Cover drive: A drive that is hit away from the batsman's body.
Drive: A hit executed by the batsman in which he swings the bat in a long arc and sends the ball in one of several possible directions.
Glide: A hit, which is executed like a drive but is angled to go behind the batsman on his off side.
Hook: A hit that is executed by the batsman swinging his bat around his body, and following up with a complete body turn, usually pivoting on one foot...works best on a pitch that is moving away from the batsman on his "leg" side.
Late cut: A hit that is executed by a batsman by deflecting the pitch in a slicing motion, just before it reaches the wicket keeper or catcher.
Leg glance A hit consisiting of a deflection around the batsman's legs, of a pitch past the wicket keeper and behind him.
Lofted drive: A drive where the ball is lofted (hit in the air) to clear infield or midfield positions.
Off drive: A drive, which is executed at about a 45-degree angle to the line of the wickets, on the batsman's off side
On drive: A drive, which is executed at about a 45-degree angle to the line of the wickets, on the batsman's on or leg side.
Pull: A hit executed by a batsman "pulling" an offside pitch around his body towards his other (i.e.on, or leg) side.
Square cut: A hit that looks like a slash across the body, used by batsman to hit the ball "square" to his batting position.
Sweep: A hit executed towards his leg or on side, by "sweeping" his bat around his body.
Yorker: An "overpitch" delivery which is thrown so far forward as to bounce right under the batsman's bat, and beat him.
Spin: A kind of pitch, usually delivered at slow speed, where fingers or/and wrist are used to impart spin to the ball to achieve "breaks"; so, spin bowler = a pitcher who uses spin.
Seamer: A faster pitch delivered with the seam straight, and which can "slide" in the air or "break" unexpectedly.
Overpitched delivery: A pitch, which is pitched so far forward that the batsman can reach the point where it bounced by a forward step.
Outswing: A pitch, which moves down and away from the batsman in the air.
Long hop or short pitch: A pitch that is bounced far away from the batsman ( at least 7 to 10 yards away) , so it reaches the batsman after a long hop, or bounce.
Off-break: A pitch, which, after bouncing, "breaks" into the batsman's body from his off side.
Leg break :a pitch that is thrown and breaks into a batsman's body off the bounce, from the batsman's "leg" side.
Inswing: A pitch that moves into a batsman in the air.
Googly: A pitch which is thrown with grip but reverse finger spin to look like a leg-break that should move across and away from the batsman, but actually moves in the opposite direction, i.e. into the batsman, like an off-break, after it bounces.
Good length, or good-length delivery: A pitch which bounces just outside the batsman's maximum forward reach (i.e. 3 to 5 yards from the wickets, depending upon batsman's height).... these pitches are the hardest for a batsman to hit, because he cannot decide whether to step forward anyway, or if he should step back and give himself the maximum distance from the "bounce", to see what the ball might be doing.
Full toss: A pitch that reaches the batsman without a bounce.
Cutter, leg- or off- A fast pitch where a slashing arm action rather than wrist or finger spin is used to get a slight break off the bounce.... depending on the direction of the break, it can be called a leg-cutter or off-cutter.
Chinaman: A left-hander's googly.i.e. A pitch that looks as if it could break into a right-handed batsman on the bounce but breaks away instead.
Bumper: A ball that is bounced high enough to hit a batsman's head or shoulders.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Field positions in CRICKET
Click on the image to enlarge.
There are only eleven men in addition to Umpires and batsmen on the field, but they can be placed in any of the positions.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Usage of verbs in English
These days it is very common to come accross expressions such as "he passes away', 'he dies' in news papers and on TV news channels. Does he pass away or die regularly? The expression 'he dies every day' has a different meaning. Simple present denotes continuity--he goes to school, he goes for a walk.
Another verb that is used in progessive tense is 'continue'.words like continue, hate, love contain in themselves the notion of continuity.
It is not appropriate to say, 'I am hating him' or ' I am loving him'.
Another verb that is used in progessive tense is 'continue'.words like continue, hate, love contain in themselves the notion of continuity.
It is not appropriate to say, 'I am hating him' or ' I am loving him'.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
INDIANOIL-contract labour
In 1970, when I joined Indianoil, there was one DGM, one GM, one Executive Director and one chairman. Branch managers were in E grade, while departmental heads were in D grade and all product managers and District managers were in C grade. These positions have multiplied geometrically. Now there are hundreds of GMs, DGMs and EDs doing the same work that C to F grade officers did in seventies.
On the other hand, each location had a corporation owned car, a driver, who was a regular employee, peons, sweepers and watchmen were also regular employees. In addition there were ALCPs who did most of the hard work in locations and were paid daily wages and were officially engaged only for twenty days a month. Their daily wages were 1/30th of minimum salary of a lowest grade workman. Guesthouses also had regular employees as cooks and attendents.
Sometime in eightys most of the peons, drivers, and watchmen were redesignated and sent to terminals or depots as Jr operators or operaters depending on their scale of pay, age and health profile. The old continued and retired subsequently. Cars were sold off. Cars were hired from travel agencies on tender basis. Contractors, who were ex army officers, provided watchmen. Most of the watchmen were ex army jawans.
Similarly, housekeeping contract took care of sweeper, attendant requirements. Official estimates were prepared based on number of persons a contractor would engage and pay wages based on minimum wages act. These measures drastically reduced the expenses of the corporation.
The contractor’s work force is not in the organised sector. They are paid according to the minimum wages act of respective state. No family of even three members can manage food, shelter, clothing and schooling within the amount paid under minimum wages act. This is one part. The second part is exploitation of these workers by regular emploees of the corporation. These ill paid workers work for more than twelve hours a day. The unionised regular workers exploit them the most. They make these workers do some work of their’s as well.
This has happened in all PSUs, MNCs and high profit earning IT companies. While regular employees get high salaries, these workmen of the contractors are ill paid and overworked.
This is the present day slavery—economic slavery.
On the other hand, each location had a corporation owned car, a driver, who was a regular employee, peons, sweepers and watchmen were also regular employees. In addition there were ALCPs who did most of the hard work in locations and were paid daily wages and were officially engaged only for twenty days a month. Their daily wages were 1/30th of minimum salary of a lowest grade workman. Guesthouses also had regular employees as cooks and attendents.
Sometime in eightys most of the peons, drivers, and watchmen were redesignated and sent to terminals or depots as Jr operators or operaters depending on their scale of pay, age and health profile. The old continued and retired subsequently. Cars were sold off. Cars were hired from travel agencies on tender basis. Contractors, who were ex army officers, provided watchmen. Most of the watchmen were ex army jawans.
Similarly, housekeeping contract took care of sweeper, attendant requirements. Official estimates were prepared based on number of persons a contractor would engage and pay wages based on minimum wages act. These measures drastically reduced the expenses of the corporation.
The contractor’s work force is not in the organised sector. They are paid according to the minimum wages act of respective state. No family of even three members can manage food, shelter, clothing and schooling within the amount paid under minimum wages act. This is one part. The second part is exploitation of these workers by regular emploees of the corporation. These ill paid workers work for more than twelve hours a day. The unionised regular workers exploit them the most. They make these workers do some work of their’s as well.
This has happened in all PSUs, MNCs and high profit earning IT companies. While regular employees get high salaries, these workmen of the contractors are ill paid and overworked.
This is the present day slavery—economic slavery.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Being Idle is not doing nothing
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in its Society at a Glance survey, reports ’the business of leisure is an art that the French seem to have perfected. They don't earmark time over the weekend and indulge in leisure with the religious zeal of, say, the Americans. Rather, they weave leisure into their everyday lives, enhancing its quality. Well, if they sleep a lot and take time off during the workday for long lunches, the French must have a poor work ethic. Right? Wrong. They are a hardworking bunch and a very productive one at that too. An International Labour Organisation (ILO) report puts them on par with Americans in terms of productivity’.
And further says, ‘It's a myth that people who devote more time to leisure than others are slackers. But reality is different. For instance, the OECD report reveals that Norwegians spend the maximum time on leisure. And guess what? The ILO report pegs them at the very top on the productivity chart. Clearly, there is truth in the wisdom that a healthy work-life balance boosts productivity and makes for better quality of life.’
It was R L Stevenson who wrote ‘an apology for idlers.’ He says ‘ idleness does not consist in doing nothing.’ For a civilization to advance idleness or leisure is necessary.
Bertrand Russell in his article, ‘in praise of idleness’ says, ‘I want to say, in all seriousness, that a great deal of harm is being done in the modern world by belief in the virtuousness Of WORK, and that the road to happiness and prosperity lies in an organized diminution of work.’
Bonnie Ulman and Robert Simmerman, PhD, who run the Haystack Group in Atlanta, tell WebMD that super or hyper exhaustion is a phenomenon of the last 10 years. "What we've found is that unlike burnout and stress of the '70s and early '80s, super exhaustion has several qualities that resemble a virus. First it does seem to be 'catching,' psychologically," says Simmerman.
He says, for example, that a super-exhausted husband who is physically and mentally depleted will 'spread' the 'virus' to his wife, who will then become 'depleted.' Mom and Dad will both spread it to children. "When that happens, there is really no place for these people to go to become replenished," he says.
Our own Narayan Murthy has this to say, ‘Being in the office long hours, over long periods of time, makes way for potential errors. My colleagues who are in the office long hours frequently make mistakes caused by fatigue. Correcting these mistakes requires their time as well as the time and energy of others. I have seen people work Tuesday through Friday to correct mistakes made after 5 PM on Monday.
Another problem is that people who are in the office long hours are not pleasant company. They often complain about other people (who aren't working as hard); they are irritable, or cranky, or even angry. Other people avoid them. Such behaviour poses problems, where work goes much better when people work together instead of avoiding one another. As Managers, there are things we can do to help people leave the office.’
It is during the idle time that you think freely and independently. It is during the idle time that new ideas are born. I think that is what Stevenson means when he says ‘ idleness does not consist in doing nothing.’
According to CEM Joad being civilised means:
1)Creating and or appreciating things beautiful
2)Thinking freely and living rightly
3)Maintaining justice and equality
One can hardly meet the requirements of Joad if there is no time from work. Entire life should not be spent in bread-earning activity.
I have come across many people who feel proud saying ‘ I am workoholic’. They think it is a virtue to be workoholic. There are many who say, ‘ time in the office is not enough, so I carry files home’. There are still others who make lives of subordinates miserable telephoning regularly late evenings.
An efficient manager is one who finishes his work within the time frame. Time is also an essential input. What is stress? Stress is the result of doing something beyond one’s capabilities.
Advice by the seniors is, work hard to fulfill your ambition. What a turn! In the classical age ambition was a tragic flaw. Macbeth’s tragic flaw was his ambition.
Many have read this poem while at school.
Leisure
W. H. Davies
WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
And further says, ‘It's a myth that people who devote more time to leisure than others are slackers. But reality is different. For instance, the OECD report reveals that Norwegians spend the maximum time on leisure. And guess what? The ILO report pegs them at the very top on the productivity chart. Clearly, there is truth in the wisdom that a healthy work-life balance boosts productivity and makes for better quality of life.’
It was R L Stevenson who wrote ‘an apology for idlers.’ He says ‘ idleness does not consist in doing nothing.’ For a civilization to advance idleness or leisure is necessary.
Bertrand Russell in his article, ‘in praise of idleness’ says, ‘I want to say, in all seriousness, that a great deal of harm is being done in the modern world by belief in the virtuousness Of WORK, and that the road to happiness and prosperity lies in an organized diminution of work.’
Bonnie Ulman and Robert Simmerman, PhD, who run the Haystack Group in Atlanta, tell WebMD that super or hyper exhaustion is a phenomenon of the last 10 years. "What we've found is that unlike burnout and stress of the '70s and early '80s, super exhaustion has several qualities that resemble a virus. First it does seem to be 'catching,' psychologically," says Simmerman.
He says, for example, that a super-exhausted husband who is physically and mentally depleted will 'spread' the 'virus' to his wife, who will then become 'depleted.' Mom and Dad will both spread it to children. "When that happens, there is really no place for these people to go to become replenished," he says.
Our own Narayan Murthy has this to say, ‘Being in the office long hours, over long periods of time, makes way for potential errors. My colleagues who are in the office long hours frequently make mistakes caused by fatigue. Correcting these mistakes requires their time as well as the time and energy of others. I have seen people work Tuesday through Friday to correct mistakes made after 5 PM on Monday.
Another problem is that people who are in the office long hours are not pleasant company. They often complain about other people (who aren't working as hard); they are irritable, or cranky, or even angry. Other people avoid them. Such behaviour poses problems, where work goes much better when people work together instead of avoiding one another. As Managers, there are things we can do to help people leave the office.’
It is during the idle time that you think freely and independently. It is during the idle time that new ideas are born. I think that is what Stevenson means when he says ‘ idleness does not consist in doing nothing.’
According to CEM Joad being civilised means:
1)Creating and or appreciating things beautiful
2)Thinking freely and living rightly
3)Maintaining justice and equality
One can hardly meet the requirements of Joad if there is no time from work. Entire life should not be spent in bread-earning activity.
I have come across many people who feel proud saying ‘ I am workoholic’. They think it is a virtue to be workoholic. There are many who say, ‘ time in the office is not enough, so I carry files home’. There are still others who make lives of subordinates miserable telephoning regularly late evenings.
An efficient manager is one who finishes his work within the time frame. Time is also an essential input. What is stress? Stress is the result of doing something beyond one’s capabilities.
Advice by the seniors is, work hard to fulfill your ambition. What a turn! In the classical age ambition was a tragic flaw. Macbeth’s tragic flaw was his ambition.
Many have read this poem while at school.
Leisure
W. H. Davies
WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Elections 2009
Majority of people in India are intelligent and can ‘read between the lines’. To be educated and intelligent one need not be literate. Ofcourse literacy is a source of education, if the education is only through the print. Today audiovisual media is a great source of education.
Majority of Hindus are secular. And that is how India has remained secular.
Urban literate (I am deliberately not using the word educated) middle class is not really secular. You can visit ‘Rediff’ discussion boards if you do not believe me.
BJP managed to exploit religious gullibility of the masses once. There after they have failed.
BJP’s agenda for 2009 elections was, uniform civil code (I want uniform civil code, but not imposition of some code in the name of uniformity), construction of Ram mandir, Rama rajya, abrogation of article that provides special status to Kashmir and doing away with ‘pseudo secularism’. BJP also made it clear that these promises could not be implemented in a coalition government.
Why did they get into coalition? They should have fought the election on their own if they really wanted to implement all that they stood for. One possibility is they do not really believe in what they say. May be they thought all Hindus were like those urban literate middle class. Thanks to audiovisual media Indians can ‘read between the lines’.
There has been a social change. Members of the caste, who are at the bottom rung of Hindu social ladder within the fourfold Hindu society, have acquired wealth and power.
They resist being labelled number four. They have made their presecne noticeable in every political party. This has resulted in top three rungs showing uneasiness. While other parties have accepted social change, BJP remains upper caste at the top. BJP could unite all the castes just once. It remains to be seen whether they can do it again. The bottom rung is a very complex caste. There are innumerable groups within this caste, which makes it difficult to bring them together. Each group is a vote bank. Strangely the expression ‘vote bank’ is used only where Muslims are concerned.
Majority of Hindus are secular. And that is how India has remained secular.
Urban literate (I am deliberately not using the word educated) middle class is not really secular. You can visit ‘Rediff’ discussion boards if you do not believe me.
BJP managed to exploit religious gullibility of the masses once. There after they have failed.
BJP’s agenda for 2009 elections was, uniform civil code (I want uniform civil code, but not imposition of some code in the name of uniformity), construction of Ram mandir, Rama rajya, abrogation of article that provides special status to Kashmir and doing away with ‘pseudo secularism’. BJP also made it clear that these promises could not be implemented in a coalition government.
Why did they get into coalition? They should have fought the election on their own if they really wanted to implement all that they stood for. One possibility is they do not really believe in what they say. May be they thought all Hindus were like those urban literate middle class. Thanks to audiovisual media Indians can ‘read between the lines’.
There has been a social change. Members of the caste, who are at the bottom rung of Hindu social ladder within the fourfold Hindu society, have acquired wealth and power.
They resist being labelled number four. They have made their presecne noticeable in every political party. This has resulted in top three rungs showing uneasiness. While other parties have accepted social change, BJP remains upper caste at the top. BJP could unite all the castes just once. It remains to be seen whether they can do it again. The bottom rung is a very complex caste. There are innumerable groups within this caste, which makes it difficult to bring them together. Each group is a vote bank. Strangely the expression ‘vote bank’ is used only where Muslims are concerned.
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