Time to revive Indian Cricket?

You really cannot curse Mike Atherton for laughing while he announced the Player-of-the-series from the Indian side during the presentation ceremony at the Oval after India lost the last and final test and allowed England to complete a 4-0 whitewash. You also cannot help but feel sorry for Rahul Dravid (adjudged the player of the series from the Indian side), the only batsman who was willing to stay at the crease throughout the tournament. Dravid, who scored 461 runs in the 4-match series, hit the nail on the head when he rightly quipped at the post-match presentation, “It might take half an hour (to explain why India performed so dismally in the 4 match series).” In just a few words, therefore, he had actually summed up Team India’s performance.

A defeat is excusable, in fact understandable-you can’t go on winning anything and everything under the sun. However, the margin of defeats, and the lethargy displayed by Team India is indeed a matter of concern. To begin with, this Indian team for the last three-four years has played non-stop cricket, but only in the subcontinent, their only overseas tours being the ones to New Zealand and South Africa. So the numero uno status that India had been enjoying for the past 21 months is itself a big question mark. They did win the world cup, no doubt, but again on the Indian soil. Besides, the focus of the article is predominantly on Test Cricket.

The test series that ended a few days back could actually mark the beginning of the end of Indian Test Cricket. If Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman were to retire tomorrow, there’s not a single player in the current Indian team who can play a long innings. However, the cash rich BCCI really need not worry. Not as Yet. This is because as a matter of fact, the BCCI is not a regulator of Cricket as a sport in India-the role it should actually be playing. It is out there to earn money, make huge profits-cricket is only incidental. It has the cash cow IPL running wonders for it-at least for now.

However it remains to be seen how long the IPL, high only on the glamour quotient, continues to seduce cricket fans. The IPL, if not regulated could end up ruining the future of Indian Test Cricket. Why would an overpaid cricketer want to work hard to maintain his slot in the Test Team? In fact so committed are these players to the IPL that they have played the IPL ignoring their injuries. No wonder then that right at the onset of such an important tour to England, a host of injuries came up creating panic in the Indian side. God help Team India if the BCCI doesn’t do something about it.

BCCI’s dictatorial stance is also not helping the game of cricket. The ICC is willing to tweak all the cricketing rules in the book to please BCCI and Team India. How many Umpires have been sacked by the ICC on BCCI’s request? Sorry, I’ve lost the count. Team India’s stand against Darryl Harper (one of the best International umpires in Test Cricket) during their recent tour to the Caribbean reminded me of those kids who sulk when their moms don’t buy them their lollypops. Here again the blame has to be shared by the BCCI. On the one hand, they refuse to use technology and on the other, they raise a hue and cry when the poor umpire ends up making a bad decision.

What’s the solution then to avert the imminent? The Sports Ministry (which, unfortunately, is itself in shambles) needs to take away some autonomy from the BCCI. The BCCI members must strictly be former cricketers who know what it takes to be out there on the field. It’s also beyond my understanding why mega cricketing events in our nation are made tax-free. More importantly though, the Government must divert some funds from cricket and invest them in promoting other sports. Money (read IPL) is indeed turning out to be the root of all evils!