Team India is team India because the ICC recognizes BCCI to represent India. Both ICC and BCCI are private clubs and as such, can do what they want. Neither is public listed, so as long as there is nothing that violates the laws of the land, they are free to select whomsoever they please.
I read some people asking for the privatisation of BCCI. Reality check - it is private. It's an inefficiently run private organization, but private nevertheless. Some people wanted Ambanis to run BCCI.What makes you think the Ambanis dont have biases? Look at their board of directors, and also note that the Meswani brothers are cousins of Mukesh and Anil Ambani. And, Reliance doesnt have the cleanest of images when it comes to ethical behaviour.
Some people wanted the government to take over the BCCI. I would suggest that they take a look at all other sports bodies in India and note that the common factor in all of them is government control. I wouldn't say its working very well for them, is it?
Cricketers get paid a lot, true. You may believe that their salaries are not commensurate with their performance. However, remember that they make most of their money out of endorsements, not retainer amounts or match fees. Now, why do they make so much money off endorsements? Because of you. You watch their games endlessly, making it lucrative for advertisers. If you want to express your displeasure, stop watching the game. Let the TRP ratings for cricket fall - once the intertia of the system is overcome, you'll find fewer and fewer endorsements from SRT, SCG and RSD. You ensure that they make money. Your viewership ensures the BCCI of its income.
Politics exist everywhere. I mentioned reliance above. You might have seen it in your workplace too. Most bosses promote the people with whom they get along, not someone who is capable but obstinate - that's what they call not being a team player or havnig an attitude problem. Everyone has biases... some people want Bose in the team, others want kaif and yet others want Ganguly as captain. You cant please everyone.
Bill Gates once said "Life isn't fair... get used to it".
In regards to this article from Mohan Kalyansundaram I have to openly say that this person is out of his mind. If you have seen in the last 15 years of cricket in India Vengsarkar was the best chief we had to date. Mohan questioning him about his credentials as a player shows how inept he is . Vengsarkar was one of the best players India had in 1980s. There is no question about it. Does he know about his 88* against England in 1981 or does he forget that he was in Kapils 1983 winning WC cup team where he was going strong at 32 against windies and got hurt or does he remember he was about to be the fastest indian to score century(94*) against Pak in Pak when Mrs Gandhi was assasinated or doesh he have a memory lapse of his brilliant 63* against NZ in semis when India was in a tight corner in the B&H World championship in 1985 or the 35 which was highest score in the game he scored in finals of Rothman cup in Sharjah 1985 against Aussies or about 89, 50,55 in SL series in '85 or 77* he scored against Australia which helped India go into finals of B&H world series and also scored 45 and 41 in finals in losing cause or 95* he scored aginst Imran who wrecked India in 87 in Sharjah or in 1988 he led India to Asia cup victory as captain and 50*.
Rediff should entertain better people in writing columns so we can stick with more realistic ones. Sorry Mohan you are clueless and not worth it.
RE:Is this an Indian or BCCI XI ?
by Gita Chawla on Feb 15, 2007 02:13 AM
No doubt Vengsarkar has contributed in the past. That doesn't mean he can do anything he wants by including useless players in the team. All his contributions and credibility do not matter when your mindset is for retaining your favorites at any cost.
This is like saying because, I did pooja and was a poojari once, I can rob a bank now.
RE:RE:Is this an Indian or BCCI XI ?
by Maximus Decimus Meridius on Feb 15, 2007 08:19 AM
No, that was not the argument put forth. He said vengsarkar should not be responsible for ODI selection because he played very few of them and never was responsible for winning which is a stupid argument.
RE:RE:RE:Is this an Indian or BCCI XI ?
by Gita Chawla on Feb 15, 2007 07:16 PM
I am not the author and I don't know what the author had in his mind when he wrote that. However, the fact of the matter is Vengsarkar is not clean. He openly sided with Tendulkar and made him VC. Tendulkar is no more the Tendulkar of the past. It is unreasonable to expect anymore quality cricket from him. Sehwag is a sheer waste. Irfan was sent back for non performance.
Don't you think, Vengsarkar has gotten into some kind of ugly tangle by including non performers?
RE:Is this an Indian or BCCI XI ?
by Maximus Decimus Meridius on Feb 15, 2007 01:04 AM
I second that. This columnist is either retarded or high. That's like saying Sir Donald Bradman had no business selecting the ODI team for Australia (which he did) because he never played ODIs. The attributes that make a good ODI player are not known only to those who have played it. It isnt theoretical physics. A fair amount, like everything else in life is based on instinct (like the selector who picked a 16 year old to tour Pakistan in 1989... That kid didnt turn out so bad, did he?). One may not agree with his decisions, but the argument put forth hardly holds water. Also, Vengsarkar was a good player - conservative in strokeplay, but most batsmen in that era were. What have you done lately apart from this rather innane column? Sounds like the rant of a disgruntled 17 year old.
When India can develop quality pilots who never fail, quality surgeons who never fail, we can easily develop a team of eleven who succeed 80% of time. We have this talent within us. Unfortunately, this cricket has become a big racket and driven by a few to their interest and not for the common interest of our country. That is the reason we are not able to succeed in cricket even 40% of time.
Think my dear fellow citizens. Can we get our team to 80% success rate by taking cricket to the right hands. Our current selectors, captain and BCCI will not let this happen.
Two high paid professions which don't need any kind of performance. They just need people like our selectors and an organization like BCCI.
1. Politics 2. Cricket
We elect politicians for them to make money. We watch cricket spending our time and money to help cricketers make money. Only a few politicians truely serve for our country. The same way only a few cricketers work for the national interest. Nothing can change our system if we don't change our thinking.
If a surgeon fails in a single operation, the surgeon gets sued and he is out of his profession. None of our current Indian team members were successful even in 40% of the matches they have played. They continue getting paid more and more.
Can a pilot fail while landing, flying, take-off?? What is the pilot getting paid for his high precision, mission critical job? Our cricketers fail time and again. Sehwag, Irfan, Yuvi, a long list.... What kind of remuneration they get?
Can we build cricketers like pilots? Yes absolutely! Only if we have the right organization to develop pilot like talents? That can happen only if we de-centralize control and look to good Entrepreneurs who can accomplish this mission.
What happened to all those who gave up their rights and supported the decision of Dravid & Vengsarkar to include the likes of Sehwag, Irfan, Yuvraj??
What happened to Sehwag today? He is finished friends. There is not a person on earth who has not figured out to get rid of Sehwag in a couple of overs.
Good luck to all those who blindly support Dravid and our selectors.
While I disagree with Sehwag's selection, the author's imgaginations are going wild. What/who/where is the abundant talent? BCCI is a private body. Period. Tomorrow, even you can become a selector.
RE:What talent?
by Raj Kamath on Feb 14, 2007 08:22 PM
As long as BCCI, Vengsarkar, and Rahul Dravid are there, we will not explore any new talents? Are you saying for a country of 100 crores there is no one to replace the existing team. You must be one of those who want to willingly give up your rights??
Leave cricket to Ambanis, Tatas and Narayana Murthy. They will device mechanisms to pick the right talent and that too in a relatively shorter time. Will BCCI do it? Nope! They are not obligated to anyone. Get this run as a public limited company responsible for public.
RE:RE:What talent?
by Cricket s on Feb 14, 2007 08:54 PM
Also another imagination that BCCI, DB and RD will not explore new talents. What proof you got to backup such a statement?
RE:RE:RE:What talent?
by Raj Kamath on Feb 14, 2007 09:19 PM
You don't need a whole lot of imagination when it comes to reality. We all know that fire will burn us before touching it!! Leave it to those successful enterpreneurs. You will know the truth.
RE:RE:What talent?
by Cricket s on Feb 14, 2007 08:53 PM
BCCI is inefficent and all that is fine. Name the list of "abundant talented" people who have been left out of this squad.
When will Indians stop giving up our own rights and stand up against this bias? When a program like Americal idol can go to the public to decide the new American Idol, why can't we Indians decide about our own rights??
Pathetic, we accept everything and that is why we have people like Lalloo and Sharad Pawar draining our country, whereas in a country like United States, Bill Clinton was almost impeached for a sex scandal.
It is BCCI X1 not IndianX1 it is true...when somany youngsters are showing their standards at different levels why should Sehwag,Yuvraj and pathan are given place ...Vengsarkar showed his helplessness in this aspect..Selection Committee is in Hands of Dravid and Chappell.. Similarly BCCI Should be Privatised and No Political Person should not be allowed to Enter into BCCI..No Guarantee that Indian Team will even enter into Semis...that will getting out in Earlier Rounds...
