After getting thrashed 3-0 by Australia, our cricket players have been humiliated by media and fans throughout the world. They have been harangued for their par-below performance in the three tests played by them so far against Australia on bouncy pitches, which they are not used to.
Everybody is crying that aging players like Rahul Dravid and Laxman should be shown the door. There is no denying the fact that they are at the fag end of their career, but that does not mean that they should be blamed alone for horrifying performance. Has any other player played to its individual potential? What excuses can be given by Sehwag, Gambhir, Dhoni, Ishant and Vinay? Are they also old enough not to play against a resurgent team? Should they also be sacked for their dismal performance?
To me, problem is not with our cricketers but our cricket administration for sorry state of affairs of Indian cricket. It is collective failure of Team India and BCCI. BCCI knew very well that it is the last overseas tour of our stalwarts like Dravid, Laxman and Tendulkar, who have served Indian cricket for so many years and have won many games for India. But where is the bench strength to replace them. Who can replace these experienced batsmen? Is there anybody to ask BCCI what steps have they taken to groom batsmen who can play on overseas tracks?
The same players when they play at home on flat tracks, they make life miserable for overseas bowlers and the same batsman fail on bouncy pitches and cannot play swinging deliveries. Why BCCI, which has no dearth of money, can prepare bouncy pitches on domestic tracks and give budding and existing players chance to play on them so that our cricketers can remove the tag of poor overseas travellers.
Wasim Akram was right when he said that humiliating defeat of India at the hands of Australia is sub-continent shame. But I would like to know from Mr. Akram what is the track record of Pakistan in overseas series? How many series they have won overseas? They may be heroes in turning or slow tracks in Gulf countries and can tame No. 1 English team but when they travel overseas, they are also poor travelers. Same is the case with Sri Lanka and the way they have been humbled in South Africa speak volumes about their inability to play on fast tracks.
Not only BCCI, but PCB and Sri Lanka cricket should take lessons from these developments and prepare sporting and bouncing tracks in their respective countries so that their players can fine tune themselves quickly in their overseas jaunts and do not have to face the wrath of media and their fans whenever they play on foreign soils.
