The Road Ahead

The WORLD CUP dream is up in smoke! And no matter which way you look at it, deservedly so! Not one player stood up at crucial stages and performed to his potential. Ganguly, arguably, had the most PERSONALLY satisfying WC compared to all the others, yet, what joy is there to leave the biggest stage in Cricket, possibly even for the last time, after having played only 3 matches? This series has been a hellish experience, and one of THE BIGGEST disappointments in this trip to the Carribean, was the fact that IRFAN PATHAN, the man whose selection raise so many eyebrows, never got a chance to justify the selectors' faith in him!Predictably, the response back home is hostile, and never has a Dhoni Brylcreem Ad been viewed with such anger,resentment and disdain. The keeper's failure to live up to the potential that he had shown in previous series has only added fuel to the fire........the call has already been made---- "Ask our CHAMPIONS to come back home and open thattukadas and tea stalls, maybe that is a simple enough task for them to manage!"

But now that this journey is behind us, several questions loom large. Should Tendulkar retire or be dropped? Perhaps it is time, though I would hate to see him step away from the limelight so soon, there is no question that age and injuries have taken a toll on him, and he is no longer the match-winner that he once was! I wish for him to be treated exactly the same way that Ganguly was, for past achievements can no longer suffice for the failures of the present!
Should Dravid be retained as captain?Definitely. This is a period of turmoil, when questions will be raised and players will begin to doubt themselves. What you need at this stage is stability. Take lessons from the Pakistan scenario. You need to retain Dravid, because he is a good captain, but there's only so much he can do if his players don't perform!Should Dhoni be dropped? Hell NO! Every player has bad patches, and to drop him at such a stage would be a HAMMERBLOW to his confidence, and he may never recover from it!He is a player who will do you proud in future WCs...this being his first, perhaps a little LENIENCY should be shown!Should Greg Chappel be retained?YES!Because again, the duty of performance lies with the players, and their failure cannot be blamed on Chappel. Chappel's record with the Indian team is far better than a majority of our previous coaches. I feel he still has a lot to offer Indian Cricket, if given the chance. I suggest he be retained and be given a vote of confidence for at least a few more series following the World Cup!

My ONLY Suggestion?-----Change your selection ideologies. Performances and form should count, and not only a player's record! Ganguly was out of form for a year, and caused all sorts of controversies, before he was FINALLY dropped, but in the most SHAMBOLIC manner imagineable! Yet his comeback is the most positive development in Indian cricket in the past year! If your senior players do not perform, do not hesitate to axe them! Every player in this side needs a wake-up call....you cannot take your place in the Indian Cricket Team for granted. Your place in the side is not your birthright...you earn it every time you wear that jersey and do your country proud. You may have done so on several occasions in the past, but there may always be someone better at your job NOW!! Perform or Perish!!Then of course.....the perennial requests....improve your local coaches, reduce the RIDICULOUSLY large no. of teams playing in the Ranji Trophy, build more grounds, not stadiums, but grounds, so local kids can learn and play the game, and you can discover your talent far more easily!And lastly......Play 5 Bowlers...what gives you the impression that our 4 bowlers will perform brilliantly in every game and complete their 10 overs??....our bowling is not stron enough. If you cannot score 250+ with 6 batsmen, then go back to Club Cricket and re-learn the game! It is outrageous to even consider playing 7 batsmen with that batting line-up! A Fifth bowler sures up you weak bowling attack, helps you manage the loss of one bowler by injury or if he gets TONKED........he ensure that at least 40-45 overs are bowled by SPECIALISTS, who can take WICKETS! This is a time to rebuild and introspect, not to brood over a loss that we, by all means, thoroughly deserved!