A sorry lack of professionalism
There are bound to be many different views on why the Indian team is struggling - and struggling so badly at that - in New Zealand, and one of those opinions pins the blame on the nature of the tracks in the Antipodes
Erapalli Prasanna
27-Dec-2002
There are bound to be many different views on why the Indian team
is struggling - and struggling so badly at that - in New Zealand,
and one of those opinions pins the blame on the nature of the
tracks in the Antipodes. Our batsmen, it appears, are like South
America's clay-court specialists who fail to clear the first
round at Wimbledon.
Make no mistake, though; there are professional cricketers in
this world. One need not even look at tennis or basketball to
learn a few lessons about professionalism in sport. The current
Australian cricket team exemplifies the professional attitude,
and it has reaped rich dividends by making them the best team in
the world.
 © CricInfo |
If the batsmen and a few commentators lament about the tracks in
New Zealand, think for an instant about all the bowlers in Indian
domestic cricket who almost never get a decent pitch to bowl on.
Instead the cricketers should be focussing on the next ball,
rather than thinking about the peripheral issues of cricket. Go
out and play with passion and courage; that should be the only
mantra a good cricketer requires.
As a former international bowler, I have exploited certain
weaknesses in batsmen. That is the beauty of the game - the
contest between bat and ball. Nobody wins that contest right
away; it is the will to work hard for every run and wicket that
makes a world of difference in cricket. Apart from Rahul Dravid's
batting and the Indian bowling, that attitude seems to be missing
in Indian cricket at the moment.
It is of some small consolation that Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra
are bowling well, as is Harbhajan Singh. The offie, in fact, has
improved a great deal, and I am glad to see him working harder -
trying to give the ball air and turn. But from a team's point of
view, it was disheartening to see young Parthiv Patel being
pushed up to open the second innings of the Hamilton Test. It was
equally appalling to see a non-specialist fielder stationed at
forward short-leg, that too when India were defending a low
total. If it had been a Virender Sehwag or a VVS Laxman at short
leg, then Bangar's dropped chance would have been taken, and the
script at Hamilton may have been significantly different.
 © CricInfo |
The reasons for Rakesh Patel replacing Yohannan are equally
tenuous, and to reinforce the general perception that there is
utter confusion in the Indian think-tank, Shiv Sunder Das - a
player not even in the World Cup pool of 30! - was asked to open
in the first one-dayer. Such arbitrary decisions that ignore
long-term benefit have haunted Indian cricket for long.
To be sure, there is still much talk of professionalism, but
there are few indicators that things are changing. Serious
questions must now be raised on Wright's contributions - or lack
of them - once this disastrous tour of New Zealand ends.
Ironically, even without an Indian coach, the New Zealanders seem
to have a good measure of this Indian team, while the tourists
look clueless even about themselves, let alone the opposition.
Most other sides in the world today would have had this New
Zealand team on the mat. The most experienced Kiwi batsmen,
Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan, have scored just 90 in toto in
the two Tests and one ODI thus far. The hosts' batting looks
fragile, and all India needs to do is to get their batsmen to
score heavily. The onus is then on Ganguly to lead from the
front, to go out into the middle as an opener and score big runs.
Plans for the World Cup can go on hold until India sort
themselves out in this particular one-day series.