Indian board needs to follow the Australian example

MANCHESTER: The survival of those who have been running the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for decades has been directly dependant on its financial success.

Only then can they distribute largesse, which in turn fetches them votes for elections. It's a rotten system, wholly against India's national interest.

In the 1980s, Australia was in the doldrums. Indeed, India was unlucky to be deprived of a Test series victory, which has never occurred till date Down Under, in 1985-86 as it rained at both Melbourne and Sydney when they were within sight of making history.

The Australians bounced back because they were prepared to sacrifice short-term benefit for long-term gain. In short, the Australian authorities endured the pain of fielding young, inexperienced players to build a bright future.

BCCI officials are petrified of pursuing such a path.

No big names and a succession of defeats may lead to sponsorship drying up, and with it, the cash flow to the affiliated associations. The net result: an ouster at September's annual general meeting.   

It's difficult to prescribe a remedy for the predicament of Indian fielding.

There is no assembly line of talent ready to replace the established batsmen. At the same time, the likes of Manoj Tewari and Rohit Sharma need to be tried out, while good fielders like Mohammed Kaif and Suresh Raina require to be kept in the reckoning. Otherwise, Indian cricket runs the risk of plunging into a bottomless pit. 

The most important engagement for India in the foreseeable future is the Test series in Australia. And Pakistan visits India before that.

Key players need to be kept fresh for the Tests. Victory in Australia would be the most prestigious in the history of Indian cricket.
The Indian selectors must, therefore, rest senior cricketers and thereby, phase in a new generation in the one-day internationals (ODIs).

As of now, those who need to be wrapped in cotton wool before the visit to Australia are Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Zaheer Khan, V.V.S. Laxman and Anil Kumble.

To nurse the last two is elementary as they no longer figure in the ODIs. As for the others, either Tendulkar or Ganguly should feature in ODIs, not both. In other words, one of the two can be paired with an up-and-coming opener or Virender Sehwag, if he regains his touch.

Besides, the wicket-keeper-batsman slot could be rotated between Dhoni and Karthik. And Khan deserves time off to eradicate his niggles.

The Dravid issue is more problematic.

However, the solution could be for him to bat lower down the order, as well as skip the odd match, with either Tendulkar or Dhoni leading. Ceaseless cricket, since he assumed the captaincy, has resulted in Dravid, rather unusually, not scoring a Test century in South Africa last winter and in England this summer.

The system of compensation needs to change. Those on central contracts should not suffer financially, if they are given a break. Instead, individual and team bonuses for good performances need to be instituted.

For the time being, though, there is no room for manoeuvre. Down 1-2 in the seven-match ODI series in England, India have no choice other than to persist with their heavy artillery in the day-nighter at Old Trafford Thursday.

There is one batsman too many in the touring party, whereas the choice between Munaf Patel and Ajit Agarkar has, unexpectedly, become an unenviable one. Rudra Pratap Singh, too, has been inconsistent.