Ineffective BCCI

Pointing Fingers Indian Cricket Style

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Indian cricket is at it again!!! They are back to doing what they do best when faced with a crisis; pass the buck to someone else. And there has been a lot of that in the past few days and fingers have been pointed at all and sundry. In the midst of all this nonsense there is a former captain’s meeting with the board due next week. Hopefully at least these former greats will be able to knock some sense into some brainless cricket authorities.

The BCCI has always been a divided body, what with politics and power mongering always taking more importance than the welfare of the game itself. The new regime however brought with them a lot of hope and there was a genuine feeling that things would be different. One gets the feeling that the new regime is more interested in the balance sheet than the well being of the game in the country.

Right now everyone from the players to the selectors to the coach is being blamed for the debacle. The board president indulges in grand posturing and says that changes would be made to the team. But will that solve the problems afflicting Indian Cricket? The answer is a resounding no!!!

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Indian cricket’s problems are much deeper than what changing the team or even the captain and the coach could solve. The system itself is rotting. The number of teams in the domestic league is a joke. You can’t have tough competition and a true test of a player’s ability if you have 30 teams in a league. First class players score tons of runs and pick up buckets of wickets in domestic circuit but come up cropper when pitted against tough international opponents.

One can argue that the two tire system has brought about a change but it is only marginal. And the fact of the matter remains that the international players rarely come back and play in the domestic circuit. You can’t blame them too considering the amount of workload they are under in the international circuit.

The saddest part in all this is that even though we have 30 teams in the circuit the BCCI is not represented by the whole nation. There are no cricket associations in some of the states in the east like Sikkim. While a state like Maharashtra has 4 associations. This proves that even after becoming the richest sporting body in the world the BCCI has fallen woefully short in spreading the game to every nook and corner of this nation. Unless they do that we will miss out on talent and the opportunity to tap the country’s full potential.

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The selection policy is also flawed. When you pick selectors based on their zones there is bound to be parochialism, and the quota system will always be a hindrance to selecting the best possible team for the country. Why can’t we pick 5 bale selectors, irrespective of their place of origin, and assign each zone to them. The zones allotted to each should be rotated at regular intervals of time so as to avoid any one selector getting too attached to the zone assigned to him.

The pitches in this country do not provide anything to the bowlers. If at all they do provide some assistance it is to the spin bowlers. But they are made ineffective because the boundary of grounds across the nation is becoming shorter and shorter everyday. The logic behind this is that people love to see runs being scored. So in an effort to avoid being pulverized by the batsmen on flat batting tracks the spinner bowls flat and quick which quickly makes them ineffective as potent wicket taking bowlers. Add to that the short boundaries and the spinner has no other option but to bowl flat and quick. And we lament that India is not producing young spinners anymore.

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Young talent in this country is not properly groomed. Opening up a plethora of cricket academies alone is not the solution to this. They should be given enough opportunities to hone their skills. They should be playing against tougher opponents to gain the necessary temperament needed to survive at the big stage. Above all they should have an exposure to as many different kinds of conditions as they possibly can. Right now they are reared on flat tracks which serve no one. Bowlers get disheartened. The batsmen are found wanting if there is even the slightest of movement or pace in the pitch. If India is to improve on their away record then they have to learn to play on fast bouncy pitches that are found around the world.

What the BCCI, before making all round changes to the team, has to do is to take a look at itself in the mirror and be honest about what they see. If they are to shake up anything then it is the system itself that should be shaken up first. I am not saying that the players, coach and the selectors are not to be blamed. But they will only be as good as the system allows them to be. So if the BCCI genuinely has an interest in the welfare of the game then they should start the drastic changes from within themselves. Otherwise cricket might go the hockey way and then they wont have anything left even in the balance sheet to talk about.

Cricket World Cup 2007

The Great Indian Dream Over

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So that’s it then. India is out of the world cup after being defeated by Sri Lanka for 69 runs. It would be a time of reflection and introspection. The team needs to be rebuilt and Indian cricket in general has a lot of rebuilding to do. And please let’s not go and vandalize their homes and engage in petty public posturing, although it would be wise for the Indian team not to come back to the country straight away. There is a chance that India could still go through if a miracle occurs (read Bermuda beating Bangladesh), but the saddest truth of it all is that we were not good enough to deserve going to the next round.

Was this unexpected? If the Indian fans were to answer honestly they would say no. And it would seem from their body language that the Indian team did not believe in itself. Even though the team was able to cover up its inadequacies with some good performances at home, they had always struggled in the last one year. It was very clear to see that the Indians were yet to recover from their defeat against Bangladesh. There was a very palpable sense of fear in the way the Indians approached this match. Much as Sri Lanka, my favorite to win the cup, played brilliantly Indian batting was equally pathetic.

This is where the coach’s role needs to be questioned. Agreed the coach doesn’t have a direct hand to play in the events on field. But definitely it is the coach’s job to make the players believe in themselves. This was not the case. It is the coach’s job to make the fitness if not the fielding better. This was also not the case and it was never expected to. I have always believed that most of the criticisms against Chappell were unwarranted. But when a coach who took over with the sole purpose of doing well at the world cup, and whose various experiments were indulged with in the hope that it would help the team do well at the competition, only to see them dumped out of it in the first round itself… well criticism is inevitable.

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Dravid’s captaincy has been disappointing to say the least. He seemed to be following a set pattern and incapable of adapting to the situation. The much celebrated batting line up too should share bulk of the burden. Tough decisions need to be taken. Places in the side should be based on merit and not on past performances. If the great players feel that they are being given a raw deal then let them prove their worth in domestic cricket and come back. Dravid was not able to motivate the players. He has not able to galvanize the team into a single unit. And he along with the coach has to take responsibility for that.

But keep in mind the trinity of Sachin, Sourav and Dravid are not getting younger. It is for them to decide the timing of their retirement from the game. It has to happen sooner or later. And the sooner we start grooming the youngsters the better. If we don’t have enough talent out there then at least instill in them some fighting spirit. Matches are not won by talent alone. Bangladesh and the Australian team of 1987 are testament to that.

Another big concern to me right now is Sachin Tendulkar. I have always been a huge fan of Tendulkar. I have always stuck up to people asking him to be sacked. This is why it was disappointing to see him play the way he did in this world cup. He just doesn’t seem to be there mentally. He has to sit down and assess if he still has the hunger in him. If not retirement at least take a break from the game and start from scratch. There is no disgrace in taking a step backward to reassess one’s strengths. But it is belittling his own achievements and reputation if he continues to play this way.

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The BCCI too is responsible for this debacle. This is a result of the board’s lack of vision in developing the game at the grass roots. It is all fine that the board makes money, but the focus shouldn’t just be on balance sheets. The money gained from the sport should be spent in improving the infrastructure and ability of the players. The Ranji league needs to be revamped and the number of competing teams reduced thereby reducing the number of matches. Only then will we have quality players playing each other regularly. The pitches need to have more variety so that they have the technique to counter any condition. Right now our batting line up is too full of blind bashers who come up copper when playing on a pitch that offers even the slightest of assistance to the bowler.

There couldn’t have been a bigger blow to this world cup commercially than the exit of India and Pakistan. But then again for a World Cup reeling under an avalanche of controversies and scandals this would seem like just another thing that went horribly wrong.

Indian cricket is facing a crisis and it would be better if all involved gets up and smell the coffee before its too late.

India’s chances

Can India bring the world cup home?

No world cup starts off without the whole of India dreaming of an encore to that glorious day in June 1983, when we were crowned champions of the world in cricket. Every four years from that memorable day the whole country undertakes their favorite pastime of ascertaining their team’s chances at that particular edition of the World Cup. Every ‘Couch Potato Expert’ worth his salt in the country debates, discusses and speculates the team’s chances. Since it’s futile to try and escape this nation wide phenomenon, I thought I might throw my hats into it as well. So here goes…

If you are wondering why the Indian team captain talks of managing his fielders and about placing the right people at the right place, it is only because of the fact that we are one of the poorest fielding sides going into this world cup. Most of our senior players are on the wrong side of 30 and the daddy brigade was never good fielders in the first place. So as Dravid put it, we need be better in the other two departments of the game if we are to stand any chance of winning back the World Cup. Let’s forget temporarily that no team, other than Pakistan in 1992, has won the world cup without being a good fielding side as well.

So what should our players look to do at the world cup? Since our bowling does not inspire much confidence, our only chance of winning the world cup lies in batting out the opposition. This is where the gamble of picking Sehwag assumes significance. Coming into the world cup Sehwag has not done anything to inspire confidence. We are banking heavily on his past performances and his coming good during the course of the tournament. But the team should be realistic enough to drop him if his woeful form continues. Uthappa, even though I have doubts on his ability perform consistently, should be considered if Sehwag does not fire in the group matches. India definitely cannot take a blind chance on Sehwag in the super eight matches.

So our opening batting line up should be Ganguly and Sehwag/Uthappa. Dravid at one down is in the best possible position of the batting line up. The No.3 is the position around which the team should revolve around. I hope the team does not continue with their experiment (if you can still call it that) of sending Pathan up the order on a regular basis. That tactic should be used sparingly and India should look to Dravid coming in at no.3 regularly.

No matter what the situation of the game is Sachin Tendulkar should come in at No.4. We should play him in the middle order to provide stability and strength as that position requires experience and no one in world cricket can provide you as much experience and caliber as the master himself. Putting him any lower would be a waste of his talent. He has the ability to adapt himself to any situation and can steer the side home in tight situations.

Yuvraj should come in next as he is one of the better finishers in the game right now. He should look to play out the full quota of overs if he is playing with the tailenders and should play with a lot more freedom if any of the other top order batsmen are at the other. He should be followed by Dhoni who with his powerful hitting can take the game away from any opposition. India would be looking at these two to take them home during the business end of an innings.

I would pick Irfan Pathan over Dinesh Karthick, even without his bowling prowess. If Pathan is able to bowl even 6 overs at 5 runs an over, I would still pick him over Karthick. I have my own reasons for saying this. For one, I think Pathan is a more consistent batsman than Karthick. For another if he bowls decently enough he brings in another option to the captain which Karthick cant. I would at least start off with Pathan during the group stages and then make a call from there. If Pathan has an off day with the ball he can be covered for by others in the team like Tendulkar, Yuvraj and Sehwag.

In the bowling department, I would play both Kumble and Harbhajjan. If the West Indies pitches behave like what we have seen in the last few years, then without a shadow of doubt these two should be played. The slow low pitches in the Caribbean would be ideal for the Indian spinners and India should be able capitalize on the experience, not to mention the skill, that these two would bring in.

Zaheer Khan should spearhead the attack. He has been in spectacular form after his return to the team and thankfully that has made up for Pathan’s problems with confidence. The question would be as to who would partner him. Sreeshant still needs to prove himself in the shorter version of the game. It’s a close call between Agarkar and Patel. At the moment the odds are slightly in favor of Agarkar. Patel will have to grab his chances if he has to barge his way into the team.

So can India win the cup? Well, if we are to win, then it would require a great deal of luck too. My heart says that we will win, but more realistically I would be hoping for it rather than believing it. But who knows? Nobody believed the 1983 Indian team to be crowned champions either. So all the best boys and bring home that cup. It’s about time you did!!!

Related Reads:

Dropped, Doped or Duped? – The drug scandal in cricket
World Cup Unforgettables – Australia v South Africa, 1999
World Cup Unforgettables – India v Pakistan 1996
World Cup Unforgettables – India v Australia 1992
Rahul Dravid – The Great Wall of India
Saurav Ganguly – The Return of the Prince
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar - Hero, Villain or Victim?

World Cup Unforgettables – India v Pakistan 1996

Countdown to ICC Cricket World Cup 2007

There was seldom a world cup match as eagerly anticipated, watched and rejoiced by every Indian as this encounter. For me even our world cup winning 1983 final will have to take a second place to this one. There are a couple of reasons for this. For one I was too young to even care about cricket in 1983. For another, it was the first time Pakistan was coming to play in India in 7 years. This was an aftermath of the frosty political relationship between the two nations spilling over on to the arena of sports.

The world cup of 1996 was held once again in the subcontinent and is remembered for a lot of things. It was in this world cup that a certain gentleman called Sanath Jayasurya announced his arrival as an explosive batsman at the top of the order. He started the trend of pinch hitting in ODI cricket. This aided by the shrewd and astute captaincy of Arjuna Ranatunga ensured that Sri Lanka upset the form book and odds, and went on to win the world cup. It was a world cup where the minnows Kenya scored an upset victory on the West Indies. However nothing matched the drama, the emotion and the sheer intensity of this match.

1996 was the first and only world cup to have had the group matches followed by knockout matches leading up to the final. Thus India and Pakistan (the reigning world champions) came to meet each other in a quarter final at Bangalore. The stage was set and the ingredients could not have been spicier. Pakistan’s long absence from Indian soil, the tensions between the nations, the traditional history and rivalry between the two nations all contributed to the hype surrounding the match. But none of these reasons were more important than the fact that the two teams were meeting each other for the first time in a winner takes all stage at the world cup.

Pakistan suffered a major blow on the morning of the match when their captain and best bowler, Wasim Akram, declared himself unfit for the match due to a ruptured side muscle. So it was Amir Sohail who led Pakistan with Mohammed Azharuddin being his Indian counterpart. Azhar won the toss and elected to bat.

India started off with Tendulkar, so far one of the stars of the tournament, being strangely off color. However Siddhu was in his elements in this game and played a marvelous innings of 93 and took the Indian score to 168 for 2 before he departed, Even though the score sounded impressive India was meandering on at a rate of barely 4.5 runs per over.

By the time Ajay Jadeja came in India were running along to a respectable and competitive total. But Jadeja changed all that and plundered 96 runs from the last 10 overs off which 51 came of the last 3. Waqar Younis, Pakistan’s main weapon was left without a clue as to what hit him when Jadeja along with the tail hit 24 runs off his 48th over and 18 off his 50th. Jadeja hit younis for 3 fours and a six in the 48th over. It was among the most brilliant exhibition of hitting ever seen and Ajay Jadeja turned into superstar in that match. He propelled the Indian score to 287 for 8.

Pakistan was docked one over for slow over rater and had to reach the target in 49 overs. They started off in an explosive manner with Sohail and Saeed Anwar scoring at around 8 an over. Even after Anwar left for 48 off 32 balls, Sohail continued in the same vein and took the score to 113.

Then came the pivotal moment in the match, which is now part of world cup folklore. Venkatesh Prasad, an unknown bowler at the time, was hit for a four by Sohail. For some reason Sohail decided to indulge in some arrogant gamesmanship. Sohail after hitting the shot pointed his bat at the area where the bowl had disappeared and then towards Prasad apparently gesturing where he will send the next one. It was irresponsible from a captain and maybe even caused him to lose his focus.

There was a hush in the stadium and I, watching that on TV, was seething. It was a feeling shared by the millions of other Indians watching that match. Prasad bowled the next ball slightly wide. Sohail attempted the same shot again with utmost contempt. But his feet were not moving and he only managed to drag it back to his stumps. The entire country must have erupted at that second, and I was screaming my head off at the TV and pumping my fits at it. What made the moment even sweeter was Prasad returning the favor by showing the way to the pavilion to Sohail accompanied with a slew of profanities.

The entire mood of the Indian team changed after that. They were revitalized and had a spring in their step. They went on to apply pressure and wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. But despite some late charge by Rashid Latif, the match was as good as over when Miandad was run out with the score at 239.

The celebrations that occurred later on were unbelievable. The entire country seemed to have gone bonkers and there was spontaneous revelry all around. Perhaps we should have grasped their true feelings when a banner was shown in the stadium stating ‘This is the World Cup final’. And it really was for every Indian cricket fan.

Rahul Dravid – The Great Wall of India

Countdown to ICC Cricket World Cup 2007

Rahul Dravid completes our look on the holy trinity of Indian batsmen, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly being the other two. Dravid has been India’s Mr. Dependable for quite some time now. His stride to the middle always brings about a calm in both the dressing room as well as in the hearts of a billion fans. One can be rest assured that whatever be the situation of the match that he walks into, he will give his 100% out there on the field. It is no wonder that over the years his has become the most prized wicket in the Indian batting line up.

When he first started off he was the man who somehow seemed destined to be overshadowed by somebody else. He had a very impressive debut in England and missed a century there by a whisker. However people remember that test for the century on debut at Lords by Ganguly. When he scored his highest scores in ODI somebody else overshadowed him, twice! He had a hand in one of the greatest rescue acts in the history of cricket at Kolkata in 2000. Even that match is remembered for the exploits of his partner at the other end, VVS Laxman. It was one of those magical moments in test cricket when both of them batted for a whole day and turned a certain defeat into a miraculous victory.

He has always been one of the most technically equipped batsmen in the modern era, in an era when fast scoring is the norm and throwing your bat at all and sundry seems to be the only way to perform, Dravid stands out for his superb technique. It is but a reflection of the time he is playing that once he was thought to be a bit too technical and heavily criticized for his slow batting. There were even suggestions that he should only be played in the tests and be dropped for the ODI, which they eventually did. Thankfully better sense prevailed and before long he returned as a much improved batsmen. He later on became such an integral part of the team that he has now taken over the captaincy from Ganguly in both forms of the game.

Dravid’s utility to the team is unquestionable. Take a look at any of our major victories in India or abroad and you will have Dravid playing a major role in it. Be it the one at Kolkata, Headingly, Adelaide, Jamaica or Rawalpindi. It is a proof of his technical prowess that he has been able to negotiate the seam and bounce of foreign pitches. Some may not find him to be entertaining. But he gets you the results. Sometimes in pursuit of victory you might have to cut out some of the flashiness and grind it out. What matters most is not if you have entertained the crowd, it is whether you have won the match or not.

Dravid has time and again proven that he is a perfect team man. Who can forget the times when he would keep the wickets so that the team would get some much needed balance? This was the single most important factor for India’s successful run at the world cup last time. You can see the elation or pain etched on his face depending on the fortunes of the team. Just look at the way he celebrates when the team wins, it is a 1000 time more emotional than when he reaches a personal milestone. His commitment to the team is absolute.

Dravid as a captain has been less of a success than as a batsman. He has been found strangely devoid of ideas at crucial moments when the going gets tough for the team. Dravid by character is a quiet and restrained man. But on the field he needs to show a bit more aggression. Then again all this would matter less if he is able to bring back the World Cup to India after a long gap of 24 years. Dravid would know that a billion people will be rooting for his team, and there is no better man to rest our faiths with.