Of ego clashes and dirty politics

There is an air of discomfort and soreness stemming from the Indian cricket team at this moment, riding on the wheel of some dismal captaincy and poor form as the team found itself making an early departure from the T20 World Cup yet again.

We as a team haven’t really lived up to the reputation of being the trophy holders of the inaugural edition. Though the shortest version of the game has thrived in all sectors since then, the team hasn’t done justice to the talent and skill in its arsenal. Apart from the fact that the big names in the team don’t see eye to eye, there has been a rough patch devouring all the biggies. On current form, Team India covers more ground on paper than in reality.

There are a lot of other factors too contributing to this grim story line: top on the list- The ICC for sure has a problem setting up fixtures. By the end of the super 8 stage; India had won 4 of their 5 matches and the eventual champions- the Windies had 2 out of 5. Now can someone please explain me how the latter became eligible to qualify for the next round? Some may answer that they performed in pressure cooker situations, but in my opinion that in no way trounces the feat of four out of five possible victories by another team.

The next contributing factor is the very old, the ever existent BCCI and the selection committee. At a moment when Mohinder Amarnath was all set to don the garb of chief selector, out of nowhere we heard the news of him being ousted from the panel itself. Only a fool would deny that there is something cooking behind those closed chambers of the chief cricket governing body in the country.

Next up is the rapidly widening rift between some of the senior players, and that is something that cannot be ignored now. It has surfaced of late with Dhoni not being invited for Laxman’s post retirement celebration; Sehwag openly showing his intent to captain India in Dhoni’s presence; Irfan Pathan opening for India despite Sehwag’s inclusion in the squad  - all these incidents have not only given air to the rumours but established them as true facts.

When your priority as a cricketer changes from helping the team win matches to consolidating your position in the team or the system, it has a serious negative impact. It’s time they realise their responsibilities and set aside their differences to work for that one common goal.

The skeletons are out of the closet now, some may call it the clash of the egos, and others might ridicule it as poor management. Whatever it is, it certainly isn’t helping India’s cause.