Cricketing controversy

Cricketing controversy

It is often said success always try to run into your head and at least at present most of the Indian cricket lovers and former players are of the opinion that success is running into the head of Indian captain M S Dhoni especially after his statement about the inclusion of the senior players into the plating squad for the ODI.

Why there is so much unrest and anguish for the Dhoni? If we look at the history of the game, this is always the captain of the team who is blamed most for the defeat of the team and has to face the criticism, even at some times is forced to leave the captaincy of the team. It is still alive in the memories that not only S. Shrikant [after the defeat in Pakistan] but many more Indian captains have gone under the same situation. In these conditions if a captain is expressing his preferences and priorities about the team composition and asking for selecting team of his choice than what is wrong in it?

We are living in the age of professionalism and killer instant has become the most important aspect of the game for the winning. Every captain is supposed to come out with a definite game plan for the victory. Cricket being the team game one has to depend a lot on the performance of other players of the team as for as winning is concerned. In these conditions it is natural right of the captains to have the players in the team who can be the most suitable for implementing his game plan for the victory.

If we look at Dhoni’s statement in this context nothing will appear abnormal and he can be appreciated for having a clear attitude but one thing which might Dhoni forget and which is causing the evolution of this storm is that we are Indians and we have a great respect, higher than human from any other part of the world, for our elders and heroes. When we talk of senior players like Sachin, Dravid, Sourav Ganguli or Even Laxman all of them have a proven record of serving the game and playing for the pride of nation. There abilities and commitment towards the game is beyond doubts and have given their best years of life for the success of Indian cricket team more ever still their game skills and playing abilities specially of sachin Ganguli are adequate to meet with the modern demands of the game even in the ODI format of the game. Secondly still in our country, sending the old aged parents to old age homes is treated as the mark of failure in fulfilling the responsibilities.

Players like the Sachin and Sourav have done a lot for the game and still they are performing well hence as the mark of respect we must leave it with them when they decided to call it a day for themselves. Here, I would like to quote Ishant sharma, when after returning from successful tour of Australia, he was asked about the experiences there, his reply was the that the most moral boosting thing of the tour was the sharing the thoughts and game plan with the players like Sachin, who had spend years on the cricket grounds almost equal of his age. Surely the physical abilities of human beings are always show a decline with growing age but that doest prove sufficient to mark end for the utility of the person concerned. The age factor has started to work against the fielding capacities of these senior players but still their talent, commitment and experience are compensating their this shortcoming and more importantly they are working for guiding the younger players and helping to build the future team by their presence in the team.

Can Dhoni even dare for dreaming of defeating Australia in Australia if he can keep performance of senior players like Sachin apart? The killing instant and aggression which is shown by the Indian team in the recent one year or so is an overnight developed attitude? Surely not, the present killing instant, zeal of winning and will of raising the performance under the pressures are the result of hard work and dedication of the players like Sachin Sourav and Dravid for over the years, considering all this we cay surely Dhoni has done a thing which doesn’t stands with the moral behavior of Indians.

If we go with the verbal meaning of statement given by Dhoni, This is objectionable at least the timing and way is surely but if we look at this as the attitude it will look a very great vision. Any way it will be more interesting to see reaction of Dhoni for such statement in coming few years. After all players like Sourav Ganguli, the most successful and inspiring captain has been force to leave the space vacant for captaincy by other and same will happen with Dhoni in few years from now. Most probably Dhoni missed that, surely it is the youth who can build the future building but this is to be build on the foundation stone provided by the elderly persons.

Yet another defeat of mind game on the cricketing field

Yet another defeat of mind game on the cricketing field

As it was predicted Adilede test match between India and Australia ended with the assured and planed result by Australian players of draw. Though in the pre lunch session on the fifth and final day Indians scored runs at strike rate of about 4 runs per over but again Australians with slow over rate of just 12-13 over per hour succeeded in keeping India deprived of to be with time for declaring second inning and sufficient time to bowl out Australia in the second inning.
Adilede proved the surface of liking of Ricky Poiting [who criticized Perth pitch for being more supportive for bowlers and Australia lost the test in four days] as here five batsmen succeeded in hitting the knocks of ton, 3 from Australia and Sachin and Shewag from India. The Adilede will be remembered for the Yet another century by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, 100 test wicket and 1000 test run double by Irfan Pathan and retirement of Australian star wicketkeeper batsman Adam Gilchrist.
Fifth day’s play of cricket was also witness the reintroduction of famous Australian non cricketing tool called “mind game” into the playing arena. The Australians, who are at back foot on the moral grounds and in the fields of sportsmanship, came forward with statement of producing some new evidence in the case of so called racial comments allegation against the Indian off spinner Harbhajan Singh. The new evidence is the transcript of recording by stump camera. I don’t think that ICC match referee Mr. Proctor had ignored this, in the conditions of lack of decisive evidences and even when the ground umpires were not supporting the allegations. Surely Mr. Proctor had gone through this before reaching to decision. As I recall in those this news was in the air that stump camera were unable to record the conversion between Harbhajan and Symonds. So the question is now from where this recording is made available? If the ICC match referee Mr. Proctor in these conditions had ignored this important aspect, surely it will prove more than sufficient for putting a question mark on the reliability and ability of ICC officials.
To me this has nothing to do with evidences; all this was the part of mind game tool of Australians players aiming to disturb Indians players so might like the Sydney test they got out cheaply and Australians will have a go for easy victory target. Unfortunately Indians have started to understand the game plans and non cricketing tactics adopted by the Australians over the period of last 10-15 years with more clarity than past and started to answer in their language, Shewag slow down his game in post lunch session and till tea in the play of 2 hours scored less than 30 runs and make sure that Australian game plan “mind game” ends with failure.
Anyway the test match series is completed but the forthcoming ODI series is still hanging in the atmosphere of speculations and doubts. In the next 48 hours appeal of Harbhjan will get decision from the ICC appeal commissioner. Indians player and BCCI are determined to withdraw from the series in case of adverse decision. Practically also They should be, because there are no decisive evidence supporting allegation, Symonds already admitted that he was the initiator for the disputed conversation between him and Harbhajan, Hyden is unable to recall the words of Symonds, ground umpires are not supporting the allegations and above all the most trusted personality of cricketing world Sachin Tendulkar, who was at pitch with Harbhjan at that time had endorsed Harbhjan’s statement of not using word “Big monkey” for the Symonds.

Let us hope for the justice and lifting of the bam from Harbhjan so the cricketing nations may remain united and should not divide on the racial and regional grounds.