CHAPPELL-GANGULY-DRAVID-SACHIN & CONTROVERSIES

Let me clear few controversies surrounding Indian cricket in the recent past.

SACHIN

There is a tendency in India that is revering players to semi-God status when they are playing well and burning their effigies when they are not playing well. This is what happening to Sachin Tendulkar now. Just before Baroda ODI against West Indies everyone was demanding for his blood. After his century everyone is saying that he is the best and he is going to win the World cup for us. Both these extreme reactions are uncalled for.

Positives: He is still good enough to play cricket for atleast two more years. Expecting his old devastating form and consistency is little unfair on us. He still has the ability to dominate bowlers. Never discount him.
Negatives: He rarely comes good when team needs the most even during his peak. I am not suspecting his commitment and integrity, only suspecting his ability to come good under pressure.
Suggestions: I would like Sachin to retire from one-day cricket after this world cup and concentrate on test cricket alone and thus prolonging his test career. He has achieved everything in one-day cricket except the coveted world cup; hopefully he will be the part of winning team. He has more things to accomplish in test cricket which itself a motivation for him to continue playing cricket.

DRAVID & GANGULY

Everyone is saying that Dravid is indebted to Ganguly. Actually the truth is other way round. Most of the Ganguly loyalists say that Dravid is in the team because of Ganguly only. They add that by making Dravid wicket keeper in one-dayers Ganguly had given him a new lease of life. They also argue that now Dravid had backstabbed Ganguly and was instrumental in his ouster.

Yes during 1998 Dravid was having terrible period in one-dayers. He was ousted from one-day team on the count of not being able to score quickly and rotate the strike. He came back strongly and performed well against New Zealand in the one-dayers prior to 1999 world cup. He was the leading run-getter in the 1999 world cup. From there onwards his one-day career never looked back. Dravid is in Indian one-day team because of his performance not because of Ganguly’s so called bigheartedness.

Ganguly was considered to be the best captain of India. He would not be that successful as a captain had Rahul Dravid not contributed with his bat and valuable suggestions. I can bet that Dravid was the most sincere vice-captain ever. Actually Ganguly was basking in the glory of Dravid and others.

Please read the following article: Ganguly’s Test wins

Positives of Ganguly: He backed youngsters. He nurtured players like Yuvraj, Shewag, Zaheer, Harbhajan and Nehra. His response and the way he taken on Steve Waugh (for his comments on Ganguly’s obsession of pitches) before Indian’s historic test series victory in India during 2001 was superb. Ganguly deserves huge credit for these reasons.

CHAPPELL & GANGULY

Whole of Bengal is still considering Chappell as Enemy No.1 and Kiran More as Enemy No.2. This stand is most unfortunate. People of Bengal should not give into regional chauvinism. Ganguly was sacked because of his bad work ethics and poor form. See him now; he is back with a bang because of the break from International cricket. Also see Zaheer Khan, he also dropped on same counts, is playing very well now. Their omission is purely on cricketing logic not on personal grounds. Actually Ganguly is the one who recommended Chappell for coaching Indian team; this I presume. Greg has helped Ganguly in his technique before the historic test series against Aussies down under in 2003-04. Ganguly went on to score a beautiful century at Brisbane and provided the necessary confidence for team India.

Please read the following article: Makarand Waingankar-THE HINDU Feb 6, 2007.

I hope they are on good terms now. Media should exercise restraint in creating unnecessary controversies. It is the media actually fuelling the controversies. I hope all ends well.