The end of an era

(“The world will never be the same again")

The world came to a standstill and suffered an inconsolable loss on June 25 when the King of Pop and the biggest superstar in our generation Michael Jackson breathed his last. Just days before a performance in London, which would mark his comeback after a tumultuous phase in his career, the enigmatic pop-star died supposedly of cardiac arrest in California. The demise was so sudden that the global community was overwhelmed with shock and disbelief. He was just 50.

For his fans, Michael was the musical god. He was a messenger of music who transcended boundaries. Once called ‘the most famous man on the planet’, Michael was not just a genius but a magnetic persona.

He was a man who revolutionised entertainment in a never-before way. Right from his performances as a part of the ‘Jackson five’ as a five-year old, Michael’s genius was there to be seen. He was so involved in music and rhythm that he soon ceased to be just an extraordinary singer, and achieved unscalable heights that other artists could only dream of. The hat, a single glove, white socks and black loafers, his gravity defying dance – Michael’s aura was so captivating that he became a kind of property that everyone wanted to own. His albums and on-stage performances were the spreaders of Western Culture in all pockets of the globe, and his music reverberated everywhere. His influence to music and the world was so immense and multi-dimensional that it is even said Elvis Presley, the man who could be called Michael’s predecessor in some ways, couldn’t match his popularity.

Michael was mysterious. His white face achieved through plastic surgery became a most weird form of his old self, and made him look alien-like, which along with his dazzling attire and inconceivable self-invented dance styles, was like witnessing some kind of magic. Although always under public eye, his psyche could never be fathomed.

He lived in a rarified world which he could only identify with. A perfectionist, he was never totally satisfied with his feats in the entertainment world and always re-invented himself. He was so obsessed about his profession that he could never keep his public life stable. In magnitude he was such a big star that he could not live up to the responsibilities and precautions that are fundamental to keep his public image under check.

Before his highly anticipated third solo album after ‘Thriller’ in 1982, which still stands as the best selling album in History, a Guinness World Record, Michael’s face began to grow paler. It was rumoured that he had bleached his face to have achieved this, which he clarified to have been because of disease vitiligo, makeup and stage lighting among other reasons. In the ‘90’s his face had grown milky white- a stark contrast from the lovely dark boy he was in ‘Off the Wall’ and ‘Thriller’. Needless to say, he faced criticism from many quarters, but a deeper gauge into his mindset would convey to us that it never involved any racist connotation. Michael, with his face wanted to become a seemingly supernatural star, someone who could catch everyone’s imagination. His plastic surgeries went awry and disfigured his face a little more than he would have liked, but in the end he achieved what he wanted – he became a numinous ghost who could defy all human logic. His persona on stage was indeed paranormal to the point of insanity.

The insanity, however, became a feature of him in his off-stage public life. His line of work had so consumed him that he couldn’t mature in the other facets of life. His bizarre behaviour noted by the intolerant American media, earned him the nickname ‘Wacko Jacko’. The emotional artist that he was, he endured a traumatic phase of living in his latter years, laughed at by many for his eccentric ways and ridiculed for his controversies. It seemed no one wanted to see him smile again. The criminal accusations against him were all proved false in 2005, but by that time, his image was tarnished. Divorced by both of his wives, Michael for the last ten years lived alone with his kids. Yet he had billions of loyal fans, those who stuck with him through thick and thin. Uri Geller, one of his close friends, confessed, “I had once asked him, ‘Michael, are you a lonely man?’ He took ten seconds to answer, before replying in pain ‘Yes, I’m a very lonely man.’ There was no one whom he could confide in.” His display of affection for people and humanity was taken differently by different people.

Michael was on the threshold of a comeback in the 02 Arena in London on July 13, which would make the globe relive the moonwalk, and experience the past glory one more time. Fate, however, had different things in store for him, and for his devastated fans.

For much of his magical career spanning four decades, Michael was always involved in charity-work.

His statistics were mind boggling. He sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Guinness Book of World Records recognised him as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and "Thriller" as the Biggest Selling Album of All Time. Michael won 13 Grammy Awards and received the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award. These figures, however, are incompetent in gauging the achievement of Michael Jackson and the ripples he created in the entire planet.

He was given the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

Michael had once said, “This world we live in is the dance of the creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye, but the dance lives on.” Indeed, Michael came and went in the twinkling of an eye.

But his legacy will live on forever. For his contribution to music, Michael Jackson is immortal. As one of his fans tearfully said, “The world will never be the same again”.

Pakistan leave woes behind, lift cup

An all-round display by Pakistan led by Shahid Afridi won them the final as they defeated an off-colour Sri Lanka in the Finals to lift the T20 World Cup on June 21. The swashbuckling cricketer almost single-handedly guided the Pakistan chase after a superb bowling performance to be declared the man of the match. Unpredictability and uncertainty in Pakistan cricket, however, did not cease as Younis Khan resigned from captaincy with immediate effect.

Electing to bat first, Sri Lanka suffered early setbacks. The inform Dilshan was found lacking in facing the rising delivery which was used to good effect by Mohammed Aamer. He ultimately mistimed a hook and gifted his wicket away in the first over. Pakistan looked like a side hungry to win as the trio of Mohammed Aamer, Abdul Razzaq and Umar Gul along with spinners Ajmal and Afridi gave nothing away to put the islanders under pressure right from the very first delivery. The fearsome Jayasurya and Jayawardene too did not last long as the Lankans were a dismal 34 for 4 at the end of the powerplay. It was as if Pakistan had clearly thought of a perfect strategy to strangulate Sri Lanka and professionally went about affecting their game plan. Sangakkara restored some parity with a responsible innings of an unbeaten 64, first cutting out all risks to stabilise the ship, and then accelerating towards the end with Angelo Mathews. Mathews’ explosive 35 off 24 deliveries helped them bring some respectability to their total, and Sangakkara’s team ended up with a modest 138 to give the bowlers some chance.

The much hyped Lankan attack, headed by the three ‘M’s – Murali, Mendis and Malinga – could not live upto its reputation as Pakistan batted with controlled aggression to annihilate their assault. The steadiness and composure with which Afridi and company went about their chase was so uncharacteristic of Pakistan – it epitomised the positive outlook the team seemed to have developed towards the latter stages of the tournament. Earlier, Akmal with some breathtaking shots and Shahzaib put on 48 runs for the first wicket, and from thereon it was an Afridi show. Afridi took a lot of singles in his innings of 54, and chose the right moments to go after the bowling. The way he handled the most formidable attack of the tournament was a pleasure to watch, as he batted till the end to hit the winning runs and stand triumphant with his bat and helmet in the two hands of his, like a warlord who had just conquered the world.

For years other nations have expressed their fears in touring the trouble-torn nation, and after the attacks on Lankan cricketers in Lahore earlier this year, it was feared that Pakistan would be removed from the cricketing map. The win left nightmares of its loss to India in 2007 behind, and ensured that the people there had something to cheer about amidst endless misery. Afridi’s coming back of form after a miserable couple of years with the bat made the victory even sweeter, and augurs well for the team.

Younis said in the post-match presentation that it was ‘a gift’ for his countrymen back home. He appealed to the whole cricketing world to remove all inhibitions and tour their country, for without international cricket in Pakistan the future of the sport in the nation would be in jeopardy. “Everybody knows [the situation in Pakistan is] not good but it's not our [the players] fault. Youngsters, especially, need home series because if there is no cricket in Pakistan how can we motivate the youngsters, especially the school level and college level? So I think this will help to build us a new structure in Pakistan,” he said. The 32-year old closed the press conference that followed with a stunner – announcing his decision to quit captaincy, which he later reportedly attributed to his being ‘too old for Twenty20 cricket’.

Even though Lankans were tamed easily, Sangakkara was extremely proud of his teammates. “We’ve had a great tournament and I’m proud of the way the team played and the attitude it showed,” he said.

The next World T20 will take place in West Indies in April, 2010.

End of a fairy tale

“It helps me keep in touch, and makes me feel like man of the match,” is what MS Dhoni confesses in an advertisement on television, referring to services of a cellular provider. Ironically, his performances on the field are nowadays never worthy of a ‘man of the match’ award. For a couple of years no one has questioned his outrageousness or lack of form – it was after all he who had elevated the Indian team to such great heights as the world champions and winners of the bilateral series in Australia. During his tenure as the captain till this shameful debacle a few days ago, it was astonishing to realise that he got away with each and every decision that he took. In other words, he had an amazing foresight.

Many would agree that he had to fall someday, and hard. Call it overconfidence, fatigue, lack of motivation or team spirit, or a combination of all of them, the Indian team right since its warm-up match against New Zealand never looked like a side hungry to win. It appeared a congregation of world-class players who tried to save their reputations more than anything else, while trying to ease the pressure off themselves as the defending champions.

The attitude was a stark contrast to that of the underdogs they were in the inaugural edition of World T20 two years ago. The largely unknown Indian team then without any of its famous stars played fearlessly, and with right positiveness and aggression. Dhoni utilised his opportunity to take charge of the team to perfection, as every team member gave it his all. New stars were born in the likes of Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa, and there were others like Sehwag who made the best use of this chance to get back into reckoning. It all started with the bowl-out victory against Pakistan – a game that we miraculously seized from them. It provided the side a boost which proved a catalyst in our ultimate triumph.

Dhoni’s fairy tale started from there. He began taking bold decisions which invariably always paid off. Indeed the whole of India was awed by the man with the ‘Midas touch’. He was said to be unruffled at all situations, a thinker who could foresee like no other. He led the Indian side to victory in two straight finals against the Aussies in the bilateral 50-over competition in their own backyard, as if it was no big deal. Such a sensation he had become that Chennai Super Kings had to shell out six crores – more than for any other cricketer by any other franchise - to pouch him in the auction for the Indian Premier League.

He had the nerve of opting out of the test series against Sri Lanka last year, citing fatigue for having played ‘too much cricket’ as the reason. When the BCCI announces the side for any upcoming series, each selected member of the squad is supposed to honour and justify his selection, as there are numerous aspirants who are left fuming, and who would desperately want to be selected and prove their worth. Needless to say, it was a slap on BCCI’s cheek, who on their part decided to remain quiet and in fact respect our wonder boy’s decision.

He returned to captain the Indian side in the one-dayers that followed, and India won once again. Later in the year, Dhoni led his side to a convincing series victory against Australia at home, a series which saw Kumble and a hurt Sourav Ganguly playing their last for India. New faces filled up the ranks and coast was clear for him – there would be no one whose ego he would have to handle, who could question his decisions or who could challenge his supremacy in the near future.


During all those tough series against the top cricketing nations in the world, Dhoni was said to have brought to the team the aura of invincibility. Though his form with the bat faded gradually, the team kept performing and delivering the goods. He started appearing in too many advertisements on television, and devoted sufficient time for modelling. He even conjured up enough cheek to dishonour the national awards by being absent during the award ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan earlier this year, for reportedly commercial priorities. Yet his aura did not fade, and his brethren at Ranchi continued to religiously worship their favourite deity.

Even when his attitude came under the scanner quite a number of times, his ‘cool’ behaviour and team’s outstanding performances always bailed him out.

Not this time, however. As India lost to an exuberant England by 3 runs, his critics finally found their voices.

Many tactical mistakes and disastrous judgements in crucial moments came to the fore. The altering of Yuvraj’s batting number, the promotion of Jadeja to the top order in the game against England and the dropping of Ojha in crunch matches were baffling decisions and lacked logic. In the game against the Windies, he scored an 11 ball 23, slow even by Test standards. Rumours about strife between Sehwag and himself saw him lose his cool in front of the media at the start of the tournament, which did not exactly prove a good omen. Everything seemed to be falling apart for him.

More than the strategic mistakes however, it was the body language that was unbearable to watch. Nothing could have been more painful for the Indian supporter than to witness the casualness and lack of intensity among the so-called ‘superstars’. It was evident that this status that they enjoyed proved to be fatal. The defeat and exit from the World Cup only brought them, led by our ‘Captain Cool’, falling to the earth.

Dhoni must have realised by now that no one can be bigger than the game. India has infinite cricketing talent. If needed, Dhoni can be replaced by any new face, who may prove to be better than him. As we hope for a transformation in outlook from the person, it is times like these that we realise the worth of greats like Kumble or a Gilchrist – purely because of the approach towards their game, and respect for their country.

Burma in anticipation

The desperate steps taken by the military government in Burma to detain Aung San Suu Kyi has only made the voices calling for her release louder. However, the constant pressure on them from the United Nations and many other countries and societies all around the world have yet failed to bring about a fair end to the ‘fake trial’. As the world awaits the verdict with bated breath, the people of Burma live in anticipation, fear, hope and despair.

India’s indifference to the whole issue is alarming since it involves its own interests. Also, being the largest democracy in the world and a proud protector of human rights, the silence from India is unfathomable. A petition has been sent to the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister of India only yesterday on behalf of 118 Indian M.P.s to urge the government to help Burma. It remains to be seen whether it has any effect.

“India’s patience is admirable,” remarks Dr. Tint Swe, an exiled Member of Parliament of National League for Democracy (NLD), who has lived in India for the past 19 years and has failed in his attempts to make the Indian government act. “India thrives on petty party politics. The moment a political party offers a supporting hand to you, the opposition party will decide not to. Further, it is nearly impossible to seek an appointment with the top authorities here,” he fumes. Like millions of other Burmese nationals, he wants the agony to end, and end quickly.

There are more than 2100 odd political prisoners living in the worst possible conditions in the jails in Burma. Three M.P.s have already died in custody due to the torture. The public is weak and afraid, and desperately in need of change.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s release thus becomes quintessential in order to restore the long lost democracy in the country, through non-violent means.

The daughter of democracy, who has selflessly fought for a secure and prosperous future for her countrymen, is currently kept in the infamous Insein Prison during the course of her trial. Not allowed a single visitor apart from her witnesses, she is cut off from the rest of the world. Foreign ambassadors who have witnessed the trial have themselves confessed that the verdict seems predetermined.

San Suu Kyi was alleged to have welcomed a visitor to her home, thus violating the terms of her house arrest. American John William Yettaw is said to have been received by her and offered food and drink. Sources suggest that the ‘visitor’ was not stopped at the gate by the guards, who on their part deny having seen him entering her gate.

“The regime is clearly afraid that her release would cause their downfall. It is simple – they want to keep her out of active politics for as long as possible,” says Dr. Tint Swe, who hopes against hope that the pressure from the world community as a whole would compel the officials to announce the judgment in her favour.

The Burmese people are unable to effect a united opposition since the military regime crushes the uprisings with a heavy hand. Even then, there are found slogans on government institutions demanding the release of Suu Kyi in Rangoon and other cities in the nation.

It is clear that mere vocal support is not enough. Till San Suu Kyi remains in prison and countries like India do not interfere in the ‘internal affairs’ of the country, it is feared that the fate of Burma will remain that of Zimbabwe.