by Rajat Subhra Chatterjee
0081
This is exactly not triggered off the ignominious series defeat of Indian Cricket Team against New Zealand. Yet, 0-3 white wash in home conditions, so pathetically with the might they boast, must call for something drastic, something immediate, however harsh that may sound.
Yes, heads must roll. Right from the top. The silent and acutely kept inactive, the BCCI President, Roger Binny must step down. A good man does not necessarily always make a good administrator. The Board Secretary, a political appointee, must make way for a past cricketer of merit. It is sad and utterly bewildering what would happen to ICC when this utterly inept man would step in as the Head of ICC soon. God saves ICC. The other office bearers, all of whom are political appointees, must make way for a mixer of reasonably eminent past cricketers and proven administrators. When a National Sports Board / Association / Federation is run by political appointees and non technical persons, this has to happen what has been the situation now in Indian cricket.
Why I ask for these Heads. Because,
- Offering Test matches to play on under-prepared wickets. A Test match is a five day affair. Spectators pay for five days at a very high price and wish to enjoy five – day Test matches. The wicket must be made to offer both pace and spin with emphasis on batsmen. In cricket, people like to see hundreds and fifties, and not prodding and padding against viciously spinning balls. These bunch of inept and technically non-equipped personnel in BCCI have been the culprits to bring the game in India in utter disrepute. During the One Day World Cup Finals at Ahmadabad two years back, they thought that Australia could well be butchered on the viciously turning, under prepared wicket. And all of them would dance with the Cup in the presence of country’s Prime Minister. Stage was set. Instead, India themselves got wiped off in the face of Australia’s bowling. That lesson was not learnt. For which during the NZ series, turning tracks were made and Test matches got finished in 2-1/2 days ! Imagine. Spectators must ask for return of money for the foolishness of BCCI.
- Fear psychosis exists and confusion surfaces amongst Coaches, Captain and selectors in the matter of dropping seniors in spite of repeated failures. There seems to be no accountability ? There seems to be no leadership in Team India affairs. For the matter of facts, Tiger Pataudi dropped Jaisimha, his closest mate for team combination. Vijay Merchant exercised his casting vote to drop Pataudi from captaincy in 1971. Gavaskar dropped Kapil Dev in 1984 Kolkata Test on account of discipline. Ganguly kept out one Anil Kumble in the entire World Cup, 2003 in South Africa, only for better team combination. Imagine ! These were brave decisions by brave people. Alas, now there is no one like that.
- Even the Coach of the National Team, Gautam Gambhir looks dazed and puzzled as it seems he is unable to command over the boys on the issue of repeated failures. Failure is one thing. But abject surrender playing whimsical shots is a separate issue. And these batters seem to be not ashamed, even after throwing their wickets away. Strange !
- Selecting a morally down playing XI. It is strange, that a new terminology has surfaced in today’s cricket. That is ‘Workload Management”. What is that ? Kapil Dev, Chetan Sharma, Karsan Gavri, Srinath, Prasad, Zaheer Khan, Ashis Nehra never complained and craved for rest in the disguise of ‘workload management’? They just wanted to continue to play for the country and they played with glory ! Unless, injured or not 100% fit, the best possible XI must be played. How a team, trailing in a series, could have rested their prime bowler Jaspreet Bumrah ? Was that in the hope for him to perform better down under in December, 24′? Rubbish. One hundred in the series by Sarfaraj Khan does not make him an automatic choice. Remember, Karun Nair, after scoring a triple hundred ( 303 not out at Chennai ) in a Test against England in 2016 could play for India in another two Tests only, totaling his Test career to six Test matches. The selectors must express their wisdom that domestic cricket and International cricket are poles apart. Well a player graduates to International cricket from domestic cricket only. Agreed. But this also must be viewed that those performances in domestic cricket were against what opposition and in what conditions !
- A sense of uncertainty has been created unnecessarily in Team India because of horrible performance by the Captain himself. At this level, a coach hardly helps technically but he can surely help changing the mind set for better performance. That is the main aspect where Team India is faltering. Induction of a sports psychologist would benefit Team India.
Change in the Guard :
Scores of 42, 36, 46 are Make –in-India models. It is not new. Yet this team had won many battles. But at the moment there seems to be no leader of Team India who can set personal example. And who could be a better player than Rishabh Pant ? I strongly advocate that let the Team India to tour Australia be re-cast wholly with Rishabh Pant as the new Captain. His positive approach even in dire situation in all the three formats of the game might bring in the badly needed attitude which has been missing.
From the top, a signal is necessary. Perform or perish.
Concluded……
