The greatest entertainer - Chris Gayle

Just when I started following and enjoying cricket, I was reminded of an innings played by the great Kapil Dev where he had scored 175 runs and I could not accept it and used to tell myself that it was just not possible. I was then a witness to single innings score of 400 by Brian Lara and I was shocked. The we had this 200 from our very own Sachin Tendulkar in an ODI and I thought that this was a record that was never going to be broken. But that was easily overhauled by Sehwag. But what has happened today is beyond imagination and I am sure no body would have believed it. 175 in a 20 over game by an individual with 17 sixes and 13 fours and in only 65 balls.

 

I am speechless and have no words to describe what has just happened. I cannot still believe that we have seen a 100 being scored in just 30 balls. I was just reading through an article on cricinfo and I think it describes the entire episode very aptly. Gayle smashed the fastest century in the format, brought off 30 balls; made the highest individual T20 score (175 not out); struck the most sixes by a batsman in a T20 innings (17); helped Royal Challengers Bangalore hit the most sixes for a team in a T20 innings (21) and reach the highest total in T20 cricket (263).

It was an exhibition to say the least and I consider Chris Gayle to be the greatest entertainer and one of the best ambassadors to the game of cricket. I have always been an ardent follower of this master mind and have loved the way he entertains the world with his craftsmanship and also the gangnam style dance that he does. I have already written a couple of posts about him, you can read them here and here. I was in office when history was being written so I could not witness it all live but the fact that it has actually happened has not yet sunk it.

 

I do not think there is more that needs to be said about this spectacle that the world has just witnessed. It is going to remain in the hearts of all the people who had witnessed one of the most destructive innings that the game of cricket has ever seen or will ever see (I keep my fingers crossed). Till we see another spectacle...

       

Lalit 'FIX' Sharma - pundit of the modern era !

I grew up in a card board box suspended on the edge of St Kilda Pier with a penguin who until I was nine I thought was my brother. If you read this anywhere you can safely assume that this is Lalit that I am talking about. On a more serious note, he is my colleague at RBS and one of my finest mates from my professional career. To know him better you can visit him on LinkedIn or Facebook. 

 

His activities, the way he treats life, his ideologies, methodologies, the way he approaches a problem and the ease with which he works has literally forced me to write this post. I owe you this one. Apologies in advance for having stolen his picture and for letting out some of his secrets.

 

To cut the long story short, we have been working on several FIX connections or sessions and he has been the person driving that within our team and now we consider him as the FIX expert hence the name Lalit FIX Sharma. He believes if you want to be an expert on fix you must know Cameron and he is himself trying to go that path and learn all about it (this is soleley his theory). But that is not all for which he has made it to the privileged few who make it to my blog, there is much more to Lalit than FIX.

 

He is happily married, to the love of his life, and has a darling son to be proud of. He is one of the most energetic engineers that I have ever come across. He is always game for fun, sports (recently was part of the team that won the football tournament), and drinks. He is one of those ardent followers of freshly brewed beer that I would not be shocked if they put up his picture right next to the entry at his favourite place Vapour.

 

For me a man is known by the books he reads, by the company he keeps, by the praise he gives, by his dress, by his tastes, by his distastes, by the stories he tells, by his gait, by the notion of his eye, by the look of his house, of his chamber.  All of you who know him will agree that he does not fulfill all of the above requirements of being a perfect man but if you are Lalit you need not be perfect. He has his own way of doing things, which may not be the most elegant way of doing it but certainly the most effective way. He is a bit disorganised theoretically, specially the way he keeps his money in his wallet (every time I look at it I want to fix it for him). He for me is the perfect man to carry the tag line do not try to straighten my mess, you may end up fouling the system.

 

You are a true friend and if one was to believe in Oprah's definition of a friend, lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down, you need not go any farther than Lalit. I have been lucky enough to have known you, and worked with you. We have shared lots of things related to our professional life and not so professional life. We have laughed over several things, best being the joke around the 'Hotel' that we went. We have shared our anger,  disgust and disappointments. We have criticised people, abused them, praised a few and most importantly we have been friends. Thank you mate you have been a true friend and colleague and the best part is that the journey has just begun.  

St. Mary's Convent Allahabad will miss you

Starting 1974 when most of us were not even planned, a lady started her job as a teacher in one of the most reputed schools of Allahabad, St Mary's Convent. And this was after a good resistance that she put up because she did not want to become a teacher. But she never knew that a journey that she started just because she was pushed hard by her parents and family would last for 39 long years. Yes you read it right 39 longs years. She called it up end of March this year (2013) thus completing one of the longest tenure that I have ever heard about. If you are wondering how do I know so much about this lady and her life, let me tell you that this is the story of my mother Mrs. Chanchal Srivastava.

 

I feel very proud of the fact that I have been given a reason that I am actually writing this salutation note to my mother and arguably the best Biology that Allahabad has ever seen. I have known her students who came to visit her on a Parent's Teachers meeting because the daughter (of my mother's student) was know a student of my mother. I have met girls whom my mother has taught and I can see the glow when they talk to my mom and could only feel how proud would she feel if someone who she taught some 20 - 25 years ago still comes to meet her and gives her the same sort of respect. For me my mother has been one of the biggest inspiration and she still remains someone who I respect not only because she is my mother but also because she has been an exceptional servant to the institution of education. I am reminded of a quote I read somewhere "I only wish to aspire to the things you’ve achieved. Telling you that you’re appreciated does not do your service justice. You’re the best!"

All of you who might have known her would agree with me when I say that she has always been dedicated to her profession and never let her family come into the way of her profession. With two little kids, one of which was me, it was hard to manage things on personal and professional front but I am amazed at how soothingly she handled everything. 

 

I have been taught by teachers who have been students of my mother and the respect they had for me gave me a sense of how much they must have loved and respected my mother. I even remember talking to one of her students, who also happens to be teacher, telling me that "people come and ask me if they should go for biology or not and I tell them if it is Mrs Srivastava then you should not give it a second thought". I know number of her students who are now successful doctors and the experience that they share with me when we talk about my mother makes me feel so blessed that I am born as a son to this legend.

 

I would like to conclude saying that no words of appreciation are good enough and "If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is Thank You. It will be still not be enough." I wish you all the best Maa.