Once again India is struggling in One Day Internationals. I felt when they lost the Test series they would do well in the one day and I hoped they would do well in the remaining matches.
This Indian side is plagued with injuries. The latest is Sachin Tendulkar with an injury to the toe. This emphasizes my point that physical fitness is the most important in any sport and even if you have less talent, good fitness can bring in good results.
I also feel that the players must go through a complete physical check to see the fitness and if they are not fit then they should not be selected even if they are popular and have a good track record.
The series against England will be over soon and the Board of Control for Cricket in India has to look into future more seriously. The future of Indian cricket depends on many factors. The board itself, the preparation for the matches, the preparation for opponents and the attitude of the players are all problems.
I feel the board should also have training for Test series, one day and 20/20 as each require different strategies. The board should focus on improving the standards of home cricket and encourage players who show real commitment and desire to perform at a high level.
Again the board should seriously look into the issue of player retirement. For example in the present team, more than a decade now, India’s batting has been built round Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. These gentlemen have all given magnificent service but they are now aged 38, 38 and 36 respectively and all three may retire at the same time.
This is not unique to the Indian situation. Australia lost Lillee, Chappell and Marsh during the early 1990s. The West Indies team was still reeling from the retirements of players like Jeff Dujon, Clive Lloyd, Malcolm Marshall and when Sir Vivian Richard retired in 1991 it was the end of an era.
This has happened in every country and so why not be prepared by bringing younger players and weaning off the older ones? The older players can get into coaching and attend the academy to teach the youngsters.
I also feel the contract system should be scraped and players should be paid on their performance in home and international cricket. Instead of paying the nonperforming players, they should focus on improving the cricketing standards.
The preparation for the Test series should be taken seriously. To give a simple example, the colour of a cricket ball has effect on the game. Many believe that the white ball swing less and it is easy for the batsman to play and prepare for the shots. While on the other hand the red ball swings all the time and the batsman has to be cautious while playing it.
This year the Indian team played with white balls continuously for five months. Then when they switched to red balls in England their application was affected. It is also felt that the white ball with black sight screens and red ball with white sight screens makes it difficult to visualize the ball. So the preparation for the test series is entirely different than that of the one day or 20/20. Apparently England did not play with the white and black ball after the World Cup and concentrated on red and white balls. This could be one of the contributing factors in the loss for India.
Ultimately the future of Indian cricket I think is good. However they have to watch teams like England and Australia who give time and practice to master Test cricket. India has a benefit as the board is able to charter their overseas trips keeping the Indian Premier League in mind. All will depend on the board and the commitments of the players and pride of Indian cricketers.
I understand the Indian public in general wants victory in every match India plays. That may not possible but the players can certainly give their best and show fight and consistency, even if they lose.
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