Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (India should not lose hope) that was published in Newsband


India should not lose hope
In cricket, India was trounced by England in two successive tests. If India has to maintain her image of number one cricket team then she will have to win the next two tests against England. India lost the first two tests owing to utter lack of planning and purpose and also due to cavalier approach displayed by the country's cricket establishment, administrators and also the players. India lost owing to lack of consistency, hard work, foresight and firm resolve.
India had reached the number one position in cricket somewhere in November 2009. She has been able to maintain that status so far. But what about the future? Why did the selectors choose players of suspect fitness. The players who were affected by breakdowns, injuries and illnesses cannot be expected to win matches. As if this was not enough, itinerary was poorly designed.
Our people didn't foresee the English threat. When India played England, nobody could believe that this was the team that had beaten Australia comprehensively earlier this year, and Sri Lanka just prior to this series. Another thing is the selected players had not even cared to spend enough time together. They were not even serious about preserving the number one ranking. Indians should learn from English team who played with flair, energy and dogged intent. This was the most hyped tour, as far as Indian team is concerned, but what was lacking was rigours of battle.
Some people blame excessive Twenty-20 cricket for this debacle. They also blame Indian Premier League. They have not spared even BCCI who has been clearly giving more priority to filling its coffers rather than improving the quality of cricket.
As far as Indian cricket is concerned, we find vested interests running amok, conflicts of interests abounding, players being overpaid and also grossly overworked and so on. How can you expect the players to retain their number one position under such circumstances?
It's true that in sport, nothing is impossible. India can still put on a heroic display and square the series and in the process retain her number one position. Proper planning, solid action and genuine pride, not misplaced arrogance, can do the trick for India. Indians should not lose hopes.

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