New Cricket Rules!!!!

Today I read this email from my cousin who lives in Ghana (Meda wo ase bro) with new cricket rules that ICC should implement when any team is playing cricket against Australia anywhere on this earth. I'm in awe at the impact of the 2nd cricket test match had on the cricket fans around the globe.

Here is his email for you all to enjoy and ponder. This are real funny and scary rules , hope ICC and CA (Cricket Australia) don't get any good ideas straight out of here.

"

After watching the test match, I feel some rules have to be incorporated by ICC to give the other teams a perfect clarification;

(1) Ricky Ponting – (THE TRULY GENUINE CRICKETER OF THE CRICKET ERA AND WHOSE INTEGRITY SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED) should be considered as the FOURTH UMPIRE. As per the new rules, FOURTH UMPIRE decision is final and will over ride any decisions taken by any other umpires. ON-FIELD umpires can seek the assistance of RICKY PONTING even if he is not on the field. This rule is to be made, so that every team should understand the importance of the FOURTH UMPIRE.

(2) While AUSTRALIAN TEAM is bowling, If the ball flies anywhere close to the AUSTRALIAN FIELDER(WITHIN 5 meter distance), the batsman is to be considered OUT irrelevant of whether the catch was taken cleanly or grassed. Any decision for further clarification should be sleeked from the FOURTH UMPIRE. This is made to ensure that the cricket is played with SPORTIVE SPIRIT by all the teams.

(3) While BATTING, AUSTRALIAN players will wait for the ON-FIELD UMPIRE decisions only (even if the catch goes to the FIFTH SLIP as the ball might not have touched the bat). Each AUSTRALIAN batsman has to be out FOUR TIMES (minimum) before he can return to the pavilion. In case of THE CRICKETER WITH INTEGRITY, this can be higher.

(4) UMPIRES should consider a huge bonus if an AUSTRALIAN player scores a century. Any wrong decisions can be ignored as they will be paid huge bonus and will receive the backing of the AUSTRALIAN team and board.

(5) All AUSTRALIAN players are eligible to keep commenting about all players on the field and the OPPONENT TEAM should never comment as they will be spoiling the spirit of the AUSTRALIAN team. Any comments made in any other language are to be considered as RACIALISM only.

(6) MATCH REFEREE decisions will be taken purely on the AUSTRALIAN TEAM advices only. Player views from the other teams decisions will not be considered for hearing. MATCH REFEREES are to be given huge bonus if this rule is implemented.

(7) NO VISITING TEAM should plan to win in AUSTRALIA. This is to ensure that the sportive spirit of CRICKET is maintained.

(8) THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE: If any bowler gets RICKY PONTING - "THE UNDISPUTED CRICKETER WITH INTEGTIRY IN THE GAME OF CRICKET" more than twice in a series, he will be banned for the REST OF THE SERIES. This is to ensure that the best batsman/Captain will be played to break records and create history in the game of CRICKET.

These rules will clarify better to the all the teams VISITING AUSTRALIA.
"

Staying away from buying or driving Nissan vehicles

Today received a call from the Nissan Consumer Affairs stating I won’t be eligible for the reimbursement of the “Fuel Sending Unit” that was replaced on 03/03/2006(The total numbers of Xterra's effected by this recall are 586196) and this part failed again(it previously failed on 07/302/007) on 01/04/2008.

My car had stalled on 07/30/2007 while I was driving on I-695 Baltimore beltway in the evening rush hours and those who are familiar with this road would know how horrible the traffic is and what can happen if the car is stalled in the mid lane. It did scare the living day light of me. Lucky we all are alive and I can still rant about the carp deal I got from Nissan.

I spend $97.67 for repairing the car + $50 for towing the car to the nearest garage. I was provided a receipt that stated that this WILL happen again and I should talk to Nissan as there was a recall on this unit. I called Nissan and I was given a File no 5802XXX with a promise somebody will call me, which never happened.

As my luck was good on 01/04/2008 the car stopped working at home itself and not on road. I had it towed to the nearest Nissan dealer who charged me $275.03 to fix the fuel sending unit. I again called Nissan consumer service (18006477261) and was given a file number 5991XXX (email me if you need the whole number) and was promised somebody will get in touch with me,this time the CSR (Customer Service Representative) asked me what i wanted Nissan to do. I wish I could have told them to manufacture more reliable parts, but I was too money minded and I asked for the reimbursement.

On 01/14/2008 a service manager(1866.XXX.XXXX ext:1XXX) called and told that Nissan is not liable to reimburse me the payment (I didn’t even ask for the towing charges) as the recall was done 12 months prior to the breakdown and Nissan doesn’t keep a track of its drivers driving style. What a carp way of dealing with a customer, my question was does Nissan have a way of knowing if the recalled unit was really changed in my car or the dealer just billed Nissan and said it was done? Has Nissan’s manufacturing so much distorted that it’s crucial part fails before even 12000 miles are recorded on the vehicle? What happened to the Total Quality Management (TQM)”? I guess Nissan is no stranger to tomiryokuteki hinshitsu （魅力的品質）- The idea that things should have an aesthetic quality (e.g. a pen will write in a way that is pleasing to the writer, and leave behind ink that is pleasing to the reader).

Should I be again expecting the unit to fail again in mid of 2008? Why cannot Nissan reimburse me the amount as the part they manufactured was recalled and still they didn’t get it to its high caliber and quality standard the second time also? I will try and stay away from buying any more Nissan after getting such a lousy customer service and spending so much money on the car to fix the same recurring problem.

Who can hear my anguish to fix my car without me having to own an oil well; as the vehicle itself is a big gas guzzler. I guess Nissan needs to learn more about Kaizen and customer relation management. May be next time I will go Toyota or Volkswagen but will never even bother to look at Nissan.

I hope the top management can improve the company’s quality control and standards by manufacturing better parts and make all the employees go through mandatory customer relation management course work.

Where will you stop in order to WIN!!!

First thing first kaizen in Japanese means continuous improvement... Well what a nice little word to emphasis a big commitment on our part.

I had been watching and following the 2nd cricket test match between Australia and India been played in Sydney Cricket ground(SCG) and was watching with awe the different mental approach both teams had, one was subtle and other aggressive (no doubt they where playing to win at all cost to match the record of straight 16 win). Accordingly to me there is nothing wrong in playing to win, but to cheat in order to win is BIG no no. How far will you go to WIN something to add a aureole?

I thought for a moment i was watch poker been played with players intimidating the umpires and the poor umpires where so awe struck with the big name out in the field that their reflex's where not under there control and like a zombie where raising finger to pass a verdict. All the three including the third umpire made mistake, its so easy to say "to err is human", but why do we have his elite panel umpires making such gross mistakes? The umpiring was so sub standard like it was some street cricket game with novice umpires under flood lights. Umpiring was at its lowest ebb and i think the bad umpiring played a big role in one team winning the game , i think in future the umpiring debacle will be measure in term of "How bad was this as compared to the SCG umpiring?"

The third disturbing thing that was brought to light was name calling and thats a big NO NO in a game, trading insults to get under the skin of the other player is a part of the game for few players and they tend to get away with it, but if this is not controlled are we going to have microphones on each and every player to monitor their speech?

I was hoping the team that was made to lose the game by cheating would have packed its bags and left and said to NO to this type of humiliation. Again dollar won over the ethics and the game continues and life goes on.

Lets hope the lessons are learnt and there will be improvment in the 3rd cricket test match to be played at Perth.

I would like to invite you reader to share your views do drop me a line.