Feb 22, 2002 12:23 PM
7273 Views
(Updated Feb 22, 2002 09:28 PM)
We treat them like Gods. Whatever they eat, drink and wear, we do likewise. We often waste time and energy just to watch them play live. How many times have most of us bunked office or preferred to miss out on a good night’s sleep because of these guys? At the end of it all, is it simply worth all the effort? Do these guys really live up to the idolatry and expectations reposed in them by millions of their countrymen? For every one match that they win against an Australia, they end up losing two to the likes of a now-depleted West Indies or a mediocre Zimbabwe. Why is it that these guys are more inconsistent than consistent? Are they not being paid enough to do their job well on the field? Why do they always lose matches that the opposition wants to gift them? Most of you might not take my review too kindly and may even not recommend it because I don't recommend the team...that's fine with me..I'm entitled to an opinion and here it is.
The problem lies partly with these modern day idols and partly with the high-profile, publicity seeking administrators who run the game in the country.
What ails the players?
They are certainly not found lacking when it comes to talent. Fortunately or not, one has to go through hundreds of levels starting off from the local school/college/club cricket that culminates in getting a national call on the basis of a consistent performance at the highest levels in domestic cricket. Why is it that these guys who score tons of runs in Ranji matches come up croppers when pitted against visiting teams? The guy is the same, he has the same bat and other equipment, why does he fail then? The issue becomes more complicated when we consider the fact that its no longer surprising when we lose matches from winning positions. There is a serious deficiency of passion, never-say-die attitude, self-confidence (not over-confidence) and killer instinct. I also strongly suspect that the current players only play because they get to travel around a lot and get paid for it too apart from the occasional picture splashed across the newspapers and a mention or two in the gossip columns of glitzy magazines. Why would they give 100% to the game when they make better money off the field doing things like drinking coke, riding bikes and generally playing the fool on the small screen?
Talent and opportunities can do only so much as get one a place in the national team. What is really required and what sets apart a great player from a good player is the interminable passion to win at any cost (not by illegal means though)...and it is this characteristic that is seriously lacking in the current generation of players. How else can one explain the debacle of losing 9 tournament finals in a row in the last 2 years. Its a different matter if we lose some close matches with extremely tight finishes. That, however, does not appear to be the case here...we relish losing matches which we are comfortably poised to win. For those statistically inclined, there is something called a “law of averages” which the current Indian team seems to rubbish with utter disdain. I certainly wouldn’t agree that lady luck is not on talking terms with us. It is we who prefer to keep her at a safe distance and bask in the glory that comes from losing matches consistently.
All this calls for mental toughness, a desire and passion to fight back with a vengeance when push comes to shove. How many times have our senior players not been subjected to such kind of pressure-cooker situations on the field? And yet they slink away like dogs with their tails tucked between their legs when the opposition team gives a clarion call for battle...a battle that separates the boys from the men. As much as I strain my grey cells, I can think of only one instance in the recent past when the team really stood up to the challenge...that was when the Aussies visited us early last year and we beat them at Kolkata.
A truly great team should be doing those kind of things more often instead of sitting back and living in its shadow. C’mon guys, show some guts, spunk, character, fortitude, BALLS! Why don’t these guys try to overcome their problems by talking to sports psychologists or to some of the yesteryear cricketers who I’m sure would be of great help and aid them in overcoming these problems?
What ails the administrators?
While the cricketers suffer from mentally challenging problems, the administrators revel in making the most of their tenor while at the helm of affairs at the BCCI. All that they are interested in is making the news headlines, throwing lavish parties, shouting their mouths off when not needed and gobbling up all the money that comes in.
The composition of the Board itself is faulty. The very logic in having a selector from each zone to ensure proper representation from the four corners of the country is defeated because the more powerful among them shut the mouths of the others and push players from their own zones into the team. Why not have an impartial board comprising ex-cricketers known for their integrity to select the teams instead? We have millions of kids playing the game with the sole intention of becoming a Sachin Tendulkar one day. Why is it that we are not able to pick a proper team for Ganguly’s Eleven (pun intended) inspite of all the talent around us? Why resort to all these chopping and changing tactics after every match that we lose? Ideally, a player must be picked after great thought about his ability, mental toughness and commitment. He should be given a solid run in the team without a Damocles’ sword hanging over his head. Only then can we build up a team that will win consistently in the future. There’s no sense in selecting a youngster for one match and replacing him with another in the next. Not all can be a Sachin Tendulkar or a Virender Sehwag to go slam-bang from the first match itself!
Post-selection, the planning and scheduling of tour itineraries leaves a lot to be desired. The BCCI mints crores of rupees from every match but no one knows how this money is in turn being used to develop the game in the country. The tour schedules are drawn up at random by class 1 kids without giving a thought to the kind of mental and physical fatigue that the players go through. This is one of the main reasons for our disappointing performances in the last few years. Its quite clearly a case of killing the goose that lays golden eggs. If we keep losing matches the way we do, a day will come when we have to virtually beg countries to play against us.
A lot was written and talked about when previous administrators announced the setting up of various committees under ex-cricketers (like the Pitches & Grounds committee under Kapil Dev). While these are welcome, the moot point is what has been done after that? Have these people been given the autonomy to make decisions and work without undue and unwarranted interference from the powers that be?
One can go on and on about the dismal cricketing atmosphere in India today. We may even suggest remedial measures, but what’s the use when the administrators are resistant to change and refuse to give a thought to the development of the game in India?
