Vikram Vishal
(Chief Sports Editor)
So it’s all over now (at least for Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly and Kumble), and it’s time to play the country’s second most participated sport-- the blame game. And the nominees to be targeted are: the Men in Blue, the Captain, the Coach, the five ‘wise men’, the Media, we the people, and last but not the least, the ‘owner’ of Indian cricket-- the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
I am going for the last one. You can also pick your own choice, and go ahead to perform its, his or their ‘last rite’ or erect barricades to stop the ‘culprits’ from entering their homes.
With the team crashing out of the World Cup in the very first round after having flown to the Caribbeans as one of the favorites, it goes without saying that some heads are set to roll down. But what needed to be said or rather asked is that what has necessitated the ‘would be’ changes?
Is it for improving standard of the game? Is it for sending a strong message to the upcoming ‘Gods’ that don’t take your places for granted? Is it for punishing the public’s culprits? Or just to save their (BCCI) skin?
Well, with the BCCI president Sharad Pawar making the statement-- the time has come “to start encouraging younger players”, just after India’s ouster, it appears more as if the time has come for the Board to look for the scapegoats.
“Our team has disappointed me and the nation. BCCI provided maximum facilities to the players… It (Cricket Board) will decide on the future course of action,” is how Mr. Pawar reacted, indicating that all the efforts put in by the BCCI Pvt. Ltd. went in vain, so they must be castigated.
But if we are talking about some modifications for the betterment of cricket, isn’t it the high time now to look beyond players and the selectors. For, those at the helm of affairs also have some accountability that goes further than sacking and replacing players, captains, coaches and selectors.
Ask any board official if the BCCI is a cricketing body, then why no cricketer is heading it, and he would be off in a flash, saying it needs administration. If it needs administration, then why it has no CEO? It won’t be surprising if he comes up with an answer saying-- because it’s India.
But the easiest question, which unfortunately none of the board members would answer or rather would not want to answer, is that why a political heavyweight of the country having a Union Minister’s portfolio is running the world’s richest cricket governing body?
We “the people of India” fancy our team winning consistently, defeating all others at their homes, massacre minnows as if they are ‘minnows’, never lose to weaker teams, and if it’s some of those bad days, then at least show some resistance.
To be precise-- play like Australia or South Africa. And, if it’s not happening, then we “the people of India” are always ready to hit the roads.
But much to the disappointment of the players, we “the people of India” prefer minding our own business, when the BCCI fails to provide the team with their official uniform ahead of a foreign tour; when all cricketing nations concur with the ICC’s marketing policies, but for some obvious reasons, the Indian cricket board doesn’t, when broadcasters airing Indian matches have to bear loses.
No doubt, Indian game in the West Indies was one of the most humiliating performances in the Indian history of the World Cup, and players are more accountable for this than anyone else. But it would be even more shameful for us “the people of India” if the board tries to absolve it from the team’s early exit from cricket’s most coveted tournament.
After all, it’s a “collective responsibility”, isn’t it Mr. Chappell*?
*Greg Chappell is BCCI’s most loyal employee.
So it’s all over now (at least for Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly and Kumble), and it’s time to play the country’s second most participated sport-- the blame game. And the nominees to be targeted are: the Men in Blue, the Captain, the Coach, the five ‘wise men’, the Media, we the people, and last but not the least, the ‘owner’ of Indian cricket-- the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
I am going for the last one. You can also pick your own choice, and go ahead to perform its, his or their ‘last rite’ or erect barricades to stop the ‘culprits’ from entering their homes.
With the team crashing out of the World Cup in the very first round after having flown to the Caribbeans as one of the favorites, it goes without saying that some heads are set to roll down. But what needed to be said or rather asked is that what has necessitated the ‘would be’ changes?
Is it for improving standard of the game? Is it for sending a strong message to the upcoming ‘Gods’ that don’t take your places for granted? Is it for punishing the public’s culprits? Or just to save their (BCCI) skin?
Well, with the BCCI president Sharad Pawar making the statement-- the time has come “to start encouraging younger players”, just after India’s ouster, it appears more as if the time has come for the Board to look for the scapegoats.
“Our team has disappointed me and the nation. BCCI provided maximum facilities to the players… It (Cricket Board) will decide on the future course of action,” is how Mr. Pawar reacted, indicating that all the efforts put in by the BCCI Pvt. Ltd. went in vain, so they must be castigated.
But if we are talking about some modifications for the betterment of cricket, isn’t it the high time now to look beyond players and the selectors. For, those at the helm of affairs also have some accountability that goes further than sacking and replacing players, captains, coaches and selectors.
Ask any board official if the BCCI is a cricketing body, then why no cricketer is heading it, and he would be off in a flash, saying it needs administration. If it needs administration, then why it has no CEO? It won’t be surprising if he comes up with an answer saying-- because it’s India.
But the easiest question, which unfortunately none of the board members would answer or rather would not want to answer, is that why a political heavyweight of the country having a Union Minister’s portfolio is running the world’s richest cricket governing body?
We “the people of India” fancy our team winning consistently, defeating all others at their homes, massacre minnows as if they are ‘minnows’, never lose to weaker teams, and if it’s some of those bad days, then at least show some resistance.
To be precise-- play like Australia or South Africa. And, if it’s not happening, then we “the people of India” are always ready to hit the roads.
But much to the disappointment of the players, we “the people of India” prefer minding our own business, when the BCCI fails to provide the team with their official uniform ahead of a foreign tour; when all cricketing nations concur with the ICC’s marketing policies, but for some obvious reasons, the Indian cricket board doesn’t, when broadcasters airing Indian matches have to bear loses.
No doubt, Indian game in the West Indies was one of the most humiliating performances in the Indian history of the World Cup, and players are more accountable for this than anyone else. But it would be even more shameful for us “the people of India” if the board tries to absolve it from the team’s early exit from cricket’s most coveted tournament.
After all, it’s a “collective responsibility”, isn’t it Mr. Chappell*?
*Greg Chappell is BCCI’s most loyal employee.
1 comment:
I think we really don't need a worst agriculture minister who is not able to perform his duties as Minister to curb the prices and the farmers' suicide as the President of BCCI.
BCCI must make it mandatory that no person without experience of Cricket must be allowed to head the organisation.
And one more thing which i hope is the need of the hour: BCCi must make it a note that they would follow one person one post principle.
Post a Comment