Author: Bobji

Indian white-ball captaincy is up for grabs. That is how it looks like. Over the last one year, there were far too many captains in various formats. Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Rahul. It was just like musical chairs. It certainly looked like the selectors were unsure what to do. They did not seem to have a proper plan. This blog is about the Indian captaincy musical chair.

Back in 2020, when an Indian team was committed to play against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, the Indian team led by Virat Kohli was in England. They were in the interim period between the end of the WTC finals and the start of the England series. There was more than a month between these games. However, the Covid protocols made it impossible for the same team to travel to Sri Lanka and England because of quarantine, the fear of someone in the team being affected by the virus, bio-bubble and various other factors. It would not have made any sense for the Kohli-led team to be playing in Sri Lanka in such a grim scenario.

The Sri Lankan scenario

Hence, a second team was sent instead. The series consisted of 3 ODIs and 3 T20s and it was led by Shikhar Dhawan. It made perfect sense because Dhawan being the senior-most and having played quite a few impressive knocks in ODIs, he was rightly made the captain though my choice was Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. Though I wasn’t in favour of Dhawan for T20s, outside of the original squad, he is certainly good enough to be part of the squad in the second team. Infact, he won the ODI series quite handsomely and if not for Covid striking the entire Indian camp, India would have won the T20 series too. It was only to be expected that in the event of the Indian regulars taking a break, Dhawan will be the natural choice to be the captain.

However, it wasn’t to be.

Far too many captains

Suddenly, with Rohit not playing and Kohli having relinquished the captaincy, it was Rahul who was leading the team in South Africa in the ODIs. This despite the fact that Dhawan was in the playing eleven. One can argue that Rahul afterall, is a regular in all the formats. It was only natural that he be named the captain. Well, Rahul wasn’t a regular even in the white ball format unless he could keep wickets too. Dhawan is much more experienced and he could command a spot in the playing eleven in ODIs because of the runs he has scored.

If this wasn’t enough, Rishabh Pant, whom himself is struggling in T20 cricket, was made the captain against South Africa for the T20 games. This time, Dhawan wasn’t in the squad but it still contained Kumar. BCCI may say that Rahul was injured and hence Pant became the captain and that they were looking for consistency by continuing with Rahul. It was always on the cards when Pant was named Rahul’s deputy that he will take over if Rahul was injured.

Now, the baton has been passed onto Hardik Pandya for the couple of T20s in Ireland. This is despite the fact that Kumar is still in the team. Atleast, this time, he is the vice captain. This truly is musical chairs. Indian captaincy, a coveted role for which so many players in the past, have been distributed like Covid masks.

My vote is for Kumar

What is the problem with Kumar? Unlike Pant or Pandya, Kumar has been a regular in ODIs and T20s. Yes, he has missed games because of injury but both Pandya and Pant were dropped on form. So was Rahul. Why couldn’t he be trusted with the captaincy? With his bowling, he has proved that he is a shrewd operator. There is no rule that states that a bowler must not be the captain. Cummins is doing well for Australia and so why can’t Kumar be of the same level in limited-overs? Ideally, it must have been Kumar from Sri Lanka. It would have atleast ensured consistency. Rohit is the first-choice captain but in his absence, Kumar must have been the automatic choice. Rahul & Pant have shown that they have a longway to go in terms of captaincy.

Conclusion to Indian captaincy musical chair

If the Indian selectors have any vision, I would like to know that. It can understand that Rohit may not be around in a couple of year’s time and that a new captain must be groomed. With his fitness being too low, I do not see Rohit playing after 2 years. However, that doesn’t mean that the captaincy can be handed out to anyone like peanuts. Test cricket is a different ball game altogether but in ODI & T20, Kumar will be the best bet even in the presence of Rahul or Pant or Pandya. With him restricted to limited-overs cricket, he can very well extend his career for a few years and by that time, there maybe few other captaincy options are thrown in.

Pant’s career is too young but he has already played a few stellar innings. From being the only Indian wicket-keeper to score hundreds in England, Australia and South Africa to be the match and series winner in Australia against every possible odds, Pant’s stocks have risen quite drastically. It increased so much that he was made the captain of Delhi Capitals without a second thought. He has a forgettable IPL 2022 is quite well known. To make matters worse, he has had a forgettable South African series too. This has placed his position in jeopardy. Should Pant be part of the World Cup?

The next edition of the T20 World Cup is just a few months away. India is slated to play a few more T20 games by then. It is not that these games are needed to decide on the squad because it is more or less finalised already. Having said that, it is the performance of Pant that is causing grave concern to the Indian team in particular and for the fans in general.

Pant is not a middle-order bat

Over the last few months, Pant is clearly overtaken by the likes of Ishan Kishan and Karthik. In the 4 innings against South Africa, Pant scored just 57 runs and at a negligible strike rate. He cannot complain that he did not have too many overs to build and had to go after the bowling right from ball one because he played at the crucial number 4 spot and had sufficient time to settle before hitting. He cannot even complain that in a teams short of several first choice players, he had to bat at that position. I will not subscribe to that view either because there was Pandya who led Gujarat quite well.

I for one do not think that Pant is a number 4 bat in any format. India did that mistake in the 2019 World Cup and paid for it dearly. Despite his multiple failures for Delhi in the IPL, Pant still considers himself a middle-order batsman in T20 and ODI. The unfortunate thing is that the team management too sees him in that way.

Dravid defends Pant in public

Rahul Dravid’s words will have reduced the pressure on Pant a great deal but it is wrong to place your bet on a horse that may pull down the entire team.

“Personally, he would have liked to score a few more runs but it is not concerning him. Certainly, he is a very big part of our plans going ahead in the next few months. In the process (of playing an attacking game), he might go wrong in a few games but he remains an integral part of our batting line-up with the power he has and the fact that he is a left-hander is important to us in the middle overs, he played some good knocks,” he said.

The threat of perception

With new management at the helm, that thought must have changed but it didn’t. That is a real pity. His consistent inconsistency is neither helping him nor the team. The problem is that the Indian selectors and the Indian team management seems to select teams based on perception and not on form. Pant has been an outstanding success in Test cricket with his aggressive knocks. The reverse sweep six of Anderson will linger in the minds of anyone who has watched it. It is this perception that a batsman who can score quickly in Tests is an asset in T20 and that he will continue to pulverise the opponents with his aggressive batting.

The field is widespread in T20 and Pant’s chances of getting out is higher and he does get out invariably. Unless, this attention to perception changes, it is hard for Pant himself to improve. It is so unfortunate that a player of Dravid’s intellect says this. I would like to consider this as a coach who wants to defend his ward in public but in private, he is not that keen on playing Pant in the World Cup.

Ashish Nehra does not think that Pant must be considered for T20.

“Right from day one we knew he(Pant) is going to be popular. He came the first day and then got dropped as he flopped initially. Then he came back and made a name for himself. I am very sure he will be disappointed with the kind of T20 numbers he had.

Another wrong move on the part of the selectors

It was to have made him the captain for the South African series. Agreed that he wasn’t the first choice captain and that both Rahul & Rohit were absent but that does not mean that Pant was an automatic choice. Especially, with him struggling in this format. Ideally, Kumar should have been the captain. The former selector, Madan Lal, says

“I would have stopped him from becoming captain. Wouldn’t have allowed it. Because such a player needs to be given this responsibility later. Becoming an India captain is a big deal. He is a youngster. He isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. 

and rightly so.

The team that is ideally suited to succeed

With Ishan Kishan’s success at the top and his versatility as a keeper, India does not need 3 wicket keepers. Four if you consider Rahul as a keeper too incase of any emergency. All of them are above Pant in the pecking order at present. Karthik’s flamboyance and belligerence at the lower end of the innings, must have secured him a spot in the top seven.

His returns in the IPL 2022 and in the 4^th T20 against South Africa must have ensured that. Ofcourse, he will still travel to the West Indies and the England T20s will give him one final push to press his case quite firmly. He must perform in those games because of the threat of perception. If he fails, he will be perceived as someone who will not be able to cut it at the World Cup and hence Pant will be under less pressure.

With Rohit, Kohli and Rahul expected to be among the top 5, I would like to see Surya at number 3 and Rahul at number 5 where he can unleash his grand repertoire. Hardik, Karthik and Jadeja will man the lower middle and lower order and this leaves no room for Pant anywhere in the middle. At the moment, Pant’s stocks are definitely low when compared to these cricketers.

Conclusion to should Pant be part of the World Cup?

I for one do not think that Pant must be part of the playing eleven atleast initially. He can be in the squad. However, it all depends on whether Rohit and Dravid think that Pant is worth persisting with inplace of either Surya or Karthik. If that happens, the bane of perception is very much alive.

I personally do not like the way the Board of Control for Cricket in India functions. I have been a bitter critic of the board for a very longtime because of their money at any cost attitude. Whether the funds so acquired is spent well is another question. In most cases it is not. I have written quite a few blogs the pathetic condition of the board Also, I have written a few blogs criticising the board over a variety of issues. How they do not care about the paying public till do they even care about the players? At the same time, I have not shied away from mentioning their good deeds too. This blogs is about the noble gesture of the Indian cricket board.

Commendable jobs

Criticising BCCI 1

Criticising BCCI 2

Appeal to BCCI

Criticising BCCI 3

Criticising BCCI 4

Increase in the pension for the former players

Effective from June 1, BCCI have announced an increase in the pension for former players, both men and women, as well as an increase for the umpires.

Among men, former first-class players, who earlier got INR 15,000 per month, will get INR 30,000, while former Test players, who got INR 37,500, will now receive INR 60,000. Those with INR 50,000 pension will get INR 70,000. Women international players, who got INR 30,000, will receive INR 52,500 from now, while first-class cricketers who retired before 2003 and were getting INR 22,500 will now get INR 45,000.

I applaud BCCI for almost doubling the monthly pension for all sections of players. It is indeed a noble gesture. Most of the players, especially the ones who have not had a long career at the international level, this will come as music to their ears. It is true in the case of those test cricketers who played for the country before the TV revolution.

If only Mr. M. J. Gopalan, the first one to bowl the very first delivery in the first Ranji Trophy game is alive, this renumeration for his services would have made him a happy man. He lived in a one-room house after he stopped playing cricket and hockey. Nevertheless, the cricketers who never made it big at the highest level or were involved in IPL in any form, like Rajesh Chauhan or Venkataramana of Tamil Nadu will be elated at this increase. For that, I commend the BCCI.

Timely financial help

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said in a statement, “It is extremely important that the financial well-being of our former cricketers is taken care of. The players remain the lifeline and as a board, it is our duty to be by their side once their playing days are over. The umpires have been unsung heroes and the BCCI truly values their contribution.”

In the current scenario, where the prices have raised and the Covid situation, this gesture on the part of the board will soothe the hearts of the former players. This increase comes on top of the increase in medical reimbursement. It has been increased from 5L to 10L for first-class players.

Caution against awarding this benefit to all the players

However, it is not clear whether former players include players like Dhoni, Tendulkar, Dravid or Gavaskar who have earned enough for a few generations that they are not really dependent on the board for their survival. If they are also getting this benefit, it really is a pity because money could have been spent better. Perhaps, BCCI can impose a rule stating that anyone who has been involved in the game in any level in the modern age, be it as a player or as a commentator or in any form in the IPL for a substantial period of time is deemed to have earned enough and they are not eligible for the benefit. Probably the amount so saved can be distributed among the less privileged players equally.

Another gesture that must be mentioned

At the end of IPL 2022, the board announced 1.25CRs as prize money for the curators and groundsmen. Across all the 6 venues. It was a token of appreciation for the quality of pitches that they had laid for all the games.

“I’m pleased to announce prize money of INR 1.25 crores for the men who gave us the best games in #TATAIPL 2022. The unsung heroes – our curators and groundsmen across 6 IPL venues this season,” Jay Shah wrote in his tweet.

Of this, Wankhede, DY Patil, CCI and MCA received 25L each whereas the Narendra Modi stadium and Eden Gardens received half of that amount. It is understandable because the latter grounds hosted only the playoffs which is more or less 2 games per ground.

This would have come as a shot in the arm for the groundsmen and the curators. These are pillars of the game and at the sametime they are never appreciated or recognised for their efforts. If the pitch is poor, they come into the picture rightaway but when the pitch is good and it helps bowlers slightly, the curators are crucified. This recognition on the part of the board will go a longway in satisfying the curators and the groundsmen. They will be motivated to produce good pitches and maintain a lush green outfield.

Conclusion to noble gesture of the Indian cricket board

These couple of announcements by the BCCI is really heartwarming. The former players, especially the ones who have not had a decent enough career will be thrilled with the increased pension. The onus is on the BCCI to take care of those whose financial support is limited. Sportspersons in general, their time is limited. They will have to make the most of it. Not many enjoy a successful career and the financial rewards that come alongwith it. Most of them end up by the wayside. Cricketers are no different. This time, BCCI has really delivered. Hats off to them and I salute them. Hopefully, with the record bid for the IPL rights, this can be increased further.

It is the board’s responsibility to take care of the former players including first class cricketers. For some reason, they were unable to make it big either because of lack of skill or lack of performance.

Before you go on, if you can read about Ravi Shastri’s views on T20 and Sundar. Now, moving onto his views on T20.

“Yes, absolutely, there’s too much of bilateral stuff going on in T20 cricket,” Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo’s Runorder programme. “I’ve said that [before], even when I was the coach of India, I could see it happening in front of my eyes. It should go the football way, where, in T20 cricket, you just play the World Cup. Bilateral tournaments – no one remembers.

“I don’t remember a single game in the last six-seven years as coach of India, barring the World Cup. A team wins the World Cup, they will remember it. Unfortunately, we didn’t, so I don’t remember that either. Where I am coming from is: you play franchise cricket around the globe; each country is allowed to have their franchise cricket, which is their domestic cricket, and then, every two years, you come and play a World Cup.”

My take on T20 cricket

I do agree that most of us do not remember T20 games after a few weeks, be it IPL or international. Ideally, it must be a franchise tournament and nothing else but the compulsions of the game have turned a franchise game into an international event. A cricket aficionado will be able to recall a Test Match that was held in the 90s today, whereas, the same person will struggle to call a T20 game held last year. This is a format that do not test the ability of the batsmen and it is completely loaded in favour of them.

Moreover, every country ensures that the pitch is as flat as possible and that scores in excess of 160 are the norm. A delivery that is a millimetre down the legside is called a wide. The margin of error for the bowler is a big fat zero. However, the revenue that this format generates is substantial for any board. Young teenagers are attracted to T20 rather than Test Cricket. Now that there is a substantial interest for this format, there is bound to be bilateral series. It just isn’t possible to retain this format of the game in World Cups alone. There are quite a few reasons for that.

Match experience

First, in order to play in World Cup, the players must have match experience in this format. There are a lot of players in the world who do not play T20 regularly eventhough they do play for the countries. If one were to look at IPL closely, you can see that only the best players from other countries are hired by various franchises. Not all of them get to play games. There are cases where non-Indian players have gone entire season without playing a single game. You can point to the 4 foreign players only rule but it is not that significant. Actually, some of the players are bereft of gaining experience in T20. As a result, if T20 were to be a World Cup only event, players will feel cheated that they do not have sufficient experience and it is not possible to represent their countries without proper practice.

High revenue

Second, as explained above, the revenue from T20 is enormous. No country would want to miss out on that revenue. This game is usually played in the evenings which will help office goers and children to come back home and enjoy a game of cricket. This propels advertising earnings which inturn helps the home board. At a time, when ODI is on the way out and Test Cricket does not capture the imagination like T20, none of the boards can afford to stop playing the bilateral T20 series.

Over the last few years, there is an increase in the number of T20 bilateral games. There was a period when it was restricted to one per series but now there are standalone T20 series itself. The India vs South Africa series is a prime example. There were cases when Tests were dropped for a series of T20 games.

Team environment

Third, the players will want to be accustomed to a team environment before a major event like the World Cup. Ofcourse, most of the team have players who more or less play in all the formats but there are some specialists, it is quite substantial and for them, this is important. A group of players who have never played as a team in a particular format, is not likely to gel together. That will have a direct consequence on their performance.

T20 must replace ODI

Three formats for a game like cricket is one too many. Test Cricket, though it is struggling for recognition must stay because it certainly is the ultimate form of the game. ODI and T20 are in the same league. Neither is capable of being remembered after awhile. World Cup will be remembered but nothing beyond that. A Shane Warne or Murali getting to that 700^th wicket had much more importance attached to it than a Rohit’s 264 in an ODI. Ideally, with T20s popularity, ODI must slowly be replaced with T20. It is already happening in a few countries. It is just a question of time before ODI is completely eclipsed by T20.

Conclusion to Ravi Shastri’s views on T20

Ravi has some views on almost all matters related to cricket. In this instance, though I agree with him principally but practically it is not possible. Having said that, I will not be in a hurry to dismiss his views on other matters. Namely, fitness. He may not have been the fittest in his playing days but he has seen the game evolve and how fitter other teams are when compared to Asian teams.

Ravi Shastri is perhaps the most successful Indian coach. When he says something, we may not agree with him but we will better listen to him. He has views on almost everything related to cricket. Some of them, he imposes on the viewers quite forcefully. Ofcourse, that is his way of putting his point across. There is nothing wrong with that. Afterall, he has earned that right after a successful stint as coach of the Indian team for 7 long years. So, when he says that Sundar is the future of India and that T20s must be restricted to World Cup only, it is better to listen to him. Whether I agree or disagree with him, I will explain indetail. Let me offer my two cents on Ravi Shastri’s views on Sundar and T20.

Shastri about Washington Sundar

“He is going to be one of India’s leading allrounders,” Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo’s analysis show T20 Time:Out. “He is the future. You have [Ravindra] Jadeja today. Three years down the line, if Jadeja is still fit, he will play. There is Axar [Patel] around. But this guy is your premier allrounder across all three formats of the game. Hear what I am saying. Three formats of the game.

“This guy is a serious cricketer. He is still very young, he has got to understand his own game, how good a player he is. Shot selection will come, especially for the white-ball format. [If he] works on his fitness so that he is not injury-prone, India have got a serious cricketer in him. Across all formats of the game. I think it is up to him really to do the hard yards on fitness. No excuse. He can’t depend on X, Y, Z. He has to look at himself in the mirror and say I want to work hard and I want to be the leading allrounder in Indian cricket over the next three years. And he can do it. Easy.”

My take about Shastri’s comments

Sundar is certainly a bright prospect. During the Australia tour, he wasn’t expected to play in a test match but he did and performed rather admirably. Everyone talks about that fabulous innings by Rishabh Pant. Ofcourse, it must never be forgotten but it must also be remembered that Sundar played a couple of fabulous innings himself. His 60-odd in the first innings in partnership with Shardul Thakur was good but his second innings cameo was exceptional. Here was a youngster in his very first test and that too in Australia against the likes of a very good Australian attack, batting fearlessly. The six of the backfoot of the bowling of the world’s best bowler, Pat Cummins, was a standout shot. If someone can play that quality of a shot against Cummins, he must be exceptional.

Infact, if not for his quick innings, there was every chance that Pant would have shut shop earlier and he may not have had the inclination to win the game. At that point, the required runs were higher for three tail-end wickets. It is safe to assume that Sundar reduced the required runs to something manageable by Pant alone without the help of the tail, he was able to create history.

Sundar is not an allrounder

I do agree with Shastri when he says he is one for the future. Having said that, where I differ with him is in Sundar being an all-format player and an allrounder at that. Before I elaborate on my point, he is not just the one for the future but he is also the one for the present.

Now, coming back to my point of him not being an all-format player and an allrounder, I do not see that in Sundar. First of all, it is wrong to classify Sundar as an allrounder. He is not. He is a batsman who if required, can also bowl. His bowling at the highest level is not threatening. Leave alone threatening, it is not even good enough for good batsmen. Let us remember that against England in India, he was dropped for the 2^nd test when Axar Patel returned despite a solid 85 although in a losing cause. It was because the management thought of him as an allrounder who can fill only that slot reserved for an allrounder. An allrounder who was not good enough to retain his spot despite good innings.

At best, he is the 6^th bowler in the team. He is just like Steven Smith. I am not saying that Sundar’s batting is as good as Smith’s though he can measure upto that level through sheer dedication and commitment. The skill part is anyway taken care of. Smith started his career as a leg-spinning lower-order hitter. His bowling was downright atrocious. It took him sometime to realise that he is better off concentrating on his batting and forgetting his bowling. The results are there for all to see. Smith is currently among the best in the business.

Sundar must concentrate on batting

Sundar is in a similar boat. He must forget his bowling and concentrate on batting. He has all kinds of shots and can succeed against any bowler anywhere. After the twin innings in Australia, he played another match-winning innings, in that same series against England on drastically spinning pitches. In such a short career so far, he has shown how good he is. If at all he has a weakness, it is on his mind. Perhaps he thinks that with so many batsmen competing for 5 positions, he can lay claim to the allrounder’s role for which the competition is limited. If that is so, he must change his thinking because he is good enough to compete against other batsmen for one of the top 5 spots. Remember, he opens the batting for Tamil Nadu.

Conclusion to Ravi Shastri’s views on Sundar and T20

Shastri is correct when he says that Sundar will have to improve his fitness. Fitness nowadays in sports is non-negotiable. Indian bowlers have benefitted from improved fitness. Similarly, if Sundar longs to play the longest format and score tons of runs, he must remain in peak fitness. A stop-start career will neither do him good nor the team. The left hander’s grace, he has it in him naturally. Now, everything depends on him and solid backing from the team management so that his full potential can be realised for the benefit of Indian cricket.

I know this is quite lengthy. So I will write about Shastri’s take on T20 in another blog.