A FORGETTABLE EPISODE
An avoidable reality show
The 'coach drama' involved the whos who of Indian cricket. © AFP
The appointment of the coach of the national cricket team shouldn't normally be accompanied by a sense of relief. Optimism, maybe, expectation, lesser so, but relief? And yet, the drama that was played out was so forgettable that relief is a perfectly justifiable, if disappointing, feeling to possess.
The job of a coach is important but often, that importance is over-stated given the almost universal acceptance that the team belongs to the captain. But I got the feeling from everything that was unravelling, and I must admit I saw it from afar, that the coach was going to win India a World Cup final by getting 100 off the last 5 overs. When intrigue is such an intimate neighbour to the simple process of a simple appointment, you don't need a doctor to tell you that there is a problem.
There will always be disagreement, even violently contradictory views, when a group of passionate people come together but such disagreements need not be played out in the public eye. But this became a reality show, played out on television in a series of episodes and it involved some of India's finest, most respected cricketers. Kumble, Shastri, Sehwag, Ganguly, Tendulkar, Laxman, Dravid, Zaheer Khan.....this is a who's who of Indian cricket. This is a group that you must celebrate, must look up to. Instead, they got trapped in a sordid drama.
The Cricket Advisory Committee, after having identified an excellent candidate in Anil Kumble, now finds itself merely vetting a captain's choice. And whatever the compulsions behind the parts offered to Sehwag, Dravid and Zaheer, it left Indian cricket looking a bit silly. I don't know if Sehwag was asked to apply but I do hope he wasn't because if indeed he was, he has been let down. Nobody can take a spot for granted, but if you are asked to apply, presumably there is a reason. And I would be angry if I was Dravid or Zaheer, two people possessed not just of the stature but also of the temperament to do the job it seems they were picked for. Or, as it turns out, for a position they are not wanted in.
It was baffling. And it was extremely unnecessary.
Hopefully, the dust will settle and we will get on with focussing on the playing of cricket, a sport that now seems to be possessed of fewer twists and turns (though I fear that media interest may now rest more with office intrigues than with on-field strategies!) And, hopefully too, we will soon have one entity running Indian cricket with clearly demarcated roles and lines of authority.
Inevitably, we must ask if this forgettable episode could have been avoided. Remember it started with the coach and the captain not agreeing on a few things. (Or maybe earlier when one coach was replaced by another which is the subject of another tale, I suspect!). Disagreements are normal, as people in long marriages can confirm, but they needn't lead to a divorce. I believe, a tough, full time manager could have nipped this in the bud. Kumble is a legend, Kohli is on his way towards becoming one but both are passionate about India winning. And both are good at their job. A tough, pro-active manager could have sat them down, asked them to iron out differences, state the reasons for the prickliness and left both with the job of winning matches. I know it sounds simplistic but managers do it all the time. That is why I am happy to see the posts of full-time, long-term managers being envisaged.
For too long, an important job has been diminished in importance by the people selected to man it. Some years ago, while on tour, I saw an elderly gentleman in the team hotel in an India blazer. I said to one of the players "Do you know who that man is, I don't seem to know." The player laughed. "He is our manager apparently, I hadn't seen him before either!". A manager like that could never have summoned Kohli and Kumble to clear the air. I hope there is enough time spent on that appointment and we look beyond cricketers who might have fine stats alongside their name but have no experience in running teams. This is a man-manager's position, not of someone who knows the right speed at which to bowl an off break on a fifth day pitch.
Hopefully the cricket will take minds away from episodes such as this but unless there are rigorous norms laid down and responsibilities assigned, the soap will recommence with newer characters.
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