Desperate Measures….BCCI Adds The Ads Angle

Its around 2 weeks since the Indian cricket team landed in India amidst talks of a major overhauling by BCCI, but signs of a serious overhaul were visible from the day India lost to Bangladesh and finally was sent home packing as soon as Bangladesh defeated Bermuda in the 2007 edition of the World Cup.

As we all watch Australia so effortlessly cruising towards probably their third successive World Cup victory, back home it was time to dig deep and get rid of any malaise that might be infecting the very roots of Indian Cricket. It was a time when serious introspection was required by both the board officials as well as the players themselves. But as we have seen time and again, the changes that were being termed as path breaking, turned out to be just an eyewash. Despite the need of the hour being that Indian Cricket finds the very root of the problem all that was done was a mere 'pruning' which effectively is a temporary thing and these changes mainly catered to the general masses in India and not the true well wishers of Indian Cricket.

Before i start analyzing each proposed change by the BCCI, i think the sheer urgency shown by the board in implementing these changes was not because they were really concerned about the grand failure at the World Cup. Rather they had to show to the 'Common Indian Cricket Fan' that they are concerned and were taking the loss in the World Cup seriously. The best way forward for the BCCI in trying to determine what was wrong and what can be done, was to establish a committee with professional approach to analyse the reasons for the loss and their remedies in coordination with all concerned parties. I think the time they gave themselves to come out in the open with the proposed changes was too short. As is the case with so many things in India the approach always is far-away from 'Think and Do', rather its a 'Do and Think' approach. When the so called path-breaking changes were proposed nobody knew when half of these will be implemented and how they will be implemented. A few statements by the board in the press doesn't mean they will be implemented in all seriousness as has been proposed. Nobody knows who will be accountable if after the time-lines for these changes expire, things still are not in place. I don't know what stopped BCCI in taking some more amount of time and come back with a more specific plan along with people accountable for them. All they have come up with, seems to be big on the outside but with less matter or weight in them to rid the Indian Cricket of its diseases.

Lets begin with the change that caught the attention of most of us, the restriction on ads that a cricketer can do. This is like a 'Hara-Kiri' being performed in the most unmindful of ways by the BCCI. By restricting the players from having contracts with more than three outfits, they have actually struck a blow at the one single thing, that made this board the most powerful in terms of money that it generates. Though BCCI's income isn't directly affected by the players contract but in the long run it will definitely have an impact. They have failed to understand the one simple fact that the ads are a by-product of what happens on the field and not vice-versa. They have failed to realise that if the team performed badly at the World Cup no corporate house would have gone to these players with a hefty pay check. In-fact they might even scrap a few contracts that they currently have with the players. Ravi Shastri who also proposed this change explained later on TV that this was implemented to attract more sponsorship for the Team India rather than an individual player. The thought was definitely a great one but how practical? Did the BCCI sought any opinion from the players association? Was there any representation from the industry during the decision making? How can BCCI act like a dictator and just put a limit to the ads a player can do? How did they arrive at the number 3? These questions smell of the authoritarian way of functioning that the board officials are used to. Why then, when they realised that this was a reason for the player's non-performance, they choose not to have a look at whats happening in other team sports like soccer. Can anyone deny a Ronaldinho an advertising contract? If no then why a Sachin should be denied his right to earn. This restriction would have been a great move if the board would have put more money at stake for the cricketers on wins, rather they have reduced the money they get per match which a pittance compared to what the companies pay them for their ad deals. The BCCI should have increased the money each player gets for every win and made it comparable to the money they get by doing ads and that would have been the best remedy, and that too if at at all these ads were in any way responsible for a player's non-performance. The number of days the players spend shooting is negligible compared to the time they spend practising and the reason given by BCCI for India's dismal performance at the World Cup, that they were spending more time on shooting for these ads is ridiculous.

Another change that was proposed was that there would be better sporting wickets in India. We have heard that before, but without any real implementation and this time it will be no different as there isn't any specific plan yet or under whom the initiative will be implemented. Why isn't the BCCI acting like a professional and getting things done in a professional way? Why don't they spend money in this matter and assign an expert to monitor every test venue at-least to improve the quality of the wickets there? Why can't every Indian ground have a very basic thing like grass on the ground. I fail to understand, is it so difficult to have the very best grass on these cricket grounds which are like places of worship for a true Indian cricket fan, that we see hapless fielders succumbing to injuries while trying to field in a athletic manner, a norm with international teams. When a place like Sharjah can have a stadium with a green outfield i don't know why the same cant be done here. Talking of pitches, we all know that Kapil Dev was given the responsibility of ensuring sporting wickets long back when India got white washed 3-0 down under in year 1999. This did not materialize into anything significant apart from a few visits by experts from New Zealand.

Another significant move which they have come up with is to name Ravi Shastri as the interim cricket manager for team India. The fact that they have come up with this position called Cricket Manager is in fact good, but if they think of prolonging Ravi Shastri's stint in this position then its going to be a not so smart move. In the present circumstances when the players and the Indian Team as a whole is going through such a turmoil, Ravi Shastri's presence at the top would definitely have a calming effect on the players. Ravi has himself said that all he will do at the moment is get the team together to play as a unit, what with reports of a drift in the team (i will probably deal with this in my next post) and players being selfish, protecting their places rather than playing as a unit. This will be a difficult task but i think Ravi would prove right for the job. Mind you this is not a position similar to a coach which is a specialized job and requires someone who has had some experience in coaching. I think this time when BCCI hunts for a coach, probably after the Bangladesh series, they should find someone who is a true professional coach. Look at someone like John Buchanan or a Dave Whatmore who pride themselves in getting the team to play as fearless unit not intimidated by the reputations and clearing any mental blocks that a player might have. Its amazing how these two have propelled teams like Australia, Sri Lanka and recently Bangladesh.

In the end all i can say is what Greg Chappell recently said. "If you want to beat Australia, you cannot run you Cricket like Zimbabwe". I think to beat Australia the BCCI needs to think out of the box and not simply follow what probably Cricket Australia is doing. BCCI should learn from other sports as well and try to implement new and better strategies to be one step ahead of Australia rather than just being a follower. No one is stopping the BCCI towards experimenting with new ideas to make India into a World Beater. All that's required is a will and passion which seems to be absent from the power hungry office bearers of the BCCI. Its time for a serious introspection and hope that the remedies and solutions that come out after a thorough introspection, serves Indian Cricket in the best possible way.

Is The Final Chapter Over For Sachin

After Ian Chappell's recent advice to Sachin, that "He should try to find an honest answer sitting in front of the mirror, to the question that whether he should continue playing: And the answer would probably be a 'No' ", the whole India including the so called experts have criticised Ian for making such a comment. The so called experts have hit back at Ian saying that its for Tendulakar to decide and he should not be the one to suggest a player like Sachin to call it a day.

I think criticising Ian for this doesn't show all these experts and ex-players in good light. As far as my view is concerned and i know that most of the true fans of Sachin would also agree, he should now seriously think about what he is actually trying to acheive by elongating, in what has been an extraordinary carrer but sadly and inevitably well past its peak. What Ian has simply said is a fact that none of the cricket lovers can deny if they be honest and yes that includes Sachin himself. And for that matter we all know that Australians arent really known for holding back on saying the truth.

Ian very appropriately compared Sachin with Brian Lara, emphasizing on the fact they started in a pretty much similar way and have been doing similarly good till about 4 years back and when Tendulakar suffered a few injuries, his acumen as a batsmen started showing signs of a slowdown. While Lara almost carried on in the same vein as he had been doing for almost one and half decade since he began, Tendulkar's abilities started deserting him. Yes the very fact that despite the ageing process catching up with Lara he still manged to gather himself and play some extra ordinary innings when his team needed it the most, may be, just may be not to that level of perfection as he used to do in his early years. I have been observing the way Lara has started playing since he has crossed the age of 30. What he does to perfection, is that he tries to create an impact not by slowly building his innings as a new batsmen would do trying to make his mark in the squad, rather he does that by playing to the tune of what i call the 'Great Player's inherent ability to affect the way opponents play' i.e. they would not truly raise thier game to a higher level all the times, rather thier style of play would make the opposition fear them and thier would be a negative impact on the mental aspect of the game of the opponents and ultimately on their game as well.

A Brian Lara or for that matter a Steve Waugh would always try to maximize the affect they have on the opposition and ultimately would come up with performances their teams always required them to deliver at critical junctures in almost all the games. How else would one explain the ability of Steve Waugh in producing just the right innings at the right time with a probability of almost a 100%. He would rarely fail at critical junctures which sadly is false in the case of Sachin. Now even Ricky Ponting is growing in stature and is challanging the little master real hard. Ponting has been touching that mark of excellence as a caaptain as Steve Waugh did and helped Australia in critical games. Who can forget those famous lines: "You just dropped the cup sonny" to Gibbs, from him in '99 world cup when he played that critical innings to see Australia through and ultimately calim the championship. I have to agree their is something about these Aussies, they have a tendancy to beat anyone at their own game. One of my friends put it very beautifully, when we were watching the Aus Vs Brazil soccer World Cup match. He said "Give them a season in Kabaddi and they will beat us at that too". They do have a true sports culture.

As i write these few paragraphs there is news in the media that Sachin has hit back on Greg saying "No coach has ever questioned his attitude even in passing". What a pitty Sachin that you could not show enough maturity to handle it, even if he did question your attitude, which i expected from you. The complete episode of his face off with Greg has been mentioned in the media. Greg asking him to bat in the middle order and him insisting on an openers slot. I am not trying to balme Sachin in here by saying that he didnt show maturity. All i am trying to say that the way he reacted was not good in the end for both him and Greg and ultimately for team India. He could have avoided or diffused the situation knowing pretty well that being an Australian he wouldn't mince any words. If he was very open and straight with waht he said, then it made sense for Sachin to have resolved the issue amicably, but not by having an ego issue with him and living dangerously in the dressing room after the face off.

So now i will have to blog next, on what all Sachin said as i think its immature on his part and i think now i will also be able to justify a lot about what Greg said, and people didnt beleive. I think by coming in the open against Greg all seniors have vindicated his statements only and not done any good to their reputations in cricketing world. As more and more news reaches us, I think Greg will, and infact has already come out clean from all this sh** that Indian cricket is in at the moment after the World Cup debacle.

To elaborate further on why Sachin should retire, i would also want him look deep within and really answer one simple question. Does he think that for the passion that he has for playing cricket ODI's specifically he is justified in denying a fitter and probably a future Sachin his place in the Indian team. I think the answer is 'No'. It would be sad if Sachin's passion to play, no matter what he achieves for the team (he might get a few more records , that is for sure) denies another Sachin his 2-3 years of internatinal cricket or more generously put deny all of us the chance of witnessing another young Sachin taking on a team like he did in that summer against Pakistan in '89. Oh what a luck day it was and will always reamin for Indian Cricket....may that day come again and a new Sachin comes to the rescue of Indian Cricket. Is Sachin listening....?

The Australian Juggernaut Marches On

ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 :: Australia Vs Bangladesh :: 31st March 2007

As i sit in front of my workstation blogging this away, all the news channels in India are beaming pictures of an Australian win over a hapless Bangladesh cricket team. No matter how much Dav Whatmore and all Bangladesh fans would have wanted their team to repeat what happened on that day at Cardiff when Bangladesh defeated the mighty Australians, the defeat that Bangladesh faced was as inevitable as the fact that their will be a certain winner of 2007 edition of ICC Cricket World Cup, when this tournament ends.

Being an Indian their are bound to be some comparisons in this blog to the way India played against Bangladesh and i will try to find out where exactly did India falter. And what a blunder it proved to be in the end. The Indian cricket team would be watching all the games sitting in their homes on TV. As a famous Bollywood personality so emphatically says in one of the advertisements running these days "Cricket ka asli mazaa to ussey TV par dekhney mein hai" (The real fun of watching cricket is in watching it on TV). Nobody would have imagined that this is what the Indian cricket team would be doing after the initial round of this huge tournament.

Well as far as the match played yesterday b/w Australia and Bangladesh is concerned Australia once again proved how mighty they are in terms of their batting coming into this tournament (they had posted 6 totals of 300+ coming into this game in consecutive innings) as they romped home without losing a wicket, and some overs to spare! It was a rain affected match and had to be reduced to a 22 over match which i think reduced the margin b/w the two teams. Because its very difficult for a team to sustain good performance for a longer duration than for a shorter one. But this leveling out of the two teams because of a shortened game, dint actually come into play once Australia took to the field.

Being a 22 overs a side match, it was very much like a 20-20 match between the two sides. As soon as Bangladesh started their innings first on the pitch that looked good for strokeplay they started in a whirlwind fashion as if they wanted to post a total of around 180-200, which they eventually fell short of in a big way managing only 104 in 22 overs and losing 6 wickets in the process. Major contribution coming only from the captain and a couple of others. Their very promising young guns failing to deliver in the big game. Now i have to mention this one thing for sure, McGrath becoming the highest wicket taker in World Cup games surpassing the Great Wasim Akram a.k.a 'Sultan of Swing'. When he was bowling he was using all his experience to make the Bangladesh batsmen trying to induce a false shot from their blades. How beautifully he bowled was also evident from the fact that he got wickets despite the Bangladesh top order batsmen (to their credit) were trying to hit 'pigeon' out of the park and succeeded too in doing it to some extent. He smartly varied his deliveries and importantly the pace after he got hit a couple of times. But each time he was eventually able to induce a false shot from the batsmen and end their short stay at the crease. The weapon McGrath uses all the time is of course his immaculate line and length but the skill that he possesses which is the BIG difference between him and the ordinary is his ability to think ahead of the batsmen. He beats the batsmen in thinking ahead of him and that the mark of a genius and it applies to a batsmen in exactly the same way.

To compare his bowling performance to how Indian bowlers bowled at Bangladesh's top order, its all to evident that though both Zaheer and McGrath were attacked by the batsmen it was McGrath who used his thought process to outwit the batsmen. The perfect example was Ashraful's wicket. The first delivery that Ashraful played, he tried to play it towards the fine leg from outside the off stump and trying to scoop it above the fielder at fine leg for a four. It was a funny shot and certainly in his entire career McGrath wouldn't have seen any batsmen play that kind of a short to the first delivery he faced. It was as if he was continuing from where he had left in Cardiff (he had got a 100 in that game). In the next couple of deliveries McGrath got spanked with one sweetly timed horizontal bat shot from Ashraful in the midwicket region. It looked like the young Ashraful had got stuck into McGrath but in the the very next delivery, the Australian great rolled his fingers and made the ball loose a couple of miles which was enough for Ashraful to mistime the short and gave a high catch to Ponting at mid-on. I cannot understand why a similar approach of varying pace/ length was not taken up by Zaheer what with all his experience playing international cricket for 7 years now.

Sticking to this game i think the Bangladesh approach was good and the correct one in the circumstances but their implementation had a far too visible inexperience at its core. As Dav Whatmore has been saying what he demands from his team is that "they go out in the middle and enjoy playing the game as they are learning with each outing", i thinks that exactly they were trying to do and feel short in their implementation. When i compare this to an Indian side, i always feel that they fall short of even the fact that, whatever they decided in the team meetings sitting in the dressing room, they simply forget trying to implement what they had decided so it doesn't even come to a level where they fail in trying to implement a strategy but they seem to forget what it was in the first place! That's why i advocate that all the team members should carry a copy of the plan on a piece of paper in their [pockets and refer it to at times on field to stick to what they had planned. A simple remedy i guess for the forgetfulness syndrome with the Indian team. Remember how Bob and Hansie Cronje tried to do the same by having Cronje's being plugged into a walkie talkie type of a device so that they communicate when on field and stick to what they decided in the dressing room and also vary the strategy as the situation demanded.

Coming back to this game, when Australia came into bat they proved yet again why they are referred to as being the mighty ones as the two openers showed how exactly to take care of a smallish total and at the same time rub it into the opponents. They did it in style chasing the paltry total in quick time with their trade mark style and confidence which seems to rub off on to every player like a infection generating from that great captain Ricky Ponting. I have never seen a more confident cricketer than him in whatever cricket i have watched to this day, also someone like a Gilchrist would only come closer to him. The way he conducts himself not showing emotions (mark of a true leader) at all in case of adversity or in case of his team doing well is just amazing. Compare this to a Dravid or a Ganguly for that matter, who would show emotions at the drop of a hat and wouldn't really concentrate on what needs to be done on the field to get the team into the right situation, they just linger on with the thought of defeat in their minds till the fat lady sings and its all over. While a Ricky Ponting would always be worried from inside at his team being under pressure but would always seem to be thinking all the time about what needs to be done to get into the right situation, whether its batting or bowling.

While India's batting and bowling both were in shambles against Bangladesh, the Australians didn't budge at all from their approach that they take of showing to the world "how its done". They look like the one team that cannot put a foot wrong in this age of aggressive cricket. The only team(s) that comes close to them in that matter is probably the New Zealand or a South African team.

I think i have spoken enough on the Australians and i seriously think that they will go all the way to create history own the prized trophy, third time in a row.

Now, i am itching to write something on the Sachin Tendulkar 'The Master', what with everybody in India asking for his retirement. After Ian Chappell also commented on him "that he should look into the mirror and find a honest answer: which would definitely be that he hang up his boots", i will probably write my next blog on this topic which is grabbing the headlines in Indian newspapers.