Finally it is time for introspection after all the media hype of the World Cup has died down. Of course, the world cup continues in its splendor (or the lack of it), but India's hopes were cut short by a determined Bangla and Sri Lanka team. South Africa were also at the receiving end of Bangladesh, as they were routed out in the Super-8 match yesterday. Some consolation that India's loss to Bangladesh wasn't purely the failure of the Indian team (it still majorly was due to that).
With the dust settling, Greg Chappell has also played his master stroke by resigning and submitting, what is believed to be a candid assessment of the state of Indian cricket. I was reading one of his interviews, and one line he spoke, captured the essence of Indian cricket today - without mincing words he said "You cannot have a selection procedure like Zimbabwe and expect to play like Australia". Word my friend - very truly spoken, I felt.
Of course, its easy to blame the coach and the captain for everything that went wrong (as is being done by most media channels, specially ones like Zee), but that doesn't absolve the rest of the team of their part in what happened. It was a failure of 11 members of the team, not of the captain and the coach alone. Dravid has been gracious enough to accept responsibility and keep mum about what else has been going on behind the screens.
Tendulkar was swearing upon the umpteen years he has dedicated to Indian cricket. I do not wish to take away anything from him, but my friend, I do believe its time you had the decency to retire in style, than make an inglorious exit at the hands of the coach or of the selection team. Come'on, why all the crying and the cribbing on being hinted to sit on the sidelines - are you really blind to what's written on the wall, or do you just choose to be ignorant.
Its good that BCCI has sat and taken up some strong steps to improve the situation. Firstly, Indian cricket shouldn't be the honor club of just a few. Coming in shouldn't be easy, but going out of the team shouldn't be difficult either. India needs some good bench strength, and if you cannot perform, its time you take some time off the international circuit and let others take a chance. International matches and tournaments shouldn't be the avenue to 'practice and regain form'.
Current Indian team is like a bureaucratic organization, one cant get in easily, but if one comes in, he doesn't leave easily. Every new player who might threaten your position in the team is discouraged and forced on the sidelines by the clout of the 'senior' player cartel. Sounds like we are talking of economics in a capitalist world, not cricket. But really the similarities are very disturbing.
As spectators, we can only hope that all this comes to something good and that Indian cricket might get the chance to some of its glorious days.
1 comment:
You write very well.
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