Howzzat

by Greenstone Lobo

  The years 2002 and 2003 would produce some exceptional cricketers who will overtake the 1998–2001 patch cricketers. One such player visible now over the horizon is Prayas Ray Burman, who has just been selected for Royal Challengers Bangalore. There would be many more players born in 2002–03 who will be visible during the next two years and all of them will do better than the players from the previous patch.

  But the greatest years of the century range from 2004 to 2006. These were the years when the high-impact planets, Uranus and Pluto, were in their own houses and Planet-X was in the deepest exaltation. Right now I can see one player who could go on to be a cricket legend from this patch: Samit Dravid.

  There is definitely an Indian captain born in the year 2005. These boys will debut for India after 2021, when Pluto enters into exaltation once again, and they will be the greatest. The future Tendulkars, Pontings, Kapil Devs, Warners and Kohlis. While this chapter is being written in 2019, these boys must be around 13–15 years old, but they will shape the world of cricket in the future. The talent scouts need to thoroughly examine and unearth their potential. Some of the greatest legends of the game were born then. Let us hope that the majority of them were born in India.

  Prediction #49 : What Will Happen to the Administration of the BCCI?

  The BCCI has received a lot of flak during the recent months for its slow response and inefficiency in the handling of various matters and events. On 14th July 2015, the Supreme Court committee, headed by RM Lodha, suspended the owners of Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings from the Indian Premier League cricket tournament for a period of two years for their alleged involvement in betting. Later, in 2016, the panel headed by Justice Lodha also made many recommendations that could turn the BCCI transparent and accountable.

  On 30th January 2017, on the recommendations of the Lodha committee, the Supreme Court appointed a four-member panel to run the day-to-day affairs of the BCCI[32]. The panel consisted of Ramachandra Guha—the historian and cricket writer; Diana Edulji—the former Indian women’s cricket captain; Vinod Rai—the former Comptroller and Auditor General of India; and Vikram Limaye—CEO and MD of IDFC. Afterwards, Guha resigned citing personal reasons and Limaye left due to his appointment as the new CEO and MD of the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

  The four-member team became a two-member one and, for some time now, the two remaining admins have not agreed on or seen eye to eye on many matters. They have been quite sluggish in solving even mundane affairs and have become a laughing stock in public. The way the admin team handled the KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya Koffee with Karan chat show controversy became the butt of all jokes. Therefore, Sourav Ganguly and N Srinivasan have requested the Supreme Court to dissolve this panel and conduct fresh elections so that the BCCI can be fully functional once again.

  So who will take over the BCCI after this temporary panel has been quashed?

  The BCCI strongman, N Srinivasan, has an extraordinary horoscope that made him one of the biggest businessmen from south India. He turned a failing family business around and made it into a huge conglomerate, India Cements. Srinivasan’s company has major stakes in Chennai Super Kings and the TNPL, to name a few. Unfortunately for Srinivasan, he is undergoing a very tough transit right now. The weakest planets in his horoscope are Uranus, Neptune and Pluto and all of them will work against his interests one by one. In any case he cannot make a comeback as the president now since he is over 70 and, according to the new recommendations, he doesn’t qualify to contest. With Neptune and Pluto becoming powerful from 2021, he will slowly lose the stranglehold that he had on the BCCI.

  After Sharad Pawar—the 1940-born, N Srinivasan—the 1945 born—became the BCCI chief. He was succeeded by Shashank Manohar, who was born in 1957. Manohar has the Pluto-and-Neptune power with him. So, there is a definite possibility of him landing a role in the corridors of the BCCI, since he has a clear advantage over N Srinivasan.

  Does that mean it's going to be Shashank Manohar once again?

  Not necessarily. There is a distinct possibility that neither of these two strong men will have a control over the BCCI in the future. Both of them have great horoscopes and both of them have had their great runs. The 1940-1945-1952 patch has had its glorious share of authority and control and now it’s over. After the Supreme Court became involved in the clean-up, following the logical progression of events, there is a clear possibility that a person born in the 1960s or the 70s will be the new head honcho of the BCCI. Quite possible. So, watch out, it is going to get interesting over there.

  Prediction #50: Will Lalit Modi Make a Comeback?

  This man has a very interesting horoscope and he has lived up to it with an interesting life so far. With his devil-may-care attitude, brashness, arrogance and ruthless ambition, he created one of the greatest brands and success stories in world sports. But the same traits also ensured that he had a huge list of adversaries. Many of them wanted to see his back, and that may have resulted in his steepest and one of the fastest falls from grace.

  Lalit Modi has always done things the way he has wanted to since his college days, when he pleaded guilty for the possession of cocaine, or married his mother's friend who was ten years his senior. His abrasive and confrontational approach shows the essence of the typical Aries-Scorpio in him. His third lord of the mind, Neptune, exalted in the tenth house (of career) resulted in his masterminding the biggest cash cow for the BCCI—the IPL.

  The interesting story of his life is centred on the presence of an exalted Pluto in the eighth house (of adversities). Pluto ensured first that he had steep growth before pushing him off the pedestal. He is now at the epicentre of huge controversies, where he has taken powerful people like Srinivasan, Shashi Tharoor and others head on. Meanwhile, he was expelled from the BCCI on charges of bid rigging, accepting kickbacks and money laundering. He is currently in exile in London, while the Enforcement Directorate has launched a moneylaundering investigation against him and a few other BCCI officials. Modi has brushed it off saying that it is a political vendetta against him.

  The eighth house indicates controversies, underworld dealings, bankruptcies, scams, litigations, illegal activities, scandals, disgrace and enemies. Modi has seen all of these. He refused to return to India, saying that there was a threat to his life and Mumbai Police endorsed this claim. Apparently, a well-known underworld don and his associate had sent hitmen to kill Modi and his family when the Modis were on a vacation in Thailand.

  Modi's horoscope is an excellent illustration of what the lord of the underworld, Pluto, can do to you, especially when you have it exalted in your eighth house.

  Interestingly, the same planetary position is also an indicator of transformation and great comebacks. That is a ray of hope for Modi. There really is a possibility of his making a comeback. Yes, it won't be easy because he still has Uranus in a weaker position, which would mean a huge backlash at home because Uranus lies in his fourth house (of home). It will not be easy for him.

  Immediately after he launched the IPL in 2007, and it became a success story, Pluto entered into his twelfth house (of losses and foreign country). Hence, he had to live in a foreign land as a fugitive. But, with Pluto coming back into his first house (of personality) in 2021, he could come back into his own. His personality will be enhanced. He could expect some kind of respite from his problems and some factors responsible for maligning his name may get cleared. Don't be surprised if he gets a clean chit in some of the numerous cases against him. He may not be completely exonerated, but he could get some of his stripes back.

  Also, Neptune will be transiting Modi’s third house from 2022. Hence, he may come up with an interesting new venture once again, which should be unique and fantastic and probably even successful. So, yes, you haven’t heard the last of Lalit Modi yet.

  Astrological Tips for IPL Owners

  28th January 2018.

  When I expressed my unhappiness over the list of players an IPL team ended with, the part-owner said
this to me:

  ‘I tried everything. Also, at the auction table, things happen so fast that even before you realise it the player you always wanted has already shifted hands. Also understand that I, alone, cannot claim the player I want. The coach and the other owners also have a say in that.’

  I understood the dilemma. I was annoyed since I had this opportunity to create a perfect ‘astrologically balanced’ team, which could go on to win the IPL, but the team fell considerably short of the required players. Cricketing logic overrules astro-logic many a time and it is perfectly understandable. The team did reasonably well, much better than they had done in the previous years, but I knew it was a missed opportunity.

  I gave this team some secret tips. Now, I’m listing them in the open. You can use them to build a successful IPL team. If they are implemented, you can be sure that the stars are with you and hence you are destined for success. Whatever is meant to happen will happen anyway, but you can always try and put in your best.

  Some teams have changed their names without realising that it is not just the name of the team that matters, but also when it is named. And not to mention, who the captain is.

  Remember that the captain is the most important component in the entire process. Appoint one who has a great potential, but hasn’t won any major event as a captain before.

  A captain born in the years 1986, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1994 has better chances of winning the upcoming tournaments than the others. Of course, individual horoscopes do matter. Look into those too. In case there are a couple of captains with the same year of birth, then the person with the better individual horoscope should be chosen.

  Pack in a group of players who, too, have potential, but haven’t been part of or won major tournaments. This could include players born in the years just mentioned, if you are convinced they are really good but haven’t had a chance with better teams before.

  Hire a coach, who is very good (but not pedigree) and doesn’t have a great history of successes. Watch out for coaches born in 1965–76, 1980–82. These are the golden years. One obviously needs to look into other considerations regarding individual horoscopes.

  Ensure that there aren’t any veterans in the team. Do not include players who are way younger or way older than the current generation.

  Avoid appointing a captain either too old or too young compared to other captains in the tournament. If, say, the average age of the captains is 33, don’t have a captain who is 38 or 25.

  If you have already won a tournament with a team, don’t be too emotional and keep the core of the team with you. Release some players who have achieved peak success with you. You cannot extract more than what is destined.

  Afterword

  When I started pursuing astrology, my biggest desire and hope was to change people’s lives. The mystery surrounding the subject and the abstruse logic and practices with which it was associated made me think that here was the key to bring happiness into people’s lives. I hoped to use astrology as a magic wand that could substantially alter lives.

  How wrong I was! It took me some time to realise that whatever is meant to happen, will. After almost 25 years of being an astrologer, I can say that I cannot alter anything. No one can. If anyone claims that they can change people’s lives, well, you need to think twice. They are claiming to be gods. Yes, I can bring in clarity about the eventuality. Astrology is a tool that helps you know exactly what will happen—good or bad—and be prepared for it. If it is good, you can maximise the joy. If it is not, then you learn how to handle it. You do get a chance to look at the best possible ways of dealing with a calamity and put up your best foot forward even if you have that smallest chance.

  Incident 1:

  A popular producer of TV serials called me for a ‘sure-shot success’ movie project. She told me to look into the horoscopes of some filmstars and come up with a combination that would make a successful film. I came up with some combinations, using the birth details of many actors and also gave her some alternatives in case some of them weren’t available. The producer’s team tried hard, but couldn’t get all of those actors and the director together on board. While some of them were busy, some were not affordable and, well, the project was shelved.

  Incident 2:

  Another film director gave me a list of the birth details of some young, unknown actors and sought help in deciding the lead hero and the heroine for a film. He couldn’t go with the top pair I suggested as the actress was not in the good books of the producer and the actor, according to him, didn’t have the ‘spark’. They went ahead with a pair I asked them to avoid. The movie sank without a trace.

  Incident 3:

  When this popular yesteryear south Indian heroine asked me to look into her horoscope, what struck me the most was her strong eighth house. Her question was pertaining to her spiritual growth. While her ninth house did look promising, and I told her that she would definitely go down the spiritual path, she nonetheless needed to be careful as her name could be drawn into some unnecessary controversies. After a few months, when she told me about her being enchanted by the teachings of a particular young spiritual guru, I warned her about the signs in her chart that spelt dangers ahead. She was happier that she had finally found her source of happiness and probably ignored my warnings. She became the epicentre of a sex scandal that shook the entire south India.

  Incident 4:

  A yesteryear north Indian heroine, who had acted in some of the biggest hits in Hindi cinema and was also very famous down south, showed me the horoscope of her son who wanted to emulate his mother. I warned her that he would never make it in the movies and suggested an alternative profession where he would be successful. The mother, however, had no choice but to bow down to the wish of the son. Depleting her life’s savings, she paid a fortune to the producer who gave her son a break as a hero, but he didn’t make any impact and the movie didn’t even run for a week.

  Incident 5:

  When my sister Salate was pregnant, she asked me about the best ‘muhurat’ when she could deliver a ‘super’ child who would be successful, healthy and happy. As the time limit given by the doctor was about two weeks, I could come up with a handful of good muhurats when she could deliver such a child. A couple of days before the date, Salate went into labour and had to be operated. Brushing aside all our plans, the baby girl arrived when she planned to.

  When you look at all these cases objectively, you realise that all the events were meant to happen. I couldn’t prevent any of them from happening despite my best intentions. The TV serial producer and the film director were going through one of the toughest phases in their careers, astrologically, and so couldn’t put together successful projects. The south Indian heroine always had this calamity looming large in her life, while the north Indian heroine was destined to lose most of her savings to her loved one. My sister’s daughter came with her own destiny and I wasn’t supposed to mess around with that.

  Now I’m to going to tell you exactly how astrology can help someone. As this book is on cricket, out of hundreds of case studies, let me focus on this one which has a background of cricket.

  Incident 6:

  Raghunath Reddy (name changed) must have easily been over six feet tall. When he looked down to shake my hands, I could sense the uneasy discomfort uncharacteristic in a man with his tall frame, strong hands and broad shoulders. He looked almost apologetic about being there.

  His horoscope was extraordinary. The magical planet, Neptune, was very strongly placed in the third house of the hands. But there were multitudes of weak planets in the chart in the eighth, sixth and the first houses, indicating huge challenges in his career and growth as a person. There were indications regarding his inability to fight competition and his career being derailed due to some strange, inexplicable situations, conspiracies or unfortunate cirumstances. There were enough pointers to show that the magic of Neptune wouldn’t materialise at all in his life and it would remain a case of ‘what if…’.

>   His story was unbelievable. When he was 11, he had already played for his state in the Under-13 team. He was one of the promising fast bowlers in India when he was 14. He could consistently bowl at about 100 mph, something considered extraordinary for a boy of that age. He often rattled the stumps of the upcoming batsmen and was feared by many. He even attended the camps conducted by the BCCI. A talent scout of an IPL team, too, approached his father and took his details.

  His coach, who had spotted him on the street throwing balls superfast, had offered his services for free and Raghunath considered him as his god. The son of a rickshaw driver dreamt of a great future ahead.

  When Raghunath was about 16, his coach met him the evening before he was to play an extremely important match. He told him to bowl a little faster than he usually did. ‘See, people have started noticing you. You will come on the radar only if you clock a higher mph consistently. Target 120 mph now. Just throw the ball as hard as you can.’ Raghunath just went all out in that match. After he had put in all his energy into his bowling, the coach would signal to him to bowl the next ball even harder. Raghunath was ready to lay down his life for the man who had given some hope in life. He flung the next ball as fast as he could. Then the most shocking thing happened. The umpire warned him for ‘chucking’. A stunned Raghunath looked at his coach. The unperturbed coach signalled to him to repeat the action without bothering about the umpire. After the next ball, the umpire called him out for chucking again and, after a few more balls, he was taken off bowling by his captain.