Global economic recovery
The editorial on “pressing fast forward on the global economy” is well written (“World Government Summit: Pressing fast forward on the global recovery”, Gulf News, March 29). The world witnessed certain developments and events recently affecting the world economic scenario. Economic recovery depends on factors like confidence, stability of peace and optimistic future outlook. The World Governments Summit is a platform to focus on such factors that will boost global economic development and growth.
From Mr K Narayanan Namboodiri
Dubai
Why you should smile
I thoroughly enjoyed your article on a ‘smile’, and it made me think about how often I smile (“What does it really take to smile?”, Gulf News, March 27). It’s true that a smile improves one’s mood, attitude, perceptions and interactions with others. It also boosts one’s confidence. It is a sign of joy, happiness and contentment. People are attracted to and enjoy hanging around people who regularly smile because these smiling people are seen as happier and more friendly than those who don’t smile. Happiness, confidence, and friendliness don’t have an age limit. They can improve your quality of life regardless of your age. A smile is the most effective and pleasant way to communicate how we feel and who we are. It is an unspoken universal language understood by all. I believe we should always find reasons to smile.
From Mr Gobind Sharma
Delhi
IPL 2022: Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Chennai Super Kings by six wickets
It is upsetting to see our Chennai Super Kings (CSK) losing its first encounter with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) (“Kolkata Knight Riders post six-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2022”, Gulf News, March 26). Definitely, it did not prove to be a sword-swinging celebration for Ravindra Jadeja on his debut as captain. He lost not just the toss, but also the match. But for the hurricane knock of unbeaten 50 runs by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, it could have proved to be the worst defeat for Jadeja. The heartening thing is the knock of Dhoni, which augurs well for CSK and Jadeja, who was a little nervous about his captaincy role. But slowly, he would come to the groove and prove to be a successful captain soon. Moreover, in the absence of Deepak Chahar, the bowling looked too weak.
From Mr Vinay Mahadevan
Chennai, India
Indian women’s cricket team
Unfortunately, the Indian women’s cricket team (Women in Blue) just missed a golden chance to enter the ongoing ODI World Cup Semi-finals. After putting up a healthy and winning total of 274 runs, it was a slip between a cup and the lip. The team was on course to enter the semi-finals till the 46th over. They conceded two boundaries of the last two balls and another two boundaries in the first two balls of the 47th over. Still, they fought till the end, and there was a ray of hope in the 50th over when they could get Migon Du Preez out. It was a misfortune that the umpire declared it a “No Ball”, which I feel was cruel to Deepti Sharma, who was the pick of our bowlers. It reminded me of R Ashwin’s “No Ball” during the T20 World Cup against West Indies, which cost us a place in the finals. However, there is nothing to regret as the team played their heart out and lost to a close call, which will be debated for some time.
From Ms Kavitha Srikanth
India
IPL 2022: Who is Ayush Badoni?
The young Ayush Badoni seems to be a talented cricketer (“IPL 2022: Ayush Badoni who? Lucknow youngster serves notice with fifty on debut”, Gulf News, March 29). He proved his worth with a hurricane knock of 54 runs in just 41 balls to enable his franchise, the Lucknow Super Giants, to post a reasonable total to fight against the Gujarat Titans. But it is too early to brand him as the Baby De Villiers with just one knock. In India, more than the cricketers and selectors, the commentators make or break the talented cricketers. The living example is Hardik Pandya, who was compared to the legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev, and Rishab Pant to Adam Gilchrist. With time, both failed to live up to their branding. I feel these accolades by past cricketers, and even commentators weigh heavily on their young shoulders and, in their enthusiasm, they aim for ambitious shots and throw away their wickets, especially when the team needs them to stay and score runs. I hope this young cricketer Ayush Badoni doesn’t get carried away with such accolades and proves to be a natural talent, worthy of his place in the team as a match-winner.
From Mr N. Mahadevan
India
