We Indians are a wonderful race, but believe in extremes. We are either in a state of total and misplaced euphoria or are down in the depths of depression. We do not know the middle path or refuse to recognize it even if it hits us in the solar plexus. This wonderful (!) quality applies equally to the cricket fan and the writers who contribute on this subject. The fan that was getting ready to attack the houses of the Indian team after their poor showing in the West Indies at this time last year, is now proclaiming that this is the best team ever and the media uses headlines like ‘world beaters’ without bothering to think carefully about whether this is really justified right now. Yet in the midst of all the jubilation, I think it is perhaps relevant to sound a word of caution, even if that may not go down well with the average cricket fan, if such a person exists in India. Make no mistake, this young Indian team has significant achievements already - winners of the Twenty-twenty world cup in South Africa and winning the recently concluded Commonwealth bank tri-series. Not very long ago the older version of the Indian team won a Test match in South Africa, won a series against England in England after ages and won a test match at Perth in Australia for the first time ever. Yes all the indications are there that this young team has a great time ahead of it but it still has a few frontiers to conquer before it is labeled as a world beating team.
Let’s look at the current world champions
However unpalatable it may be, the fact of the matter is that Australia has dominated world cricket since 1995. While they have been beaten comprehensively by us in the tri-series we need to remember that England too did that last year around and where are they now? There have been instances when other teams have run it close and even pipped it like South Africa which was ranked no.1 at the beginning of the world cup last year but for a very short time. It is likely to be ranked no.1 again after its triumph in Bangladesh. Notwithstanding their status they were found wanting in their first big game of the World Cup at St. Kitts against Australia and lost. They were also found wanting in the semi finals where they were pitted against the same team and were defeated quite comprehensively if not disgraced. South Africa have promised much and threatened more particularly in media conferences without having delivered. Now they must be fancying their chances of being the top team in the world again this time for a longer duration, but I have my doubts about their ability on the big occasion or on the big stage. Significantly India will be playing South Africa at home at the end of the month for a three match test series which should have far more significance than a mere three match series. It could in a sense determine which direction the cricketing world’s future leadership would point.
Consistency the key
If we go back to 2005 and the Ashes, we had England beating Australia in a memorable series. Since then England has regressed, having lost the Ashes 0-5 in 2007 and is now struggling with New Zealand having lost the first test, though it is New Zealand that is playing inconsistently in the second. To be world beaters in the true sense of the term we need to be consistent in all forms of the game, in all conditions and against all opposition. We are the reigning champions in the twenty-twenty format and we can expect to be well prepared for the future in this with so much cricket happening on the IPL format. We have a young team in the one day version of the game with Sachin the only senior around. But boy has he contributed! The test team has our senior gang but we need to remember that they may not be around for much longer. But there is an enormous amount of talent in the cupboard which has forced Dilip Vengsarkar to quickly change his opinion. He was the bright forecaster who said that there is hardly any talent in the pipe line after the dismal loss in the world cup. Our current plan of different teams for tests and one-days seems to be working for us. Ironical that Australia which first mooted this concept and took great credit for it has 9 of the same players in both teams and it was hardly surprising that they seemed tired and jaded after a long and controversial summer. So clearly a lot of the indications are positive for us. Yet there are a few realities that we need to remember. The pitches at home are quite different from Australia, England and South Africa where our recent victories have happened and we might well struggle to get twenty wickets regularly on our dust bowls. Strangely the BCCI is talking to Les Burdett the renowned curator from Australia for the IPL. I wonder why they never thought of him or other curators earlier for test matches. The BCCI is throwing money left, right and centre at cricketers of all ages and all countries which can actually prevent the development of youth. When someone asked Virat Kohli the captain of the under 19 team what he would do with the 15 lakhs he had earned because of his teams victory, his answer was honest enough “I will buy that Honda city”. We have enough instances of youngsters losing their way and the BCCI is just making things more difficult for today’s talent by providing distractions in hordes by way of money and the consequent media attention.
Patience the key for the Indian cricket fan
The war is not yet over though we have won the first few important battles particularly with Australia who even if they are not our oldest enemy are certainly the most vicious. India is rising and I am sure the fans must be patient. We shall prevail but it will not be as simple as some of us would like to believe. But whatever happens remember that this is our team. We have a young team. We are a young country and have enormous talent and cricket is the number one game in the country. We will be number one and soon and till that we must be wary of calling this team “world beaters”.
Ramanujam Sridhar is CEO, brand-comm and the author of “One land, one billion minds”.
7 comments:
Nice and candid views.
I also have a feeling that money is going to truncate this game. What it will mean is player careers will be short and they will do any amount of acrobatics in that period to make the buck. I fear for the likes of Ishant and Virat. I was delighted by the sanity (in my view) when Michael clarke , Mitchel Johnson etc said they want a longer Australia career . But I think they are the only 2 who are thinking that way. Brian Lara in an interview said that he is so happy for the number of tests he played because he feels that may seize to exist some day.
Indian supremacy - Time will tell but the IPL will help some our youngsters because it will help them grow in mental experience when they play with and study some of the best names in their dressing rooms. Will they convert that learning on the field only time will tell.
I also feel the IPL and ICL will disturb cricket structures in other countries. Look at the Andre Nel episode. He does not get selected. He protests by not taking his MoM awards and before the lights in that stadium are switched off he announces his joining ICL !! Just 29 years of age and he is putting his board under pressure. He says ICL because he knows IPL will not touch him without SAF clearance !!
Purists like you and me will have lot many surprises in store. Sachin and Ponting (whoever it will be) can have that centuries record for themselves because we may see fewer tests being played and shorter career spans for players !
Yes test cricket will become scarcer and maybe even more valuable to people like us.
Yes ICL and IPL have to resolve their differences lest we have more repetitions of Shane Bond and possibly Andre Nel.
I also have feeling that New Zealand and then Pakistan will become toothless. Sri Lanka will melt in 2-3 years time and then we will only have India England and Australia sitting . It will be a sad day for cricket if that happens. However IPL phenomenon looks unstoppable for a few years.
Yes, I think boards like the West Indies are dead and a few others like New Zealand are getting there.I have a feeling we are just dividing the cricket world in two.
Thats exactly right as thommo would say. India is no.2 wanting to be no1 and therfore can claim to be trying harder than the no.1, similar to an ad campaign of a famous auto major. But somehow i feel this ICL, IPL would be a big flop. Who wants to watch a mathew elliot bat against some kumaran. There is enough international cricket already and I wouldnt sit down to watch a shahkhans team play against a preiti zintas team doesnt matter who is playing. It is totally aritficial and would prove to be a farce no better than some of those benefit matches. Edwelwise seems to be anything but what a part of its name suggests by sponsoring the current icl matches. Cricket is far different from football and we cant draw a parallel. The football calendar is only flooded with matches between those clubs which have an assortment of players. And unlike cricket the matches wouldnt clash with matches between the nations. For IPL or ICL to be taken seriously it has to replace international cricket. It cant coexist with an international calendar. Nor can it become popular with one or two months of activity during the year sandwitched between the international calendar. And it cant remain India centric. After all even a cricket crazy country like India will at some point say, Boss I have had enough!
I agree with you Ram, in the sense that we cannot equate cricket with football.
Clearly despite the hype the ICL is not taking off and maybe the IPL will go the same way.
I worry for the international cricket calendar as many players can make more money here than they have ever made , eg the three west Indians who have opted out of a test series with Australia.
Thats true. But I feel if the idea doesnt work out at a macro level these players will have to go back to their national team sooner than later or retire. I am sure if the initial effort turns into a flop then they will find it very difficult to get sponsors second time around. The con game cant go on for ever. Things have a way of finding normalcy on it own and most of these valuations on these players like dhoni are only an aberration. Just as people in the stock market are finding out just recently.
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