It is indeed ironical that my first comment on your blog should come on your last one. In your decision to put this blog to rest you have shown the quality that we have seen in our cricketers. Though you have possibly overstayed your welcome, purely with respect to extending your writing past the year contract, and at the same time been good enough to entertain us during this period also.

As a big fasn of test cricket and VVS, i found solace in your blogs in your suppory of both.

With forthright views on everything you generated lots of debate, i shall not use the term controversy.

As we bid adieu to Men in White, we look forward to knowing your future plans in writing and cricket writin in general.

Adios.

Good riddance. People like you with intellectual pretensions should never be allowed to write anything. When will you learn that cricket is not an intellectual sport? When will you learn that all those whose only chance to savour an Indian sporting success is an occassional cricket match,should not pretend to be intellectuals themselves?

Your comment about Tendulkar not going to college was in poor taste. And it wasn't a one-off either. Your bashing of Australians exposed your jingoism (and this is coming from an Indian).

Please don't ever write in a public forum again.

Your blogs have been pretty interesting to read,if somewhat controversial.Its important to call a spade and spade,more so in this politically correct atmosphere,and you have done that very well.You have also been game enough to allow some pretty insulting comments from many one eyed opposition fans.People like rakesh who are probably seeking Australian citizenship or are frustrated at not having a blog themselves on cricinfo are best ignored.

will miss you sorely,mukul.would keep scouring for your delightful pieces,elsewhere,however.

I would hasten to add to rakesh that you also have no right to tell Mukul where he can and cannot write. As for your comment regarding cricket being an intellectual game, I beg to differ. Cricket is such a beautiful game that it signifies different things to different people. For a person like you, cricket may not be an intellectual game and more in the likes of football; however, I definitely consider Cricket (test-match cricket to be more exact) to be a thinking-man's game.

As for your comment regarding jingoism, this is Mukul's own personal blog and he is not required to be neutral or unbiased. If he was writing for the main website, your point would have been valid; yet as this is his blog, he has every right to be jingoistic, biased and critical. You, on the other hand, have no right to criticise his neutrality.

Hey mukul,

They were some pretty memorable moments in the blog. Some were of BS logic - like the 'vegetarian thing' someone said in your second post i think. They were some very creative posts from you - like the one where you compared pakistani cricketers to the sepoy mutiny of 1857. Brigadier Shahid afridi. hehehehe. Sometimes you spoke with common sense, like when you rallied all the indians to support srilanka in WC07 and sometimes you have been kicked for being bold - like when you said that shoaib malik made a mistake by including all muslims in his defeat speech at 20-20 inaugral WC.

Everyday, since i read about how your son supports football leagues rather than the indian cricket team, i looked for a new post in your blog the first thing i entered cricinfo. I even started reading how you thought konkana sen gave an apt display of a tamil woman in Mr and Mrs Iyer in the outlook.

Your description of VVS was pure poetry.Indian cricket fans will miss you mate.Alvida!

Hi Mukul, thanks for all the straight forward views which you used to put across....i used to read your blog casually, however, your article "shock and awe" was awesome and i've become a huge fan of yours thereafter!!!all the best for your future...and let us know what are your future plans.

I have liked a few of your articles but just a suggestion that don't let your intellectual pretensions belittle on the field heroics.

This is bad news I will miss your blogs. The writing has always been of high quality and also you did not stop from asking uncomfortable questions which was unusual among Cricinfos desi writers. Rakesh is exaggerating, if you really want to see jingoism and other nonsense read malcolm conns articles!!
p.s: i hope your son starts liking cricket maybe he is a late bloomer like Saurav Ganguly :-)

Dear Mukul,

Your write the truth as a cricket lover. You are Indian but always (most of time) show their weak points to make them.

And somebody doesn't like you but real cricket lovers love you.

Any way you are a great guy. All the best.

i am as big a fan of sachin as u r of lax..so mixed feelings saying goodbye..the "college" thing was especially awful.and i hate the way u try to hate yuvi..but ur blogs always made a good read..might miss u.. :P..bye

Obviously, one cannot agree with everything a person states and so I don't hold the "college" thing against you, though I still vehemently disagree with it and the amount of Gavaskar-worship it involves is amusing..for me. :P Like others have said, you threw caution to the winds and stated your views forthright, which is what blogging is all about, as contrasted to conventional journalism. Be back with a blog somewhere else on the WWW soon. :P And yes, I must say the comparison between Ponting-Bush was classic :P. I thought I was the only one who had noticed it until I read that piece and found you and many others thought likewise. Au revoir.

This is why I like him...
He was honest & he is correct...

A Martian picks...Sri Lanka!

I want India to win. There must be evolved cricket fans out there who don't let vulgar ideas like nationalism affect their pleasure in the game, but I don't know of any. Actually that's not true: I know of one: Mike Marqusee. He wrote one of the three best books ever written on the history of cricket: Anyone But England (the other two are CLR James's Beyond the Boundary and Ramachandra Guha's A Corner of a Foreign Field). Mike doesn't count: he's an American and he doesn't have a home team to back. We do.
But when our better selves take over, when we remember first things, like the joy of accidentally middling the ball and hearing it 'thunk' off the sweet spot of the bat, it's sometimes fun to imagine who you'd want to win the Cup if you were a neutral, like Marqusee, or a Martian.
When I'm being extra-terrestrial,

I want Sri Lanka to win.

SL become runner-up of WC

Your last post was titled 'The beginning of the end' were u giving hints with that title?? :-)

I will remember this blog as one of the first in Indian cricket writing to call a spade a spade...esp ur views on Gavaskar!!!

Mukul, i have never posted any comment on-line before but your departure warrants a strong THANK YOU!. I am on cricinfo all day long and your articles are by far the best written and thoughtful. I think i relate to your writing because you write as a fan rather than an ex-player and therefore articulate the sentiments of a fan rather than purely a technical look at player/game etc. I sincerely believe you should re-consider and if the cricinfo/ESPN gang have any business savvy they would pay you to continue to write considering thier major readership is indian and you are the best writer on Cricinfo on the Indian viewpoint. All your readers don't have to agree with you but at least your views are fresh and unique not repeating the oboius which is the fomula for most other sports writers. I remember your piece on VVS before the pakistan series and the piece on Ponting and the 1950s as your finest blogs. I cant recall any other article on cricinfo which left a lasting impression om me

Mukul,

It's sad to see you leave and thanks for providing us with a platform to discuss Indian cricket. I've never posted on your blog before but I must thank you and appreciate your efforts. Pakistani cricket blogs outnumber Indian cricket blogs by some distance and it was nice to see a rare Indian cricket blog on such a vastly visited site as Cricinfo.

I am sure your readers will miss you. There is a cricket blog called LEGSLIP which can be accessed at http://legslip.com/ which features extensively on Indian and Pakistan cricket. Please do visit it and make us aware of your intellectual views. Perhaps your readers can visit it too if they want to comment on the current issues on Indian cricket.

I am actually a Pakistan supporter but I hold your views in high regard. All the best to you whatever you do!

Farewell thee, dear VVS fan.

Will truly miss u. Am an armchair critic who probably has intellectual pretensions and watches cricket as such..as someone said before cricket can be enjoyed at several levels. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ur blogs and articles especially the ones on test cricket and VVS. Hope u decide to stay on to contribute on cricinfo where I could access ur views easily.

Good luck with your application for Australian Citizenship.

I'll miss your blog.'Men in White'was what I liked best in Cricinfo.Although controversial and critical at times,it was your forthrightness that enchanted me.
Plese let me know your future bolgging plans and cricket blogging in general.

Bye.

Pity Laxman and fellow sachin bashers...Hooray!!!

Mukul, I appreciate your effort and I believe you're sincere in your writings, but I think you should stick to history and social issues. I think your views can be a bit over-the-top for cricket. However, may you be a fan of VVS Laxman forever.

Although I don't agree with Rakesh, I think your recent articles have been of bad taste

As an Indian I was appalled by your anti-Australian comments. You are no different from Gavaskar and Boria Majumdar. Can you imagine how we Indians will react if say, Peter Roebuck, wrote such articles

I hope you've learnt from the Tendulkar comments and the response to your previous blog, that Test cricket is not as big as it seems to be in your mind

to hear people like angi say that cricket is a thinking man's game makes me laugh. Come on guys - lighten up. If it were as smart as you make it out to be, it would be played in more countries than the subcontinent and 3-4 other countries.

I have never read your blog, but, for some reason I'll never miss you either. Hell, I don't know your name, but then, I certainly won't remember your face.

Although I don't condone Rakesh's vitriol, I am in general agreement with what he is saying. Your attack on Tendulkar's cricket was rather sad and your feelings for Test cricket, while they are your own, there is no need to push them so hard on other people.

If you were to believe Angi and Kesavan, one would think they were writing about chess rather than cricket. Relax, folks. As someone in an earlier blog said, it is only a little more than a throw-and-hit sport.

Kesavan, you can't hide from the fact that you think you are elitist and this came through in your last blog. I hope that this is the reason you have decided to stop blogging.

I dont agree with Angi that just because this is a blog, the writer can be jingoistic and biased. And Kesavan has shown clear evidence of his jingoism

It's good to go when you are on a high, but Kesavan you hung on just a little too long to let that happen. Your comparison of Bush with Ponting was just another one of your lows not stated in the comments so far.

Ram Guha seems to have stopped writing about cricket having realized (at last) there is a lot of jingoism in our cricket culture. When will you realize this , Mukul

You have given me fond memories Mukul..
I agreed with 99% of what you wrote esp with your views on Aussies, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj's test batting ability & Test cricket in general.
Reading most of ur entries have made me feel vindicated & I found myself nodding my head vigorosly as I read them.
Your forthrightness may have hurt somebody & there were times when I thought your criticism of some individuals was way over the top but you are the master of your blogs & honesty is never a negative trait.
Anyways here's wishing you luck for your future endeavors & I hope you will stay in touch with your fans like me through occasional articles on Cricinfo.
Good Bye & Thanks for everything!

Somebody said that cricket signifies different things to different people - one can safely say that it signifies "boredom" to the vast majority of people in the world

Mr. Kesavan , the least you could have done after receiving so much flak on your last post was to apologise. But you seem to show no remorse for your comments.

All the best Mukul. Good writing and good topics too. I recommend that you keep at it, seeing as there is a shortage of writers who would address the issues you have addressed, even more so a shortage of good writers such as you, who would address those same issues; and most of all, a shortage of good writers who would address these issues from the angle you approach it from, namely the Indian angle. Keep up the good work and I'll see/read you around.

ok, chalo, tata, bye bye. take care, eat fruits, have a heavy breakfast, light dinner and sleep well. God bless you.

Mukul, you were brilliant. This one fan will miss you sorely.

There were a lot of articles from you that I liked and few that I did not. Overall, your articles were enjoyable and had the courage to call a spade a spade. Thank you Mukkul!

PS: Never mind what people like Rakesh say! Maybe he is trying to please his australian masters!

I was one of those who found the previous article very silly, but I must defend Mukul with regard to the 'college' reference.

He is just being honest in admitting that in his bewilderment, he is searching for explanations and one bizarre one was that perhaps Sachin is not a sohoisticated enough person to appreciate test cricket. This is a common enough attitude by people (such as myself) who think they are the hardcore fans who appreciate 'real' cricket, which is test cricket.

In the very next sentence, he castigates himself for this condescending and unworthy thought.

I think Mukul is read best as a fellow Indian fan, who is as passionate and emotional as any other fan, rather than a cold, calculating analyst who is trying to put forward a 'balanced' view.

I have enjoyed your pieces, Mukul, though I have frequently said to myself that this man needs to get his head examined.

Thanks!

Hi Always enjoyed your writings (and the creative Headings). You were never politically correct and always wrote your heart out. Your selflessness to include other people's writings appealed most to me. I hope this is only a short mid-innings break and you come out for a Second Innings. All the best.

Sad.

Thanks a lot for all the posts you made.It was unadulterated pleasure and was addicting.I wonder where will find a replacement now.May be I will start writing myself ;)

Solid blogging there, Mukul. Well done, and you should be proud. I particularly enjoyed the one where you went to FSK to watch the India Pakistan game.

Last semester, I was looking for a job, and I asked my dad (IIT, IIM) for some leads. He suggested I'd email a Mr. Kesavan based in Virginia. I emailed him, concluding the email with the line, "B any chance, are you related to Mukul Kesavan, the cricket writer?" Lo and behold, he was. I think he's your elder brother.

But I didn't get the job. Instead, I got into NYU's Creative Writing Program (MFA, Fiction).

Also, Kanti Bajpai was my headmaster at Doon. You probably know him from his JNU days.

I am sorry to see you leave. I have enjoyed reading your blog and wish you could continue to write on cricinfo.

Along with Osman Samiuddin, you are the one of the best cricket writers out there, Mukul. Distance surely brings perspective and there are few others I have liked as much. I hope you keep writing on cricket, on cricinfo or on any other medium. So long and thanks for all the FISH (Fresh, Insightful and Special Hours spent reading your blog).

Mukal,

Somehow, while reading your blog, I found the same satisfaction of seeing a Test Match. Looking forward to your articles through other mediums.

Mukul, it is sad to see your last post...i will surely miss you. Your views on indian selections as well as honest opinions about some of the most overhyped players of indian cricket, read yuvraj, were tremendous..I am big VVS fan and i would miss you for your comments on VVS...one of the best cricket writers of my time...i wish you all success and hope i would get an opportunity to read your views on indian cricket soon... All the best mate.

Thank you Mr. Kesavan for your blog. It's sometimes difficult to get another Indian view on cricket events so alike my own. Without being in any way 'overly biased' (despite bias being such a prevalent element in sports writing anyway) you are humorous and mildly cynical. I was in great praise about a piece you provided during India's tour to England where you, in my opinion, gave a great retort to Michael Atherton's comment about a Sreesanth beamer.

Greatly enjoyed this blog, perhaps a more refreshing perspective than most other blogs provide.

Many thanks once again.

Oh, Mukul, are you really departing for good? Must I not quote William Shakespear's sonnet 87 here? "Farewell! Thou art too dear for my possessing....." Although I was never a regular on your blog, still I wish you all the best to you in your future endeavours. But, please, don't be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. I am sure you are NOT saying: "Au revoir, tout le monde!" Because, that would be too bad but, you can say, Au revoir À bientôt ... faire ses adieux or, "Accha dost phir milenge!" You are a social history teacher, so you know history repeats itself, hence you never know and I would say, we all hope to see you again!

hey Mukul, thanks for entertaining us for over a year. wishing you all success. bye.

Its very saddening to read the closing of your blog!
Might i thank for rallying people of the subcontinent together in support of the Srilankan Team during the world cup.
I have thoroughly enjoyed your posts and extend my utmost gratitude and respect for your perspective on the game !
May the force be with you !

Goodbye Mr Kesavan,

I cant say I agree with a lot of your views, but I do say that it was worthwhile to get a different perspective from your writing. Wish you good luck in your new ventures.

I have enjoyed your articles very much. Thank you. Please keep writing about Indian cricket in future.

Good to know that you have decided to call it quits.. your last post was indeed "the Beginning of the End". Taking Sachin's spur of the moment comment and then analyzing it in 5000 words to show that test cricket is dying - was just the clear sign that you are losing it (assuming of course you ever had it)
by the way remember your college grad SMG's comment on David Hookes?

Thanks Mukul for the forthcoming views in your blogs. They ranged from very very special, poetic and melodramatic(in case of VVS as the batsman himself)to bordering on blasphemy (Sachin not going to college... you need to remember the Sharjah series where the dude single handedly won the cup for India and made the As*tralians bite dust..literally). As I said in one of my last posts (which you may have selectively ignored)....Sachin is next to God in cricket. I have the highest degree from a top US University and I still look at Sachin for inspiration.

Overall I enjoyed your posts, there always had a desi touch to your angrezi.

Sorry to see you go.....please keep writing.

Thanks

Thanks for all your writings on Cricinfo. Your essays made every visit to Cricinfo worth it. By the way, it was entertaining to read your book. Keep us posted if you choose to continue to write on cricket or other forums. Best wishes to you.

WHAT? WHY? NO!
This is an April fools joke 8 days early you idiots.

you kidding. I used to look forward to them. You wrote what you thought, never were on the fence and honest to the core. I will miss you.
Ciao

HI! MUKUL!! THANKS FOR ALL THE INTERESTING ARTICLES OVER THE PAST YEAR! HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED & VALUED YOUR VIEWS. WILL SURELY MISS YOUR BLOG. HOPE TO READ SOME OF YOUR STUFF DOWN THE LINE ... WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST IN THE FUTURE. CHEERS! VIJAY

VIJAY SAMUEL
4951 NW 54TH ST.
POMPANO BEACH
FL 33073
USA.

All the best Mukul. I didn't always agree with what you said but found every post interesting.

@khansahab..sure just like the number of Indian cricket journalists at cricinfo outnumber the Pakistani ones ;)

@

"Men In White" apart from being the corniest title ever for a cricket blog, was usually biased (if not racist), controversial, inaccurate and the rantings of a man trying to convince everyone but mostly himself, that the end is nigh for (Test) cricket. The sudden announcement of the termination of the blog is a bit surprising, and may well be the consequence of the fury of the innumerable sycophants who turned on an author who 's blog they rarely understood, as evidenced from the previous post. Perhaps Mukul was characterizing these fans in his article to the BBC on the sub-continental fan, and perhaps in the end he grew tired of his work going unappreciated, or perhaps he has just decided to move on. I liked a couple of his posts but the majority just didn't appeal to me, perhaps I never appreciated fully this brand of wit or poetry. All said, the blog provided a unique perspective to cricket. The clash between A. Miller and Mukul provided fascinating insight on differing perceptions

It was always an inteesting read.
Nevermind the light-hearted banter :P

One thing you have done the Aussie way is to retire while your team was doing well.
Bye

This is a sad, sad day.

Adieu.

good riddance! hope cricinfo gets someone better the next time!

great that you are leaving Mukul..after your last stupid comment about Sachin, you lost all your credentials..so its better to sign off than write stupid stuffs again and again..anyway thanks..

Dear Mukul-As they say all good things have come to an end! I am in someways as disappointed as would be if one of my favorite cricketers retired. Ok no maudlin talk! Your writing came closest to my own view of cricket, it's heroes,politics et al and I always took a great delight in whatever you wrote. My fan-dom is almost 25 yrs(less that ur 40) but i could relate to your WI team fixation and thier mystical players and fearsome fastbowlers. Your piece in The Hindu coupla yrs ago on WI was so wonderful...it was cricket's Eurekha moment for me! Your factual and passionate exposition of the greatest Indian batsmen always struck an approving chord.....Sunny has to remain the immortal/greatest though his commentary insufferable! Kapil-alpha male-absolutely and VVS-oh so sublime! More than anyone VVS needs you....and your succulent offerings for his own assurance when he's confused at the inevitable drop for a Bangladesh tour. Illuminating writing i must say.in closing never say never again

Your blogs were always interesting, entertaining, provoking. They may not have been always pleasing. Yet I appreciate the forthright, if controversial, points of view. I will miss them. All the best with whatever you are moving into.

Mukul, your blog will be missed.

Hands down the best out of a pretty good bunch of writers on Cricinfo. Sad to see this is your last. I always looked forward to your pieces and would often read them even before catching up on live scores.
Hope you reconsider.

To Deepak Nair: If as Mukul says, his son is an Arsenal fan, your hope that he will switch to cricket is doomed. As John Keats said a thing of beauty is a joy forever - if you happen to become an Arsenal fan it's impossible to switch to another team - LET ALONE ANOTHER SPORT (AND LEAST OF ALL, CRICKET). There is no greater joy in the world of sport today than watching Arsenal.

Really enjoyed your point of view on cricket as a game embedded in and not separated from its cultural, social, and historiographical contexts. Only the myopic would believe that wants happens on the field remains on the field, that perfidious excuse for the lamentable behaviour of sportsmen everywhere, but particularly you know where. So whos going to give us a view other than that of the sycophantic embedded typically reactionary cricket so-called journalist but really average cricketer turned hack. Marks, Selvey, Atherton, Roebuck, Conn, Premchandran et al? Think I might just switch to Rediff.com for some more insightful commentary instead

I thought my 'farewell' comment on Mukul's last thread would be my last one. But, after reading a few comments, especially that of rakesh's real rude and nasty comment, I've decided to say a few words. First of all, your saying "good riddance" to Mukul does not reflect the voice of the majority, it only shows how narrow minded and trivial your mental status is. Secondly, to tell him "don't ever write on a public forum again" and by saying it so loudly and proudly that it is coming from an Indian does not reflect the true Indian mentality, its your own isolated gobbledy-gook. Because, there are so many Indians and Pakistanis on this blog who supported him. So, once again it proves that you are one of those insignificant individuals who merely exists and no one knows who you are, whether you write, praise, criticize or even abuse will not change the opinions of the majority. I am a Pakistani Canadian and I admit that I have not agreed with his views most of the time. But, as he is departing now I won't say I am very sad but, I am not feeling any good either. The truth is, perhaps I will miss him, perhaps most of us will miss him and his writings. As regards controversies, disagreements and difference of opinions (but, within reason and respect for each other) thats what makes any blog or discussion forum more interesting. And your showing pity towards the Australian bashing is deplorable, the Aussies deserve that criticism, because they are the biggest whiners in the cricket world.

Post it without fail Mukul!Dear Mukul-As they say all good things have come to an end! I am in someways as disappointed as would be if one of my favorite cricketers retired. Ok no maudlin talk! Your writing came closest to my own view of cricket, it's heroes,politics et al and I always took a great delight in whatever you wrote. My fan-dom is almost 25 yrs(less that ur 40) but i could relate to your WI team fixation and thier mystical players and fearsome fastbowlers. Your piece in The Hindu coupla yrs ago on WI was so wonderful...it was cricket's Eurekha moment for me! Your factual and passionate exposition of the greatest Indian batsmen always struck an approving chord.....Sunny has to remain the immortal/greatest though his commentary insufferable! Kapil-alpha male-absolutely and VVS-oh so sublime! More than anyone VVS needs you....and your succulent offerings for his own assurance when he's confused at the inevitable drop for a Bangladesh tour. Illuminating writing i must say.Au Re

I congtratulate you Mukul for stirring my interest in the views of the average indian fan. However, I sincerely hope that the nationalistic madness that you have inspired from your readers (from every nation) is not the norm. The problem is that you and many other cricket writers (e.g. Peter Roebuck) have crossed the line between reporting the news and creating it. The whole sad saga of this summer in Australia was largely media-driven. In reality the cricket was close and tense but far less controversial than the media made it out to be. If the ICC do ever have the balls to ban sledging you guys would have nothing to talk about. The fact that you view this year as some sort of triumph for the game says it all. I was ecstatic to see the Aussies reign challenged on the field but the rest of it was an abomination. For that reason your departure leaves me with no sense of loss. Cricinfo should approach Suresh Menon if they seek an Indian writer more interested in writing than flag-waving.

Although I not always agreed with you, your blogs were very interesting to read. Will miss your writings.

Mukul, Thanks for sharing your views with us. I read a lot of cricket stuff on the net, but your writings most strongly resonate with my feelings as a long-suffering fan of Indian cricket. I hope to enjoy your articles elswehere on the net. Media is a very powerful influence, and I hope you will keep writing often about cricket and expressing your views -- I am sure they will be read and appreciated by many.

All the best Mukul in your future endeavors..!!

psst...when is soumya bhattacharya calling off his blogs???

I see that the rabid indian fan has yet again littered the comments section with inane, short-sighted rude and ad hominem attacks. I hope that they were not the reason for your departure, as that would be something of a travesty.

I am sorry to see you go as your blog was, along with Rob's, one that always made for interesting reading. I hope that you will continue *blogging* about cricket elsewhere, perhaps on your own site and that your fans of which I number one, can appreciate your point of view once again.

I will miss your blog. I like You and Ramchandra Guha's articles which are published in The telegrapbh in Kolkata. Thanks for the articles Sir. Hope to read more from your pen in future.

If as somebody says, Kesavan's son is an Arsenal fan, I can't help saying that he seems to have better taste than his Dad :)

mukul,i was deliciously surprised by the majority of readers respnse at your farewell.so there is still a lot of sanity left among our subcontinental cricket fans.tell us mukul where can we look for you.the telegraph alone!

Kesavan managed to draw a lot of attention to his blogs... that makes him a success. I was a bit surprised not to see some more advertisement as that is generally what a blogger tries to acheive. Tendulkar's educational backgroud was uncalled for and maybe Mukul has been just a bit late in announcing his retirement just like most subcontinent crickters. Had it been over in 12 months the last article wouldnt have been published and he could have hung up his boots with more people missing him. I for one liked his articles mainly because there was not too much emphasis on statistics.

Excellent views by Javed A Khan- shame on rakesh really. What do you mean Rakesh, when you say "cricket is not an intellectual sport".

Intellect is something that helps in any field, whether that is any sport or anything else. Intellect teaches you to probe deep into a notion and seek justifications for putting a point forward. It helps in discovering the truth or nature of something. I can't really put it any simpler than that.

Intellectual discussion is what cricket needs. It may not appear so, but Men in White has actually played a part in changing peoples' opinions about Indian cricket and scrutinising Indian cricket. Other famous blogs like LEGSLIP which I have mentioned above also feature intellectual discussion.

Omer Admani, nice to see you giving your views. It is a shame people are bad mouthing Mukul when we should all thank him for providing us with a platform to discuss cricket "intellectually." I also feel good fellow Pakistani supporters are wishing Mukul well.

It was fin while it lasted; and I am sure we will something better from you pretty soon.

I have absolute nothing but admiration for the great & varied Indian fans and their passion for the best supported team in the world. I realised Mukul is just a small, bigotted section of that fan base, and the exact opposite to me. I enjoyed and added to his pre-WC Pakistan's miliatary analogy- specifically, "Pak team’s shambolic disciplinary record would suggest Pak team is a disorderly rabble force taking on well-drilled (and vastly better equipped) forces to the East and the West!! Imran's magic, soothing balm is finally beginning to fade." I was proved right!! His view of class goes like this: During Sydney test, Hayden had said to Harbhajan, "This is racial vilification, mate". I thought Hayden has too much CLASS and education for Bhajji (does Bhajji even understand). Later of course, Hayden turned out to an "obnoxious weed". That's similar to my views on Laxman and Jaffer. cont./

Accordingly, they are defined as classy, test-elite players. But when they get to open their mouths, they seem to blame everyone but themselves for their careers. eg. Laxman has a poor ODI record. He started pathetically in both tests and ODIs and was deservedly dropped. He spend a long period in the latter half of his career being pathetic- tests around 30 & 21 in ODIs!! Jaffer's comments on his team mates shows him to be a snob. His delusional rants on his non-existent 20-20 record and his self-pitying ways reminds me very much of VVS Laxman. Most of what has written about Indian players (I have read very little) is absolute garbage.

When I read your first post, I thought, here is an intellectual writer writing about cricket. I liked the idea and I guess we will be missing your blog. I agreed with many of your views and did't like some but they usually generated good amount of interest. So, all the best and hope you will continue commenting on cricket from other forums.

Farewell Mukul. Whatever you do I wish you well and hapiness.

I never write much on this forum but whenever I do it’s because I like cricket especially subcontinent cricket.

I like Javed A Khan’s retort to Rakesh. What a small minded guy! Doesn’t even have the decency to say farewell. Someone said “Maybe he is trying to please his Australian masters”. I would say he is possibly an Australian in Indian guise. Shame on you!

Javed A Khan has often been critical on this forum in the past but he is entitled to his views. However, he is good enough to bid farewell to someone in a decent manner. That shows true character of a person in complete contrast to Rakesh.

I do agree with khansahab. There is some interesting write up on http://legslip.com/

I'm an Australian across the other side of the world and have never commented on any of your blogs before, but now that you've decided to pull the plug I just wanted to say how much I have appreciated your work. The unique view you have brought to the cricketing landscape has been refreshing to say the least. Your blog will be missed.

Mukul,

Your blogs were a delightful read for the Indian cricket fan. Those who take issue with your personal biases (which undoubtedly made their way into your postings) and your lack of first-hand experience of competitive cricket are missing the point. Allow me to make it on your behalf:

You partisans who with rancour debate
Beamers and chuckers and charges of hate
Aroused by sport on distant cricket field
That to myriad searching eyes will yield
Projections as diverse as all mankind
Refracted by the prism that is each mind

Express yourselves, but let your fellows too
Disburden their minds as they choose to do
And question not the sporting pedigree
Of those with whom you choose to disagree
For some who never held a hard red ball
Possess the wit to hold us all in thrall.

As one enraptured by Nusrat quawwal
Is drawn into the mystic state of hal
His bliss no less than that of he who sings
So we who watch may also spread our wings
Says Bheem, say what you will, but say it well
And let linger language's lasting spell.

@Arvind Agarwal: Friendly suggestion, if you want to rant about Jaffer, you know, there's an article on this website and you can post your comments there. What's it got to do with this blog post? If Mukul praised VVS and Jaffer in the past, he's entitled to it. By the way, I have wondered why VVS's place in the Test squad is questioned before every series. Now I know why: because there are people like you. Good day!!

Thanks and bye. I won't miss you. Your blog wasn't exactly the most interesting of reads. Nor did it show any clarity of thought. But I liked it here. All the best for a better career.

Rakesh..your being too harsh..as for others claiming to be saints..well they are only here to advertise for their own sillyslip blog site..

javed khan and awas and khansab..stop advertising for the pathetic site you come up with and stop blowing your own trumpet about how its the best blog in the world..( and you three keep comenting on your own articles ..how much more pathetic can it get )

Arrrey! Mukul your blog is arguably the best available today. Its an honest and clear opinion and always thought provoking. I also get the impression it isn't hours of work for you to dash off a piece, accomplished writer that you are. So why are you copping out? If you want us to say we love you, well let me be the first to do it...

Ashok

sad to see this... hope u will continue to write in other publications...

Wasim,

How pathetic you are can be seen from this immature and regrettable act of personal vendetta. What a shame you are only using Mukul's blog to satisfy your vendetta against http://legslip.com.

Mukul, my suggestion to you is to not let people like Wasim pollute your farewell in this manner.

All the best Mukul. And please keep writing on cricket platforms, whether it is Cricinfo blogs, Legslip, BBC Cricket Special or any other platform. I hope it's not a final farewell and I hope to see your contribution elsewhere. If you have stopped managing a blog, it does not mean you should stop contributing on cricket sites!

Another of Kesavan's lows were his snipes at the English premier League. I remember his comment about Man U and Arsenal brutes. It's a "lazy" comment that has not backed by any research. Well I have been to league games in India and cricket matches in India and I can safely say that the behaviour of our crowds is more loutish than the English crowds at a football game

And like soneone said, 'All things must come to and end. Good or bad, sad or joyful....it should all come to an end'. And thank god..its the end of un-adulteratd rubbish.

Hey Mukul,
Sad to see this. Had started to take your blog as granted in this site. Thankyou so much for your posts which was more often than not, extremely forthright, insightful and entertaining. I hope that you will continue writing on cricket- it sure would be a loss to many of us who are interested in cricket in a broader way.
Naveen

Mukul your writing was no better or balanced than that of any of the clowns you commented on it. Cricinfo just replace the guy with the next rabid nationalistic Indian cricket fan and be done with it.

Good riddance. Your blog has been a nauseating parade of anti-journalism, veiled racism a nd a sens eof one rule applies for India and another, much stricter for the rest of the world. CricInfo used to be a bastion of exscellence for cricketing coverage but its hiring of writers like you has certainly lowered its standard measurably. You will not be missed.

Don't remember any of your article but i definately read most of the stuff you served up in your blog. Thanks

Seems you are the only one singular fan of VVS in this country...comment on Tendya's educational skills were in bad taste...best of luck for future expiots

Irrespective of whether I agree with your opinions or not, I have always found your blog to be an interesting read. A pity though, is that most people don't understand your sense of humor or your style of writing. For example, most people did not understand your previous article about sachin as was evident from the comments. You were, most of the times, over-analyzing stuff said by players and ex-cricketers.. reading too much into them. But then everybody does that today! At least, your analysis were not always illogical!
Anyways, it is sad that there are gonna be no more posts from you on this blog. Please tell us if you plan to write some where else.
Best of luck.Good bye.

Dear Mukul

Please dont stop your articles. We miss you badly.
Or tell us which web site you will available...

It was an interesting blog, allied with your publications in the Calcutta Telegraph. You had your biases (pro Laxman, anti Ganguly) but at least you were readable. One of the points perhaps you may want to consider as a social scientist is that while Indian cricket has moved beyond the culture of the Baba log, Indian cricket writing has not. In some ways, that was clearly reflected in your blog, in your idealization of Laxman (classically elegant), Dravid / Kumble (so well behaved) and yet your need to run down people like Yuvraj and/or Ganguly who did not live according to the Baba log rules.

Best of luck. Read your book during the Book Fair in Calcutta. Interesting reading.

"MEN IN WHITE" is a sound of "MEN IN BLACK"

Cricinfo, I can replace Mukul -- visit my blog at randomcricket.blogspot.com

Will miss this blog, certainly. Thanks Mukul and hope to keep reading you in another planet.

Comments by the likes of Tyson,Chris and Dave are laughable.They accuse Mukul of being a rabid nationalist,I suppose everyone would be accused of that if they tried to get their point across and supported their country.If anyone's been a rabid nationalist,its these these posters,and whats worse they have been extremely touchy and sensitive,taking offense at almost anything Mukul ever wrote.Fact of the matter is Mukul is a respected and accomplished cricket writer with many books to his name,while no one gives a toss about these rude,self righteous and one eyed posters,who seem to take great pride by filling up the comments section of such blogs with their inane,insulting and uneducated garbage.I expect these guys to find someone or something else to cry about after you are gone,and I hope the next guy who blogs from an Indian perspective is as frank and honest as Mukul and speaks his mind,rather than bowing to pressure from such posters.

Will miss this blog, certainly. Thanks Mukul and hope to keep reading you in another planet.

It's been quite an innings Mr.Kesavan. Some hits, some misses, but overall a thought provoking stay at the wickets.

I hope you aren't retiring yet but will feature in another matrch, on another ground, and play another innings. I look forward to it, for you know what us Indians are like...have a hot discussion over something and then go have a chai together after the match...and you did instigate debates often. Good luck and thanks for the opportunity of exchanging views with you.

Why some of you are bent on spoiling Mukul’s swansong is inexplicable.

Chris & Dave

It’s an Indian blog with an Indian point of view. If you can’t have a popular blog of your liking then that’s not Mukul’s headache.

Mike Tyson

You managed to throw your last punch even when your opponent is already flat out. Shame on you.

Wasim

If http://legslip.com/ is a “pathetic site” then why are you bothering about it? Was it OK when I was mentioning here another one in the past where the blog owner now-a-days writes a daily postcard to himself?

So, please keep to your word “I am at peace with myself and I hope others can find peace within themselves too”.

If as somebody says, Kesavan has been criticising the EPL, it must be a case of sour grapes. The EPL football is watched and reported in practically every single country in the World, while even cricket's World Cup gets hardly a mention outside 10 countries

In your mind, you seem to have built up cricket & Test cricket as something big and can't take any criticism of the sport, even if it is implied. I can understand why this is so big - it is the only sport India does well in. You are so insecure that you latched on to cricket and now just can't let go.

Dave, in other words, he fails to subscribe to the Superiority of Dave's race theory. He doesnt subscribe to the 'fact' that Dave's country men arer the keepers of the conscience of the game andd are generally possessed of all possible good qualities one can find in a human and that all subcontinetals are brownie jhonnies out to destroy the game. Right?

As much as I hate to say it, Chris and Dave are right. You have led from the front in exposing the worst of Indian character. We just can't hide our nationalism. As hard as you tried to hide it, it just can't help seeping through

Neil, and shouldnt Cricinfo also not approach Lalor, COnn and the likes fo 'unbiased', 'true', 'brave', 'committed-to-ideals journalism?

Guys, for the last time, try to comprehend. Mukul did not proudly say that Sachin did not go to College thingie. He was just expressing the confusing mindset that a fan traverses through - it was clear to anyone with comprehension that he was parodying himself for allowing that sort of thought to cross his mind. Unfortunately, you guys lack comprehension

Kesavan I don't think you are evil or as bad as some of the comments make you out to be. You just to me to be an old deluded man, somehow caught up with Test cricket. Since you have spent pretty much your entire life on writing about it, you are heart-broken that even cricketers show no love for the game. Ambrose for example was the one who said he hated cricket and would have preferred to be a basketball player in the NBA.

You've hyped up test cricket for so long and now it hurts when it's most important purveyor pretty much shows scorn for the game.

If mukul did indeed make that comment about Man U and Arsenal brutes, it's apalling. I would suggest, Kesavan, that you go watch a Premier League game live before shooting off your mouth. I'm sure you can afford it and it will certainly be an eye-opener for you as to how a crowd at a sporting event should behave. I'm shocked you can say this after our wonderful crowds at Calcutta caused the abandonment of a World Cup cricket game.

In post after post you acknowledged your undying love for the longer form of the game. I loved that aspect of your writing. While covering off-field issues, your views were refreshingly devoid of the lets-beat-up-the-west-just-because affliction. You let the Panickers and Bhogles lament about the affairs of BCCI/ICC or the lack of pace bowlers in India. You simply chose to celebrate the game for the joys it provided. When you wished your son would take to watching cricket as opposed to Premier league soccer, I noddedin agreement. It's no mean task to convey to the public the joys the game provides and your did that with elan.

Having said that, your support for SL was irksome. So was your love for Chamara Silva. Dude, that team reminds me of the Indian team of the early 90s. Come off it. And what's this love affair with Hussey?

Anyways, I wish you'd change your mind and start blogging on cricket again. Hey, maybe the Indians and Aussies have it in them for one more great series.

What a irony.. The Unabated fan of Test Match Cricket wants to wind up after Indias One day Cricket Win in Australia... Wait I heard Proteas are coming for a 3 test match series... Mukul Wat abt Coming out of retirement. Indians have to be pushed hard to retire,, u cant give up so easily.......

Mukul, it was good fun to read your stuff about cricket, a bit sad that it's over. Thanks for the Support for the Sri Lankan team. Do come here some time for that Mangustine you always wanted.

Cheers
Deane.

Mukul we will miss you.

Sorry to see you sign off but had to find an outlet to raise this issue and couldnt think of a more approprite forum.

I have just read that the BCCI has announced that the India Vs England series later this year will be a 2 test 7 ODI series. To say i am saddened is an understatement. Test cricket is the highest form of the game. A 2 test series is a joke! Test match cricket and series require at least 3 tests to develop an ebb and flow. Can anyone actually remember a good 2 test series. How can the BCCI blame the future tours program for this, surely the answer would be to play 3 tests and 3 ODIs. But greed once again has been put above the actual product you are selling.

I would really like to know how the players feel about the current shift away from Test Cricket. You just have to look at Indias forthcoming fixture list to see that Tendulkars elbow is about 2 months from flairing up again!

Please BCCI, preserve Test cricket and protect our heros from burnout over greed!

It doesn't feel all that good that you are quitting. Indian players normally don't commentate on cricket that well, could be because they are in some special zone or something, so they don't become good reads. I have been reading your blogs and appreciate your work!

Generally Indian (ex)players normally don't commentate on cricket that well, could be because they are in some special zone or something, so they don't become good reads. Commentary by a non-player on non-technical issues are better reads.

It's been quite nice reading your blogs and appreciate your work.

Oops, was it your previous post "Beginning of the End" came to the attention of a certain big thing and you were given the boot. By all means it is quite probable.

Mukel, does n't matter if I agreed with your views or not, I always relished reading your blog as I was always a fan of yours ever since Looking through Glass . You started looking at cricket from a different perspective compared to our ex cricketers who in their new avatar have become pundits and have their own vested interest to protect and hence are quite prejudiced in their opinion and you were quite refreshing and different from the run of the mill. Hope to hear more from you.

Mukul, what a great job you done......!
Thanks & Bye
We miss you....

Mukul: I found all your posts to be of extraordinary quality. Thank you for taking the time to share your talent with us. Good luck on future projects!

Good luck Mukul - enjoyed your blogs. More often than not, agreed with your views.. possibly because I am a fan of test cricket, and that of VVS. Will miss your blog. Fare well mate.

Re: "college" comment
Much has been said about this in the comments. The problem seems to be that we are reading/writing in a language that is not our mother tongue. Salim Tyrewala's comments come closest to explaining what Mukul intended to say. At no point in that blog was he bashing Sachin - he was only contemplating the changing cricket scenario..

Kesavan, you have shown your typical Indian biases and elitism - Aussie bashing, the college comment, the Man U and Arsenal brutes. I believe a writer should be free of such prejudices.

Come on Kesavan, face it. Even cricketers don't like cricket. Even Tendulkar does not like Test cricket. Also check what Viv Richards, Curtley Ambrose, Ian Botham etc have to say about cricket. It rankles, doesn't it?

I got used to reading ur views of cricket over the last year. It will be strange to see Cricinfo without your posts churning out. It was a welcome sight to see a post on Men in White whenevr it came. i will sure miss your posts

Somebody posted the following:
"I personally think Test cricket is glorified more than its due. Its a bi-product of boredom underwent by some cranky old English men in 15th century. Torturing oneself for 5 days for a draw is not worth it. Sportsmen give their physical and emotional best during a confrontation and they thrive on the reckoning that comes at the end. There is no worse disgrace than finding equals in opponents knowin you gave your best shot. Beat 'em. Or get beaten. The best part of sport is the pressure exerted by time deadlines, for the viewers and players themselves. Survival is not a charm. Hunting is. Shorter form of the game gives that chance and sure it should be best form for all the reasons i quoted above, more so for the market it generates. The SA-India Chennai test surely proves this. It seems the better a player plays in cricket the greater the chance of a draw, unlike any other sport. Sehwag's innings was such a waste. Good riddance, Test Cricket.

A few posters have commented about Rakesh's post. I don't understand how what Rakesh has said is worse than Mukul's comments - to me, the college comment and the comment about Arsenal brutes are horrific

I don't know what saddened me more ..... not seeing a single post from you on the India SA test series or doing the google search to land on this post. I haven't agreed with you on a number of things and certainly haven't enjoyed when you failed to respond to legitimate criticism of Laxman. But you carried water for Indian cricket more than you will ever know. The post rebutting Andrew whatsisname's claim on why the Englishman would make a better ICC chairman than Pawar has to rank as top of the tops for its sheer political strength .... although in style and content, the one on India's '83 triumph was probably the best. There were many other gems like how Sreesanth must learn to say sorry the right way ... a beautiful expose' of western double standards ... something Gavaskar does as well but not half as eloquently as you.
I do wish you will reconsider and blog again. If not here then elsewhere. I wish you all the best for the future .... hail to India's Peter Roebuck! :-)

Respected Mr Mukul Kesavan,

I am from Canada visiting Kolkata to see my parents.I have read about you as a academic and journalist and your knowledge about South East Asia on global political upbringing on socio economic values on times website. I would like to hear you on the Telegraph debate on November 22, 2008 at 6.30 pm at Saturday Club and enrich myself on media and social values concerning our lives an culture. I shall ever remain grateful if u could kindly please organise an entry pass / invitation card so that i have an opportunity to listen to your deliberations.

Regards

Arnab