Enough Is Enough

I have been maintaining this blog now for nearly 5 years. At all times I have tried to present my views rationally and tried to take into account all factors before presenting my thoughts.

But today I am going to let my emotions flow. I am going to try and bring out my frustration as an Indian supporter. I don’t care if they are rational, I don’t care if they are unreasonable, illogical and stupid. Because today, I am not disappointed………. I am not depressed……. I am angry. I am very very angry. I have been religiously following the Indian cricket team for close to 25 years now and I have never seen such a pathetic display from a cricket team

Indian Cricket stands at a crossroad. The cricketing world is laughing at us. We have been thrashed and humiliated in the last 8 overseas tests. Forget winning, we have not even competed in these test matches. Our players have been ridiculed for their lack of skill, lack of application and lack of interest in the test game.

India has been let down by a lack of will, lack of planning and lack of preparation in the last few months. It has been let down by the lack of foresight on part of its selectors. It has been let down by a lack of ability to take bold decisions on part of its tour selectors. It has been let down by its three great batsman- who should have taken the high ground and retired after Sydney- certainly Lakshman and Dravid should have. India has been let down by an indifferent captain and an indifferent coach. It been let down by its poor fielding and its poor fitness.

It has been let down by the importance given by its players, supporters and the media to individual landmarks rather than to the achievements of the team. Tendulkar’s hundredth hundred has no relevance now. It is not going to wipe out the hurt and humiliation suffered in England and Australia by the team and its supporters. Kohli’s hundred in Adelaide gave us some hope for the future but apart from that it was of no use.

The IPL has become a convenient scape goat for all of Indian cricket’s problems. Fact of the matter is that the IPL is not responsible for India’s debacle in Australia. The IPL cannot be responsible for Lakshman’s continuous failures since the tour of England. The IPL cannot be held responsible for the technical flaws that have crept up in Rahul Dravid’s game. The IPL cannot be held responsible for Sachin Tendulkar’s inability to handle the pressure generated by the expectations his fanatical supporters in relation to an irrelevant landmark. The IPL cannot be held responsible for Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s poor captaincy. The IPL has plus and minus points but to just blame the IPL for India’s failure is to slaughter the wrong cow.

Bold decisions need to be taken because we cannot have a phase like this again. If we don’t take bold decisions now, we well as might stop playing the game.

Enough is enough. Its time for a change.