Sixteen years after South Africa spoiled their party in the opening match of the 2010 World Cup and perhaps the greatest start to a World Cup, Mexico finally got one back, defeating Bafana Bafana 2-0 in the opening game of the 2026 FIFA world cup tournament. The 39 day global carnival of the beautiful game is here.

South Korea have started with a win. The United States have put four past Paraguay. Canada have dropped points.

And yet, two days into the World Cup, it still feels like we're watching the trailers before the main feature.

Brazil are only just stepping onto the stage. My favourite Germany haven't kicked a ball.

Spain, France, England and Argentina are all waiting in the wings. The big boys are arriving.

But while scrolling through World Cup updates today, I stumbled upon something that sounds completely made up. Something I read about a few years back then forgot because it is that bizarre and makes little sense.

Apparently, there is another World Cup happening right now. One that has been running continuously for more than 150 years.

One where tomorrow's Australia vs Turkey match could decide who becomes world champion. A championship title that Kosovo held a while back (Kosovo have naver played in a FIFA World Cup game).

And almost nobody is talking about it.

The Championship That Refuses to End

The concept is called the Unofficial Football World Championship (UFWC).

The rules are beautifully simple. Whoever beats the champion becomes the champion.

That's it.

No qualifiers.

No group stages.

No draw ceremonies.

No executives announcing that the tournament has been expanded from 32 teams to 48 teams because apparently the world wasn't chaotic enough already.

Just beat the champion.

The title traces its roots back to the earliest international football matches in the 19th century and has been passed from team to team ever since.

Probably football's version of the Elder Wand. The power belongs to whoever defeats the current owner.

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So Who Holds It Right Now?

Turkey.

Not Argentina.

Not France.

Not Germany.

Turkey.

And that is precisely why I love this concept. The UFWC doesn't care about reputation. It doesn't care how many World Cups you've won. It doesn't care about FIFA rankings.

It only cares about one thing:

Did you beat the champion?

If the answer is yes, congratulations.

You are now world champion.

At least according to a small but surprisingly dedicated group of football statisticians.

Why Tomorrow's Match Matters?

Tomorrow morning, Turkey play Australia in Group D. Most people will see it as an important opening fixture. But hidden beneath the actual tournament is another storyline.

Turkey enter the match as the holders of the UFWC title.

If they win, they keep it. If the draw, they keep it.

If Australia win, they become the new unofficial world champions.

The Socceroos have actually worn this invisible crown before, albeit briefly. A victory tomorrow would make them two-time holders of a title that most Australian football fans probably don't know exists.

Imagine waking up tomorrow and finding out Australia are world champions.

Just not FIFA world champions.

Football is weird sometimes definitely beautiful.

The Secret Side Quest of Every World Cup

What I enjoy most about the UFWC is that it turns ordinary matches into title fights.

A friendly in March? Potential championship match.

A qualifier in Asia? Potential championship match.

A World Cup group game? Potential championship match. And an actual FIFA World Cup final might be meaningless for the UFWC.

Suddenly, football has a hidden side quest running in the background. The official World Cup is about finding the best team over a month-long tournament.

The UFWC is about following a single thread through 150 years of football history and seeing where it leads.

Sometimes it leads to Brazil.

Sometimes it leads to Germany.

Sometimes it leads to Turkey.

And tomorrow morning, it might lead to Australia.

The opening days of the 2026 World Cup have already produced stories.

Mexico got their revenge.

The United States made a statement.

South Korea announced themselves.

Now Brazil, Germany, Spain, France, England and Argentina are preparing to enter the tournament.

The race for the biggest trophy in football is only beginning.

But hidden inside the World Cup is another competition.

One with no trophy. No medal ceremony. No sponsorship deals. No official recognition.

Just an invisible title that has been travelling from country to country since before the World Cup even existed.

And by the time the tournament ends, there is every chance that football's official world champions and unofficial world champions will be two completely different teams.

Because somewhere, quietly, football's oldest championship just keeps going.

P.S. Visit my website for some fun content.

Written by Abhinav Mishra. More at abhibolega.github.io

​It was a quiet morning and I could hear the horn of the daily passenger train passing the nearby railway line. Suddenly I heard a bell from a bicycle. It was the black Avon with a rear carrier and a basket in the front containing different newspapers in multiple languages.

Two papers were slid through my door. I picked up my usual one and flipped straight to the back side. I opened the second last page and there it was. The endless world of sports was summarized in those last two pages. There was the amazing century by Sachin and the gritty defensive show by Dravid. I saw the magical illusions of Warne and the fireballs of Lee.

​There were no phones and television was limited. The back side was my road to exploration.

I found the unsolvable crosswords and the Menace of little Dennis. There was the Sarcasm of Garfield and the Unbelievables by Mr. Ripley.​

I scanned the schedules for my favorite shows, the Pokémons and the Power Rangers. I read the interesting stories sent in by some strangers.

​I saw the funny ads, the goods and the bads. There were business and political bouncers, combined with some local sponsors.

The journey was truly amazing.

I am thankful I woke up early that summer morning. While the whole world slept, I completed a voyage.

And it all started from the back side of the newspaper.

Written by Abhinav Mishra. More at abhibolega.github.io

Purchase requisitions were raised, materials were ordered, deliveries were received, and procurement teams followed up with vendors. While all this information existed, it was largely being used only for operational record-keeping.

However, hidden within these records was information that could potentially help answer questions such as:

• How long does a particular material usually take to arrive?

• Which items have the longest procurement lead times?

• When should a purchase requisition be raised to avoid stockouts?

• Can historical procurement data help estimate future delivery dates?

These questions led me to develop a spreadsheet-based Procurement Lead-Time and Inventory Planning System.

Why Build It?

The objective was not to replace an ERP system or create a sophisticated supply chain solution.

The goal was much simpler:

1. Maintain a structured record of procurement requests.

2. Capture actual procurement lead times.

3. Build a historical database of delivery performance.

4. Use historical data to estimate expected delivery dates.

5. Support inventory planning using information that was already available.

The solution was intentionally built using spreadsheets because they were accessible, familiar to plant personnel, and could be maintained without requiring specialized software or technical expertise.

The Importance of Data Collection

The project began with a simple habit.

Every procurement request was recorded along with relevant information such as:

• Material description

• Item code

• Purchase requisition date

• Delivery date

• Procurement lead time

• Store location

Initially, the spreadsheet served only as a record-keeping system.

Over time, as more entries were collected, it gradually became a useful source of procurement intelligence.

This highlighted an important lesson: before attempting to analyze data, organizations must first develop a consistent process for collecting it.

From Records to Insights

Once sufficient procurement history became available, it became possible to calculate the average lead time for individual materials.

For example, if a material had historically taken:

• 6 days

• 8 days

• 7 days

• 9 days

to arrive, the system could estimate the likely delivery time for future orders.

This transformed procurement data from a historical record into a planning tool.

Instead of relying entirely on assumptions or experience, users could make decisions using actual procurement history.

Supporting Inventory Planning

One practical application of the system was delivery date estimation.

By entering a purchase requisition date, the spreadsheet could provide an expected delivery date based on historical lead-time data.

The prediction was not always perfect, particularly when the number of historical records was limited, but it often provided a reasonable estimate for planning purposes.

As more procurement records are collected over time, the reliability of such estimates is expected to improve.

This demonstrates how even simple analytical methods can create value when applied consistently to operational data.

Why Spreadsheets?

A common question is why I chose spreadsheets instead of developing a dedicated software application.

The answer is straightforward.

The most effective system is often the one that people are willing and able to use.

In many manufacturing environments, operators, supervisors, and plant personnel are already comfortable with spreadsheets. Introducing a complex application may create barriers to adoption, whereas a spreadsheet-based solution allows data collection to begin immediately.

The focus of the project was not technology for its own sake. The focus was enabling reliable data collection and making that data useful.

Future Improvements

If developed further, the system could be expanded to include:

• Supplier-wise delivery performance

• Lead-time variability analysis

• Inventory risk indicators

• Reorder planning support

• Material criticality classification

• Forecasting models based on historical procurement trends

These additions would help transform the tool from a procurement record system into a more comprehensive inventory planning solution.

What I Learned

This project reinforced a lesson that I have encountered repeatedly in manufacturing environments.

Organizations often possess valuable operational data without realizing its potential.

The challenge is rarely the absence of data. More often, the challenge is organizing existing data in a way that supports decision-making.

By collecting procurement information consistently and analyzing it systematically, even a simple spreadsheet can provide insights that improve planning and reduce uncertainty.

Sometimes the first step toward digitalization is not implementing new technology, but making better use of the information that is already available.

Written by Abhinav Mishra. More at abhibolega.github.io

The plant generated maintenance data every day. Breakdown reports were written, jobs were assigned, equipment was repaired, and preventive maintenance activities were carried out. The information existed, but it was scattered across registers, conversations, and spreadsheets.

As a result, answering simple questions was often harder than it should have been.

• Which equipment is breaking down most frequently?

• How many maintenance jobs are currently open?

• What maintenance work was carried out on a specific machine last month?

• Are preventive maintenance activities actually reducing breakdowns?

The data required to answer these questions already existed. It simply wasn’t organized in a way that made it useful.

This led me to build a simple spreadsheet-based Maintenance Management System.

Why Build It?

The objective was not to replace a CMMS or implement expensive software.

The goal was much simpler:

1. Create a single place to record maintenance jobs.

2. Track open and closed jobs.

3. Maintain equipment-wise maintenance history.

4. Make historical maintenance data easily accessible.

5. Use existing data to support better maintenance planning.

The solution was intentionally built using spreadsheets because they were already available, familiar to plant personnel, and required no additional investment.

How It Worked

The system consisted of a few simple components.

Job Entry

Maintenance requests were entered through a structured form that captured information such as:

• Equipment

• Location

• Job type

• Job description

• Initiator

• Date and time

Central Job Database

All maintenance activities were stored in a master job list.

This became the single source of truth for maintenance records.

Open Job Tracking

Open jobs could be viewed separately, allowing maintenance teams to quickly identify pending work and backlog.

Equipment History

Users could select an equipment tag and instantly view its maintenance history.

Instead of searching through multiple records, all previous jobs for a machine became available in one place.

Date-Wise Reporting

Maintenance activities could also be viewed by date, making shift handovers and daily reviews easier.

The Most Valuable Outcome

The biggest benefit was not the tracking of maintenance jobs.

It was the visibility the system created.

Once maintenance records were centralized, patterns started becoming visible.

For example:

• Certain equipment appeared repeatedly in breakdown reports.

• Some assets consumed a disproportionate amount of maintenance effort.

• Preventive maintenance activities could be compared against breakdown trends.

In other words, the same data that was previously being stored for record-keeping could now be used for decision-making.

From Maintenance Tracking to Reliability Improvement

Many organizations focus on collecting data.

Far fewer focus on extracting value from it.

A maintenance management system does not create new data. It simply organizes existing data in a way that allows teams to learn from it.

With enough historical records, the same database can be used to calculate:

• Failure frequency

• Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)

• Mean Time To Repair (MTTR)

• Equipment reliability trends

• Maintenance backlog

• Pareto analysis of recurring problems

These insights can significantly improve maintenance planning without requiring sophisticated software.

A Step Towards Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance often sounds like a highly advanced concept involving sensors, machine learning, and complex analytics.

In reality, the journey starts much earlier.

Before predicting failures, organizations need reliable historical data.

A structured maintenance database creates that foundation.

Once maintenance records are available and consistently maintained, additional parameters such as operating hours, vibration, temperature, pressure, or motor current can be introduced to build more advanced reliability models.

The spreadsheet was never intended to be a predictive maintenance solution.

However, it demonstrated how existing shop-floor data can become the starting point for one.

What I Learned

This project reinforced a lesson that applies well beyond maintenance.

Useful digitalization does not always begin with new technology.

Sometimes the greatest opportunities come from organizing data that already exists but is not being used effectively.

Many manufacturing plants possess years of operational and maintenance data. The challenge is often not data collection, but turning that data into actionable information.

This project was a small attempt to bridge that gap.

And while the implementation was simple, it proved that even a spreadsheet can become a valuable decision-support tool when designed around a real operational problem.

Written by Abhinav Mishra. More at abhibolega.github.io

When we talk about the origins of English football, we mostly hear about the Football League, founded in 1888. But there was another top-flight league, one that tried to rival it — the Football Alliance. It only lasted for three seasons, between 1889 and 1892, but some of the clubs that played in it went on to become absolute giants of the game.

The Rebel League

The Football Alliance was formed by clubs that didn’t make it into the newly created Football League. Instead of waiting for another invitation, they made their own league, bringing together teams from the Midlands, the North and even parts of Yorkshire. It was a proper rebel act — a collection of ambitious clubs wanting their place in English football’s growing structure.

The Alliance ran for three seasons: 1889-90, 1890-91 and 1891-92. In the end, it didn’t really fail — it merged. Most of its clubs joined the expanding Football League, creating the new Second Division in 1892. England now boasts the deepest football pyramid and perhaps the most competitive lower division leagues too. Their top four tiers are unmatched in terms of both quality and the fandom that runs in the families.

Clubs That Went On to Make History

Here’s where it gets fun. Many of the names from the Football Alliance will sound familiar — just not in their original form.

• Newton Heath – better known today as Manchester United.

• Ardwick – they later became Manchester City.

• Small Heath – the club that evolved into Birmingham City (the small rivals to Aston Villa xD).

• The Wednesday – now Sheffield Wednesday (although they have fallen down by a mile but their rich history cannot be matched by many big clubs even today.

• Nottingham Forest – still going strong, even back then a big name.

Other clubs like Stoke, Grimsby Town, Bootle, Crewe Alexandra, Walsall Town Swifts, and Lincoln City also took part in the Alliance. Some faded away; others still exist, quietly carrying that early-football legacy.

Champions of a Forgotten Era

The three champions of the Football Alliance were:

• 1889-90: The Wednesday

• 1890-91: Stoke

• 1891-92: Nottingham Forest

Not bad company, right? All three of those clubs eventually made it to the Football League — two of them even to the First Division soon after.

What Made It Special

The Football Alliance was more than just a failed rival league. It actually pushed English football toward expansion. Clubs from the Alliance were competitive in the FA Cup, showing that there was quality beyond the Football League’s original twelve teams.

It also introduced a level of structure — each team played home and away, with two points for a win and one for a draw. Simple, effective, and surprisingly modern for the late 1800s.

The Alliance’s existence forced the Football League to grow faster and absorb more clubs — in a way, it was a testing ground that showed English football needed a second tier.

The Legacy

The Football Alliance didn’t die; it simply became part of something bigger. When the merger happened in 1892, ten of its clubs entered the newly formed Second Division, while a few went straight into the First.

In just three seasons, it managed to shape the structure of league football in England as we know it today. It’s easy to overlook, but the Alliance was the bridge between a handful of elite clubs and a proper national football pyramid.

Final Whistle

The Football Alliance was short-lived, but its impact was lasting. It gave us clubs that went on to become Manchester United, Manchester City, and Birmingham City. It set the stage for a two-tier league system that would define football across the world.

It may not have been “the top flight that made it,” but it’s the top flight that made everything else possible.

So next time you watch a Premier League game, remember — somewhere in that story is a dusty old league from 1889 that refused to be forgotten.

Here are my thoughts on each of the team and what am I predicting about their status at the end of the season. I will be going as per the table standings after matchday 8.

Arsenal

Arteta is cooking hard. With an extremely deep squad, Arsenal have never been stronger. They don’t care whoever is unavailable. They have multiple backups for each position. Their new signings have instantly synced with the previous players and the way they have hammered Atletico Madrid yesterday is just a testament on how strong they are. I think this is finally the year they win a trophy. Maybe not the Premier League as the competition will be tight in the coming days but at least one trophy is definitely coming. Maybe two.

Manchester City

Every year, time and time again we keep saying Man City have peeked, Guardiola has peeked. Their downfall is inevitable but then all of a sudden they get back and get back in style. Haaland is just unstoppable maybe he’ll break Vardy’s record of most consecutive matches with goals scored (Vardy scored in 11 consecutive games). They are definitely missing the magic of KDB but they seem to be doing fine. Donnarumma has been an excellent addition to the squad (though it was harsh on James Trafford) and no one is feeling the loss of Ederson as he has made the defense better with his sharp goalkeeping. City’s nets are safe for a lot of years to come.

AFC Bournemouth

They have become a consistent team. They first got back to the PL in 2015-16 and have kept improving season by season. They are pretty stable and are now an established Premier League side. Their coach is great. The starting 11 as well as the squad is strong and consistent. European places incoming this season.

Liverpool

What has happened to Liverpool? They seem to have lost a lot of their good from their previous seasons. Salah is not at his best (hopefully he gets back but it seems difficult this season). He has lost his forwards and fullbacks and the chemistry between the new players is not there at this moment. Their massive incomings (in monetary terms) have failed to perform but with their respective talents, they will gel together. Liverpool are not going to win this season but I can see a top 5 finish, so UCL or UEL confirmed.

Chelsea

This team is strange. They buy everyone, play well yet seem to be the most inconsistent super club in the top leagues across Europe. Some of their performances are out of the blue with the excellence they show while in some matches it seems that they belong to the lower half of the table. I don’t believe in their coach but they’ll get a European spot this season.

Tottenham Hotspur

And here they are, a team stranger than Chelsea. Villa defeated them comfortably last week and I was really happy because Villa defeated them. Losing Son must have had created an impact on the team but the inconsistency they have shown is astonishing. Their UCL tie with Monaco was also a boring 0-0 draw. Kudus and Xavi are good additions to the team while Palhinha has been a surprise addition to their squad. With Daniel Levy”s dismissal from the Chairman position things will definitely change both on and off the pitch but I have no clue whether it will be positive or negative.

Sunderland

And they’re back. My career mode team is finally back where they belong. Sunderland have history and they have a proper longstanding rivalry with Newcastle which needs to be contested in the top flight. I am very happy that they have climbed back to the PL and have started with a bang. They have made an excellent squad with an exceptional Granit Xhaka to dictate the games. Their young goalkeeper has a lot of potential so does the overall squad. Sunderland is probably the youngest team in the PL but the players seem to have gelled pretty well together. They are here to stay for some years with an exciting young ownership who means serious football.

Crystal Palace

The ultimate dark horses have started to run since the last season. They have a very good coach with a number of good players in their XI. They did end their long trophy drought this season and were 19 games unbeaten before their loss to Everton but they will hang in the upper half of the table with a slight chance to Europe too. P.S. Adam Wharton will not stay at Palace next season and a big name will forcibly snatch him and weaken the team.

Manchester United

Did they finally click? It seems so. Cunha and Mbuemo have been good so far. Sesko too seems to be getting his form. Their defense is clicking with a young goalkeeper with high potential, perhaps the Courtois regen? The Antwerp-United relationship was strong back in the day and it seems that it will fruit United this season. Amorim is a good person and I wish him all the best to MUGA (Make United Great Again xD).

Brighton and Hove Albion

The hipsters doing their best as usual. A solid mid table side, they don’t care if they lose players or managers, they come back strong always. Their off the pitch operations seem to be very good and teams like these are deemed to succeed. Danny Welback has found his second peak just like a sinusoidal curve with all the other players being very consistent.

Aston Villa

Good Ebening. Unai Emery will get them to Europe once again (at least I wish so). Europe is his dopamine without that he cannot survive. At present they seem weaker than their previous two seasons as they don’t have goals from their hitman. This is a problem they need to solve within the season ongoing as only goals will lead to 3 points. Their last 5 matches have been 2 draws and 3 wins with rhythm coming back. If Watkins starts to fire again, top 6 finish is possible.

Everton

Thank you for getting Jack Grealish. It has been a great win-win situation for all the three parties involved. David Moyes will have a stable season, will stay in the middle of the table, will miss out Europe yet again, but are in a better position when compared to a few of the previous seasons.

Brentford

They have severely weakened. They have lost most of their starting XI to big teams along with their manager and the loss is being reflected in their play. Henderson is a good player to add as he is a great captain. A lot of media is saying that they’ll get relegated but I think they will stay up without much problems. Igor Thiago and Kelleher are good additions who will keep them stable this season.

Newcastle United

Losing Isak does not seem to have harmed them a lot. They are playing well, they have won a UCL game yesterday. Woltermade has been very good and seems to be an even better 9 for the current lineup. Presently, they are 14th with some bad results but will bounce back and finish in the top half. Europe seems a little difficult but we can expect them to qualify for the Conference league.

Fulham

Lower half as usual. Nothing else. They will not fall down yet again, they’ll be mediocre yet again.

Leeds United

Leeds are here to stay. I hope this happens. They haven’t been performing well but they will bounce back. Daniel Farke knows Premier League, he himself is a yo-yo coach but he has the squad that can stay afloat this year. Acquisitions like Lukas Nmecha, Calvert-Levin, and Sean Longstaff will surely keep them up, they will definitely finish in the lower half but will be comfortable at the season’s end.

Burnley

No 19. This is Burnley’s fate. Burnley hasn’t been the same ever since they parted ways with Sean Dyche. A few years on, both of them are back in the Premier League but are not together and they both will go down this season. They have lost their star keeper to become a backup at City. Their former coach is raging fire in Germany. They did win their last match but it was against the sorry Wolves. I am not against Burnley and really like to hype the underdogs but this year, they do not have what it takes to be a top flight football club.

Nottingham Forest

What’s wrong with Evangelos Marinakis. Everything one will read about this man is always negative. His body language is negative and his actions this season shows the fragile Male ego which has led to multiple catastrophes since ages. This is probably the end to Forest’s fairytale in the top flight with all credits going to their owner. They have hired the crisis man Sean Dyche and I like Chris Wood, their striker and he has a knack of getting things done while representing lower half sides but it seems it won’t be enough as the environment of the club does not seem to be good. They are getting relegated finishing 18th.

West Ham United

Nuno will save their season. After his Forest heartbreak, Nuno Santo must be waiting for his redemption and a slap on his story’s Greek villain. Their team seems to be decent. They have some stars in their lineup, Callum Wilson has joined them (whom I really like). They are currently 19th but I think they will end up in the lower half with safety but just above the relegation places.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

They are horrible. They have been bad for some time but have managed to stick in the top flight. This time it won’t happen. They have lost 6 drawn 2 are are with 2 points. They are literally pulling off a Derby/Reading/Southampton and are on the verge of one of the worst finishes in the league history. They did lose some players to the market (Cunha being an important one) and have become worse than all their previous seasons after gaining promotion as the Portuguese PL Team.

My overall verdict is that Forest, Burnley, and Wolves will go down. I want Arsenal to win but Man City are threatening so they will be the top two in any order. Liverpool, Chelsea, Villa, Newcastle, and United will get to Europe with them being my top 7 but I cannot order their positions at this stage of the league.

But this story isn’t about Indian football. It’s about an Indian-sounding name that, for a brief time, echoed through European football — a player whose roots trace back to Andhra Pradesh, but whose career unfolded across France, Milan, and beyond.

His name was Vikash Rao Dhorasoo.

The Frenchman with Telugu Roots

Born in 1973, Vikash Dhorasoo grew up in France, the son of Indo-Mauritian parents whose ancestors hailed from Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh. A second-generation Frenchman, he began his football journey as a midfielder at Le Havre, a club that’s quietly built a reputation as one of France’s best footballing academies — the same place that produced Paul Pogba, Riyad Mahrez, and Dimitri Payet.

From there, Dhorasoo’s career took him to Lyon, where he won the Ligue 1 title. He later had a loan spell at Bordeaux, the club where Zinedine Zidane made his name.

And then came the real fairytale chapter: AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.

He didn’t play a lot for Milan, but he was there during one of the most dramatic nights in football history — the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, when Liverpool pulled off the impossible comeback. Dhorasoo was an unused substitute that night, but still, to be part of that squad and finish as a UCL runner-up is an incredible feat in itself.

The French Connection

Dhorasoo made his debut for the French national team in 1999 against Ukraine. He played two games, disappeared from the squad for five years, and then returned for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Yes, that World Cup — the one remembered for Zidane’s infamous headbutt.

Dhorasoo was part of the French squad that made it to the final in Germany. He played two group matches as a late substitute and, once again, found himself on the bench during the final. Still, he came home with a World Cup runners-up medal — something only a handful of footballers on the planet can claim.

The Documentary That Shook France

But the 2006 World Cup also became one of the most controversial chapters of his life.

While on the bench during the tournament, Dhorasoo began recording his experiences — the boredom, the tension, the politics — and turned it into a documentary called Substitute. It offered a brutally honest look at life as a backup player, and when it was released, it infuriated manager Raymond Domenech and the French Football Federation.

He was warned against publishing it, but he went ahead anyway. Soon after, Dhorasoo declared he was done with the national team.

“I am not interested in playing for Les Bleus any more. It’s over.”

That sentence marked the end of his international career — and the beginning of his next act.

Life After Football: Films, Books, Politics, and Poker

Vikash Dhorasoo was never just a footballer. He seemed to live multiple lives at once.

In 2008, he acted in a French film (La très très grande entreprise). A year later, he became chairman of L’Entente SSG, a French football club.
He also wrote four books — including Substitute and a 2020 graphic novel J’perds pas la boule, illustrated by Emilie Gleason.

But football wasn’t done with him yet — or maybe he wasn’t done rebelling. In 2006, during his PSG stint, he publicly criticised manager Guy Lacombe in an interview with L’Équipe. A month later, he became the first player ever to be sacked by a French club since the Professional Footballers’ Charter was introduced in 1973. The official reasons listed: “refusal to play for the reserves, lack of loyalty, insubordination, disobedience, and a permanent air of provocation.”

After that, he found a new field to compete on — the poker table.

He became a professional poker player with Winamax, earning over $500,000 in winnings before retiring in 2011. As of 2020, he still ranked among France’s top poker earners.

And somewhere along the way, he found time to campaign against discrimination and support Paris Foot Gay, a club founded to fight homophobia in football. In 2020, he even ran for office in the Paris municipal elections.

Vikash Dhorasoo’s story reads like a novel — success, rebellion, reinvention. He’s the kind of person who refused to fit in neatly, who kept reinventing himself even when the system tried to box him in.

People like him make football more than just a sport of 22 men chasing a ball. They remind us that behind every match and medal, there’s a person — with contradictions, flaws, and courage.

I was too young to know of him when he was making headlines in France, but discovering his story years later made me wonder how he was perceived back then — a misfit, a troublemaker, or simply a man ahead of his time.

Whatever the label, his tale deserves to be told.

My first thought went straight to another South African — Jacques Rudolph, whose unbeaten 222 against Bangladesh I still remember vividly. (Also, let’s be honest — for many of us, Rudolph will always be that South African opener from EA Sports Cricket 2007).

But it turns out, even Rudolph’s innings come second. The man who still holds the record for the highest score on Test debut is someone whose name doesn’t echo in modern cricket discussions: Reginald Erskine “Tip” Foster.

A Record That Refuses to Fade

In December 1903, on a warm Sydney morning, Tip Foster walked out for his first-ever Test innings. By the time he walked back, he had scored 287 runs — a debut innings so commanding that it still stands, more than a century later, as the highest score by any player on Test debut.

For nearly three decades, that 287 wasn’t just the highest debut score — it was also the highest individual Test score overall, until another Englishman, Andy Sandham, broke it by scoring cricket’s first-ever triple century. I’ve written about Sandham’s extraordinary innings in another piece — if you enjoy rare cricketing tales, you’ll love that story too. (You can read it here.)

The Man Who Led England Twice — In Two Different Sports

Tip Foster remains the only person ever to captain England in both cricket and football.
Let that sink in.

In today’s world, where elite athletes specialize from childhood, the thought of one individual leading his country in two entirely different sports feels almost absurd. Imagine someone captaining England in a Test match at Lord’s and then leading the national football team at Wembley. That was Tip Foster — more than a hundred years ago.

He played only 8 Tests and earned 5 football caps, his sporting career cut short by business commitments. But in those few appearances, he achieved more than most do in a lifetime.

The Story of ‘Fostershire’

At the domestic level, Foster turned out for Worcestershire County Cricket Club, which back then was fondly nicknamed “Fostershire.” The name wasn’t an exaggeration — seven Foster brothers played for Worcestershire around the same period, and three even captained it.

The eldest, Harry Foster, played the most matches (246), while Tip featured in 80 — fewer, but with far better batting numbers. It’s rare to see a county’s history so deeply intertwined with one family’s name. The Fosters didn’t just play for Worcestershire — they were Worcestershire.

A Legacy Beyond Numbers

What makes Tip Foster’s story special is how human it feels. He wasn’t a full-time athlete molded by modern systems. He was a man who balanced business, family, and sport — and still managed to etch his name permanently in two different games.

His story is a gentle reminder that cricket, at its heart, is more than records and averages. It’s about passion, opportunity, and the pure joy of competition. Foster’s achievements belong to a time when sport wasn’t about endorsements or data — it was about the thrill of playing, and sometimes, rewriting history along the way.

A century later, his 287 still stands tall. Records get broken, names fade, but some stories — like Tip Foster’s — stay timeless.

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Frankies, which originated in Mumbai, instantly became a favourite of mine. But one thing kept bugging me — why does a Mumbai-based Street food have such a Western name? That curiosity led me to a fascinating story connecting food, cricket, and lifelong friendship.

The Origin of the Frankie

Amarjit Singh Tibb, a national-level hockey player from India, once tried a Lebanese pita wrap during a trip to Beirut. He loved it and decided to give it an Indian twist to match Mumbai’s taste buds. Along with his wife, he started selling his version of the wrap — and it quickly became a hit.

They named their business Tibb’s Frankie, and today, Frankies are among India’s most popular street foods.

So Why the Name “Frankie”?

The “Frankie” wasn’t named after a Western city or Hollywood star. It was named after Tibb’s favorite cricketer — the legendary West Indian Sir Frank Worrell.

Worrell wasn’t just an exceptional cricketer — he was the first Black captain of the West Indies and part of one of cricket’s most feared batting trios: The Three Ws — Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes, and Clyde Walcott.

The Three Ws: West Indies’ Batting Powerhouse

These three Barbadian legends dominated the 1950s, forming the backbone of the West Indies’ batting lineup. All three were middle-order batsmen, with Worrell also serving as a batting all-rounder.

They were knighted for their contributions to cricket, and their combined numbers were nothing short of remarkable:

Exceptional numbers, right? The Three Ws were one of the reasons the West Indies earned their “mighty” reputation back then.

A Friendship That Outlived the Game

Here’s where the story gets even more wholesome.

Sir Frank Worrell was the first of the trio to pass away, at the age of just 42, after battling illness. He was buried near the Three Ws Oval in Barbados — close to where all three were born.

Years later, Sir Clyde Walcott passed away at the age of 80, after a life in which he became the first non-English and Black man to chair the International Cricket Council. He was laid to rest beside Worrell.

Sir Everton Weekes, the last surviving member, passed away in 2020 at the age of 95. As Wisden records, he too was buried alongside his friends, overlooking the cricket field they loved.

Today, the Three Ws Monument stands near the oval — a tribute not just to their cricketing greatness, but to a friendship that continues to “watch over” the game.

From a pita wrap in Beirut, to the streets of Mumbai, to a cricket field in Barbados — that’s the journey behind the Frankie. And the next time you take a bite, you’ll know it carries with it a taste of history, sport, and one of cricket’s most enduring friendships.

As an Indian, it’s almost second nature to associate oneself with cricket. Cricket reigns supreme here, but it’s missing something magical: city-based rivalries between clubs that have been clashing for over a century. Fortunately, India boasts a historical three-way city rivalry in Kolkata—Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, and Mohammedan SC. However, this rivalry doesn’t quite reach the fervour of its European counterparts. Across Europe, city derbies are central to football’s lore. England has the Manchester, Merseyside, and London derbies; Spain features the Madrid, Seville, and Barcelona derbies; and Italy’s Derby della Madonnina (AC Milan vs. Inter), Derby della Capitale (Roma vs. Lazio), and the Genoa-Sampdoria derby (currently on hold due to Sampdoria’s relegation to Serie B) showcase football’s ability to unite and divide cities, sometimes even sharing stadiums.

Germany offers similar tales, though its city rivalries tend to be fleeting. The Munich derby between 1860 Munich and Bayern Munich, with both clubs once sharing the Allianz Arena, and the recently contested Berlin derby between Union and Hertha are prime examples. The Hamburger derby may also return if Hamburg secures promotion and St. Pauli stays up. Portugal’s Derby de Lisboa between Sporting and Benfica, Russia’s Moscow derbies involving CSKA, Spartak, Lokomotiv, Dynamo, and Torpedo, and Turkey’s fascinating Intercontinental Derby between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray (bridging the European and Asian sides of Istanbul) add to this rich tapestry. In Istanbul alone, countless rivalries flourish, making it a hotbed of football passion.

But among all this, a glaring omission stands out: France. French club football seems to lag behind despite its global success in many areas. Ligue 1 houses some of Europe’s best teams, but city derbies are absent. For those outside France, especially non-Europeans like me, only PSG and Monaco are commonly recognised. Other names like Marseille, Lyon, Lille, and Nice occasionally make headlines, yet none of these clubs form a city derby. Why?

I once read that city derbies were common in early 20th-century France but faded due to political and economic factors. However, this might be about to change. France could soon witness a top-flight city derby. PSG is having a phenomenal season, on the cusp of winning an invincible Ligue 1 title, and they’re in the Champions League semifinals (having knocked out my beloved Aston Villa). PSG’s Ligue 1 dominance has been a hallmark of the past decade, fueled by Qatari investments. But it wasn’t always this way. Back in 1969, a team called Paris FC was formed. In 1970, it merged with Stade Saint-Germain (established in 1904) to create PSG. Paris FC eventually split from PSG in 1972 and charted its own path—a path that led to the obscurities of French lower leagues.

In recent years, Paris FC has been clawing its way back. They returned to professional football in the last decade and have stabilised as a Ligue 2 side, often facing off against Red Star in a lesser-known Paris derby. It’s a travesty for a city like Paris, which lags behind the likes of Milan, London, Madrid, and Berlin in terms of local football rivalries.

But hope is on the horizon. In 2024, two wealthy groups—the Arnault family (of Louis Vuitton fame) and Red Bull—invested in Paris FC, marking the dawn of a new era. Paris FC currently sits second in the Ligue 2 table and is on the brink of automatic promotion. If this happens, Paris will finally have a top-flight city derby. Given the financial might of these investors, Paris FC has the potential to grow into a formidable force, promising exciting derbies against PSG in the years to come.

Adding to the excitement, Paris FC has announced plans to move to their new home, Stade Jean-Bouin, for the 2025-26 season. Intriguingly, the stadium is just 200 meters away from Parc des Princes, PSG’s iconic ground. This proximity adds an extra layer of intrigue to the budding rivalry.

So, here’s wishing Paris FC all the best. With their rise, French football might finally join the ranks of leagues boasting enthralling city-based derbies. Let’s hope the Paris derby becomes a spectacle worthy of its name, rekindling the passion for club football in France.

In fact, through the 2000s, every Test-playing nation had a dependable wicketkeeper-batsman. Even Denesh Ramdin of the West Indies—who had a modest batting average below 30—was a regular fixture in a team that was struggling overall. The baton has since passed to new-generation keepers like Rishabh Pant, Heinrich Klaasen, and Shai Hope, all of whom continue the tradition of being as lethal with the bat as they are behind the stumps.

But let’s rewind the clock. Long before wicketkeepers were expected to hit centuries or float across formats, there existed a different breed altogether—keepers picked solely for their glove work. Batting? Optional. Most of them batted down the order, often alongside the tailenders.

One of the most elegant and underrated forms of dismissal in cricket is the stumping. It’s a masterpiece in motion—the bowler deceives the batsman, who steps out in anticipation, and in a split second, the keeper whips off the bails. As an Indian fan, I’ve had the privilege of watching MS Dhoni pull off dozens of such gems. So naturally, I assumed Dhoni held the record for most stumpings across formats. I was wrong. While Dhoni does top the chart for most stumpings in ODIs (123) and T20Is (34), he’s not even in the top three when it comes to Test cricket. In fact, the all-time record belongs to someone who last played nearly a century ago—and still stands unchallenged.

The Man, the Myth, the Gloves – Bert Oldfield

William Albert Stanley Oldfield, better known as Bert Oldfield, was born in 1894 and made his Test debut for Australia in 1920. He became Australia’s 109th Test player and went on to become the first wicketkeeper to play 50 Test matches. More remarkably, he still remains the only player in Test history to record more than 50 stumpings—a jaw-dropping 52 in just 54 Tests.

Test cricket, unlike the white-ball formats, is a game of patience. Batsmen rarely charge out of the crease, especially against pacers. That makes stumpings rare and all the more special. The fact that only one man has crossed the 50-mark in over 148 years and nearly 2,600 Tests speaks volumes.

Comparing Across Formats

Let’s expand the scope and compare Oldfield’s feat with the giants of limited-overs cricket:

It’s amusing to note that Kamran Akmal—who had a rather patchy reputation as a keeper—is at the top in terms of stumping rate in T20Is. Perhaps a testament to Pakistan’s spin-rich attacks during his playing days.

Modern Keepers: Still Playing Catch-Up

Here’s how some active Test wicketkeepers fare (have played in 2025):

While the modern game has become more attacking and batsmen now step out more often—even in Tests—no one has even come close to matching Oldfield’s incredible stumping ratio. His record might stand the test of time, unless a rare combination of skill, opportunity, and longevity comes along.

Beyond the Stats: A Story of Grit and Grace

Oldfield’s story isn’t just about cricket. Before he donned the baggy green, he served in World War I with the 15th Field Ambulance, 15th Brigade of the Australian Imperial Force. During the war, he was knocked unconscious, buried under debris, and miraculously survived. Just two years after that near-death experience, he made his Test debut.

He batted at No. 10 on debut—emphasizing again how little was expected from keepers with the bat in those days. He also featured in the infamous Bodyline series (1932–33), one of the darkest chapters in cricket history. In that series, Oldfield suffered a fractured skull after being struck by a short ball from Harold Larwood. Despite the injury, he recovered and played on, notching 22 more stumpings after the incident.

Yet, Oldfield held no grudges. He befriended Larwood years later and even opened a cricket ground with him in Hong Kong. He went on to promote cricket across the world, coaching schoolboys and helping introduce the game in Ethiopia.

A Gentleman and a Gloveman

By all accounts, Bert Oldfield was not just a brilliant wicketkeeper but also a wonderful human being—respected on and off the field. His legacy is not just the 52 Test stumpings, but also the humility, courage, and sportsmanship with which he lived his life. His story is chronicled in the Wisden Cricket Almanack, ESPN Cricinfo, and other archives for those who want to dig deeper. But for the rest of us, let’s take a moment to remember the man who quietly carved out a piece of cricketing history that still stands untouched nearly 100 years later.

Quality Control (QC) is a critical aspect of manufacturing and service industries, ensuring that the products and services meet the required/established standards. Various methodologies are implemented across industries for continuous monitoring and controlling the quality of their products to achieve those standards.

One of them is the 7 QC Tools. These tools stand out as fundamental instruments for problem-solving and quality improvement. Introduced as a part of Total Quality Management (TQM), these tools were popularized by Kaoru Ishikawa and have since become essential in various industries for identifying and addressing quality related issues. Let’s explore these tools one by one and see how each tool can be effectively utilized in our work along with relevant examples.

Check Sheet

A Check Sheet is a simple form used to collect and analyze data. It is one of the most intuitive QC tools and is particularly useful in tracking occurrences of specific events, such as defects or errors.

1.1       Purpose:

It is a structured form prepared for collecting and analyzing data. It is useful for tracking defects, occurrences, and other metrics.

1.2       How to Use?

• Define the data to be collected.

• Design a simple form that facilitates data entry.

• Use the check sheet during production or service delivery to record data.

• Analyze the data for patterns or trends.

1.3       Examples:

• A plant tracking equipment breakdown could use a check sheet to log the type of malfunction, time of occurrence, and equipment involved. The resulting data would help identify patterns, such as frequent breakdowns of certain pumps or reactors.

• A retails store could use a check sheet to record customer feedback categories (e.g. long queues, stock shortages) over a month to identify the most frequent issues.

Cause and Effect Diagram

Also known as the Fishbone or Ishikawa Diagram (named after its creator Kaoru Ishikawa), this tool is shaped like a fish’s skeleton, with the head representing the problem (Effect) and the bones representing the potential causes. It helps teams brainstorm and systematically narrow down causes of a specific issue.

2.1       Purpose:

Helps identify, explore and visually display the possible causes of a specific problem or quality issue.

2.2       How to Use?

• Define the problem.

• Identify major categories of potential causes (Man, Machine, Material, Method, and Mother Nature in some cases also called the 4Ms/5Ms)

• Brainstorm specific causes within each category

• Analyze the diagram to prioritize causes for further investigation

2.3       Examples:

• A chemical company experiencing inconsistent product purity could use a Fishbone Diagram to examine factors like raw material variability, mixing temperatures, equipment malfunctions, or operator errors to determine the root cause.

• In a service industry, if customer complaints about long wait times are increasing, a Fishbone Diagram could help categorize potential causes such as understaffing, inefficient processes, or technological failures

Histogram

A histogram is a type of bar chart that displays the distribution of numerical data. It helps in understanding the frequency and patterns of variations in a dataset, making it easier to identify trends, outliers, or areas needing improvement.

3.1       Purpose:

A graphical representation of the distribution of numerical data. It helps in understanding the frequency and patterns of variations

3.2       How to Use?

• Collect data relevant to the quality characteristics.

• Group data into ranges (bins).

• Create a bar chart with the bins on the x-axis and frequency on the y-axis.

• Analyze the histogram to identify any patterns or anomalies.

3.3       Examples:

• A chemical company might use a histogram to display the distribution of particle sizes in a batch of chemicals. If the histogram shows to many particles outside the desired size range, adjustments to milling or mixing process might be needed.

• A hotel could use a histogram to visualize the distribution of guest check-in times. If many guests are checking in outside of the standard check-in period, it might suggest operational inefficiencies.

Pareto Chart/ 80-20 Rule

It is named after the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. The chart is based on the 80/20 rule, which suggests that 80% of problems are often caused by 20% of the causes. It helps prioritize issues so that the most significant ones are addressed first.

4.1       Purpose:

A bar graph that displays the frequency of problems in descending order highlighting the most significant issues.

4.2       How to Use?

• Identify and categorize defects or problems.

• Count the frequency of each category.

• Create a bar chart with categories on the x-axis and frequency on the y-axis.

• Analyze to focus on the vital few causes that require attention.

4.3       Examples:

• A Pareto Chart might show that 80% of the defects in a batch of chemicals are caused by just two problems – temperature fluctuations and incorrect raw material ratios. Addressing these would solve most of the issues.

• A customer support center could use a Pareto Chart to identify that 80% of complaints come from a small number of recurring issues, such as billing errors or slow service.

Scatter Plot

A Scatter Plot, also known as scatter diagram, visually displays the relationship between two variables. It is useful in identifying correlations (positive, negative, or no correlation) between the variable, helping to infer cause-effect relationships.

5.1       Purpose:

A graphical tool used to study the relationship between two variables, helping to identify correlations.

5.2       How to Use?

• Determine the two variables to be analyzed.

• Collect paired data points.

• Plot the data on a scatter plot with one variable on each axis.

• Analyze the plot to identify trends or correlations.

5.3       Examples:

• A scatter plot could be used to study the relationship between ambient temperature and the viscosity of a chemical product. If a pattern is identified, the manufacturer could implement temperature controls to maintain consistent viscosity.

• A fitness center could use a scatter diagram to analyze the correlation between member attendance and promotional events. If a positive correlation is found, more events could be scheduled to boost attendance.

Control Chart

Introduced by Walter Shewhart in the 1920s, the Control Chart (also called Shewhart Chart) is used to monitor process variability and detect whether a process is in control or exhibiting unexpected variations. It is widely used in Statistical Process Control (SPC).

6.1       Purpose:

A statistical tool used to monitor and control a process over time, ensuring it remains stable and predictable.

6.2       How to Use?

• Collect data from the process over time

• Calculate control limits based on statistical formulas (mean, standard deviation)

• Plot the data points on the control chart.

• Analyze for variations and determine if the process is in control

6.3       Examples:

• A plant could use a control chart to monitor the pH levels of a solution during a chemical reaction. If data points begin to fall outside control limits, adjustments may need to be made to maintain product consistency.

• In a bakery, a control chart could be used to monitor the weight of bread loaves. If the weight exceeds the control limits frequently, it could indicate a problem with the dough mixing process.

Stratification

Stratification involves separating data into different layers or categories to reveal underlying patterns. It’s often used to identify which factors contribute most to a problem by analyzing subsets of data.

7.1       Purpose:

Helps in separating data from different sources to identify patterns. It allows for analyzing data from different categories or sources individually to find the root cause of variations.

7.2       How to Use?

• Collect data from various sources (e.g., different machines, shifts, operators).

• Separate (stratify) the data into meaningful groups (e.g., by product type, machine, or time of day).

• Analyze each stratum individually to identify trends or differences.

• Use the results to pinpoint specific causes of variations and address them.

7.3       Examples:

• A chemical plant might stratify data based in production shifts to determine why certain shifts produce a higher number of defective batches. This helps in pinpointing specific issues related to operator skills or equipment maintenance during specific shifts.

• A hospital might stratify patient wait times by department (e.g., emergency, outpatient) to identify which departments experience the longest delays and address the root cause.

Conclusion

The 7 QC tools – Check Sheet, Cause and Effect Diagram, Histogram, Pareto Chart, Scatter Plot, Control Chart and Stratification are crucial in the journey to achieving high-quality standards. These tools help organizations across various industries diagnose and resolve issues, driving efficiency, consistency, and customer satisfaction.

The Kanitkars: Every Indian who watched cricket in the late nineties has heard the name HRISHIKESH KANITKAR. He gained a cult following after his match-winning boundary against Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq. But what everyone might not know is that Hrishikesh’s father Hemant Kanitkar also represented India in tests during the 70s. His career was not very successful when compared with his son (Hrishikesh’s international career too was pretty underwhelming but he was a domestic cricket stalwart) but I managed to crunch out a fact from this cricketing family.

Hrishikesh and Hemant Kanitkar both played only two test matches for India and are the only father-son duo in the history of the sport to play 2 games each. Hemant played in a series against the mighty West Indies of the 70s while his son faced the music from the destructive Australians during 1999-2000. Moreover, India lost all four matches albeit in a similar fashion in both generations. In their respective debuts, India lost in the fourth inning while chasing and by an inning in their final tests.

Additionally, while this is not a part of the fact I noticed it while reading the scorecards, along with Hemant, two blokes named Gordon Greenidge and Vivian Richards made their test debuts for the West Indies receiving the 150th and 151st test caps respectively. I will be using Gordon Greenidge once again, this time for my next fact as his final match will lead us to my next fact.

Healy and Starc: Gordon Greenidge retired on 1st May 1991 playing against Australia. Australia’s wicket-keeper in that series was Ian Healy who was perhaps the best wicket-keeper Australia produced before Adam Gilchrist decided to change cricket forever. But our focus here is Healy. The Healy family seems to have decided to provide wicket-keepers to Australia for generations to come. Ian’s son Tom is also a wicket-keeper but has not replicated his father’s success. Ian Healy played 119 test matches and is the first wicket-keeper to play 100 test matches. Healy’s niece Alyssa has had quite a successful career in the Women’s game. She married Australia’s pacer Mitchell Starc in 2016 and are quite a couple. They have achieved a lot in their respective fields (yes, their respective fields are the same but different). But the most interesting thing I found in their careers is that both have a test top score of 99. Now that’s what you call true love.

A random fact before proceeding further. Segueing from the last word of the previous paragraph, Australia once had a cricketer called Martin Love who played 5 tests in the early 2000s and scored 100* before getting dropped from the international side forever. His century was overshadowed by Steve Waugh’s 156, Darren Lehmann’s 177 and Stuart MacGill’s Man of the Match 10-for. Ironically MacGill’s (a fantastic leg spinner) entire career was overshadowed by Shane Warne, the greatest leg spinner of the game, and he managed to play only 44 matches.

The Saddest 99: Here is the second story which revolves around 99 being someone’s highest test score. Shane Warne has had some fine moments in the game. 708 test wickets, ball of the century, and 1999 ODI World Cup are a few. One of his most underappreciated skills is his batting. Warne was a handy batsman who scored 12 half-centuries and scored 3,154 runs in tests. He holds the record for the most test runs scored without scoring a century. But he was once really close to a century. In December 2001, during the Trans-Tasman game at Perth against New Zealand, Warne batted beautifully and moved to 99 off 156 balls. Unfortunately, facing his 157th delivery against Daniel Vettori, Warne was caught off mid-wicket by Mark Richardson and did not get to three figures. The match was drawn like the previous two in the series. It was later revealed that the Vettori had bowled a no-ball but since it was the pre-DRS era, Warne was unlucky.

The Chanderpauls: For the final fact, I will once again need the help of Gorden Greenidge and Viv Richards. Three cricketers from the West Indies have scored 11 ODI centuries. Two of them have been previously mentioned, the third one is Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Chanderpaul’s career goes under the radar because of the era in which he played. For somebody whose contemporaries were Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara, and Jacques Kallis, to name a few, playing for the West Indies of the 2000s never helped Chanderpaul get his due. Even his retirement was not romanticised like the others named above, as he was dropped from the team following a string of poor performances in 2015. He retired in 2016 after sitting out for a while. But between these events, another Chanderpaul was trying to make his name in the Caribbean circuit. Tagenarine, Shivnarine’s son, was coming through the ranks in 2015 aged 18 when he got to play a grade cricket match along with his father. To make things better, the father-son duo made centuries and together made a 250+ runs partnership. This was not an official match, so it never made headlines, but it is one of those records cricket fanatics are hungry for.

I cannot end this post without another mini fact. Though the Chanderpauls did not score centuries together in an official match, in 2017 they both scored half centuries in a first class match against Jamaica when they were representing Guyana. They were the first father-son due to achieve this feat since 1931.

So, these were some not-so-random facts that I was able to recall after recalling that I had a blog and it was dead for a while. Hopefully, some people will find these as interesting as I found them.  

So, am I crazy? Why do I support Aston Villa? I don’t have an answer but it is a weird combination for a person from a country where cricket rules and from a state where sports is not on top of the priority list. I have always been a cricket fanatic who followed football from a distance until the 2018 FIFA World Cup when I grooved into the sport and by then I had forgotten that as a child, I used to say I support Aston Villa. 2018 after spending numerous nights playing FIFA, I became a Bayern München fan (because it was my go-to team in FIFA who were very overpowered throughout different game incarnations). Where did Villa fade away? When did I start following them back? Before finding back my love for the Birmingham boys, let me tell you a not-so-interesting story of a couple of sentences when and how I first declared myself an Aston Villa fan.

Sometime in the early 2010s when I had just started middle school, the 2010 FIFA World Cup happened which is the best World Cup to date and the world was hooked on the event. My schoolmates were no different since thanks to the developing technologies, football was reaching India in real time. One day, I overheard a discussion about who supports which club and I was hearing the names of famous clubs like the top 6 from the PL, Inter, Milan and Juve from Serie A and Barca and Real from Spain. I thought to myself what is my favorite club. I went home and opened the newspaper because The Times of India used to have a small snippet featuring scores and major highlights of top football leagues and I came across the coolest-sounding name a sports team could have. It was Aston Villa F.C. It also reminded me of Aston Martin, who has the coolest logo for a car manufacturer and after that, I was an Aston Villa fan at age 12 having never watched them play, having no idea what they wore, where they played, who played for them, but I was their fan.

Coming near the present, it was 2019 and I was once again wasting my life playing FIFA 2019. After using all the Premier League teams, I switched to the Championship and boom, I saw Aston Villa. Not the Aston Villa I used to be a fan of rather, a team struggling with mediocrity in the second tier. Flashbacks happened and I recalled the stupidity of selecting this team as my favorite. But I agree that I am stupid thus, I started my relationship with the Clarets and Blues. It was the same season when Villa got lucky and was promoted back to the Premiership after going through the play-offs. After a shite top-flight season, they somehow survived relegation and stayed up for another season and it was the moment when it was affirmed that I am definitely an Aston Villa fan. To make the story short, Villa continues improving season by season and has started 2023-24 with a bang (thanks to NSWE’s patience and Mr. Good Ebening’s brilliance). They are one of the better sides to watch this season in all of Europe and I promised myself that I’ll be supporting this great team forever.

First of all, Bayern Munich and Bayern Alzenau are two totally different clubs with no formal relations. They are both clubs from the Bavaria region in Germany and that’s all, the only common factor. Bayern Munich is one of the greatest sports team across the world while Bayern Alzenau is just an amateur club that floats between the lower leagues of Germany. A lower league amateur team and a European giant having similar logos? Probably Alzenau copied Munich’s logo. This was something I thought. But I was not even close to being correct.

Since Bayern Alzenau is an amateur German club, finding a lot of information, that too in English is really tough. First of all, I checked Wikipedia to get the gist of the club. Fußball-Club Bayern Alzenau/Ufr. 1920 e.V. is the full name of Bayern Alzenau. From the name one can figure out that it was founded in 1920 (since a number of German teams have their founding year mentioned in their name, the best example is Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund was founded in 1909). In contrast, Bayern Munich was founded in 1900, 20 years before Alzenau (another factor that led me to a conclusion that Alzenau had copied).

Munich has a population of 1.5 million while Alzenau has mere 19000 residents. Munich dominates Alzenau in every aspect. Since both places are a part of Bavaria, I did some reading on the region. I found that the Bavarian flag has a blue and white lozenge design. Some of my doubts were cleared now. Next, I found a video in German language that helped me get informed properly (linked in the end).

Bayern Alzenau have been using the Bavarian flag design since being founded (i.e. 1920) while Bayern Munich had a totally unrelated logo for its first 64 years when they changed to the popular red and circle encircling the Bavarian flag. So, did Munich copy from Alzenau? There is no thorough information regarding the same but Alzenau’s coach said that it is a mere coincidence because Munich’s team is nowhere related to Alzenau and Alzenau does not even play in the amateur Bavarian league (Bayernliga) rather have been a part of Hessenliga in the state of Hesse.

Conclusion? With Alzenau being just an amateur team in Germany, there is a very low probability that this topic will ever been taken seriously and a thorough investigation/research would ever be done.

Last month, I was reading Rahul Dravid’s biography, “The Nice Guy Who Finished First: A Biography of Rahul Dravid” by Devendra Prabhudesai. In one of the chapters, I came across the name Connor Williams, an opening batsman who was included in the Indian test squad for their tour to South Africa in 2001. I thought I made a mistake while reading and went back to the sentence for confirmation. It was indeed Connor Williams, an opener selected to play for India and he also played one test. But if you go through the list of Indian test cricketers, he can nowhere be found. So, here is the story of India’s forgotten original 240th test cap.

Connor Williams is a former left-handed opening batsman from Baroda who represented Baroda over a hundred times in first-class matches. His overall first-class stats read as – 124 matches 208 innings 7942 runs at 39.90 with 19 centuries and 42 half-centuries and the best score of 237*. Fairly decent stats for an opener. Before Gambhir and Sehwag became the number 1 and 2 for India, a number of different openers were tried to set up a combination. Williams was a part of the experiment. When India toured South Africa in late 2001, the likes of Deep Dasgupta, Shiv Sundar Das, and Sanjay Bangar were some of the opening contenders along with Williams. Williams did not get a chance in the first two tests as Rahul Dravid and Deep Dasgupta were partnered with Shiv Sunder Das in the two matches respectively. Then happened the third test where Das yet again got a new partner, this time Connor Williams to face the new ball. Williams made 5 and 42 in the two innings and thus became India’s 240th test cap.

But here was the catch. During the early 2000s, India and South Africa were the two teams who could not live without controversy and now they were playing against each other, so something unusual was bound to happen. The infamous “Mike Denness and the Indian Cricket Team Incident” happened during the 2nd test. Mike Denness was a former England cricketer and then a match official. Denness punished 6 players of the Indian team and never justified his decision. The incident also had a hearing in the Indian parliament and Denness was heavily criticized throughout the cricketing fraternity. ICC was also criticized because they never took a stance and their inequality towards third world countries was seen. BCCI had decided to call off the series if the situation was not resolved. ICC however sided with Denness and South Africa sided with BCCI and did not allow Mike Denness to enter the stadium for the 3rd test.

The 3rd test did happen but ICC deemed it unofficial thus calling it a 5-day friendly and the series became a two-match series and Connor Williams never became India’s 240th test cricketer.

Williams never got to play for India again and in the next series, another opener got a chance. Sanjay Bangar, the former India batting coach thus became India’s 240th test cricketer and made some decent performances that further denied a return for Williams. Following this, India got an opening pair of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag with some excellent backups like Wasim Jaffer that ultimately ended Williams’ test career.

Mike Denness’ incident can be thoroughly read here.

Fixing the bug, well, is something not in our hand but we can get rid of the bloatware in these devices without a lot of effort (also, no root required). All one needs is a working computer, a USB cable (preferably the original cable with the phone), the device itself and this blog post. I’ll explain each step in a really simple manner and will provide the list of bloatware which will cause no adverse effect on your Xiaomi/Redmi phone once you remove them. The following method works on any android device but one needs to find the list of bloatware that would cause no damage to their devices online (XDA to the rescue).

Part 1 – Enabling USB Debugging

Step 1:

Open Settings of your Android Phone.

Step 2:

Go to the about section.

Step 3:

Press 7 times on the Build Number/MIUI Version or any other similar option (depending on the device you are using) and a message prompts that “You’re now a Developer”.

Step 4:

Turn on USB Debugging toggle.

Part 1 is done. Now time to switch to your computer.

Part 2 – Setting up ADB (Android Debugging Bridge)

Step 1:

Download SDK (ADB) Platform Tools for your respective Operating System.

Step 2:

Extract the Files using WinRAR or any similar software.

Step 3:

Open the extracted folder.

Step 4:

Enter “cmd” in the address bar and press enter.

Something like this will open.

Step 5:

Connect your phone to your computer via USB.

In the Command Prompt, write “adb devices” and press enter. Your phone will ask to allow USB debugging. Allow that. You must see a device serial number appear in Command Prompt. If not, try again and it will definitely happen.

Step 6:

Now the fun part starts.

Execute the command “adb shell”.

Next you need to find the package names of the apps you want to remove.

I referenced this page.

Some package names in the list are:

com.android.calendar
com.android.mms
com.miui.compass
com.miui.notes
com.miui.player # music player
com.miui.videoplayer
com.miui.weather2
com.miui.yellowpage
com.xiaomi.scanner
com.xiaomi.midrop
com.facebook.appmanager
com.facebook.services
com.facebook.system
com.android.browser
com.miui.cloudbackup
com.miui.cloudservice
com.miui.cloudservice.sysbase

NEVER EVER REMOVE THESE APPS BECAUSE IT WILL BRICK YOUR XIAOMI PHONE.

• the security center app

• the mi account app

Step 7:

The final nail in the coffin is here.

You need to execute this command:

pm uninstall -k –user 0 <name of package>

where, the name of package is the package name of the individual apps you want to remove.

For example,

pm uninstall -k –user 0 com.android.browser

Executing the above command, removes the shitty Mi Browser.

You need to perform Step 7 for each app you want to remove.

Happy Debloating!

Since Wells played cricket in the era when collecting statistics about matches played was not a proper job like it is today, not a lot of information regarding his career is available on the web. But, his stats on to Cricinfo are 8 FC Matches, where he batted 14 times and scored 48 runs with a top score of 10. He was a bowler then, and his numbers read – 15 wickets while conceding 128 runs at an average of 8.53 with his best figures of 6/35 (his only 5-wicket haul). 

Long before H. G. Wells achieved all the success and became a popular name, his father Joseph who, according to the numbers available online was not a great cricketer, achieved one rare feat that only a few players have done to date. 

One of the defining cricketing moments of my childhood is Lasith Malinga taking four wickets off four deliveries against South Africa in 2007. His last spell brought hopes to the Sri Lankans for an unlikely victory in a match that they had already lost. Chasing 210, South Africa (true chokers if they had lost this match too) eased to 206 for 5. Then came Malinga and did the unthinkable by picking 4 wickets in 4 consecutive deliveries (but in 2 different overs) bringing South Africa to 207 for 9. 12 years later in 2019, a 36-year-old Malinga who was written off by many did the unthinkable again and defended Sri Lanka’s modest 125 against a good New Zealand side (all-out for 88). There are a few more players who have also taken 4 consecutive wickets across different formats (international and domestic) of the sport. 

But long before Malinga and the others, Joseph Wells picked up four wickets in four deliveries in a first-class match against Surrey in June 1862. The match was played in Hove, and it was a 3-day match with a 4-ball over. Wells’ bowling figures read – 28 overs, 13 maidens, six wickets for 35 (including two wide balls). Kent won that match by ten wickets. 

Wells’ victims on the four consecutive deliveries were James Dean, Charles Ellis, Richard Fillery, and Spencer Austen-Leigh. 

Spencer Austen-Leigh was the great-nephew of another famous writer Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice). Spencer’s three brothers Arthur, Cholmeley, and Charles also played cricket. 

James Dean’s uncle Jemmy Dean had a great first-class career and played 305 matches, scored 5115 runs with a top score of 99, and picked up 1144 wickets at 16.62 with best figures of 9/34. Jemmy Dean was friends with John Wisden, who’s best known for launching the Wisden Cricketer’s Almanack. 

Charles Ellis and Richard Fillery also had decent careers. Ellis played 80 matches ad scored 1812 runs with a top score of 83 and picked 100 wickets with the best figures of 8/96. Fillery played 123 matches, scored 2676 including his best of 105, and picked up 318 wickets with best figures of 7/24. These numbers were not bad considering the game back in that period.