Historic Victory and aftermath

20th January 2008

Before, I could exhaust my jubilation over the victory, by Indian Team against Australia, the announcement of team for ODI killed all the enthusiasm.

It has been proved Australia cannot win all the matches in a row, without sledging, without putting undue pressures on opponents, without the help of umpires and with fair game. Our batsmen did very well, followed by excellent bowling. I thought, after seeing Australia's collapse, we will be bundled out in the second innings within no time. It did happen. Jaffer, Dravid, Sachin, Sourav, failed. Thanks to Pathan , and Lakshman, and Dhoni and R.P. Singh giving a good stand to Lakshman, everything went on well, in spite of two doubtful lbw decisions against India. Anyhow, now it is history, but what happened today, is the mockery of professionalism.

Why should a team has to be selected before a match to be played, particularly, when you are going to drop some of the in form batsmen? May be, there is no time to select a team after 29th and get them flown to Australia. They could have called the prospective players well in advance and keep them in Australia and make them to watch the match, being played to different conditions, get acquainted with atmosphere and so on. Perhaps, BCCI cannot afford to spend few more dollars, ( even if it is few thousands) because it is very poor. You drop Lakshman, because, you have branded him as a test player, in spite of his excellent performance, every time, in Australia.

You have dropped Dravid, in spite of his excellent performance in just the previous innings, because, he did not bother to consult Mr. Dilip Vengsarkar before submitting his resignation from the captaincy.

But what mistake Ganguly has done? Was he not consistent in 2007? Did he not score runs in all the matches he played after his comeback? Was he not very useful in the few overs he was asked to bowl? Is his average in the matches he has played so far, after his comeback, is poorer than Suresh Raina? Is he less experianced in Australian pitches than Suresh Raina? I am not against Suresh Raina. But, he is coming back into the team at whose cost? Players like Shewag and Suresh Raina who have not played one day matches for some time are in, and a player who is playing all the matches, since he made a comeback, not because of his seniority but because of his performance, is out against a number one team.

What a fools paradise, our selectors are ruling. "The selectors are bunch of Jokers " is not an one time statement, but, it should be applicable for all time. This is the service the Dilip Vengsarkar and co. doing to the nation.

Why should not the Number one of the selectors come to the press and say, for so and so reasons, in spite of their good form, in spite of their experiences, they are dropped? Can he say this and face the press or he has no reasons to express in public?

It is time every cricket lover should write and speak wherever possible, for the injustice done to two players, who, together, scored more than twenty thousand runs. We should also put a full stop for insulting players, who have done their best service in their field for the nation. Does the team of selectors have no responsibility to explain to the Indian public the reasons for their actions? Why there is no accountability in an organisation, which is not a Government body?( In India only Governmemnt bodies are not accountable)

Supposing,(?) if Rahul Dravid and Ganguly score good runs in the next test, where will Dilip Vengsarkar hide his face? Or, how do you expect the players who have been dropped unceremoniously, to give their 100% in the next crucial match, to level the series? Inspite of form, they cannot be selected, because, they are seniors, and youngsters had to be given chance, then how Sachin is retained?

It is high time, the cricket lovers in this country, must bring an end to these dirty Jokers, atleast forcing them to give some explanation for their actions. Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly are not,day to day coolies of BCCI, that they can be kicked out of their duties without giving any reason.

The players, who were praised for their oneness in Harbhajan Singh's case, have got one more chance to fight the injustice done to their fellow players, and they should demand at least an explanation from the selection board, because, it can happen to them tomorrow.