Half the Battle

Now that the high profile Team India selection for Pakistan tour has been successfully put out of the way (or was it so successful for some!), one can breathe a sigh of relief, but hold on yet…since Ganguly is back and so is Zaheer, must be a matter of relief for their supporters, but the process which had been undertaken, and the background in which these events unfolded, can one really breathe easy.
That it’s going to be a tough tour, even the peripheral cricket follower knows. But what makes it so tough?
For one, India will be taking on a different Pakistan unlike the one saw two years back. Like always in the past, it will be a series full of adrenalin, but this time the juices are likely to overflow from the hosts. For a change Pakistan is more settled than what it was the last time around. Inzamam has finally settled into the captaincy role. Then he was still a greenhorn. His batting has flowered like never before. Woolmer has taken over from Miandad and a semblance of method in the Pakistani madness has set in. Younis Khan has led the charge of the young brigade in the last year and a half and the middle order has a settled look about it. The bowling attack, while remaining the same has a more menacing look about simply due to that man Shoaib Akhtar who seems like a born-again-Pakistani team man. The one Christian in the team has converted to Islam and though the lone Hindu is yet to, the team, if one goes by various reports has turned verily religious within the cricketing format. All this could make Pakistan a formidable opposition. Add to that a successful foray into the English reputation in the just concluded series.
On the other hand, India, which had embarked on the last tour on the back of a successful series down under will be going after a successful series against Sri Lanka, but there are more things which have occurred than meets the eye. The coach and the captain are going to be different (though Dravid did captain a couple of Tests last time round, but we know who was in charge). The India XI which was more or less settled last time around, is just the opposite this time simply because of all the controversies and the behind-the-scenes action. Can anyone really put a finger on the XI at this moment or even on the day India arrives in Lahore. And it’s just because of the emplacement of the two players, mentioned at the beginning.
It was well known from the beginning, despite all the posturing by Chappell and his coterie of selectors (and not the other way round obviously), Ganguly and Zaheer had to be back some time or the other, because their exclusion in the first place was wrong. Now everybody who follows Indian cricket closely knows that Team India built up by Ganguly-Wright combination was floundering a bit ever since the Asia Cup 2004, but if one looks closely it was basically a period from July 2004 to April 2005, in which time India had a disappointing time in the ODIs, while in the Test arena it was more of a mixed bag. The series against Australia was lost 2-1, which really can’t be a shame considering Tendulkar was not available for the first 2 tests and a ‘new 281’ wasn’t coming around this time. After all they, still were the best team in the world. The series against a bull-dog’ish South Africa was won 1-0, and the series against Pakistan was drawn 1-1. So really speaking, combats against the 3 top teams in the world yielded a net 3 – 3 result, which can’t really be that bad. However, the jadedness could be seen and a bit of lackadaisical approach could be felt by all, plus add to that 2 suspensions faced by Ganguly the captain in a span of 6 months, which can be debated on without any end. Now a new coach comes in, ironically, mainly at the behest of the captain who was about to be disposed. The next five months has gone off in a whirl of excesses. At this point when Chappell probably sits with his head between his hands, he will realize that he missed a vital point. That, the primary responsibility of a coach, and let truth be told ‘a limited responsibility’, was to galvanise his existing resources in the best possible format and gear them up. Instead gimmickry surfaced in the garb of so called ‘experimentation’ and again let it be clear to those suffering from amnesia that the ‘inspired’ moves that came about in the time between 2001-2004 is yet to be beaten by this new regime. Yes, the fielding has moved upto the next level, but little else to be honest. The bravado that the commentators and a part of the media has been carrying out, still reeks of colonial hangovers and myopia. Everyone knows that Sri Lankans are tigers at home and meek lambs abroad and a depleted South Africa was not beaten, (despite the dew!)
All that was needed for the deposed men like Ganguly and the boys that he backed was kick in the rear and some admonishment and an advise to pull up their socks, incase they really became that lazy and rudderless. Instead the teeth was pulled out. If Shoaib can be reigned in by Woolmer, why not Ganguly and the likes of Zaheer, far more committed men.
But to come back to the Pakistan tour. Now that much water has flown under how do Ganguly and Zaheer fit in the XI? Let’s take Zaheer’s case first as it is less complicated and thank God for that. If 3 pacers play, then Zaheer moves in seamlessly. However, if only 2 pacers is the name of the game, who gets a game Agarkar or Zaheer ? If Zaheer has a mediocre record in Tests, Agarkar’s are even more abysmal. More so, when the Baroda paceman has been having a rollicking time in the Ranji & Duleep Trophies. Tricky one for the team management, who seem to have discovered a born-again-bowler, though results are nothing different from the past pages.
Now the real cracker, how does Ganguly get in the batting lineup (assuming he can’t be put on the benches)? Sehwag, Dravid, Tendulkar & Laxman chose themselves. Yuvraj too is almost certain, since it will be foolish to drop him to accommodate Ganguly. Now the choice remains between an opener (Gambhir/Jaffer) and Ganguly. Questions galore throw themselves up. Can Ganguly open in a Test ? He hasn’t even opened in the ODI format for almost 3 years. Will he be able to do the job ? What if he fails in front of simmering Shoaib and Sami and Gul ? Will it be fare to ask Yuvraj open again when he is clearly out of depth at the beginning of an innings ? Either way it will be playing with two careers one in it’s evening and the other in it’s glorious morning, and that too against the old enemy.
Hang on, we have a solution. Swap the wicket-keepers, play Parthiv and ask him to open and draft both Ganguly & Yuvraj in the comforts of the middle-order. Sounds familiar? Let’s go back to March 2004. This will spur Dhoni on and he might just go berserk in the ODI series. Win-win situation, right out of the Gregory Stephen Chappell’s coaching manual !!!! Go on, time for apocalypse now Mr.Chappell. The game has just half begun.

Comments ’a’ Lament

We live in these days of cricket overkill, especially with one-day variety and even test cricket, specially the ones where Zimbabwe & Bangladesh are involved in the latter. If one has the interest and time at hand, currently, like yours truly, then you would not have the time to actually take your eyes of the idiot box.
In these days of technology we get to see telecasts from channels from all across the world, the count of which will probably run upto more than a dozen and the game is being commented upon by more than fifty experts and that is what this piece is all about.

Having grown up, partly, during the pre-live tv days one always remembers with fondness, the days of the radio and the bits one saw and heard on the highlights programmes beamed by the generous doordarshan in the ‘80s.
We know that TV and Radio commentary is different due to the obvious, however, one wonders whether the commentators really do know, that, unlike on the radio the viewer can actually see what’s going on.
However, surprisingly most of these com-box men, who are ex-cricketers keep on going at a break-neck speed, some with their baritones, some with their high-pitch voices, repeating the obvious ad nauseam till the viewer has slumped exhausted in his seat.
To compound this, more than a fair share of them, are partisan towards the team they support and however hard they try to camouflage it, tense moments give them away. Backing your own team is fine but jingoism is better avoided when you are supposed to be a neutral, but these gentlemen are blissfully ignorant about the viewers’ sensibilities.
Add to this, the fact that many of these gentlemen indulge in hyperbole, when everything seems ‘great’, ‘lovely’, ‘fantastic’ & ‘beautiful’, and premature exclamations which tends to make the game seem actually mundane.
The latest addition to this state of affairs is the fact that most of them seem to have turned know all psychologists repeatedly ‘getting’ into the heads of the captains, batsmen, bowlers and sometimes even the fielders if they have their way.
Most of these ailments seem to affect the majority of the commentators from the sub-continent but some from the other parts of the world are also guilty of some of these bad habits.
The only one who remains unaffected with all this mayhem around is probably the man who was voted the best commentator of the day, the one and only Richie Benaud, who is the bridge between the times of a John Arlott and a Sanjay Manjrekar. Another personal favourite is Ian Chappell, who,with his polished Aussie accent, must rank as one of the best raconteurs amongst them all although our own ‘little master’ the great Sunil Gavaskar is trying to pick up this trait. All three mentioned are genuine greats of the game and have their own styles which does not play with the patience of the viewer and at the same time respect his intelligence. The ones for the future is definitely Ian Healy and probably Sanjay Manjrekar, though he is developing this bad habit of getting into the head of the guy on the field.
The absolute no-no’s of the current lot are most of the Pakistanis and Sri Lankans, (except the 2 W’s) who either get repetitive or plain cantankerous with alarming regularity. Some of the recent Indian commentators are equally ill equipped for this job and at the top of the list comes L.Sivaramakrishnan with his false accent and shrill-shrieks and Arun Lal can be better but keeps on going like a train, both of them getting on the nerves of the viewer with their incessant hamming, a bit like Anupam Gulati of the DD days. Srinath doesn’t promise much and looks still too involved in the game going on. The best of the current Indian lot arguably still is Ravi Shastri, though he has got a bit opinionated over time and Harsha Bhogle who started off so promisingly but has disappointed lately with his irritating habit of interrupting the likes of Gavaskar and Shastri mid-sentence.
The one man whom one doesn’t know what to make off is another grand old man Geoffrey. Very informative he is and very technical and comes up with his usual gems, though opininiated at times. A pity he is not on air anymore, since ‘even his grandma could comment better than most of the present lot’.

State of Indian Cricket

Let me first introduce myself as this is my first post, for those of you who don't have the time to actually get to my profile. My name is Supratik and am about 39 and Chartered Accountant by profession (how mundane). An insufferable cricket fanatic, I have just returned to India from Dubai and on a sabbatical (jobless if you are an old timer). Hence the time at hand.
Have finished reading a few books on Indian Cricket in the past few months. Liked most of them, but none more than Guha's 'Corner of a Foreign Field'. Went on a time-machine so to say to those days when the CKs, Lalas & Ranjis & Duleeps ruled Indian cricket psyche and was pondering over what kind of rigmarole Indian Cricket has been through. And then comes the latest episode "The Ganguly Saga". We have already seen a tumultous response, completely polarised and is getting murkier by the day. Eminent writers,journalists,mediamen,websites, novices, politicians (god save the prince of cal), have all had a swing either way.
Hunger strikes are on here at Cal, Train services have been disrupted, 'Bandhs' are being planned. But has anyone thought where does Indian Cricket stand after this episode ?
Let's not go into the rights and wrongs of dropping Ganguly and just let us try to get into the minds (hypothetically ofcourse) of the players who will take the field in the future, starting with the batting order.
1) 'Viru' Sehwag - He will be captaining India in Ahmedabad in Dravid's absence and even after acknowledging the fact that he is the last kind to get affected by bowlers let alone 'outside-the-field' issues, will he be really at peace ? He was one of the four marked men for the coach. 'Dada's Man' at one point of time, not a great fielder, decent mid-riff, slam-bang approach. What lies in store for me, he might say.
2) Gambhir - Hanging by the thread - competitor Jaffer brought in. May be I will slip away to the black hole of domestic cricket.
3) Jaffer - Son of a BEST conductor. Current giant of Ranji Trophy, A greenhorn in the Chappell regime. My past stint in International Cricket was poor. Might try to compare to compare Chappell with Wright, Dravid with Ganguly. I have no clue what I have got into, he might say.
4) Dravid - The one who was the 'best man' bear hugging his buddy at various highs achieved by Team India under Ganguly-Wright regime, now the chosen one. Doesn't open his mouth in selection meetings, 'happy with the team he is given', is this the Dravid we have known for the last 10 years. Down with flu, gastroenteritis,etc. and currently hospitalised. Is it pscyhosomatic ? that he can't undo a wrong. or is it guilt. Is the 'wall' crumbling ?
5) Tendulkar - When he should have been celebrating his record-breaking century, upstaged by a blunderous selectorial decision. He is a focussed genius no doubt, but would he be at peace at the treatment meted out to his original successor to the hotbed of captaincy. Rumours are that he was the only one to visit the forlorn Ganguly after the stab in the back, but no comments. He may ask. Remember the coach had originally said that Sachin will not be the same player again, later made a slight change saying that he will have new challenges ! He will remember, I am the original mentor. What fate will befall me?
6) Laxman - Hanging by a very very special thread. Confused. If they can do this to SCG, what about me ? After all I too am no spring chicken, ODI place is history, what remains ahead of me ?
7) Yuvraj - I am taking the place of my biggest supporter. An opportunity yes, but at what cost ? Let's say I am selfish but cricket is a cruel game, if i fail a few times tomorrow, who will back me, Dada is no longer there to support my inclusion in the squad at all times.
8) Kaif - much as same as Yuvi, but no light at the end of the tunnel. I am playing in Ahmedabad instead of Dravid, but what when he gets back. I know I should get in place of Laxman but who will back me, Dada is not there and anyway Dada was a threat to the powers that be, but VVS is not. What do I do
9) Dhoni - Not much affected, coach's darling at the moment. But will note that if this happens to a once-upon-a-time stalwart, what can happen to him ? Definitely would not like to be a mentor till the 2007 World Cup.
10) Irfan - Not much affected again, but is getting into the needless debate of being an 'all-rounder' or not. Coach finally decides he is an allrounder,but the captain sides with him that he is not. Right now the floater of the side (meaning can go from No:1 to No:9 in the batting line-up) but failure to live up to the tag can cause disaster.
11)Agarkar - The beneficiary temporarily. But no life-lines left. Lock out time, either way. Lives as long as the jaundiced eye towards Zaheer remains.
12) Kumble - Banished from the ODIs. No one was apologetic unlike the previous comrades who is licking his wounds at the moment. No dangers in the Test arena yet or have i forgotten a Chawla !!?
13) Harbhajan - The worst suffering. Mouth has been shut, form up-and-down, will not be surprised if he fades away, since he was the other one on the cancerous radar
14) Kartik - No change is stature. On the fringes. Hell I was born at the wrong time ?
15) Zaheer & Nehra - Cancerous cells, chemotherapy undertaken, eliminated. &&&&&&&&

16) Sourav Ganguly - Sourav's Pavilion is doing well with an increased footfall of 40% in the multi-cuisine restaurant, will get 2 more acres for the cricket academy, the Parliament might ask him to retire and stop taking so much of it's time and as a compensation might offer to give him an ambassador's posting to Australia !!