This the first time I have read a somewhat balanced article. Perhaps because the primary objectives of raking up controversies and stoking the fire, have now been met and the media is satiated, if not exhausted. What the article has left out is the amazingly negative role that the media played in stoking the latent base instincts of fans. The resultant email comments from fans on their websites showed a level of encouragement unmatched in its triviality. They were equal, if not worse than all the politicians, administrators, film stars, that you have refer to in this article. Shame on the media. When you can't do anything worthwhile with your life, become a sports journalist in India.
Ganguly is passe, only his few handful supporters are feeling for him and hankering for his place in the team. And knowing it will be difficult for Ganguly to get in or keep his place in the team, they are mixing it with politics of Dalmiya and Pawar.
There are so many good young players and they are the ones to be groomed. Infact, today players like Dravid, Sehwag, Yuvraj and Kaif are the senior players and the selectors should think of Sachin, Sourav & Kumble as part of support team for the coach.
Both Ganguly and Sachin have been very good players, but that era has ended.
Irrespective of politics, power-play, camps etc. it will be wise on the part of the players themselves to realise when they need to step down and pave way to youngsters in a respectful manner. It would be nice if the seniors who are not able to get into form retire by themselves, and start guiding the newcomers with their valuable experience, before people begin suggesting the same.
Your views were rational and balanced. But then I continue to be dismayed by the recent happenings in Indian cricket, and views I read from our cricket gurus.
When do we realise our mistakes/weaknesses and try to address them? 1. Tendulkar's inability to mature and play the role the team wants (comparison: Inzamam) 2. Sehwag's inability to grow in ability and attitude (comparison: Gilchrist) 3. Ganguly's continued weakness to fast short balls 4. Agarkar's continued over-pitched balls 5. Nehra and Pathan realising that corridor line and length perfection is the key to wickets, swing or not 6. Chappel's insistence on loading the team with youth and batsmen - and denying the role experience and a strong bowling line-up (Ganguly, Laxman, Zaheer n Kumble) can play.
We never admit our mistakes - so we never work hard to rectify them - and we never improve. We pretend the problem is elsewhere - and we divert attention - not address problems.
Amazing! Tendulkar,Agarkar,Ganguly,Sehwag,Laxman,Zaheer,Nehra etc. never improve. And we try addressing that by finding more stars who'll never improve.
World Cup 2007 is not as important as impoving & being world class EVERYDAY!
Your article smacks of the very parochialism that you seem to speak agianst. Your article speaks of some unnamed politicins making some statements you obviously don't like. However, Mr. Pawar in your article seems to a be pure Cricket Administrator. More does not need to be said!
One more comment. It seems a fair game these days to disgrace a region of the country without any consequences. What Coach Chappel does with his middle finger, Rahul Dravid seem to be doing that with his statements. Sports Journalists of all persuation are freely doing this in the all India media. And that does not deserve any discussion!
Some might think that these kinds of utter disrespect and double standards may have longer term consequences than you might think.
Prem, If you say it's not the refection or pro-SG or Anti SG, that resulted in dalmia's defeat.. you ur self know u r trying to just make a debate, and not speaking the reality.. any justified election for the sake is the refelection of the immediate happenings in the past.. rather than the long term work done.. Dalmiya no doubt did good job, but slowly became totipotent, and that was the result.. SG on other hand was no doubt a good cricketer, initially, and but slowly he too became totipotent.. lets be sportive enough to give chances and see what other person is capable of.. than unnecesarily debating on the pro's and con's of the parorchial sports dons.
