads added to our working force.

Compared to a donation initiative setup by his brother Anil Ambani, I laud this effort as a much greater one and one that benefits India. I visited the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and found out that the main auditorium at Jon M. Huntsman Hall is called the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani auditorium. It is said that this was made possible because of a donation upwards of USD $1m.