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Will the Prince charm us again ? |
Apr 3, 2006 (From the
Cricket Journal)
"Who would have thought I would ever make it
here after all that has happened?" Capriati said
afterwards.
"Maybe dreams can come true."
This is what Jennifer Capriati, the US tennis
star had to say after winning the 2000
Australian Open, in what has been touted as one
of the best ever comebacks in International
sport. There is one man in India who could gain
a lot of heart from this story. As Sourav
Ganguly has been dumped to seclusion by events
that not only demoralized the person but also
Indian cricket in general, is he the man Dravid
and Co are looking back to, for answers to their
top-order woes ? Several scoops in the media
seem to tow that line !
 Even
though India has been performing consistently
and winning matches, the top 3 or 4 have not
been much of noted contributors. India has been
struggling with batsmen getting in and once they
looked secure and safe at the wicket, a rash
shot follows and they end up taking the long
walk back to the pavilion. This rot needs to be
sorted out as soon as possible and the answer
lies in the selectors and the team management's
hands. In an interview to CNN-IBN, Dravid
categorically stated that the lid has not yet
been put on Ganguly's career, and if newspaper
report in the DNA is to be believed, Ganguly
might just get the nod in the immediate future
(could be tomorrow when the team is selected for
the rest of the ODIs or the upcoming West Indies
tour). These angle of opinions that have
lingered about for a while predicting Ganguly's
comeback for quite sometime may finally get
their due justification as constant failures
from the likes of Gambhir and Sehwag has
prompted the selectors to look eastwards.
The BCCI is strongly considering
bringing back India's latest 'Forgotten Hero'.
Call it coincidence or what ? Both of India's
apparent heroes belong to Kolkata ! It is
nothing short of a revelation that Ganguly's
name was discussed in every selection meeting
and his brief and frequent meetings with senior
Board officials might just prove the much needed
catalyst for his inclusion. For the records,
Ganguly has not exactly set the domestic circuit
on fire, but has certainly made meaningful
contributions to help his side end up on the
winning side. His aggregate of 203 from 5
matches at a healthy average of 50.75 is an
additional incentive to move his inclusion and
certainly satisfies the criteria of merit set by
the team management. The ball is surely in
Ganguly's court it seems. Will he be ready to
put that extra yard of effort on the field and
keep up to the standards set by the young
brigade of Yuvraj, Raina and Kaif ? This is
where he might lose out to youth. At 33, age is
not doing him any good, but on pure form and
quality, Ganguly should still haunt the
selector's minds.
The demands of international sport is such that
past experiences have to be forgiven if not
forgotten. To an extent, there has been a great
deal of exaggeration about the Ganguly episode
and the war of words from both sides have not in
anyway helped the cause. Besides, the media has
chosen to up the tempo and gain more mileage by
adding fuel to fire in this clash of minds. As a
professional, one expects both Greg Chappell and
Saurav Ganguly to bury their hatchets and get on
with the job in hand. If Ganguly fulfils the
requirement of any domestic cricketer pushing
his claim in Team India, he should be given
equal credence ! Having said that, if Ganguly's
name indeed falls into the team squad sheet in
the immediate future, he will have to take fresh
guard at the crease and grab any opportunity
with both hands.
With a lot of emphasis on youth
these days, one somehow feels that experience
tends to get submerged and with India going
through a rough phase with respect to Sachin
Tendulkar's injury and the woeful top order
form, the selectors can do no wrong by looking
upto the tried, tested and now 'Forgotten' man
of Indian cricket to heal these wounds. Maybe
the time has come for a change of heart, and a
change that will keep the best interest of
Indian cricket in mind, and restore the much
needed experience among these bundles of
youthful energy.
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