Money talks

So much print is being wasted on discussing the symptom, whereas the disease is being widely overlooked. Cricket is now reaping the fruits of the seeds of sledging that Australia has sown for the last two decades under the garb of "mental disintegration". The players are no longer honorable in their actions and this is true from all international teams, and once in a while everyone deserves to get a taste of this bitter medicine. No sympathies at all.

Let’s be frank, there are no good guys here. Australia love to give it out but hate getting it back. They may be good players of the game, but are poor ambassadors of the sport. They can't paint themselves as clean innocent victims in this episode. There are cultures that find it very offensive and therefore react differently or strongly to sledging. If calling someone “monkey” is racist, then calling someone “bastard” is equally offensive. Anil and his men were gracious enough to forgive and forget Hogg for using abusive language but the same spirit was found lacking with Pointing and Co. In my opinion, the events at Sydney should have been resolved on the field itself.

Also, we mustn’t forget that what started this fury was a provocation from none other than the victim Andrew Symonds. Harbhajan's response was in the heat of the moment, agreed stupid and perhaps offensive. But then you got to ask, why should Symonds be spared? There is no mention of what Symonds said which provoked Harbhajan. When Harbhajan patted on Lee's back there was no need for Symonds to nose in. It seems he just wanted to show his proud Aussie attitude and trigger Harbhajan in saying something stupid.

A mutually exclusive issue is the behavior of BCCI in this matter. "Cricket is the victor in all this", this is the statement issued by BCCI after Harbhajan’s hearing, which is completely untrue. Cricket, in fact has been deeply wounded as BCCI threatened to pull out of the tour if all charges against Harbhajan were not called off. It is obvious that BCCI used their financial influence to turn the decision in their favor. But this has managed to set a wrong precedent in world cricket. By declaring that the Indian team will withdraw from the tour in the event of Harbhajan’s ban, they have publicly shown no respect for the ICC processes. I find this attitude of the BCCI deplorable.

Cricket Australia is not entirely absolved of the blame either. There were witnesses like Ponting and Tendulkar who never heard that word on the field and then the technology (video cameras, stump microphones) which did not cover the incident to the extent that prove that the exchange of words between the Symonds and Harbhajan had anything to do with racism, so on what basis was the charge filed in the first place?

An anonymous Aussie player told the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday that "The thing that pisses us off is that it shows how much power India has." So that's the main issue now, is it, that India is more influential than Australia? Australia is sufficiently powerful to have taken advantage by openly sledging over the years, but they can't take it when somebody else wields their influence. Also, the same Aussie players who complain about India's monetary dominance on the game will gladly collect fat checks to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after they retire from International cricket. Their attitude smacks of hypocrisy.

On a different note, if Harbhajan has indeed used a term in his native tongue "teri maa ki", then I consider this to be a far more serious abuse than "monkey”. For us Indians, this is a worst form of abuse and no respected person will take this lying down. I hope BCCI takes a serious note of this and punishes Harbhajan by omitting him from the ODI squad on disciplinary grounds.

Sadly the series will not be remembered for Sachin’s and Hayden’s wonderful batting, Lee’s great bowling, the great Aussie performance in Melbourne or the ground breaking win by India in Perth. Money & Politics have taken the center stage once again; obviously all that matters in the glorious game these days.

Tailored suits, chauffeured cars, fine hotels and big cigars…
Come on, come on, love me for my money…

The catching-up game...

Cricketers all around the world look up to Australia to set the gold standards on how to play the game. This is true at the International level as well as the domestic one. Australia's cricket ethic at the domestic level is unmatched and proves to be a perfect platform for those pursuing the International dream. Most other countries do not play the domestic contests with equal vigor and competitive attitude. The reasons are not unknown, but the problem lies in executing the much needed changes. For comparative purposes, since I'm not well versed with domestic outfits in other countries, its only fair to keep this discussion limited to some of the shortcomings of the Indian domestic structure.

Competitiveness: Nowhere are the Ranji matches in India as competitive as any of the Pura Cup games. Reason, mostly the quality of players representing the teams. Not many those play the international format get to play in the domestic circuit as well (due to the overbooked schedule of our Indian cricket team). This leaves the younger bunch with no experience or guidance from the veterans and they don't actually get to raise the level of their game.

Pitch: Indian pitches are batsman-friendly, we produce lovely players with a bat in hand, but we still keep hunting for a pace attack capable of taking 20 wickets in a Test match. The nature of the pitches need to change, the batsmen need to test themselves, the bowlers need to be encouraged, this will lead to an overall talent recognition. Australia has mixed pitches all around the country, and so they keep finding talents that have gone through the complete litmus test.

Professionalism: Of course the feeling of playing an International encounter is well cherished by everyone, but do we show the same enthusiasm and attitude while playing at the zone, club or city level? Others will say otherwise, but I have seen some Indian domestic matches played without much professionalism and spirit. Money might be one concern, and if that is a concern, then the Board needs to look into it.

Mindset: The mindset in India is to get an education that will secure a job, and then think about how to get a particular salary. We’re used to that kind of a life, and that’s how we bring up our children. Parents need to realize that cricket now offers a decent standard of living and earning potential, and not just for international cricketers. They need to stop thinking they are taking a huge gamble with their child’s life if they let a child pursue sport as career. It is possible to get a degree in Engineering by merely passing the exams and not really learning the concepts in depth, and also get a job based on that degree. Similarly, a cricketer can waste the opportunities in the nets and in training, and with some talent still play professional cricket. One has to work purposefully hard at training, at educating oneself in the right cricket ethics, because one is being paid to play, and at the same time it is a privilege to play first-class cricket.

The right choice

Gary Kirsten has always been a pleasure to watch with a bat in hand. Not much is known about his coaching skills yet, but it seems like a good prospect for someone who never stopped learning the game. With the Indian cricket team already full of superstars, hiring a keen thinker and yet a relatively low profile gentleman, is one of the most sensible moves by the BCCI in recent times. I’m sure most of the players will welcome him with open hearts. His strategies will surely differ from what the Indian team has been used to in the recent past, but I’m sure there will be fair symbiosis. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for a good term under his tenure.

India prepare for Australia?

An Australian tour is the toughest test for a cricketer, it can make or break ones career. Indian selectors have to put more thought into selecting the squad or else it could prove quite costly to the visitors. Injuries have never helped a touring side, but in a way it’s a true introspection of the team’s bench strength. Let’s be clear upfront, Pathan, VRV and Ishant, none of these would be the ideal bloke to share the new ball in Australian conditions. So, ask yourself, how does this move help us prepare for the tour of Australia?

I think Ajit Agarkar deserves a place in the touring squad for his sheer familiarity with the Australian conditions. And if he is being considered, he should get a heads up ahead of VRV and Ishant to play against Pakistan in the Bangalore test. Munaf Patel to me looks like a case of an under-trained and lethargic option, and should be drafted into a good fitness program before being considered for further encounters.

I personally feel that the batting debate is much over hyped. Karthik was bound to fail by law of averages and should be persisted with for the Australian tour. And if needed, his slot should be offered to Gambhir instead of Parthiv Patel. We don’t need 3 wicketkeepers in the squad, do we?

A quick word on Wasim Jaffer, he was exceptional during the Kolkatta test, reminded me of Azharuddin and Laxman, the similar lazy elegance personified. I wish him good luck for the Australian tour.

The Symonds affair

Being a Mumbai'ite, I have always taken pride in the city's lively attitude and hostile receptions at cricket fields. But this episode has brought much disgust to an average Mumbai fan. I was there in the North stand in 2003 when the chants "Dillon is a bastard, aye-o, aye-o" went on for 4 consecutive days. I thought that was the toughest test for a cricketer, being in a foreign country, on a field surrounded by ~50,000 fans cheering for their home side, standing alone in the "fine leg" or "long on" region (that’s where the North stand is placed) with no team mates in view for around 40 yards and spectators wanting to get every bit of your attention by calling you names or performing hand arts (and if you respond to their chants then congratulations, you are a dead guy), to top it all if your team is losing on that day, then it can go from bad to worse in a blink. Andrew Symonds was part of a similar tactic from the spectators, which is to "harass and agitate at least one member of the touring party till he breaks and succumbs to the pressure". They try it with many team members and when someone starts responding (by complaining or reacting on the field) they know that they found their guy for the tour. This was the first and biggest mistake by Symonds & Co. They shouldn’t have made this episode public, because now every single cricket fan in the country (literate enough to read newspapers and hear the radio) would know about how to get under Symonds' skin. As far as the actual racist comments, it’s really sad to know that the authorities could not take a firm action on the field to stop the culprits. They should have repeated announcements in the stands in multiple languages to keep the crowd informed that one such mistake could lead to a good amount of time behind bars.

The World Cup fiasco

Someone asked me whether the World Cup has become stale after the early exit of India and Pakistan. It seems it was an unsaid notion that at any cost India and Pakistan should be included in the Super Eights. However, facts suggest that the subcontinent giants lost two out of their three first round matches. And that, my friends, will always stay the bitter truth.

With Chappell resigning as coach after India's dismal first-round elimination, and all the criticisms surrounding the senior players in the team, here’s an outsider’s/spectator’s analysis on what went wrong and where.

To be blunt at the start, Indian cricketers need to come out of their comfort zone. Here's how history, time and again repeats itself with Indian cricket:

1. they win a match, they feel resurrected and content,

2. probably get too complacent for the next encounter,

3. then they lose in a disgraceful way without putting a fight,

4. and come to a conclusion that we need changes at the team or higher level

This has become a norm and this cycle will keep going on unless someone like Greg Chappell shows us the true picture. We are nothing but a bunch of eternal optimists, without any sound dedication or talent to back our optimism.

And a good example of all we lack is the Australian Cricket Team. Why do think Australia wins almost every match they play? Do they ever seem content with already 3 World cups under their belt? They can definitely afford to relax, but they don’t, why? ...it’s because they carry a wounded tiger attitude every time they take on the field.

Dedication, commitment, training, hard work, never-say-die attitude...Ponting, Hayden, Gilchrist, Symonds, McGrath...do you guys see the correlation?? Or is everyone blind here?

Pardon my cynicism, but these are some of the traits of an Australian cricketer and maybe of an Australian native in general.

And that is what GREG CHAPPELL wanted to instill in this aging Indian cricket squad.

As far as the foreign coach argument, remember that it’s up to the players to make the coach feel patriotic through their performances and not otherwise.

My thoughts in a nutshell:

Greg, with all his heart and character, tried...

We always lived on our past glory and failed...

Lost hopes in our team and system he resigned...

And we move a couple of years back:

As always demoralized and derailed...

HATS OFF GREG CHAPPELL...we didn’t deserve you.