India not going forward - Geoffrey Boycott

[King]

More... India not going forward India needs to develop dual-purpose players, writes Geoffrey Boycott To lose a match that you should have won can be pretty soul-destroying, and I would think India’s bowlers must be particularly demoralised to have let England off the hook after having them at the brink of defeat. The cardinal rule of any sport is to not allow a fallen opponent to rise and India broke it mainly due to lack of finishing skills. Had I been in Dravid’s position, I would have continued with the seamers instead of allowing the spinners to bowl exten sively. But I feel for Dravid. He isn’t a bad captain, and it is unfair to blame him for India’s recent string of poor performances in ODIs. A general can only be as good as his troops, and the sad truth is that Dravid, who to begin with is not a born leader as Sourav Ganguly was, is further hampered by the scantiness of the resources at his disposal. Nothing that I have seen of India in this NatWest Series has given me reason to believe that they are going forward. The old failings — poor fielding, lack of athleticism and fitness, lack of mental toughness — are still very evident. And I have to reiterate what I have said many times in the past — stop treating a player like a star after just a couple of good performances. The adulation and the money can go to their heads and make them forget that they are here for a purpose — to replace three of the world’s greatest batsmen, and one of India’s champion bowlers. I refer, of course, to Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid, and Anil Kumble. The big three For the past decade, the big three of Indian batting have carried the team forward. Particularly glorious was the Tendulkar-Ganguly partnership, which at its peak was the best ODI partnership in the world by far, covering a multitude of the team’s sins. Now, as the tired legs seek rest, where’s the next batting or bowling sensation coming from? And that’s only one part of the story. What India really need to do is develop dual-purpose players, a term that I prefer to all-rounders. I believe it is time India came out of the ‘batsmen and spinners’ mentality and began grooming dual-purpose players and fielders from the National Cricket Academy at Bangalore that I hear Dav Whatmore will run for a while. If you don’t have these, and you are fielding badly, you really ought not to be playing one-day cricket.Of course, all this can’t happen overnight and India go to Headingley down 3-1, but it’s time someone took a long-term view of Indian cricket instead of the team lurching from series to series. As of now, they can try a few different things — such as sending Dhoni in at No. 3 instead of in a lost cause at six — and get Yuvraj and Dravid to follow, but these are cosmetic changes that will not hide the real malaise.

[King]

A column related to the 2nd ODI but still a decent read.

[zubinpepsi]

valid points... well said.. if only those nutheads in BCCI can understand these things.. btw never knew tht whatmore is gonna run NCA... thts a good thing if its true

[Chandan]

valid points... well said.. if only those nutheads in BCCI can understand these things..

Very valids points. And at least in ODIs, India should start looking at the future and the larger picture. But can we expect BCCI to to even have a vision, forget about working according to one??? The fielding standards of India has been alarming in this ODI series, so much so that I can't see India bowling as it leaves my blood boiling!! How can they improve there? India certainly needs a good, hard, firm and fair coach with a long rope who concentrates only on building a team up for future.

btw never knew tht whatmore is gonna run NCA... thts a good thing if its true

Is it true??

[Predator_05]

India certainly needs a good' date=' hard, firm and fair coach with a long rope who concentrates only on building a team up for future.[/quote'] India had a coach like that in Greg Chappell. Unfortunately the "good, hard, firm and fair" type coaches can't survive in India.

[Chandan]

India had a coach like that in Greg Chappell. Unfortunately the "good' date=' hard, firm and fair" type coaches can't survive in India.[/quote'] He was not fair, nor did he concentrate only on the team building. Otherwise he'd not have made news in media. We need a coach, not a drama queen!! The man had zero man-management skill, zero integrity, and zero self-control. Anyone who leaked inside information to the media, and showed the bird in public (no matter what the provocation, you don't do such a classless thing) has no place coaching. GC was not a successful coach before he was hired by the BCCI (had no track record as a successful coach), was not one when in India, and will likely never be one. As an aside, it has always been my contention that a superstar cricketer is rarely a good coach. GC is a shining example of that.

[Cricketics]

o come on chandan.. don't start that chappel bashing again.. we didn't have much success under chappel in world cup so that doesn't mean he wasn't fair.. how do u know he didn't concentrate on teamz building.... Indian teamz winning percentage or defeat percentage would never justifiy ones coaching skills..

[Anakin]

Simply because he broke up the team spirit. Every coach and every player know fielding is important, and the effort started earnestly from Wright era. All GC did was playing with players' careers, making a batsman out of a potentially good bowler, and what not.

[Chandan]

o come on chandan.. don't start that chappel bashing again.. we didn't have much success under chappel in world cup so that doesn't mean he wasn't fair.. how do u know he didn't concentrate on teamz building.... Indian teamz winning percentage or defeat percentage would never justifiy ones coaching skills..

Cricketics, I supported Chappell till the end of SA series but after that whatever happened, especially in media, and as players came out against him openly after WC, that too a player like Sachin Tendulkar who NEVER speaks against anyone forced me to think that Chappell was indeed being unfair and he didn't have the best for team at heart. And I didn't bring Chappell in this thread!

[Anakin]

I don't blame everything on GC, a coach can't be solely responsible for the failure of the team, but come on, this guy was present after every good performance and sent RD alone when they sucked, he was proven as a liar in public, started up the blame game to save his back every single time. I'll take SCG/SRT/or RD's words over his anytime anyday.

[Predator_05]

He was not fair, nor did he concentrate only on the team building. Otherwise he'd not have made news in media. We need a coach, not a drama queen!!

Yes, he was a media wh0re but you can't deny that he wasn't building a team for the future. Hence why he got rid of Ganguly and Laxman, playing the likes of Raina and Yuvraj in their place. Not to mention the wholesale changes seen in the bowling attack. He handpicked Sreesanth and RPS even though their FC records were nothing special at the time. The intent was there, but in a country where fans don't have a clue how to support a team and have their own "favorite" players that was never going to go down well.

[THX_1138]

He was not fair, nor did he concentrate only on the team building. Otherwise he'd not have made news in media. We need a coach, not a drama queen!!

when you need to fill 24 hours with news coverage... my eccentric puppy could have been the center of the coverage had he made even the most fleeting of all inflamatory remarks. the media whores hounded the team during their practice with directional cameras and bullshit.

[Chandan]

Let us forget Chappell and look forward. As Dravid said, we need someone who can adapt himself in India like Wright did, yet be a hard task master without creating much drama. Its not impossible to find one, is it?? And the selectors should take some hard decisions in the coming home series and look to rest each senior for at least 5 of the 12 ODIs, one at a time, at home, so that the youngsters get a chance.

watever good we are in the ODIs its because of the big three and yuvraj.. so dropping them is not moving forward.. Young blood needs to be groomed but in a gradual manner..

Yes. That is why I said, in the coming 12 ODIs at home, Rest Sachin in first 5 ODIs, Play him in other 7. Rest Ganguly in last 3 matches vs Aus and first 2 matches vs Pak. Rest Dravid in all the 5 matches vs Pak. Or any way you want, rest each of the three separately in 5 ODIs each, one at a time, so that places for younger ones are created and they are tested!

[Brainfade]

Let us forget Chappell and look forward. As Dravid said, we need someone who can adapt himself in India like Wright did, yet be a hard task master without creating much drama. .

Easier said than done, friend! Good advice, though. It's time to move on.

[bigdhoni7]

is there even one good coach out in india that the bcci could sign up? i would love to see a guy like ajay jadeja but the bcci would never pull the trigger considering his past.

[Chandan]

Ajay Jadeja is not a coach. Neither has he done the coaching course, nor has he coached any side.

[veer]

I have said this before.. we wiil go forward only when BIG 3 will retire on their own.. I dont like to say it.. but everything is tied to those 3.. they are good and all.. but they are blocking too many answers to queris.. (I am talking about ODIs only)

[simba28]

watever good we are in the ODIs its because of the big three and yuvraj.. so dropping them is not moving forward.. Young blood needs to be groomed but in a gradual manner..

[King Tendulkar]

We only have 3 over 30s in the team. Hardly an old team. The rest are under 30.

[Guest dada_rocks]

Man young guns ( they were more lathi less gun) failed that's why pros have returned..