The Story Of Indian Cricket

Indian Cricket, run by the BCCI is a true representation of a typical Bollywood movie, if only we added a few songs to it. The board is run by people who it seems love taking efforts in making sure that there is a screw up almost in every series that is played. The problems regarding the broadcasting rights it seemed was an ongoing issue for over 2 years! If that seems to have been sorted out (and I'm pretty sure it will resurface sooner rather than later), we had the fiasco over appointing a coach for the Indian team.

It was yet another perfect example of how not to do things. Indian team came back from West-Indies with their tails b/w their legs in April after a pretty pathetic display of cricket to say the least. Happens. A few effigies were burnt, Dhoni's house apparently was attacked (for reasons known best to biharis). If he did not play well, how does threatning his parents and family help, can someone please explain to me? Greg Chapell after two rather tumultous years resigned (perhaps for the best). The BCCI had 2 months to decide on whom to invite for the new coach's job. What did they do? First they sent feelers to Dav Whatmore that he was the man, since he had shown interest. Then we are made to believe a certain Sunil Gavaskar was opposed to his appointment, and his name disappeared as fast as it had appeared and suddenly in a week's time we had Graham Ford (with Dravid's backing) and John Emburey (with Gavaskar's backing) being interviewed. Very conviniently, BCCI announced Ford had agreed on the job only to recieve one tight slap on their face when he politely declined.

Why did this happen? Well I'm no management student, but you dont need to be an Einstein to guess this right. The BCCI behave like a high school bully, thinking that no one can and will refuse a job that they offer, coz well of course they are the richest board. How difficult would it have been to invite a few candidates when they 2 long months to do this, but no the arrogance of Indian Cricket has always been it's downfall. And that is perhaps one of the most important reasons why Indian cricket is nowhere close to achieving excellence. If you have arrogance and anger as your two best friends, then on your path to excellence you dont need any enemies. And Indian cricket has arrogance and anger in plenty.

That's over and done with, but why are they still so inactive?? Now what are they waiting for? The team to come back from England, possibly beaten and then find a coach a week before the Twenty 20 world cup? Why cant they start search and invite candidates at this time? Is it because Gavaskar and Shastri are in England and not available to give their words of wisdom? If they select a coach right now, he can be sent to England, where he can at least get a feel for the job and hopefully by the time the twenty 20 world cup starts, has built a good working relationship with the players. It wont be an ideal situation, but who is to blame for this?

The selectors are act in no less wierd ways. In the recent Future cup series, Rahul Dravid has publicly said that Piyush Chawla has been the find of the tour. Agreed. The boy has had a decent outing in the ODI series. Agreed he got hit in the last game, but that is to be expected of an 18 year old playing his 5th game. Now if we truly believe that he is the future of Indian spin bowling, then what is doing on that flight back to India? If he is to succeed Anil Kumble, does it not make sense in having him on the tour to England. Sure he possibly wouldnt have played a game, but what better way to learn the nuances of leg-spin, and about bowling in different conditions which are alien to him than spending time with Anil Kumble himself? But instead he will find himself in India again, where the domestic season is wrapped up. The same may hold true for Dinesh Karthick, who is a very fine cricketer indeed and has shown that he is ready to take up any challenge that is thrown at him. He has been asked to open the batting and he did a decent job in South Africe in one innings and in Bangladesh in a couple of matches. But to expect the same of him in seaming conditions in England, may be asking a little too much of the youg man. I feel for him because knowing the way Indian selectors pick and choose teams, a failure on this tour may possibly lead to his exclusion. Aakash Chopra and Sanjay Bangar will vouch for that. It would indeed be just another day in the office for the selectors and the BCCI, but we are all too familiar with the entire process now!