Trust the Board of Cricket Control for India (BCCI) to do the wrong thing at the wrong time and confound the confusion prevailing amongst the rank and file of team India after receiving a resounding drubbing from the rampaging English team in the just concluded test series..........
In a knee jerk, totally inexplicable, unwarranted and completely baffling reaction the powers that be have appointed former Indian test captain Ravishankar Jayadrith Shastri as team India's Director (whatever that means); Sanjay Bangar, Bharath Arun and R. Shridhar as the batting, bowling and fielding coaches or then assistant coaches for the five match ODI series and one off T 20 fixture between the two teams..........
While there is no doubting the credentials, pedigree, acumen, commitment and dedication of the above mentioned gentlemen; one wonders how much of a difference these newly appointed "fire fighters" can make in the short term and more importantly whether the BCCI mandarins will allow these note worthies a free hand in running a thoroughly disjointed, dishevelled and dejected team in the manner they deem fit...........
What is even more disturbing is the murmurs escaping from the team India dressing room about there being a thorough disconnect between Messrs Dhoni and Fletcher and the team being thoroughly confused and confounded with the two sets of disparate and disconnected sets of tactics and strategies emerging from the hearts and heads of the two men entrusted with the onerous responsibility of managing a team that is struggling to reassert itself on the world stage............
And pray will some BCCI mandarin condescend to tell me or then comprehensively describe the exact or precise role that will be assigned to Mr. Duncan Fletcher once these four above mentioned gentlemen assume their newly assigned roles and what is so special or extraordinary about Messrs Dhoni and Fletcher that they have escaped the purge while the current bowling and fielding coaches have been made the scapegoats for team India's latest debacle.............
I for one, am absolutely sick and tired of the oft repeated tales about there being no replacements for Dhoni as captain at this stage; the fact of the matter is that Dhoni has been an exemplary captain in the shorter forms or versions of this glorious game but at the same time has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster as team India's test captain what with him having achieved the dubious distinction of having led team India to 14 teat defeats at various venues outside the subcontinent during his tenure as team India captain...........
For god and team India's sake throw both Pujara and Kohli in at the deep end and provide them with sufficient opportunities and time to prove their mettle and credentials as leaders as captains of the Indian test team (Pujara) and shorter formats (Kohli); Dhoni has proved to be team India's second most successful batsman after Murali Vijay and I have no doubt whatsoever that he will render yeoman's service to team India as a "pure" batsman once he is freed from the burdens of captaincy..........
Doubting Thomases and Dhoni apologist might baulk at the very idea of letting Dhoni go and cite the recent dip in Pujara's and Kohli's performances at the highest level as reasons enough to retain Dhoni as team India captain; but may I kindly remind them that England's most successful captain Mike Brearly barely averaged 30 as a test batsman and also that one poor series does not mar or tarnish the credentials and reputation of team India's best two batsmen by a considerable distance.............
Will the BCCI mandarins bell the cat at long last or then grab the bull by it's horns and proceed to make the much desired and required changes in team India's ranks; well your guess on this issue is as good as mine..........
In a knee jerk, totally inexplicable, unwarranted and completely baffling reaction the powers that be have appointed former Indian test captain Ravishankar Jayadrith Shastri as team India's Director (whatever that means); Sanjay Bangar, Bharath Arun and R. Shridhar as the batting, bowling and fielding coaches or then assistant coaches for the five match ODI series and one off T 20 fixture between the two teams..........
While there is no doubting the credentials, pedigree, acumen, commitment and dedication of the above mentioned gentlemen; one wonders how much of a difference these newly appointed "fire fighters" can make in the short term and more importantly whether the BCCI mandarins will allow these note worthies a free hand in running a thoroughly disjointed, dishevelled and dejected team in the manner they deem fit...........
What is even more disturbing is the murmurs escaping from the team India dressing room about there being a thorough disconnect between Messrs Dhoni and Fletcher and the team being thoroughly confused and confounded with the two sets of disparate and disconnected sets of tactics and strategies emerging from the hearts and heads of the two men entrusted with the onerous responsibility of managing a team that is struggling to reassert itself on the world stage............
And pray will some BCCI mandarin condescend to tell me or then comprehensively describe the exact or precise role that will be assigned to Mr. Duncan Fletcher once these four above mentioned gentlemen assume their newly assigned roles and what is so special or extraordinary about Messrs Dhoni and Fletcher that they have escaped the purge while the current bowling and fielding coaches have been made the scapegoats for team India's latest debacle.............
I for one, am absolutely sick and tired of the oft repeated tales about there being no replacements for Dhoni as captain at this stage; the fact of the matter is that Dhoni has been an exemplary captain in the shorter forms or versions of this glorious game but at the same time has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster as team India's test captain what with him having achieved the dubious distinction of having led team India to 14 teat defeats at various venues outside the subcontinent during his tenure as team India captain...........
For god and team India's sake throw both Pujara and Kohli in at the deep end and provide them with sufficient opportunities and time to prove their mettle and credentials as leaders as captains of the Indian test team (Pujara) and shorter formats (Kohli); Dhoni has proved to be team India's second most successful batsman after Murali Vijay and I have no doubt whatsoever that he will render yeoman's service to team India as a "pure" batsman once he is freed from the burdens of captaincy..........
Doubting Thomases and Dhoni apologist might baulk at the very idea of letting Dhoni go and cite the recent dip in Pujara's and Kohli's performances at the highest level as reasons enough to retain Dhoni as team India captain; but may I kindly remind them that England's most successful captain Mike Brearly barely averaged 30 as a test batsman and also that one poor series does not mar or tarnish the credentials and reputation of team India's best two batsmen by a considerable distance.............
Will the BCCI mandarins bell the cat at long last or then grab the bull by it's horns and proceed to make the much desired and required changes in team India's ranks; well your guess on this issue is as good as mine..........
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