Indian Cricket Team - Now at Where It Belongs

I am not sure how many of us ardent cricket fans of Indian expect India to lift the world cup this time. For all those fans, the Indian team had their answer in the match against Bangladesh and Srilanka. This is what will happen when a bunch of models represent the nation for the cricket world cup. Any thing that need specilised skills should be done with passion. These guys are not passionate about cricket, but about the money they earn out of it. They spend more time in the shooting spots and studios than in the nets.

Consider the match against Srilanka. They needed to chase a moderate total of 254. Considering the hype that India has one of the best batting line up and we have 3 of the so-called best batsmen in the world, it is a meak surrender. Tendulkar came in when the scope was at 43/2. How come can he get out for such an ordinary ball from Fernando. He knows it is a crunch game and we need some good partnerships to turn the game. But he didn't seem to have had a thought of how important it is. If he is not able to concentrate and deliver when needed, what is the use of all the hype around him. Why should he be playing at the hightest level of any game. Just for promoting the lables in his bats ?! Very bad. Yuvraj Singh did play some good cricket in the last 2 matches. But the way he got out in the match is too silly .

I don't understand why Agarkar and Harbajan are in the team at all. Anyone can bowl 10 overs and give 50 odd runs. At the highest leve of the game, we don't need a specialized bowler slots wasted for that. They certainily should have delivered better. How does Agarkar justifies bowling 3 full toss deliveries in the last over of the game. Did he have any plan for getting the batsman out or restricting him. I hope any seasoned street bowler would have a better plan for their bowling. With such performance in the team, they certainly don't derserve to be in the super-8. They are left at where it belongs to.

It is the selectors who should take the responsibility for such a dismal performance of the team. They certainly cannot justify selection of people like Agarkar or even Tendulkar. If they have any concern for the tens of millions of Indians watching cricket, the BCCI should revamp the selection board first. They should have a new bowling and batting coach. The team should be selected afreash. The team should have people who have fire in the belly to perform. They should have strict norms on minimum time the players are needed to spend on the nets. Also, the time they spend in studios should be restricted so that it doesn't affect their practice hours.

It is a blessing in disguise for India to have been eliminated even before the super-8 stage. Had India qualified for the super-8 stage, it might have given a false sence of well being of the team. Even if India have had got eliminated in the super-8 stage, the need for a revamp of the selection board and team may not be felt as much as it is now. The BCCI should take this opportunity to revamp the system here.

On a not so lighter note, there are many a good things about the elimination. To mention a few...

1) Getting out an early stage leaves most of us Indians lesser prone to BP.
2) We get to watch some good quality cricket with the non consistent teams getting out.
3) Indians don't need to waste time watching the team play and expecting India to come with the cup, only to seem them goof up at the later stages.
4) These guys have their levels known and be trimmed.

Leadership - The Monkey Way

There was a family of 4, a couple and two children, living in America. There was also another important member of the family. It was a monkey. The monkey was so much involved with the family that it used to share the same living place with the family and also traveled with the family everywhere.

Once the family went to a cocktail party. The monkey too joined them. The couple were enjoying the drinks and the children the cakes and chocolates. The monkey too had a good time with cakes and fruits. The party ended and family started traveling back home. All of a sudden, there was something happening in the car and the car soon stopped after hitting a huge tree.

Soon, all the members of the family were in the ICU. The investigating office wanted to find the reason for the accident. But the officer couldn't get any information as all the members of the family was unconscious. The only traveler who was in a position to provide some info was the monkey. So, the officer went to the monkey and gestured to mean "what was the head of the family doing when the accident happened". The monkey gestures to mean that "the gentle man was kissing". The officer gestured to ask "what the lady was doing". The monkey replied back with the same act. Now the officer gestured to find what the children were doing. The monkey replied back with a pose of a sleeping child. The officer got curious and wanted to know what the monkey was doing. The monkey replied back with the posture of a driver. The officer understood that monkey was left to handle the wheels while the couple had a nice time kissing. All these years, we know this as a very good joke.

The joke apart, there is a good learning in this with regard to leadership and management. If the correct person, doesn't take the leadership when neeeded or if the team trusts the leadership position with some one unequiped for the position, it will be a disaster for the entire team.

In the above scenario, the head of the family is the one who has the management capability (the skill to drive the car). He, in an inebriated state, neglects his duty and trusted the monkey to do his job. This in turn lead to the accident which hurts even the passive members in the team, the children.

Also, it is the responsibility of a true leader to snatch the leadership position when needed. If the correct person doesn't take the leadership position, the wrong person would chip in and will lead to a disaster for the entire team. So, it is important that the true leader takes the leadership position in the greater interest of himself and also the team as whole.

Applying the same paradigm to our political, social and economic scenarios, Are we not playing the role of either the children or the couple and our leaders that of the monkey ?. Yes of couse. We in many a ways are not happy about our social and economic environment. But how many of us dare to take the leadership position to drive the change we need. When we are complain how those things affect us in innumorous ways, most of us have just been mute spectators to what is happending around us. So, not just the leaders (monkey), but also us (the couple and children) are to be blamed for the way our country is now. So, the next time you complain about anything, think about how you can change it. For sure, you will either find a solution or atleast you would stop complaining.