Desicritics Comments on Cricket World Cup 2007: The Indian Saga Ends

Comment by Emma

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 06:53:07 EDT

[Paki] Not intended to make you feel bad. Sorry, didn't realize you were kidding. But you are right, sometimes it does help to be more explicit in one's writings :).

Comment by paki

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 02:32:41 EDT

OK now i feel bad, I was just kidding around, as you can probably tell from many of my other posts, and i really dont expect to be taken that seriously.

Comment by Emma

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:53:25 EDT

[Atlantean] You are right - the likelihood of that happening is actually quite remote. [Chandra] Your list of similarities between Indian cricket and English football are bang on. Thanks. [Cricket Fan] I am one with you here. I really wouldn't care about the loss as much as the fight that goes into it. When I look at the Indian team on the field I am actually amazed at the lack of energy in them. They are almost as though going through the motions than playing a game with a desire to win. And yes, I can never understand commentators or media reporters raising say Sachin to the skies when he takes a wicket or two but contributes nought with the bat. My take - Sachin is in the team as a batsman not even as an allrounder; if he can do something else it is an added bonus but not good enough. [Paki] That was my statement. And yes, I should have been more explicit, clearly stated, "In any game of cricket...". But since I was talking about cricket in this article, I assumed it was understood. Sorry about that.

Comment by Paki

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 02:41:40 EDT

Cricket Fan..."In any game one team has to win and one team has to lose. " What about a tie? or a round of golf on your own? how does that shake your paradigm huh? yeah, thought so.

Comment by Cricket Fan

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:42:42 EDT

In any game one team has to win and one team has to lose. But when there is no challenge in the game and when there is no one who plays their very best - then there is no sense in playing a match. A game is only interesting when the end result is not known and when the players play a good game with some competetive spirit. It was like they knew they were going to lose so why fight and play a good match? The really charm of watch Indian team play cricket is gone now since each of them do not really care since they all have their own other agenda and other ways of making money. So why bother. Its no longer a Good Sport for the Indian Cricket Team but a farce. A bowler scoring ZERO can be acceptable. But as a Batsman - not just one but 1 after the other when they are out and scored ZERO that is simply not acceptable. Did they really go to play or they just went for the heck of it.

Comment by CHANDRA

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 06:07:47 EDT

Similarities between Indian cricket and English football a. Lot of talent b. Lot of money c. Zero Results d. Crazy Fans e. Idiotic ex-players as commentators f. Overpaid players g. Last won a major tournament decades ago rgds

Comment by Chandra

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 04:55:41 EDT

People should know when to retire......time for SRT/RD/SCG to retire from one day cricket...These 3 cannot even move on the field....... rgds

Comment by Atlantean

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 04:23:26 EDT

Australia dropped Steve Waugh even when he had a couple of years of play left in his. Can you ever imagine that happening to Sachin Tendulkar in India? I am aware of the unlikeliness of that happening in India but I feel it is one of the biggest problems we face. They say cricket is a religion in our country. I want to add it also has given rise to a number of fanatical followers. They wont let such things happen. It's sad.

Comment by Emma

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 20:32:48 EDT

[Sujatha] Yes, and that sucks,isn't it? Well, one truly optimistic (I would say, foolish) colleague of hubby dear still hopes Bermuda will defeat Bangladesh and India would get into the second round. With fans such as these... [Die Hard] Thanks. I would say that expectations to deliver on a cricketer in this country is a lot more than that on an actor. When a ShahRukh Khan's movie flops at the box office, people don't really ransack his house. You are right - Indian fans ought to realize that the cricketers too are only professional batsmen, who can fail now and then, and not miracle workers. [Bingo!] Thanks... I guess, the insights are part-inspired by living with a man who sleeps, breathes and eats cricket :). [Chandra] You are right - we don't generally have a game plan, a clinical way of destroying other teams, a la Australia. I was really impressed with the way Sri Lanka approached the whole game. And what is worse is we don't even have the will to fight. I wish, honestly, there is no blame game - the media, I can already see wants Chappell to take the whole responsibility for the "debacle" - but instead a genuine post-mortem on what went wrong and what can be improved. [Atlantean] I like the 6 point you have raised. But that is going to be really difficult. Australia dropped Steve Waugh even when he had a couple of years of play left in his. Can you ever imagine that happening to Sachin Tendulkar in India? [adios amigos] Oh well! With all the "gentlemen" doing a whole lot of good to the game, you are right, women can indeed stay away.

Comment by adios amigos

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 09:30:16 EDT

women should stay away from cricket

Comment by Atlantean

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 04:32:01 EDT

I am not truly disappointed with the loss; I understand it is a game and on any given day the team that plays better wins. What often irks me about an Indian loss is the lack of even semblance of a fight from the Indian team. Absolutely. It is the lack of a fight that hurts most of us. I dont think we care if we lose but with a strong fight. I also agree with your view that we need an incentive based system of selection. Players who fail for two or three consecutive matches should be asked to take a rest. The rotation policy in Australia, I believe, worked really well. I'd like to add one more thing to your list: 6. Close BCCI for politicians. They simply shouldnt be there. We need to depoliticise Indian cricket. The prospects for that, of course, are very dim.

Comment by Chandra

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 04:23:55 EDT

I think everybody has the holier than thou attitude about cricket. For every fanatical cricket fan there are 99 others who will move on with their lives. I see a whole genre of people writing these days criticizing fans big time. We did not plan well and play well. It appears now that we donot have very intelligent people in the team in terms of strategy. For example: Even I could determine from past performances that chasing was a silly option. yet our team members chose that. (a. we have lost 70% of recent matches chasing b. In critical times of past world cup we lost chasing) I agree with Emma totally that our team does not wish to fight. It is not because we cannot fight.....Here is why.... SCG: This was a golden chance to finish of RD. When SCG was dropped from the team, RD did everything posisble to keep him out of the team SRT: Forget trying, he is getting old. Secondly, he believes that the BCCI will not drop him and lastly many believe that he does not forgive RD for not letting him get his century YS- All set to be crowned captain after this world cup. A victory today would have reduced his chances and then you never know. MSD- Pure skill issues. Footwork was always a problem and he got a great ball today. He was also unnerved by what Happened in Ranchi Let us move on. If somebody has to be accountable it is the Indian cricket board for its inability to develop a good playing and coaching environment for its younger players. rgds rgds

Comment by Bingo !

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 04:08:10 EDT

you hit the nail on the head. surprising that even being so removed from cricket, you could provide insights that most of us, blinded by our unquestioning love for cricket, miss.

Comment by Die Hard

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 02:00:00 EDT

Good article Emma. As a non-Indian the way I see it is that Indians veiw cricket as they see Bollywood. And treat the game and their crickters accordingly. What they have to realise is that cricket is not a fantasy and it is only a game played by professional sportsman (and not heroes).

Comment by Sujatha

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 23:37:59 EDT

Now the Indian team has to actually stick around for the Bermuda-Bangladesh match rather than packing up and leaving for home, knowing fully well that the game actually going their way is mighty close to impossible.