Some more Qs and As for Indian cricket – Part II

I admit, I woke up late on Sunday morning. But, it wasn’t a typical one at that. By 9:30 am IST, half the Indian team, which opted to bat first were back in the dressing room for a meager total of 27, and the other five were just about to begin a battle to save from being marooned. As we figured out later, 170 was a score, chased down rather easily by the Aussies, but then again – some of the questions asked in the previous part weren’t quite answered, nor am I expecting them to be done anytime soon (unless Sri Lanka give India a hiding of their lives in the next series). So, I just thought, why not raise the next set of questions and answers – quite on the lines of burnout, bench strength and accountability.

Question #1 : Is burnout a problem with this team ? If yes, why are they not being upfront and honest about it ?

Answer: Indeed. It’s not nuclear science that burnout is a serious concern for the Indian cricket team. But, until and unless players are forthcoming and honest about it, I am afraid, it’ll remain a concern. In a casual discussions with some people involved with the setup, contrasting opinions is what I get to hear. While the public admission is that burnout is never an issue with our cricketers, privately they take a different view of the topic. Read between the lines and you’d know there is a problem, which the players are quite constantly living in denial about. How much cricket is enough cricket ? No one quite has the answer for that question, thanks to contractual engagements with both the franchises who play in the IPL and their respective commercial sponsors. At the end of the day, as it’s been said before, and at the cost of being repetitive, the body comes first – not currency notes or cheques. By burnout, I don’t necessarily mean on the field engagements itself nor do I refer to injuries (cliched “part of the game”). Travelling the length and breadth of a country is equally exhausting, go ask the journalists. Or even for that matter, spending a hard-earned break (like they did between the West Indies ODIs and the Sri Lanka triangular) satisfying commercial engagements, instead of giving their mind and body enough rest to come back stronger and fitter for important challenges ahead. The BCCI, as usual needs to be accountable for not going hard on cricketers, who don’t bother themselves with taking care of the body. I don’t quite have the numbers, but the average Indian cricketer plays close to 200-250 days of cricket in a calendar year. If this is the case, poor scheduling is to blame. Add the headache of the IPL and redundant cash-cows like the Champions League, and the number swells up. What the BCCI needs to do is to enforce some discipline on the contracted (to BCCI) cricketers, to put their body before commerce first. If not, there’s no way out of it.

Question #2: Is international cricket turning into a squad-based game ? If yes, is the Indian bench not good enough ?

Answer: Yes, it is increasingly going the football way, not just in terms of the ridiculous club vs country debate, but also in terms of the fact that a squad plays a critical role in determining a team’s sustainability and it’s strength. As we saw, the strength of the bench was by far the most vital difference between the two sides (In Australia’s case, the bench was the strength and in India’s case, the weakness). Even with first choice players like Brett Lee, James Hopes, Tim Paine (an original replacement for Brad Haddin), Michael Clarke, Peter Siddle and Moises Henriques returning home through injuries of different natures, Australia found quick and ready replacements through the series, which not just highlighted the depth of players available to them, but equally spoke highly of the quality of the bench. Out goes someone and in comes someone else, equally capable of doing the job. On the other hand, India were found vaunting in this regard. The same squad played through the six matches and even men who replaced the outgoers, the quality wasn’t just there to be seen. What India needs now and it’s almost imperative on their part, with 2011 World Cup looming large, is to rekindle the Greg Chappell formula of having a strong bench. What I mean by a bench is 5 quality players, who at a given moment can seamlessly slot into the side, and when given an opportunity, perform to their best abilities. But, unfortunately, we have a tradition of passengers – the likes of Sudeep Tyagi, Amit Mishra and co, who in hindsight should have been given a go in this series. It’s about time the BCCI gets going with the A-team programme all over again, which could help in playing a critical role in a) developing a bench and b) importantly, ensure that it plays against quality opposition and not the likes of Zimbabwe, Kenya and Bangladesh (as most A teams in India are designed for).

Question #3 : In this performance-related sport, why isn’t anyone held accountable for the recent dip in results ?

Answer: Sorry to say, and it’s common knowledge now, that accountability is the bane of the Indian system, not just the cricketing system. But, the earlier we realize that this game is getting increasingly professional, the better it would be. India have put in below-par performances in the past three high-profile tournaments (I am not counting the inconsequential tours of West Indies and Sri Lanka). Even after defeats in the World T20, ICC Champions’ Trophy and the recent loss to Australia, no one has been held accountable, except those two coaches who have been fired. And that’s not accountability by any sense of the word. As usual, there will be no explanation from the BCCI or the selectors and that age-old cliche of “winning and losing is a part of the game” will come out shortly. Have the selectors picked the wrong team ? Possibly. You can’t pick Rahul Dravid as a band-aid against short-bowling and dump him when needed because of the want for younger players. That’s not accountability either. Some players in this eleven have been performing abysmally with continued impunity in these past three tournaments. Why not get rid of them and give others a chance ? Or is it that, this is logically the best eleven we have ? So much for a BCCI that boasts about IPL creating high quality cricketers. It’s time some heads start rolling. By that I don’t say sack Dhoni, but there are other people who have contributed to this mess and must be held accountable for their positions. Possibly the selectors, for not looking beyond a certain group of players who they believe can do the job, and for reasons that are not entirely cricketing. It’s time to fix-it now, for another defeat against Sri Lanka, and you’re back to square one.

Indian cricket needs some honest introspection. It’s not a question of getting the eleven right, or the sixteen right. It’s after all a question of getting the whole system right. Players need to be more honest in their respective cases and speak out against these problems – mainly player burnout and fatigue. About time that Indian cricket paid some attention to the dwindling reserve and feeder system and also, someone, whoever it is took responsibility for the recent results or the lack of it. Till then, as a hawk, I’ll continue my questionings.

PS: Involve yourself with some question that you have, possibly we can together do some soul-searching and come up with solutions and answers. 🙂

Here’s the Part I of these Qs and As for Indian cricket.