Dec 04, 2006 07:28 PM
2379 Views
‘Harbhajan Singh is a ‘Sher – e – dil’. He needs to be handled very sensitively…taken aside and spoken to alone … not in front of other teammates in the dressing room as he is one who will get hurt. He is a match winner.’
‘Irfan is so talented (surely for the future???). We just need to handle him carefully & support him so that he gets his confidence back. He needs to feel an integral part of the unit.’
‘Md. Kaif is one of the most talented people we have in the team. He just needs to be handled carefully so that he can deliver the goods.’
‘Suresh Raina & Dinesh Mongia are true finds. In their hands India’s batting future is safe. We just need to handle them carefully so that their natural talent comes out.’
‘Zaheer Khan is a rhythm bowler. He has been playing a lot of cricket (county) recently and that has done him good’
These are the kind of comments that I have been hearing off-late about our ‘extremely talented’ cricket team. Comments made by some very senior, experienced former Indian players who now commentate on the broadcasting channel. It makes my heart sink to hear these. It makes my soul cringe with utter frustration & ridiculous disdain when these guys, whom I personally love & respect for what they are, come forth with prognosis like these. (Oh, I forgot to add, none of what I just said holds true for the last comment on Zaheer).
However to look at it the other way, what else can these guys say to a hungry audience back home – one that is deeply hurt by our player’s performances & are searching for answers. My point is this: these guys are supposedly the best we have, they play for the Indian team; do they require ‘kids glove treatment’? Aren’t they ashamed when people even speak about them the way they do if only to defend them against open wrath of a nation that worships the game & they who play it?
I would assume that if they are deemed to be good enough to be playing for the national side, one thing they would surely have is, well, talent. Its quite another thing that even that is not on frequent display; what I would also assume is that these guys have ‘character’ & ‘maturity’ as well. Well, those to mind, are seemingly, non-existent (of course that is the case apart Harbhajan who whenever he does not have the ball in his hand, is rather full of it (or himself)’.
So somewhere I am saying that our selection process is faulty (as we want to jump at anyone who dazzles for a moment – never mind the mental construct). I think that the BCCI should also value experience …. However what I am sure is that all selection should be on current form (coming into the tournament – not trying to find it by the end of it). Also its high time that the BCCI wakes up to investing in pitches at home. Dead as a dodo pitches will surely not do any one any good when overseas. (it’s a different matter that even while our boys were in the West Indies where the pitches are more close to what these are in the sub-continent, they still came up croppers).
And that where I come back to Zaheer. He was dropped, he went & played county cricket, against quality opposition & on pitches that were ‘alive’. Well the results are there to be seen …. Well done Zaheer, you seem to have dazzled without having being handled in ‘kid gloves’ !
