Some thoughts on SL tour selection and test matches

[The Outsider]

Right from the moment I walked out of home into another sultry New York morning, I just did not like much about the day. After the long weekend, I was dreading Monday, but as most things you are anxious about the most, the day went by without much damage to my psyche. Today, starting from a semi groggy awakening, to an incredibly humid day, and a little sprinkling of extra traffic thrown in, things just never felt right. A glance at ICF told me that the Indian test squad had been announced and instead of reading opinions I first decided to check out the facts by opening a new tab on my browser which took me to cricinfo. As always the leaked stories and rumors proved right, and Dhoni had indeed withdrawn from the tour. I quickly ran my eyes through the team and was disappointed though not surprised to see Badrinath missing, "Damn you Vengicircus, not effing again". Well at least Yuvraj was not selected to embarrass the poor chap in case he did get a game against Murali and Mendis, "Vengicircus might not be the smartest guy around, but hey he is merciful". Rohit Sharma - what's this chap doing in the side? Where are honest hard workers of the domestic team - Badrinath and Mishra? It was time to saunter to the cafeteria to get my customary bottle of water and pass some fake smiles as I walked past vaguely familiar faces running the squad in my head. Then it hit me, "Parhtiv Patel - what are you doing in there and Karthik, the world record holder from his last test". Well someone had to be chosen to keep wickets if Dhoni was too tired. But why was Dhoni so tired? My mind ran back to some article on cricinfo which had detailed how Dhoni was the busiest cricketer in the world. What a time to take a break, "Our country is playing a TEST match and this guy decides to put his feet up and watch it on TV". And the irony struck me immediately - here I was sauntering in some office in New York thousands of miles from India expecting someone else to put the country ahead of money. Naah, hypocrisy isn't for me and I immediately understood his reasons, "What's the point risking injury to a tired body in front of a few hundred people in a contest lasting 5 days when captaincy in the flagship event of the year and the money spinning bonanza of the year like a month away". I would have admired him for playing the test series but can't grudge him withdrawing from it. So what's next for test cricket, I thought. A pretty bleak future and a danger of becoming a stepping stone for fringe players on their path to T20 and IPL fame and success, "Yup enjoy it while it lasts - feel lucky that you are the last generation to have savored the game in it's full glory". Back on cricinfo, Ponting became my hero as these thoughts were going in my brain.

"A few 50-over games will make way for 20-over cricket but I'd hate to see it touch Test cricket," he said. "Right at the moment, (Test cricket) is probably not in its healthiest state. I think it's up to all of us to make sure that we're putting on a good enough spectacle to bring crowds back to the game."

What a man! What a statement! What intent! I nearly forgave him for bickering, cheating and whining throughout the Australian summer. Here was a man willing to make the tough statements and their still might be some hope for test cricket, "If all these influential cricketers make such bold statements surely test matches can't just fritter away into 'A' tours". After all the ICC is also formulating a test championship to popularize test matches. Optimism took hold of my mind again till a thread on ICF claiming Dhoni has been nominated as a khel ratna recipient snuffed it out in one go. How are ICC going to popularize test cricket when the big bully of the ICC, India, is doing everything to undermine it?! If test cricket cannot offer money in face of the fierce commercialization of T20 at least it could have been a vehicle for critical recognition and fame, much like the art movies which are still used to judge who the best actors and directors are, "Nope the BCCI, the fans, and the country has made it's choice clear - test cricket must die". To achieve that goal we have no compunctions in ignoring the sweat, hard work, competitiveness, and success of champions like Dravid, Kumble, and Ganguly, "What kind of a ghisa pita image are we going to show if we start honoring oldies who can't even find a spot in the shorter, glamorous editions of the sport. That's just like, so, not cool" And so the day ended in a low which I am venting out right now. Despite the ICC's lip service and the genuine concern of some older players like Ponting, test cricket doesn't have a lot left. When test squads are chosen based on T20 performances, when national team captains skip tests to preserve themselves for T20s, when the highest national sport awards are given to ephemeral T20 heroes over decade long test match performers, and when all this receives a standing ovation from cricket fans, it's no longer a question of if but when...........

[Cricketics]

read the whole anecdote shwetabh, brilliant write up i myself have been pretty disappointed to see players like Mishra, Badrinath missing out.

[punjabi_khota]

Three words sum up my thoughts about your article: OVER THE TOP. I have said enough already in other threads and so have you, atleast I don't need to say it again. Although, one thing we haven't discussed so far is how does this effect Dhoni's future test captaincy chances. Is there anyone who you see could take over Kumble, in lets say, two years ? Sehwag,Zaheer are the only two seniors but not super seniors in the team right now.

[cowboysfan]

I have to look forward to 100 degree days every day till september in texas.I dont think anybody in NY should complain.I agree with every thing you sais but I think test cricket will survive somehow.It always has.

[cowboysfan]

I dont think Dhoni should be Test captain.he already plays too much cricket.I hope we find somebody else but that might be difficult.

[satishg]

well i just feel that u are reading too much into this Dhonis voluntary absence Shwetabh..agreed missing a test series has not been a norm for an Indian player and this is the first time i have seen a top player asking for rest..but then he has been complaining that there is too much cricket being played right from the CB series..and since the BCCI had said that it is now possible for players to opt out he has taken this decision..i sincerely feel that test cricket is the true lifeline of cricket and it will survive this glamour appeal of 20 20 jus like it did wen the ODIs were first introduced..

[fineleg]

I think MSD should be dropped from the Test squad for all Tests in 2008-2009. If he misses playing Test cricket, let him work his way in during 2010. If he doesnt care, just throw him out of Tests and move on. Test cricket need not pause for folks like MSD who played IPL and flew everyday on flights non-stop for IPL but decide to pause only when Tests start. He should have taken a break LOT EARLIER, not now but $$$$$

[The Outsider]

well i just feel that u are reading too much into this Dhonis voluntary absence Shwetabh..agreed missing a test series has not been a norm for an Indian player and this is the first time i have seen a top player asking for rest..but then he has been complaining that there is too much cricket being played right from the CB series..and since the BCCI had said that it is now possible for players to opt out he has taken this decision..i sincerely feel that test cricket is the true lifeline of cricket and it will survive this glamour appeal of 20 20 jus like it did wen the ODIs were first introduced..

BCCI had given the option for a rest a long time back. Clearly, IPL rupees and ODI position are better return on investment for him and he was well within his rights to make the choice. It also clearly shows how T20s are slowly but surely becoming the premier cricketing format.

[punjabi_khota]

Hypothetically, lets say Karthik score lets say 2 centuries, will Dhoni be recalled to test team for next tour ? Should he be ? Keep in mind future captaincy issues.

[Ram]

Agree with everything except the Dhoni part. He's been a tireless soldier, playing monumental amounts of cricket in the last one year. To claim that he skipped a test series just so that he can be part of more attractive tournaments is just not right.

[satishg]

BCCI had given the option for a rest a long time back. Clearly' date= IPL rupees and ODI position are better return on investment for him and he was well within his rights to make the choice. It also clearly shows how T20s are slowly but surely becoming the premier cricketing format.

well that i din know..but still he aggravated his injury in IPL and then although he recovered he felt the taxing schedule taking a toll on his body during the Asia cup..well im not trying to defend Dhoni here but wat im trying to say is had he been injury free and if the schedule of the Asia cup been much better maybe he mite have played the test series..well this is jus my thots..i can be wrong..wat u are saying mite be true also..so Dhoni mite have not thot of missing the test series while playing in IPL..its jus that he feels his body needs some rest and hence he has skipped the test series..i am pretty sure he wouldnt have thought the way you are saying..like ok lets play the 20 20 and the ODis and lets skip the test series..since he has been playing for long he has decided to take this rest..

[Holysmoke]

Lets see what else he could have done. I read somewhere(dont remember the article, but will try to find it) that Dhoni wanted to skip the kitply series and the Asia cup, but played in them at the insistence of the BCCI. He is the captain of the ODI team. Only yuvraj's place in the 11 is secure, along with his. How can a captain abandon his ship, when all of the players in the ODI team are there at his insistence. If we had a senior member, who could guide these players, it would have been a different case. The only way he could take a break and not damage the whole setup was if he quit the Test series. It was a hard decision, but he had to take it. It's not like he's retired from tests or something along those lines. The OP is clearly OTT.

[Dravid]

for the ppl who r saying dhoni is wussing away from tests cus he dosent have a good rec... i am pretty sure he wont be in odi series either...so he is def. tired and wants the rest from both formats

[cowboysfan]

for the ppl who r saying dhoni is wussing away from tests cus he dosent have a good rec... i am pretty sure he wont be in odi series either...so he is def. tired and wants the rest from both formats

I thought that it was only for the tests .are you sure-can somebody(in india) confirm this?.

[Holysmoke]

Only tests. He's the captain of the ODI team for God's sake. He cant pull out of that.

[fineleg]

Only tests. He's the captain of the ODI team for God's sake. He cant pull out of that.

You forget he could have pulled out of Ka...ching...IPL...ka...$$$...ching and have rested and relaxed and healed niggles.

[Chandan]

BCCI had given the option for a rest a long time back. Clearly' date=' IPL rupees and ODI position are better return on investment for him and he was well within his rights to make the choice. It also clearly shows how T20s are slowly but surely becoming the premier cricketing format.[/quote'] Ok Shwetabh, if we go by your thoughts, then tell us one thing. Did you agree that Dhoni badly needed rest since CB series? If yes, then which series should he have opted out from--in your opinion? Or did you want him to get fatigued and then break down finally to be ruled out from all form of cricket for say 4 months? Ok. here an article which relates to your thoughts, but if you want to discuss, I'm ready. A bold withdrawal Siddhartha Vaidyanathan June 9, 2008 Dhoni pulling out of the Sri Lanka Test series is significant for a number of reasons June 9, 2008 I'll sit this one out: Dhoni has been honest about wanting a break, aware of the risks his decision entails © AFP Mahendra Singh¹s Dhoni's decision to volunteer out of India's Test series against Sri Lanka - it is understood that he will be back to lead India in the one-dayers that follow - will raise an obvious question. Why the Test series? Could he have not skipped the Asia Cup and the tri-series in Bangladesh instead? Is this a sign of the times? Seen in another light, it's a decision that can be hailed as pragmatic and brave. As the captain of a young team, Dhoni is the most important member of the one-day side. He is more dispensable in India's Test team, which has the world's most experienced batting line-up. Having said that, he needed the rest. He has been running on empty for a few months, though he's shown little sign of it, and it's a wonder he has carried on for as long as he has without buckling. It's been a 18-month streak that's included 14 Tests, 56 ODIs, eight Twenty20 internationals, and a high-voltage IPL. Everyone acknowledges the threat posed by player burnout but solutions are rarely offered. Players complain of too much cricket, administrators cram the schedules with cricket, players push their bodies to the limit, administrators cram schedules, players break down, and administrators continue to cram schedules. "The only time we get rest is when we get injured," chuckled an Indian fast bowler recently. In the last 15 years, opting out of a series has been the sole preserve of only one Indian cricketer. And he always had the comfort of knowing he could walk back into the side at any point. If Sachin Tendulkar says he's fit - irrespective of what the physio thinks - he plays. Dhoni's Test future isn't set in stone, not by a long way. He is yet to play a match-winning knock and he has thus far been more a sidekick backing up the superheroes ahead of him. As a wicketkeeper he's probably just a shade better than the competition. His Test form has been scratchy recently, and it can be argued that he is taking a risk by allowing another wicketkeeper the chance to show his wares And yet, at a time when cricketers dread being away from the limelight, in a country where public memory is terribly short, Dhoni is sitting out. Instead of flogging his body and risking a major injury, he's chosen to stop and recharge. Most importantly, he has been honest. He wasn't going to play the IPL and discover an injury immediately after; he wasn't going to suddenly develop a "personal problem"; he wasn't going to be part of the side and allow his fatigue to hamper his performance. In withdrawing, he has made a loud statement. It's not been a bolt from the blue. In mid-March, a week before the home series against South Africa, Dhoni was genuinely contemplating sitting out. His back had taken a serious beating during the CB Series in Australia and his fingers were visibly bruised. It was also pretty apparent that the administrators weren't entirely convinced about his fitness - he was not in the initial list of players summoned to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore but was asked to undertake a fitness test in the last minute. Is Dhoni's decision an indicator of players' new priorities? Is there too much of a disparity between the rewards on offer for Twenty20 and Test cricket? Do cricketers need to start choosing which of the three formats they want to concentrate on? Once he chose to play all three Tests, including the final one where he captained India to a series-levelling win, there was no way out. There was simply too much at stake in the IPL (especially after he was valued at US$1.5 million), and the selectors didn't see the need to name a replacement wicketkeeper for the two one-day series that followed. He could have probably chosen to sit out of one of them (if not both) but the challenge of captaincy may have prompted him to play on. Yet, throughout this period he, as well as Gary Kirsten, have talked about the demands on his body. He hasn't shirked the question in press conferences and even clearly hinted that he might pull out after the Asia Cup. While there's a hope that other players will pick up the baton, and take time off judiciously in future, it is quite likely that this will be a one-off. Cricketers not possessed of Dhoni's stature can't quite risk taking such daring decisions. His future in the shorter formats is secure and so colossal is his brand that he can afford to stay away for a while. Had he not been one-day captain, it's tough to imagine him taking such a step. One only hopes the board and the selectors get the message and adopt a rotation policy in the future. Apart from reaffirming the dangers of burnout, Dhoni's decision raises several questions. Is it an indicator of players' new priorities? Is there too much of a disparity between the rewards on offer for Twenty20 and Test cricket? Do cricketers need to start choosing which of the three formats they want to concentrate on? Shouldn't a Test series get precedence over a Future Cup in Madagascar? Dhoni might have opened a Pandora's box but he will be relieved that, for a few weeks at least, he won't need to live out of suitcases.

[yoda]

You forget he could have pulled out of Ka...ching...IPL...ka...$$$...ching and have rested and relaxed and healed niggles.

He couldn't have. Was the highest paid/highly touted player of the inaugural IPL. BCCI wouldn't have let him, plus he isn't dumb to let go 6 crores.

[Holysmoke]

You forget he could have pulled out of Ka...ching...IPL...ka...$$$...ching and have rested and relaxed and healed niggles.

are you stupid?

[satishg]

a very gud article by Siddartha..he has covered Shwetabhs thots as well as ppl like me saying that he needs rest..hope it dispels the notion that Dhoni is a coward Dhoni is this that..he has been running on extra mileage and he jus cant be away from the ODI squad because it is his team and he is the central figure around which the young team revolves around..in tests he is not irreplaceable..so a brave but good move by Dhoni and again an excellent article..