equatorI’ve just been reading an interview that Lalit Modi gave to Karan Thapar.
For most of the interview Lalit seems to be saying that every quote Karan uses has been taken out of context. He could be right, but it seems illogical that every single comment could be out of context.
Lalit is wasting his time with cricket, the man has to get himself into politics.
There is one point in the interview that I just couldn’t overlook.
“Lalit Modi: You are absolutely wrong. The quality of cricket that is played in the IPL is by far the best in the cricket matches that I have seen or for that matter anybody else has seen. The entertainment outside the ropes is only an add-on. It’s the quality of cricket that creates the viewership, and not the add-on.”
Whoahhhhhh.
This interview was given after the champions league. I understand standing up for your product, but don’t include others in your biased, and factually wrong statements.
Has anyone, other than Lalit, or people on the IPL payroll ever said that the quality of cricket in the IPL is BY FAR the best in cricket matches that they have seen?
Doubtful.
I like the IPL, keeps march and april interesting and all, but the level of cricket was just ok. The champions league pretty much proved that.
It certainly isn’t better than international cricket.
The interview is definitely worth a few minutes, it also covers the fact that Manish Pandey (if you don’t know who he is this will be a complete mindfuck) considers himself a celebrity. And some very interesting stuff about the fact that senior players have complained about younger players not putting in for their ranji sides.
Lalit does well to weasel his way around most of the questions. Got to respect that.
EDIT: Thanks to Homer, we now have the youtube links of the interview. Part one, Part two, Part three, Part four.
I found it great viewing, the more condescending Karan gets, the smugger Lalit looks.
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I caught the interview yesterday – the transcript doesnt do justice to what a pompous arse Thapar is. He NEVER lets anyone complete a sentence – NEVER. He just badgers and harangues. I was actually finding myself in the absurd position of feeling for Lalit, because the guy couldnt get a word in edgewise. Thapar only quotes out of context, interrupts all responses, and sidetracks all issues. I mean, hes so obnoxious that you end up defending guys you hate.
They dont call him the devil’s advocate for nothing! c’mon Thapar is not like Ravi Shastri or Prabhu Chawla frm another news channel. i haven seen the interview.. but im sure it aint worth watching. Lalit the Weasel pretends deaf, dumb n blind wen he is wrong and goes on to quote all his numbers he makes up in his bathroom ! like the post quoted – factually wrong statements.
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Awesome interview! Karan Thapar has some really good street cred and this interview just added some more to it!
And, wud u believe, I read an article in some obscure Indian newspaper where they said that Manish Pandey took the money that he gt from the IPL and gave it to his parents and then asked them for money when he needed it! :O
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One CL tournament and JRod you are jumping to the conclusion that the level of cricket in IPL is lower than the state levels across the world….Hmmm
I am not going to argue that IPL is as good or better than T20 cricket in Australia, NZ or SA…No….but one tournament cannot establish a trend. Also we will never really know where IPL stands unless CL becomes a global competition involving franchises.
Gol, I think you’ve jumped the gun here, I’m not saying the IPL is shit, I’m saying it isn’t the best cricket I have ever seen. I don’t even mention the other domestic tournaments being better. The IPL isn’t lower than most (I never said it was), but it isn’t BY FAR better than them. Is the IPL the best cricket you have ever seen?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnnI2YsE4Ls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knwgd7hKFXs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9GC_VzQ1UY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCqvd5vVrTM&feature=related
Karan Thapar is a condescending prick.
The much maligned Pandey just went berserk in the ranji trophy:
http://www.cricinfo.com/ranjisuperleague2009/content/current/story/432809.html
And Zaheer picked up 3, so he’ll be back for the lanka series.
H, it is quite a funny interview really, more like an American political interview between people of two opposite political divides. Condescending prick on one side, smug prick on the other.
Jogesh, I’d just read about Pandey, that is why I linked them up at the end of the piece.
UJ,
Modi has reasons to be smug, Karan Thapar is a journalist!
Cheers,
Hey Homer, thanks for the youtube links. Really wanted to see the interview after reading this blogpost and you saved me time in searching for it.
Honestly both Karan Thapar and Lalit Modi are complete jackasses. Hence the interview is so much fun. Like Jogesh99 said, Karan never lets anyone finish a sentence and in most of his interviews, he even tries to answer his own questions before his guest can answer.
Regarding quality of IPL cricket, well not even the most die hard fan will agree thats its the best we have ever seen. Its a lot of fun though and I quite enjoy watching it.
jrod, so we are saying the same thing here….that sucks
You must see what he did to Kapil – what even the cbi could not! Until then, most of us thought that Kapil was clean and Prabhakar was just venting, but after Thapar’s third degree on Hard Talk, …
http://www.hinduonnet.com/2000/05/07/stories/0107000d.htm
> I found it great viewing, the more condescending Karan gets, the smugger Lalit looks.
The Oxbridge ponce takes on the complacent Marwari – match made in heaven.
Thapar reduced Kapil to a crybaby…or was it stage managed? I think the latter.
Thapar is an ass. Modi a bigger ass. It was obvious that the interview will involve some of the hightest pitched braying making an absolute donkey of whoever watched it.
Thanks for posting JRod, it was very enjoyable.