How long will Indian cricket supporters put up with the mediocrity thatSaurav Ganguly seems to condone? That is something that the Indian support basehas got to work out pretty quickly or once again face another era that islittered with an abundance of talent but poor performances.
The West Indies are at the weakest they have been for many years after losingplayers like Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose. They have no high-class spinnerand really rely totally on the batting of Brian Lara and Carl Hooper forresults. If India, with players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble,Javagal Srinath and Harbhajan Singh cannot win the series in the Caribbean, thenwhen are they ever going to win away from home? Maybe even a trip to Zimbabwe,Kenya or Bangladesh will seem a daunting affair.
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Ganguly’s batting has really not done enough at the Test level against realopposition to warrant him batting at a position that requires a high level ofskill of the back foot. Let us all be brutally honest, if he wasn’t captain,he would not even make the team. The shot selection he showed in the last Testillustrates my point. Even the great Sunil Gavaskar, who is passionate aboutIndian cricket, has added his voice to those that believe its time for ashakeup.
Every successful team has a core spirit that sets high standards for itselfand that spirit encompasses things like humility, respect, discipline and theability to adapt to all circumstances. It has to be led by the captain who isexpected to uphold and ensure the core covenant is firstly attained and thenpreserved. Ganguly has done neither. The fitness levels are well documented andthe fielding standard has dropped through this aspect. Ganguly in the field isan embarrassment -- he is young enough to work on it, but obviously doesn’twant to.
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Having posed the problem, let's look at a solution. I think Australia are agood model to assess and when you see that Steve Waugh, possibly the bestcaptain in the business, is dropped -- it sends a powerful message to thoseplayers who are happy with the mediocrity around them. Even Shane Warne lostover 12 kilos to ensure he was back in the frame for the World Cup. The axing ofMark Waugh gave younger and hungrier players a chance and it has created aculture in the Aussie team that says, "We have to become accountable andtake responsibility,"-- something that Ganguly has never been able to do.
Why not take a young player who has leadership potential and who can bat atinternational level, and allow players like Dravid, Sachin and Kumble assist himin his infancy stage. It will bear fruits in the long term. Right now, theIndian team with all its natural brilliance, is being allowed to drift like aboat that has come loose from its mooring.
It must surely hurt every Indian cricket lover -- and that includes me.
