PCB proposes England hosts ODI tri-series featuring India 
When the big bosses got it all wrong! |
While there were many heads that were rolled once the 2007 champions bowed out of the third edition of the recently concluded World Twenty20 and the team for the tour to Zimbabwe for the tri-series understandably had a low-key side with the BCCI going in for untested players such as Ashok Dinda, Murali Vijay when they could have opted for out-of-form and favour players such as Mohammad Kaif, Irfan Pathan to see how they would perform and whether they could be brought in back for selection.
Their selection would have meant two things :
1. The respect for a player who has served your country for a certain amount of time and
2. You are ready to see whether he has the potential to play at an international tournament despite not being in the team for the last few years.
But alas! BCCI had other ideas and sent a second-string squad, forgetting the very basic rule of mixing youth with experience. I have no problems with Suresh Raina leading the side but I have my reservations against the likes of Virat Kohli being asked to be his deputy. There has to be a logic behind selecting teams as the players are representing their country and are not on a Zimbabwean picnic.
The result? India were humbled by non-entities Zimbabwe in the very first match and on Thursday though the team did pull things back in the second against Sri Lanka, the writing was on the wall. The weak links in the Indian armoury (if I may add so!) was invariably in their bowling.
When an attack has Umesh Yadav (2 ODIs), Ashok Dinda (2 ODIs), Pragyan Ojha (11 ODIs), Amit Mishra (10 ODIs) and Ravindra Jadeja (25 ODIs) in the ranks who when put together have played 50 one-dayers, experience of the likes of Irfan Pathan could have been crucial. Plus, the very fact that Irfan was coming back to the Indian fold would have fired him up to give his best, but the wise men had other ideas.
Result - a literally humbling experience for all the youngsters, many may not find such an outrageous favours being done for them in their futures. Also, the selectors could have tightened the bowling attack by giving Ishant Sharma a chance to gain his confidence back. Agreed, he has one chance too many, but the lanky pacer was not long ago your best bet. The board may not have had too many opportunities of tournaments such as these where they could rest a few of their famed batting line-up but the way they have made some tactical errors have given instant failure.
Time for the wise men to wake up and smell the coffee...Whilst India could still make it in this tourney if they get past Sri Lanka in their next encounter, but the players have not played well to support their cause in front of the board. The board needs to get back to the drawing board and make some fundamental changes when India goes to Sri Lanka for their next big assignment.
May some commonsense prevail!
Written By: Prasad Posted on: 10-06-2010
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Sr. Sports sub-editor for Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad.Have penned a book titled "Raising the bat", released in 2008 by former Indian skipper Nari Contractor. Also owns a website www.cricforu.com
9 comments
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narain
03-07-2010great write up prasad, bcci's wise men should wake-up and re-strategies their planning for selection criteria.
