Theatrics will not help!
Author: khalid a-h ansari Date: 28 Feb 2008
SYDNEY: Even as its players continue to misbehave with impunity with the backing of their greenhorn captain and innocent-abroad officials, the Indian Board’s deafening silence is tarnishing the name of Indian cricket no end.
While the moguls who rule over the bountiful kingdom of Indian cricket fiddle nonchalantly, Nero-like, the image of the grand edifice of Indian cricket is aflame.
Fans in Australia, including those of Indian origin, are saying increasingly that Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team should stop whingeing and match brave words with deeds.
Sick of its repeated threats to abort the tour and return home, many are saying disgustedly that it may not be an altogether bad idea.
M S Dhoni
Matthew Hayden, who has been locking horns repeatedly with his nemesis Harbhajan Singh, said the other day that India were complaining because “they are losing every game they play.”
The opening batsman may have got his facts as regards results wrong given that India have qualified for the tri-series final. But he was on the mark as far as mental games, or sledging, or psychological warfare (mental disintegration if you will) are concerned.
There is no denying that the Indians have been finishing a pathetic also-ran in the game of oneupmanship upon which they have foolishly embarked.
KHALIDOSCOPE has been arguing for some time now that the Indian team’s purported “aggression” is misconceived, ill advised, guilelessly executed and, consequently, doomed to fail.
For aggression to succeed in its desired objective in sport, it must be cleverly devised and craftily executed.
A core element in the success of Australian aggression is a carefully strategised plan, directed coolly, calculatedly and clandestinely at soft targets such as hotheads Harbhajan Singh, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and impressionable, volatile fast bowler Ishant Sharma.
Harbhajan was found guilty by ICC Appeals Commissioner John Hansen in the contentious Sydney Test and Ishant Sharma and Rohit Sharma have been fined in the current tri-series.
The theatrical wild gestures, making of faces, sticking of tongues and undisguised use of expletives resorted to by the Indians are bound to boomerang. A section of the Australian media does not miss a single opportunity to point out that India are the “worst behaved” country in international cricket with 45 breaches of the ICC player code.
Pakistan are second with 39 and Australia, ustaads since time immemorial in the “art” of sledging, fourth with 25.
For the Indian players to argue that they never start spats with their big bully opponents is not altogether true. Moreover, in trying to beat the Australians at their own devised and perfected game, they forget the aphorism that two wrongs don’t make a right.
By coming a pathetic second-best in their professed objective to fight “fire with fire” they are coming across abroad as cry-babies who run to their doting, indulgent mummies after they have burnt their fingers.
AuthorTopic: Indian Team stop whining and start playing:Theatrics will not help! (Read 666 times)
