In various newspapers the headlines screams "Dravid in the hot seat...." etc. Another trial by the media, for the media and of the media has come to a satisfying end in true democratic style. I wish I could make a collection of the journalistic savagery that has been paraded for the past year or so. The campaign is over and we finally have a gentleman at helm who is going to please all.
Inspite of all objectivity I cannot but help feel bad for Sourav Ganguly. I have an uncanny liking for that man. The statistics around him and his captaincy does not matter. What matters is the spunk he injected into a bunch of men who made us proud as representatives of us. Rarely has any Indian sportsperson stood up with audacity on the world stage.
I never liked the participation-matters mindset of our country. You play to win. India as a country has a penchant to gag leaders and stifle them into anonimity. We do not display guts and do not like people displaying the same. We hate to see an individual getting mileage. Here the diplomatic and collective majority most often find the means to outdo the farsighted believers who have a vision and guts to follow it.
The Indian media and the cricket officials are used to the docile diplomats. Rarely can people tolerate leaders of men. They get too large for their boots for the comfort of princely types. Leaders like Ganguly have broad shoulderes. They carry responsibility and do not flinch to take the flak. People like him who live by the sword should not mind dieing by it.
So Indian cricket is back on track after 6 long years. We have had enough of leadership. All we need is a captain. Rahul Dravid, an impeccable gentlemen, will don that role. As for Sourav, I do not think he has any thing to prove to anybody. He is a leader of men and cricket anyways is no longer a sport. It is now a game which entertains millions. So it does not need leaders but performers. Sourav should concentrate on something which will utilise his leadership skills for general good.
I thank him for making me proud during all those times when he led from the front... Hat's Off Dada
4 comments:
i am a huge fan of ganguly..but at the same time i think the decision to remove him was correct. he has built a spirited side from scratch. now he should concentrate on his batting. he used to be india's best one day bat and i want to see him back there. dravid's selection was IMHO stupid. He is not aggressive or imaginative enough. If you wanted a team of the future, then why not Kaif? But then the monumental egos of our superstars would have been bruised playing under him..
Earlier when I used to work with the author I also shared the same passion for ganguly and India in general, so to see him stand up for Saurav is only very natural. Where I'd like to differ with him is that, in the latest coach vs captain fiasco Saurav did the wrong thing by speaking to the media. Grossly enough he thought the century had empowered him to talk. Looks like he is trying to prove a point like Heyden and both know they are past their prime.
As of Dravid being the captain I'm not too excited by it, he will try but he will lose most of the games and will say the opposition played well - too much a gentleman!
Well, I will be foolhardy to comment on the coach versus captain issue. Of what little I know of Greg Chappel he is a narcissist to the core. And narcissists never make good team man. All boots fit all theory does not work anywhere.. To describe someone as physically and mentally unfit is but a big statement and hinges on the personal...
As for whether Ganguly is past his prime.. its a difficult thing to comment for me bcoz I dont thing he is past his prime.. by the way when did we last see Sachin Tendulkar making a meaningful contribution to the fortunes of the team??
well..the captain has done it...northern zone all out sub 200..now its up to the batsman sourav..i am rooting for him (pity there's no telecast)..are u?
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