scorpio1990
School Boy/Girl Cricketer
God save Indian cricket if this is the attitude going around in domestic setup
The Surfer | Cricket Blogs | ESPN Cricinfo
The Surfer | Cricket Blogs | ESPN Cricinfo
A contentment with mediocrity
India's rapid dip in fortunes since winning the World Cup should not surprise anyone, Mihir Bose says in Outlook. The Indian cricket team has a general lack of willingness to achieve greatness, he says, something which reflects a broader theme in the mentality of all Indians.
Far from being the new-era Indian from a town once famous for its British-era mental home, Dhoni has been shown up to be the clerk he is. I was struck by this thought when, just before the England series, he chose to launch his charitable foundation, Winning Ways—Today for Tomorrow, at a Park Lane London hotel. Why had he not launched it in Ranchi or Mumbai? It showed he was that old Indian type who’s in awe of the capital of the country that once ruled India.
In the same magazine, Rohit Mahajan places the blame for India's dismal performances in Tests squarely on the IPL. Mahajan speaks to former India coach Anshuman Gaekwad and a current Delhi player, and both agree that the IPL has become more important to Indian cricketers than first-class cricket, and it is the BCCI's attitude that has led to that.
From his vantage position beyond mid-on, outside the boundary rope, former Indian batsman and coach Anshuman Gaekwad heard some words that caused some dismay. It was a Deodhar Trophy match, a ball was hit towards him, and the man at midwicket chased it and finally dived. His captain at mid-on could have done this too, but he didn’t. The reason became clear when he admonished his teammate thus: “Are you mad, why are you diving? The IPL is coming, do you want to hurt yourself and miss it?” Gaekwad says, “I said, what the hell man, is this what cricket has come to? I was shocked, all the more so because the two players are in the Indian team now.”