MANIFESTATION OF KHALSA SPIRIT

I wonder if I am writing too much on cricket and on one person, Monty.In my latest posts, I have deviated from writing what I am trained to write.Precisely, Health and more precisely spiritual health and my beloved sikhism. Cricket fever is on in my country.When tabloids ripped the Sri Lankan team off labelling themselves as easy for being hunted by rejuveanted Englishmen, I find hard to concentrate on anything else as do my fellow countrymen.The series give me enormous pleasure as once again Tabloids try rip Monty Pannessar's courage off. I tend to concentrate on him as our other player, Harbhajan seems to be within his shell having not been able to produce an iota of performance that he usually delivers. Every cricketer has a bad patch and one is able to come out of that infertile period quite successfully with a little bit of determination.I believe that thhis is that period of Harbhajan.Very soon we will see the true colours of the Turbanator -1.

Everytime , I go through Guardian or Telegraph columns, I cannot stop smiling as Monty manfests true sikhiness. The otherday, Fletcher had said that if he remains to be a long term member of the English team, He's got to do something more than bowling. Simon Hughes writes in Telegraph that Fletcher said "he's got to make sure he improves his batting and fielding". Writes Simon Hughes " He has done so, looking nothing like the man with feet for hands that he did at Edgbaston, loping around Trent Bridge's green swathe with none of the previous tension in his muscles and fielding everything cleanly". According to David Llewyleen of "Independent" The cheers were ironic, but they would have been music to Monty Panesar's ears. The batting of England's left-arm spinner has received almost as much criticism as his fielding, but he showed he is no mug with the willow when he swept Muttiah Muralitharan over deep midwicket for six before one sweep too many resulted in an lbw success for Sanath Jayasuriya " .His response was typical of a sikh. He gets his eye examined , wears contact lenses in order to improve his fielding the department which he is notorius for. He shed extra sweat in practicing fielding.

Just before the run chase , Monty was optimistic that the target was gettable even if his own observation of the wicket and its support to spinners was the kind of treat Great Murali was waiting licking his fingers. He does his duty having claimed his first 5 wicket bag ( 5-78) which in the presence of bamboozling perfromance of Muralidaran evaporates like dew in the presence of peeping out sun. Primarily selected for his bowling ability what else do you need? This was even emphasised by Duncan Fletcher in the same interview, "He's picked to play as a spinner and do his job as a spinner and as long as he's trying there's nothing more you can ask of an individual."

Then comes the run chase. On a hard , bouncing pitch the tabloid hunters became hunted while their hunted became hunters due to the fiery spell of Murali.Englishmen were falling like 11 pins. But the man who their coach severly criticised as needing to improve in fielding and batting becomes the best batter under prevailing circumstances. He shows his collegues with better vision, even Murali was nothing ( 26 runs). He hammers Murali over the ropes to the delight of his followers who say if all non native British are like him, it 's OK and those who come with stockings as DASTAR and fake beards.

What else do you need from a man who was picked to take wickets. Is n't that the manifestation of the sikhi spirit embeded in all khalsa members by our beloved warior saint Guru Gobind Singh ji. Sikhs are upto any task they are entrusted with. Monty is reported to have met a sikh SANt and his advice was to go and be involved in Monty's passion. As a one who recites Japji, Monty knows the powers of meditation and concentration. As a sikh he should be a hardned bloke. As a result he may not be a soft target as the British Tabloids may think him to be.

Come Ashes, He may be in full blosom. So watch out Aussies.Sledging may release the full sikhiness in Monty the lion

Michael Henderson of Times wrote:

England’s last man( Monty) swept Murali boldly for four and then got more bat on the stroke, sending the ball into the crowd at square leg. What a fine stroke that was! Five wickets, a jaunty little innings and the crowd’s acclaim: this was the best day of his young career.Monty Panesar had hardly presented his handsome credentials, five wickets in a Test innings for the first time, than the Kandy man barged the young Sikh out of the way.

CHANCES ARE UP FOR SIKH KIDS TO GRAB

Monty is becomming a cult figure in England.As reported by Guardian, there were four men in Hound Road wearing fake beards and stockings in their heads simulating a Dastar. This happens in a moment when he displayed his skill in left arm leg spinners against Lankans having captured 3 wickets. He has the potential to be a weapon in the England's spin department for many years to come if he improves his sloppy fielding.

Panesar future unclear despite Test best http://sport.guardian.co.uk/cricket/comment/0,,1790503,00.html

Monty is confident of chasing a record total by his team mates against Lankans.

"We'd probably like to bowl them out under 300," he conceded. "Anything 350-plus would probably be challenging - but we're pretty confident we should be fine with anything below 350."

On his best test figures to date , sardar says

"I tried to stay patient with myself, create pressure, tried to ignore other factors and do what's best for the team," Read Former England international Derek Pringle column

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2006/06/05/scmont05.xml

Optimism is good because it is a driving factor for anyone to move forward. It is much relevant for Monty as sikhs we are very optimistic, have no nonsense approach and fight till the last moment for a just cause.It is really encouraging to hear this kind of optimism for a diaspora sikh and it does give optimism to the community as we see the qualities being instilled in diaspora kids.

The other day , I read about the sikh lady who got into the UK police force. This should be appreciated as a lead for other sikh women.Sikhism emerged at a time women's rights were severly resticted in the sub continent and Sikhs always stood for Gender Equity. Sikhism and Buddhism are the only religions which did not supress women's rights among the religions that erupted in the Indian Subcontinent . A few days before that the sikh net reported the story of the brave sardarani who petrolled the streets of Kabul being a part of American Contingent. The sikh diaspora is widespread and opportunities are for grab.It is the duty of the kids growing up in many parts of the world to grab these opportunities while safeguarding the rich heritage that their parents passed on to them from the Adi Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

Jo Bolay So Nihal Sat Sri Akal

TURBANTOR 1 & 2

Wanna know what turbantor - 1( Harbhajan Singh -Bhaji) doing in West Indies ? Just click on these lines .Here he is playing Warri

"Harbhajan Singh wracks his brains over a game of Warri, a pastime that the locals introduce him to. Warri is played in India as well – it's known as Pallanguzhi in Tamil – but, going by the mystified looks, none of the Indians seemed to have heard of it". writes cric info's S.Vaidyanathan
http://blogs.cricinfo.com/tourdiaries/archives/2006/06/a_game_of_warri.php


It is great to see two sikh warriors in action simultaneously in the two ends of the world

Turbanator 1- Harbhajan Singh( India Vs Windies)
Turbanator-2-Monty Panessar (England Vs Sri Lanka)

Turbanator 2 ( MONTY) updates

“The dominant eye had to work overtime and became tired,” Mr Goudriaan said. “That is when your hand-eye co-ordination starts to go down. I noticed he did not seem to be 100 per cent.
“They realised that his left eye was slightly awry. They gave him new lenses immediately. Eyes are muscles and they take a couple of weeks or so to adjust, so hopefully by now he will be all right. It takes more than that to take or drop a catch, but it may be a factor.” writes Richard Hobson of Times in "New look may help Monty's fielding - Times England "
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2205768.html

Do English want to make fun out of Monty ?
Time for Panesar to play catch upBy Derek Pringle - Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/2006/05/30/scprin30.xml

Fragile Monty must be handled with care _ Sunday Times

“Go home and concentrate on your cricket, give it your passion,” a Sikh guru once advised Panesar. The passion is unquestionable; a little faith from his own team is needed or the first Sikh to play for England will be remembered more as a cultural than cricketing phenomenon.

It is refreshing to hear that another great sikh individual Bishen Singh Bedi worked with Monty to improve his craft.In the article by Andrew Long Moore in the Times(UK), Bedi has praised Monty's quiet humility and his eagerness to know more of his craft. Bedi has furter added that “With great players, you have to work on their greatness,” .What England need is just not to make fun out of Monty's lapses but to try to get him on the right track in terms of his fielding and adequate batting. Otherwise, it is just letting resources of leg spin run down the drain.There are many British Asians not merely sikhs waiting to follow the footsteops of Monty.He is already a role model not only to British Sikhs but also to Indian sikhs as well. As Longmore suggested, he should be handled with care.

Read Longmore's article

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2094-2200221,00.html

Monty's lapses are no laughing matter
Andrew Miller

http://content-nz.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/248380.html