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ASSEMBLY POLL '98
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'What's wrong with this team? I have tears dropping down writing this'
E-mail from readers the world over
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 11:30 PM The statement 'We played well in patches' is a lie. Azhar should be experienced enough to know when to put pressure on the opposite team. He still is a bad captain. And, at the end of the series, you just cannot run away by saying, we played badly because of ODIs.. The fact of the matter is 'lack of commitment for victory', period. I doubt the Indian team is going to win in the near future if they continue to give some *arbit* reasons! If I may ask, why was Sidhu on this tour? He has already ruined a generation of openers by his injuries -- simply by not giving them any consistent chance of performance. The BCCI -- please wake up and drop him... please!! Sameer
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 9:29 PM Thanks for all the article. I and my friends are really fond of your articles and agree with your points. We have concluded from our discussions that Azhar's captaincy is to blame instead of blaming the bowling or fielding. There are lots of incidents when he didn't took the right/bold/challenging decision. He is the worst but luckiest captain we ever had. I was reading one of his (Azhar) recent interviews in which he said he took the bold decision in giving the last over to Sachin against South Africa in the semifinal of the Coca-Cola cup some 3, 4 years back. But what I remember is that Sachin himself took the ball. Yes, Azhar didn't oppose, but it was Sachin's decision and that too he was the vice-captain. Rajeev
Date: Thursday, January 07, 1999 10:41 AM The search for excuses has commenced. It is excessive one-dayers to start with. The same chaps, Azhar and Gaekwad, were repeating ad nauseum that there was no excess of one dayers before the NZ tour commenced, though the facts are contrary, for all to see. The fielding after the appointment of experts has not only not improved, it seems to have gone downhill. You can take the horse to the water... Instead of giving excuses, Azhar should see the obvious and make it clear that lack of commitment and effort will not be tolerated. Guys should understand that it's an honour to play for the country and that each of them should be prepared to give the fullest in hard work. The performance at NZ shows clearly that the attitude, right from the tour management down, seems to be to take it as easy as possible. The ruckus created about the players needing rest at the beginning of the tour, instead of grabbing all chances to go out in the middle, speaks volumes of the attitude problems and the priorities being totally misplaced. What the hell do these guys think they have gone on tour for??? The Kiwis were absolutely right in condemning this attitude, that too right at the start of a tour. The results are there for ALL to see... and I am damn sure that includes everybody except the so-called think tank and the cricket administrators... who will keep going their merry way blissfully unaware of the approaching abyss. Madhusudhan
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 10:59 AM I totally agree with Sanjay Manjrekar that the Indians lacked the will to win. Azhar might have had the most brilliant year as captain, but I have always strongly believed that he is a non-inspiring leader with a lack of ideas. I don't think he has a good cricketing brain and often forgets the simple things. Only a duffer will put Srinath at first slip just after he has bowled his over. Who can understand the logic in having Ganguly at second slip? Why was Jadeja at forward short leg when Dravid's services are available? Why aren't there enough fielders in catching positions for a new batsmen? How the hell did Robin Singh Jr get the nod ahead of Mohanty? If he had so much confidence in him why did he under use him? Wasn't Mohanty a better bet as he had experience and has the ability to swing the ball seeing that India was one down in the series? The logic of sending Tendulkar at number 5? I don't have a decent explanation. They are all the mistakes of our lucky captain who managed to win the series at home against Australia just because of Tendulkar and nothing else. Sachin fails in Zimbabwe, India suffers a humiliating defeat!! Then the trend follows in NZ in spite of his getting the runs cause Azhar made such huge tactical blunders. Any day, Tendulkar is a better captain than him. I wonder when Azhar will retire!! vidhika
Date: Thursday, January 07, 1999 12:09 AM
From: Sunil Krishnan My name is Sunil Krishnan. I am staying in Louisville, KY, in the US. I can't hold back criticizing the Indian captain. Azhar's comment that 'too much one-dayers' as the reason for India's loss is idiotic. This is not expected from a player who has represented the country as captain more than others. His comment that the bowlers didn't bowl well is only to run away from responsibility. I would say he has no right to carry on if he could not shuffle his bowlers regularly and make best use of the attack rather than exposing the deficiency. In your earlier report, you had described that lots of catches was missed because the fielders placed was inappropriate. One instance you described was Saurav Ganguly taking a blinder at first slip and letting off two when placed at second slip. This really shows the captain's failure. He is spoiling the career of the bowlers. Any Ranji trophy captain, who has led a team for more than a year, would have fared better. Azhar's approach only showed he has no intention to win the match. Now foreign teams consider an Indian tour only to have their players return to form. I don't understand why Sidhu is still considered for every Test series. Don't these selectors have a 'constructive approach'. If you don't have genuine openers you have to develop that skills with younger players and give them time. India could have made some more runs had Laxman been taken instead of Sidhu. Sunil Krishnan
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 7:49 PM Let us see what he has to say when the team gets thumped in the one day matches! Srinivas Murthy
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 5:26 PM I see a clear lack of professionalism. They don't seem to have a clear strategy or drive to win. Some really simple things seem to escape their notice. For example, in the second Test the Indian pacers did not attack the off stump. Doull got most of his wickets simply by bowling the right line. The team has talent and ability, but simply does not perform. I guess we can't replace players since the second level talent in our country is abysmal. To top it, our highly paid players behave like jokers. Can you imagine the vice-captain of any other professional team playing soccer and injuring himself or a fast coming out without the right shoes? Oh, only if you could kick some of them out. Sunder
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 1:26 PM
From: Samuel Poozhikala (spoozhikala) Frankly, I am appalled at the way the Indians went about it on the last day of the 3rd Test... I mean, WHO THE F*** cares whether they lost 1-0 or 2-0? Man, I dreamt of India going after a target of 400 with 70 overs to go, especially with NZ.... But then I had Sachin and Saurav opening rather than the regulars opening... What's wrong with this team, Prem? I have tears dropping down writing this. Doesn't Azhar know that he has the BEST BATSMAN in the world today in his side and Stephen Fleming was afraid to declare only because of Sachin? What the f*** would have happened if Sachin and Saurav opened? Let us take the worst scenario where they both of them got out for 0. Still, the only thing that could have happened was we draw the series or lose it (which was a foregone conclusion anyway!). Who cares? Prem, does Azhar have any brains at all? Do they need a 'strategic consultant' also?
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 10:39 PM The Indian team and the captain knows only one thing -- make excuses. If they were in a one day pattern of playing, then why were they so horrible at fielding -- dropping as many as 7, 8 catches per inning? Even the bowling was not planned -- in one day games, you are supposed to attack and prevent runs being scored. Our bowlers missed that as well. And why blame one dayers? Other countries are playing one day series as well. Sri Lanka, for that matter, is specialised in one day matches, but they win the only Test they play in England, and we lose in every possible way. We should not expect anything from our team -- we keep claiming that we have the best bowlers and the best batsman, but we are good in our country, and that's it. We can't win even in Zimbabwe, and within a year or so, we may not be able to win against Bangladesh or Ireland. Raj
Date: Thursday, January 07, 1999 6:04 AM Prem, I was the guy who criticised you sometime ago on your lack of adequate coverage of Azhar's century. I take back my criticism after reading your reports on Tendulkar's and Dravid's centuries. You have been consistent and unbiased. Keep up the good work Prasad
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 11:45 PM
From: Mehul Shah We have shown time and again that we lack the 'killer instinct' to get a team out twice in Test matches and force a result. The latest casualty of this mental attitude was the final Test match between India and New Zealand. We boast of the strongest batting line-up in the world (It is apparent that this is on paper only), and while our bowling attack is not the best in the world, we still have a couple of match winners in Kumble and Srinath. Azharuddin seems to think that the proliferation of ODIs left India unprepared for the Test matches. This reason to me seems ridiculous. At the highest level all teams should be prepared to switch from one form of the game to another. What does he expect -- a series of 7 Tests before he can claim that the team is ready?? This coming from one of the finest cricketers that the country has produced, and one who has played for 15 years, makes me sad. Mehul
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 10:13 PM First of all, congrats for a job very well done. I am based in Dubai where the television coverage for this series wasn't available. I had the choice of reading any of the sports writers in various newspapers. However, I found most of them absolutely boring. All of them (including Gavaskar) just described what happened on the field without any analysis or comments. Your reports were the only ones which really gave an insight into what had happened on the field with proper comments on what should have happened and why it didn't happen. At the end of this series, as far as India is concerned, almost everyone must share the blame. The Board for first putting the players through 40 one dayers, planning the tour without any thought and then conducting the farce of a camp for 4 days instead of going to NZ as early as possible. The lack of will to win on the players's part is absolutely pathetic. Most of the players will vehemently deny this, but it's very apparent that barring a few, most of them were content on just going through the motions. The hopes of millions back home and the pride of the country can go to hell. It never appeared that they had a plan or a goal. The biggest culprit is the captain who has time and again insisted that the players are all internationals and don't need to be told what to do. Sadly, after 14 years in cricket, Azhar hasn't learnt anything from the likes of Taylor, Cronje, Imran, Border, Gooch alongside whom he has played. As a captain, the need to plan, prepare, lead, motivate, encourage, guide, advise, scold, applaud etc is totally lost on Azhar even in his second essay. The players will never say they are tired or don't want to play because they will then lose the match fee. We should actually rotate the players, so that all can be kept fresh and injury free. Look at what South Africa did with Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock. More than the assorted coaches, physios and managers, we need sports psychologists, professional hypnotists and motivators who hopefully can bring our players out of their lethargy and instill in them some sense of pride and the will to fight and win at all costs. Until then we will have to be satisfied with the flashes of individual brilliance in the form of Tendulkars and Dravids, as on this tour so far. Ajay Pande
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 1:38 PM We Indians have done it again on how to convert an advantageous position to defeats (or draws ). Our top batsmen had improved their averages so that we can brag around that we have the best batting line-up in the world. But the only thing is that they will bat only when it is not necessary (eg, 3rd Test, 2nd innings) and consistently fail when necessary (eg, 2nd Test, 1st innings ). We have three guys averaging over 50, one in the high 40s and the other in the low 40s. And our Test record reads 3 defeats, including 2 to the so-called weaker team. I don't know when India is there how can they be called weak? To compare the Indian batsmen to SA, they have no one averaging above 40, but still they win much more than us. The difference is in the bowlers. Our bowlers don't know how to >mop up the tail. If NZ were 72/5 against SA, they would be all out within 90, but against us they win by 4 wickets. We don't have any real Test quality strike bowlers. That's the stark reality. If we continue to make pitches like the one at home and stress on one dayers, we will continue our journey downwards the Test ladder.
Ganesh T M
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 11:25 AM Dravid is in terrific form. He has given some indication of an improved strike rate (103 runs from 133 balls in the last innings) too. Laxman has already made a quickfire 82 in the exhibition one day match. If India decides to play these two in the ODI matches, we will have an incredibly deep batting line-up, perhaps the strongest in the world. The current Indian ODI team has five part time bowlers in Robin Singh, Kanitkar, Ganguly, Tendulkar and Laxman. They can certainly manage at least 20 overs among them. This will give the Indian management an unique opportunity to play 7 batsmen in the ODI team. Three specialist bowlers -- Srinath, Kumble and Prasad -- who can bat quite a bit too. So India has an opportunity to play a very deep and strong batting line-up. Imagine a batting line-up of Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman, Azhar, Jadeja, Robin Singh, Mongia, Srinath, Kumble and Prasad. I don't think any team in the world has a deeper batting line-up today. Hope Azhar and Gaekwad try this option. Back in Sharjah, Sunil Joshi and Chopra were preferred over Dravid and Laxman. Here after Dravid's 190 runs inning when Azhar was asked, "if Dravid will be played in ODI", he answered "I am not sure, ODI is a different ball game all together". Perhaps Azhar doesn't have confidence in Dravid's ODI abilities. So what's the point in selecting a player if you are not sure if want to play him even if he is in such great form? Either, don't select a player or give him complete confidence, support and opportunity to prove his abilities. Dravid and Laxman should be played extensively in this tournament. They have been a great failure in the ODIs so far, but once the selectors have put their confidence in them the team management should support them wholeheartedly. Hope this time they come to the expectation of the millions of Indian cricket fans.
Date: Thursday, January 07, 1999 1:34 AM In a way, you personally are representing the goals and ambitions of the net-Indian community at the forthcoming World Cup. You talk our language, the pride, the frustration, the cynical optimism ... Can you use this power and the support of thousands of Indians like me to put the pressure on the Board, the selectors, the manager, the captain and the players? There is energy here, Prem. Every time India loses -- there are thousands who say "wish we could do something". Every time India wins -- there are thousands who say "let's do it again". Don't you think there would be +++$$$$ behind all these wishes (to balance ----$$ from betting etc.)? Is it possible that the Leles of the cricket world can be replaced by the Sunnys and Kapils? Why are we depending on the Chandrachuds when we can have thousands of net-jasoos to expose the betters? There is too much evidence, to just wish them away. Can some net-jasoos find out what the odds of the NZ vs India series were? Maybe, the system is clean -- still, let these net-jasoos prove it. Anil
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