"On Moral Grounds, Sharad Pawar Should Resign"

Ajit Wadekar, former India captain and cricket manager, is among those who believe that BCCI president Sharad Pawar must take his cue from the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, and quit. In an exclusive interview with G. Rajaraman, Wadekar says the focus of board officials on filling the BCCI’s coffers has only contributed to the problems dogging Indian cricket.

BCCI officials seem to be criticising the team—and the media—for India’s Cup debacle. There’s little soul-searching among their own. Why is that?

I guess it’s a spur-of-the-moment reaction, but it is pretty bad that some board members have gone public with their views, blaming the players. This failure is not something that has happened overnight. The slide started in the West Indies last year and continued in Malaysia and the ICC Champions Trophy and in South Africa. What we saw at the World Cup is a culmination of those things. We should have noticed the signs and taken corrective action...but it must have skipped the minds of those in the board.

Shouldn’t BCCI president Sharad Pawar resign like his Pakistan counterpart Naseem Ashraf has done?

Yes, ideally, he must own up moral responsibility and quit. But he’s a different breed and may not resign. Perhaps he thinks the board and Indian cricket will sink deeper if he quits. The system is such that just 30-odd votes have to be managed and it is not too difficult to hold on to power. Many of the problems are so deeply rooted, he may have found it difficult to change them.

What about Dilip Vengsarkar, as chairman of selectors he too must share the blame?

I don’t think Dilip needs to quit, unless he feels he has a moral responsibility or something. Dilip took over as chairman only recently and must be given a chance. But like everyone says, it is a collective responsibility.

There have been strong reactions to the Indian team’s exit.... Much of it is kneejerk, but isn’t it time for some introspection?

Very much so. But we do this each time after a debacle. We rack our brains but after two months it’s back to square one. There should be willingness, and someone must be really passionate about it, to devote much time. This is not happening. Basically, you need tremendous will to do something for cricket. At the moment, it appears their focus is on filling up the coffers—and playing to the gallery.

What do you make of the BCCI’s decision to call a meeting of some former India captains?

I think it’s a good idea. But if something emerges from such a meeting, it should not be sent to cold storage. Public memory is so short that they tend to forget. The whole process in the board takes time in any case. The recommendations of the former captains will have to be ratified by the working committee and then perhaps the general body. By that time, the series against Bangladesh and England will have been played. The team might have started winning also.

Why do you think India exited so early?

I think the team hit the panic button too quickly. It started during the Bangladesh match itself. Everything was going wrong, the body language just wasn’t right. I don’t think there was enough proper communication to the players.

Do you think players lacked commitment as is being made out in some quarters?

I don’t agree with that. Anyone like that would not have found a place in the squad, let alone the playing XI. And that can cost a player quite a lot these days.

Perhaps it’s because they lacked focus?

I have my doubts on whether they were as focused as is needed. I think they weren’t as sharp as they could have been as a group. I think they got diverted by the hype and hoopla, perhaps got cowed down by the tremendous expectations back home. They landed in Port of Spain as if they were champions. That is what happens to Indian players. One has to tell them ‘Okay, baba, come back to earth’, make them realise that anything can happen in a game of cricket.

Did India lack leadership? Could Rahul Dravid have been a better captain?

He’s a nice person. At the moment, he’s the team’s best batsman. He is in his own mould as a captain. The players should also try and understand that (even if) he keeps to himself and may not be communicating enough, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to do so.