Players Pushed to Background at their Own Victory Celebration
Update 3:
PTI
Mumbai, Sep 26: One would have thought that the 15 cricketers who brought India the glory at the Twenty20 World Cup were the heroes being felicitated at the Wankhede Stadium, but a look at the dias would have suggested otherwise.
The front row was filled with BCCI top brass and Maharashtra state ministers with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni the only Team India member finding a place among the 'elite'.
Players sitting behind the in the second row
Also on the front row were BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah, Vice-Presidents Lalit Modi and Rajeev Shukla and former Board President I S Bindra.
In fact, the whole spectacle seemed like a carefully organised political rally with Board President Sharad Pawar, who is the Union Agriculture Minister and a political heavyweight of the state, playing to the galleries in his short speech as if it was an election rally.
He was clearly trying to take full mileage out of the unexpected victory that Dhoni and his bravehearts achieved at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.
Not to be outdone, Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil gave a speech in Marathi that seemed unusually long and out of place in the setting, with other state politicians also sharing the spotlight.
When his turn to speak came, Dhoni could not help remarking "a lot has been in English and Marathi. Now let me stick to Hindi".
The whole ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium gave an impression that it was only Mumbai and Maharashtra expressing their joy at the triumph and not the whole country.
It seemed in stark contrast to the players' journey from the airport to the stadium when the public outpouring on the streets looked totally genuine and heart-felt.
The plane from South Africa landed at the airport at 8 am and the 30 km-journey in the open top bus took upwards of five hours with the players reaching the stadium more than three hours behind schedule.
Even as one marvelled at the public display of affection directed at the young team, one could not help notice the big hoardings which had a big picture of Pawar over a considerably smaller one of Dhoni holding aloft the trophy, which seemed to aptly reflect BCCI's priorities.
Fan Frenzy Delays Wankhede Stadium Function by 3 Hours
Update: Wednesday, 2-50 pm
PTI
Exclusive pics from Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai (MB)
Mumbai, Sep 26: A triumphant Indian team reached the Wankhede stadium in South Mumbai amidst loud cheers for a public felicitation after a 30-km long victory parade atop an open top bus through the streets of Mumbai following their arrival from South Africa on Wednesday.
Mumbaikars across all age groups braved the onslaught of the rains to welcome the Twenty20 cricket World Cup champions in a grand way by thronging every available spot on the route.
Courtesy the enthusiasm shown by the people of the city, the bus reached late by a good three hours at the stadium delaying the felicitation ceremony.
Thousands of cricket enthusiasts are pouring into the Wankhede Stadium since morning for the ceremony, which is organised jointly by the Board for Cricket Control in India and the Maharashtra government.
Welcome to Cricket Heroes: Tough Time for Cops
(Update: Wednesday, Sep 26 - 1-30 pm)
AFP
Exclusive pics from Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai (MB)
Mumbai, Sep 26: Police battled to contain surging crowds wildly celebrating the return home Wednesday of the Indian team after lifting the inaugural Twenty20 world title against Pakistan.
Thousands braved monsoon rain to greet the cricketers off a flight from South Africa which landed in the western city of Mumbai on Wednesday morning.
Private security guards were also drafted in to cope with the crush as new captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni led his side out of Chhattrapati Shivaji International Airport to huge cheers.
Many children joined the throng, dancing to drum beats as the team boarded an open-top bus which inched its way through a sea of supporters waving Indian flags and pictures of Dhoni.
With players taking turns to hold aloft the trophy, the bus set off on a 30-kilometre (20-mile) drive to south Mumbai's seafront Wankhede cricket stadium for a giant welcome home party.
Fans lit firecrackers, sang songs - "Chak de India" or "Come on India" from a Bollywood hit movie on women's hockey - and waved placards as the exuberant players danced and hugged each other.
Policemen joined in the celebrations as rose and marigold petals were thrown in the air.
India, restricted to 157-5 with the bat, fought back to bowl out Pakistan for 152 in a thrilling final on Monday in Johannesburg.
Earlier report:
Dhoni's Men Return Home to a Tumultuous Welcome
Zee News
Mumbai, Sep 26: After creating history and making a billion people proud, the world beating champions in Twenty20 Indian team arrived at the Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport with the prestigious Twenty20 Championship Trophy. Team India got a glorious welcome from the fans that gathered at the airport.
Thousands of cricket fans braved rain and waited for their heroes outside the CSI airport. Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, top brass of the cricket board, including president Sharad Pawar, vice presidents Lalit Modi and Rajeev Shukla, secretary Niranjan Shah and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar were present at the airport to receive the players.
Security arrangements had been beefed up at the airport but still the players, surrounded by policemen, had a tough time getting out and finally board the open bus.
India`s captain cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the first to come out, along with administrative manager Sunil Dev.
Star batsman Yuvraj Singh looked little jaded but once he boarded the bus, the dashing Punjab player broke into a bhangra and all other players looked quite relaxed.
Even after the long flight back home, the team members were undeterred and were standing on the roof of the bus even as heavy rains continued to lash the city this morning.
The players, clad in white t-shirt, acknowledged the cheer of the roaring crowd and waved national flag.
Motorcycle-borne traffic police personnel were escorting the motorcade which comprises the team bus and an open bus carrying journalists.
India beat arch-rivals Pakistan by five runs in a thrilling final in Johannesburg on Monday, a victory to compare with their upset 1983 World Cup final win over West Indies.
The Indian board has announced a win bonus of USD 3 mn and a special cash award for batsman Yuvraj Singh, who hit six sixes in one over in a match against England.
From here the team is travelling in an open-air bus accompanied by fans swaying to some adrenaline pumping music by DJ Aqeel.
The victory procession would take the Western Express Highway route to South Mumbai. Along the way Dhoni`s men passed through some of the most well known Mumbai landmarks like the Siddhivinayak Temple, Haji Ali, Girgaum Chowpaty and on to the Marine Drive to arrive at the Wankhede Stadium.
The Indian team`s incredible performance in the tournament and their beating of archrivals Pakistan in Johannesburg on Monday in the finals would ensure that streets all along the 30 km route to the Wankhede were lined with enthusiastic fans.
The felicitation function, which is expected to start around 10.30 am, is being organised jointly by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Maharashtra state government.
The players` felicitation ceremony is to be attended by a gala of stars, most prominently all the members of the 1983 World Cup winning team. BCCI sources have revealed that arrangements have been made to ensure that the victory ceremony turns out to be the biggest and the grandest, surpassing any other such event ever held in India.
BCCI President Sharad Pawar will then give away the prize money of USD 3 million to Team India, which turns out to be around Rs 80 lakh per player. Moreover, Yuvraj Singh for his magnificent 6 sixes in an over against England would be awarded with a prize money of Rs 1 crore and the keys of a brand new Porsche 911 car.
Twenty20 Cup success raises global hopes
Reuters
Non-stop action and a tight schedule have given the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup the kind of success that could yet see cricket break into U.S. and Chinese markets.
The tournament was played in packed stadiums, had millions of prime-time television viewers and enjoyed a dream finale when India beat traditional rivals Pakistan in a dramatic last-over finish in South Africa on Monday.
The matches were broadcast in more than 100 countries including the United States and China, promoting a format that could finally bring cricket into some of the world's most coveted television markets.
"Certainly this format is one which people, particularly those connected with American sports like baseball, will be able to identify with, rather than the longer version like the Test match," International Cricket Council (ICC) spokesman Brian Murgatroyd told Reuters.
Australian pace bowler Brett Lee rightly predicted the Twenty20 World Cup would click with audiences because of its non-stop action in a three-hour match.
STUMPS FLYING
"On a hot day, it won't start until afternoon and there is a lot of entertaining cricket as well -- people hitting sixes, stumps flying everywhere," he said.
Lee took a hat-trick while West Indies opener Chris Gayle hit the first Twenty20 hundred in the opening game.
India's Yuvraj Singh hit six sixes in one over against England and Zimbabwe stunned Australia, the premier Test and one-day team, who went on to lose in the semi-finals.
India have already announced two lucrative leagues, one of them an unapproved version, showcasing its instant attraction.
The success of Twenty20 also marks a sharp contrast with the 50-over format, whose protracted World Cup was held in the Caribbean earlier this year.
Television viewers and fans dwindled following shock first-round exits at the tournament by India and Pakistan.
The Twenty20 World Cup ended in a fortnight, unlike the 47 days it took for the West Indies event, dubbed too long by many critics.
"Its success here...puts us in the fortunate position to now have three credible and high-quality formats of the game that can cater to everyone's taste and help broaden cricket's appeal," ICC president Ray Mali said.
FINE TUNING
Despite its viewer-friendly format, Twenty20 still needs to be fine-tuned according to Lokesh Sharma, head of a leading Indian sports management agency.
"There is hardly a five-minute commercial break. Even when a batsman gets out the new batsman has to occupy the crease in 90 seconds," he told Reuters from South Africa.
For many, Twenty20 is certainly exciting to watch, but remains only part of a bigger cricketing picture.
The ICC's Murgatroyd said Tests had thrived despite the advent of one-day cricket in 1971 and that the 50-over one-day internationals (ODIs) faced no immediate threat from the 20-over version.
"There have been nine one-day World Cups," Murgatroyd said. "There is no reason to believe there won't be a lot more in the future."
Former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan also had concerns about Twenty20's place in the sport.
"The true test of a cricketer is Test cricket and also ODIs," he told India's NDTV. "Talent, technique and temperament make a player.
"In Twenty20, it is sheer talent; that is what you saw in India and Pakistan, what we have in the sub-continent," he said.
"In Tests, we need technique and temperament, that is what Australia have more than us."
Sunita congratulates Dhoni and Team India
IANS
Ahmedabad: Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams has congratulated the Indian cricket team on winning the Twenty20 world cup, though she confessed she "did not know anything about the game" and loved baseball.
"I do not know anything about the game of cricket," Williams told a 1,000-plus audience at Louis Kahn Plaza of the Indian Institute of Management here. Conveying her congratulations to India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team, she said: "I love baseball which I missed during my stay in space." Full Coverage: Twenty20 World Cup
Williams was felicitated by the Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) during the function — her last public event during her six-day visit to Gujarat.
The astronaut, who carried an idol of Lord Ganesha during her space odyssey, reached the venue late by about 20 minutes. The reason: she was stuck in a traffic jam due to the Ganesh immersion procession.
Williams received a warm welcome as she entered the stage waving her hands. She kept the audience spell bound, most of who comprised school children, with her lucid explanation of what she and her fellow astronauts from USA and cosmonauts from Russia did for six-long months in space before returning in their space vehicles Soyuz and Discovery.
She reiterated that if there was desire, dedication and determination to pursue goals, any aim was achievable.
The joint US-Russian expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), apart from being a mission to explore 'incredible technologies' for the future, also conveyed a message of 'peace and tranquillity', Williams said.
Explaining the main work done by the crew of the two countries in the ISS, she said it mainly centred around three aspects.
The first related to the study of the effects of long stay in space on the crew. They conducted tests, including testing blood and urine samples. This research is of enormous importance in case man ever comes to live in space at a future date.
The second related to capillary flow potential for engines that may be used in spacecraft bound for the moon and mars. The third study was on the development of 'new flight controllers' which could guide space vehicles during the re-entry stage.
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