Will anyone ever talk about who won this cup? The cricketing brilliance which is bound to shine through as the cup campaign gets into the Super 8 phase? As I still recover from the shock of India's defeat to Bangladesh and then the abject surrender to Sri Lanka, I am asking myself what does cricket mean to me now.
Let me just take you along with me on a small walk down the memory lane. Like most kids in India I also grew up cherishing the skills of Sunny Gavaskar, Sandeep Patil, Kapil Dev. When Ravi Shastri drove an AUDI car at the MCG in 1985, with his mates sitting on the bonnet, its memories made the rides on my old run down school bus much smoother. When Mohd Azharuddin made the world coin a new phrase, the revolving door, as an acknowledgment of his ability to turn his wrists full circle, I thought I too could crack those tough Math numericals easily. When Sachin Tendulkar hit Abdul Qadir for 17 runs in his first international tour in 1989, I thought I would also emerge on top in my board exams which were staring at me in my face.
The point that I am making is that for me, great deeds on the cricketing field by team India, before they got re-christened as Men in Blue, were almost like great moments in my own life. And I am not alone. The same story gets repeated in millions of homes all across the country. But just like good performances leave a good taste in the mouth, bad performances leave a scar on our hearts. That's why when I hear that someone has died of a heart attack, as a result of India's exit, I don't get too surprised. Cricket in India is not "JUST A SPORT". It's a way of life, It's our daily routine. And routines sometimes can go haywire.
So make no mistake, despite this poor performance, I don't think that the passion we have for the game is in anyways going to reduce. The angry protests apart, many organised for cheap publicity in front of TV cameras ( my neighbourhood doodh waala calls me everyday to ask me if I will send a camera to shoot him pouring kerosene over himself as his way of protest against Indian team), we will still be rooting for our guys, the moment they get onto their next assignment.
After all can you give up on your life? I asked Ad man Prahlad Kakkar on a show recently if after this defeat, people will stop buying products being endorsed by our cricket stars. He felt the sales will get affected, but only for a short while. If in the next series, Sehwag gets a double hundred in a One-Dayer, or Sachin plays a knock that he used to play earlier, won't the sales shoot up again? So what will happen to all the questions that we seems to be stuck with right now?
Can Team India ever be as consistent set of performers like the Aussies? Do we have a bench strength which is as good as lets say the South Africans? Will be we looking at these questions if India demolishes Bangladesh 3-0 the next time they meet? My gut feel is no. We are a nation where public memory is very short lived. And it's not just for cricket. It's everywhere. In every walk of our lives.
The moot point is that we just have to look closely at our first class games. If you ever have some free time on a sunny winter afternoon, then go to the Kotla grounds in Old Delhi. You will see young players with dreams in their eyes trying to carve a niche for themselves. But neither the wicket nor the outfield will make you feel as if you are at a venue which also holds international matches. Go to the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai if your train from Bombay central is late. It's not too far. It's just two stations away. You will find India hopefuls running all around the ground.
Now compare this with the kind of intensity that the Aussies or the South Africans put while training. I once saw a training video of the Sydney Cricket Academy. I can tell you there is no ground in our country which could boast of the kind of facilities that are available there. That's where we have to make a beginning. Instill a sense of belief in our young cricketers that they are the best. Expose them to the same kind of drills that you see in these other countries. If we have so much talent, such passion for the game, how is it possible that we can't be as consistent as we should be?
The BCCI has already taken the first step, by announcing that Ranji Trophy matches will now be played on faster pitches. They have to ensure that the promise is delivered. If we can get foreign coaches, lets also get some help in preparing pitches. Our cricket board is the richest. Surely money cannot be a problem.
Greg Chappell may have erred by trying to bring about too many changes in the international team, without looking at the talent available in our India A or India B teams. Remember Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Reetinder Singh Sodhi or Amol Majumdar? These were all guys who were supposed to step into the shoes of Kapil Dev. They have just vanished.
Reason lack of guidance and training. A Robin Utthappa scored a quick-fire 70 against West Indies on a better of a wicket and got himself a ticket to the cup. By now I have seen him in more commercials than match innings. One is not disagreeing with the players rights to make money. But maybe some kind of a professional who is hired by the BCCI and not top ad agency could be there to ensure that players don't end up compromising on cricket. About the AuthorBhupendra Chaubey Bhupendra Chaubey has been a TV journalist for the past 12 years starting his career with NDTV. As a political journalist travelling across the length...Read Morefirst published:March 26, 2007, 16:43 ISTlast updated:March 26, 2007, 16:43 IST
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So what is it that World Cup 2007 will be remembered for? The highest World Cup total, (India against Bermuda), the early exit of sub-continental giants (India and Pakistan) or the murder of the Pakistani coach Bob Woolmer under suspicious circumstances?
Will anyone ever talk about who won this cup? The cricketing brilliance which is bound to shine through as the cup campaign gets into the Super 8 phase? As I still recover from the shock of India's defeat to Bangladesh and then the abject surrender to Sri Lanka, I am asking myself what does cricket mean to me now.
Let me just take you along with me on a small walk down the memory lane. Like most kids in India I also grew up cherishing the skills of Sunny Gavaskar, Sandeep Patil, Kapil Dev. When Ravi Shastri drove an AUDI car at the MCG in 1985, with his mates sitting on the bonnet, its memories made the rides on my old run down school bus much smoother. When Mohd Azharuddin made the world coin a new phrase, the revolving door, as an acknowledgment of his ability to turn his wrists full circle, I thought I too could crack those tough Math numericals easily. When Sachin Tendulkar hit Abdul Qadir for 17 runs in his first international tour in 1989, I thought I would also emerge on top in my board exams which were staring at me in my face.
The point that I am making is that for me, great deeds on the cricketing field by team India, before they got re-christened as Men in Blue, were almost like great moments in my own life. And I am not alone. The same story gets repeated in millions of homes all across the country. But just like good performances leave a good taste in the mouth, bad performances leave a scar on our hearts. That's why when I hear that someone has died of a heart attack, as a result of India's exit, I don't get too surprised. Cricket in India is not "JUST A SPORT". It's a way of life, It's our daily routine. And routines sometimes can go haywire.
So make no mistake, despite this poor performance, I don't think that the passion we have for the game is in anyways going to reduce. The angry protests apart, many organised for cheap publicity in front of TV cameras ( my neighbourhood doodh waala calls me everyday to ask me if I will send a camera to shoot him pouring kerosene over himself as his way of protest against Indian team), we will still be rooting for our guys, the moment they get onto their next assignment.
After all can you give up on your life? I asked Ad man Prahlad Kakkar on a show recently if after this defeat, people will stop buying products being endorsed by our cricket stars. He felt the sales will get affected, but only for a short while. If in the next series, Sehwag gets a double hundred in a One-Dayer, or Sachin plays a knock that he used to play earlier, won't the sales shoot up again? So what will happen to all the questions that we seems to be stuck with right now?
Can Team India ever be as consistent set of performers like the Aussies? Do we have a bench strength which is as good as lets say the South Africans? Will be we looking at these questions if India demolishes Bangladesh 3-0 the next time they meet? My gut feel is no. We are a nation where public memory is very short lived. And it's not just for cricket. It's everywhere. In every walk of our lives.
The moot point is that we just have to look closely at our first class games. If you ever have some free time on a sunny winter afternoon, then go to the Kotla grounds in Old Delhi. You will see young players with dreams in their eyes trying to carve a niche for themselves. But neither the wicket nor the outfield will make you feel as if you are at a venue which also holds international matches. Go to the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai if your train from Bombay central is late. It's not too far. It's just two stations away. You will find India hopefuls running all around the ground.
Now compare this with the kind of intensity that the Aussies or the South Africans put while training. I once saw a training video of the Sydney Cricket Academy. I can tell you there is no ground in our country which could boast of the kind of facilities that are available there. That's where we have to make a beginning. Instill a sense of belief in our young cricketers that they are the best. Expose them to the same kind of drills that you see in these other countries. If we have so much talent, such passion for the game, how is it possible that we can't be as consistent as we should be?
The BCCI has already taken the first step, by announcing that Ranji Trophy matches will now be played on faster pitches. They have to ensure that the promise is delivered. If we can get foreign coaches, lets also get some help in preparing pitches. Our cricket board is the richest. Surely money cannot be a problem.
Greg Chappell may have erred by trying to bring about too many changes in the international team, without looking at the talent available in our India A or India B teams. Remember Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Reetinder Singh Sodhi or Amol Majumdar? These were all guys who were supposed to step into the shoes of Kapil Dev. They have just vanished.
Reason lack of guidance and training. A Robin Utthappa scored a quick-fire 70 against West Indies on a better of a wicket and got himself a ticket to the cup. By now I have seen him in more commercials than match innings. One is not disagreeing with the players rights to make money. But maybe some kind of a professional who is hired by the BCCI and not top ad agency could be there to ensure that players don't end up compromising on cricket.
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