Aug 31, 2005 03:19 PM
2265 Views
(Updated Sep 01, 2005 05:40 PM)
The recent events and overall performance underscores the fact that Indian players overall except a few are a bunch of arrogant pigs that do no value time of other people nor their own, have no commitment towards the nation and the game, do not realize what a GREAT honor it is is play for a nation that too as cricket crazy as India! Professionalism is only limited while asking for more money, contracts, advertisements and not while doing practice or exercise. The overall negligent attitude also stems from the fact that despite the repeated failures and monkey-business the fans are glued to the TV! (lack of other better things in life? I at least hope not!).
Are these accusations one sided, extreme and unjustifiable? Read on:
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(1) Ajit Agarkar is tomorrow's man for last 5-6 years. Shameless people call him all rounder when he has got record of ducks and first ball outs in his career.
(2) Ganguley except 100+ in Brisbane has NOT been scoring ANY runs in last several years.
(3) Yuvraj and Kaif are still YUVA players after 4 years they have been playing for India. When they are going to be the real thing?
(4) Muralitharan finds 'Dusara' after he has already taken 400 wickets in tests and Harbhajan says he has nothing left to learn from anyone...
(5) Yuvraj gets out on sweep against spinners multiple times and still that's the first shot he plays when he comes out!
(6) Kaif is too busy running fast instead of middling the ball and is seen to miss-hit, miss-time even after he has scored 50+ runs!!!!??? (multiple times)
(7) Nehra can't play 5 consecutive games without getting hurt -- Irfan looses ability to swing every now and then and is rendered useless after that!
(8) Zaheer Khan goes out of form for a year after being in-form for a few days. Used to bowl Yorkers when new, now can't even bowl Yorker length. He is busy with his business you know! His high action doesn't allow him to find rhythm from time to time. Also shows aggression when not in form (highly ineffective)
(9) Players come late to meetings/practice as a rule, foreigner coach/trainer ware Indian team clothing but captain shows up in jeans and that too 13 hrs late!
(10) Laxman is 'paper tiger' at best and plays only once in a while just when its time to send him home. He is miss-fit for ODIs. Somehow plays very well against Australians!
(11) Bhajji--Yuvraj are highly immature and they prove it so many times that it is getting ridiculous. Aggressive play according to them is Gaali-Galoch. Success and money is difficult to digest for many people. These two belong in that category. To be aggressive in cricket :: Check McGrath, Lee or Flintoff for that matter! They look momentarily at the batsman to tease and forget about it. Also, they give khunnas to Lara and Sachin and the likes...Not to some D-Class players from West Indies! You got to have some BHEJA to be constructively aggressive.
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That leaves only following players that give 100% no matter what. Dravid: What else he can do for the team? A PERFECT team player. Always willing to help no matter what. Salute to him to have done wicket keeping for India for so long. Sachin Tendulkar: Has been carrying the team on his shoulders for almost 16-17 years! Has got several injuries due to over burden of both the tests and ODIs. Anil Kumble: I mean we owe (almost) all our victories in the past 12-15 years to him! Not Sachin not Dravid but Kumble has been 'the man' for India for all these years. He is been kept away from one days for some unknown reasons.
The question is : Can these people make any use of a GREAT cricketing personality like Greg Chappell? I really doubt it. Unless Greg is given power, to keep players as powerful as Ganguley away for a game or two, the situation is not going to improve. His enviable knowledge of cricket is going to be of use when people are ready to listen and implement his suggestions. If Bhajji continues to say that he has nothing to learn then God help him! He wants to continue indulging in some falatu acts of fighting with some hotel employee or a press reporter as if he is entitled to it then I guess it is time is to show him the door. We do not need hot-shots but the hard-workers and over achievers like Dravid, who go MUCH beyond their natural abilities.
A captain who stays in the team just bcos he is captain is a liability. Ganguley HAS to score runs and prove his place in the team. Also his captainship skills are only excellent in one area: supporting the players and giving them enough chance. What about other areas? Fielding placements, strategies?? Why the hell Sachin always occupies boundary line when he is known to be a strategist with thorough knowledge? Why we make him throw hundreds of balls from the deep for all these years??? Why Dravid is asked to keep for 'so long'? temporary solutions are good for short durations. Keep them that way. Why Irfan is over-used for 25 overs a day against a weak team like Bangladesh?
Am I wrong asking these questions? or we think more about cricket than the people who are paid to do so?
