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Cricket and Sports: Anything on Sports | | BCCI Decision | |
| Sorry guys, please not this errata:
In my previous posting please read the name in para six as Micheal Vaughan and not Michael Atherton.
My apologies once again.
Thanks!
Posted by: Dr. Prasad Gudimetla At: 12, Aug 2003 6:22:09 AM IST
This is a good question to debate. I personally feel that the very ethos of 5-day cricket has been flushed down the drain, thanks to the amount of one day affairs we have been seeing since Kerry Packer's vision.
If cricket is to survive, and if BCCI at the national level and the ICC at the international level wish to propagate the game globally and ultimately seek Olympic status, there is some major rethinking to be done.
For example, take the recent tour of Bangladesh in Australia. The final result of both tests and one dayers may have been a foregone conclusion but from what little I viewed of the games, it was to my utter dismay over the way some of the Bangladeshi batsmen played.
Cricket can be played by anyone with a will to stand in the middle, with a hunger to better one's average/aggregate and a passion to score runs. Every one need not become a Sachin Tendulkar or Adam Gilchrist or try to play like them.
It is a pity that the styles of the likes of Geoff Boycott, Sunil Gavaskar, Allan Border, Amarnath, Steve Waugh, Michael Atherton or Ravi Shastri are hard to be found. These guys used to make the bowlers think and toil to get their wickets and they were never to be intimidated. The reason, these players went out to the crease with just one primal motive: occupy the position as long as you can and do not do anything stupid. They have always played within themselves with a strong self-belief and most importantly, they have never tried to emulate someone else.
In present cricket the three names that probably stand out are those of Steve Waugh, Michael Atherton and Rahul Dravid. I strongly feel that these are the only cricketers who play the game out there in the middle and truly enjoy it. And they do it with a sense of purpose!
I can right away surmise how many cricket coaches around the world, including the likes of Dave Whatmore (with teams such as Bangladesh) are trying to instill such qualities in young and upcoming nations about what it takes to protect ones wicket vis-a-vis score runs!
It is good that BCCI is refraining from encouraging one day cricket at the domestic level as this is the bane of current cricketing talent, not just in India but the world over.
It is high time that coaches, managers, captains and every individual player instill qualities such as commitment and discipline in the younger generations. It is the only way that the game of cricket can be passed down the generations to come.
I might wish to add that it is ack of these qualities that has made the task so easy for bowlers like McGrath, Brett Lee and Shaun Pollock!
I wish to share an anecdote here:
The first cricket match I saw on TV was the 6th test between India and West Indies in the 1983-84 series at Madras.
WI was all out for 313 and in reply, India started off with 2/0. Sunil Gavaskar then went on to post his highest score of 236. He himself batted for 644 minutes and obviously, it was a chanceless knock. Three other interesting aspects of this compilation were his parters, Sidhu - 20(114), Ravi Shastri - 72(224) and Kirmani - 63(181). India occupied the crease for 4 full days...till about one hour close of play of day 5.
There are two things about this game that I shall never forget:
1. The way Gavaskar used to have a mid-pitch conference after almost every over, with his batting partner.
2. How much the WI bowlers were frustrated, particularly Michael Holding (who delivered 4 bouncers in one over to Kirmani)!
India drew the match.
Wonder how many games of this kind will ever be played in future test cricket.
Posted by: Dr. Prasad Gudimetla At: 12, Aug 2003 6:15:00 AM IST
Is it good for BCCI to take decision to ban one-day cricket for under-17 teams?
Posted by: Mr. siva prasad rao Bandaru At: 7, Jul 2003 5:10:13 AM IST
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