Saturday, October 15, 2005

VERBOSE VERDICT

VERBOSE VERDICT

(Karthik Narayan)

When men go verbal, the consumption of oxygen from the blood is more, so it leads to a little discomfort when they have finished speaking their hearts, and venting their frustrations. When it comes to cricketers, it has a dual effect - It also consumes enough time and energy within the team, brings about a hole in one shot for the team just bowling them over for the wrong reasons.

Team India has been going through that very phase where every alternate day some press conference comes out involving every cricketer. Move over Sehwag, Dravid, in comes the skipper himself and what does he have to say? Yes, more about his own woes and adding skin to the fire as a sacrificial lamb near the pyre, he tells us all that he was asked to step down.

Now, what does that signify? There is a need to iron out all faults and move forward, not push ourselves on to the backfoot and discuss dirty politics with the public. There is a saying that “In every household there are problems; it is the magnitude and the manner in which they are resolved that matter”.

Solving your own problems within your own background is what is the advice to Ganguly and Co. by going verbal at this stage, we are not only spoiling our own cricket, we are also involving too much debate over a silly matter. Greg Chappell and Ganguly may discuss anything at all within their own private spaces, it may range from the price of a shirt to which are the hottest places to visit in Kolkata. We as spectators, fans and what not are least bothered about what happens within closed doors.

Take the example of Shane Warne. I mean what turbulence he was going through before the Ashes – his life was devastated torn apart, his face was all over the tabloids, anything and everything he said was used against him. yet, and yet again he performed and let his cricket do the talking. And HOW! 40 wickets and the top batsman for his side, and magnificent spells of spin bowling. He never let his head down and that is what we seek from the cricketers.

No matter what the family issues are, no matter what the turmoil in the mind may be, cricketers are also humans yes. But it is their duty to play as cricketers when they are on the field of play.

Come on guys, put aside all the bickering and play some good cricket for a change..