Let Shastri be given full reign

Short-term measures are meaningless, writes Makarand Waingankar

Gauging the mood of the people in the country, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has acted swiftly by handing over the Indian team to one of the shrewdest cricketers, Ravi Shastri. The BCCI has done the right thing by picking Shastri for the job.

One always wondered what were some highly regarded thinkers of the game such as Gavaskar, Shastri, Ganguly and Dravid doing in the commentary box while Team India’s woes increased as the series progressed? Now that the decision has been made, one hopes that Shastri remains the Director of the team till the end of the 2015 World Cup and that he is given full reign by the BCCI to choose the support staff of the team. Short-term measures are meaningless.

As Director of the team, Shastri will have to identify faults and take steps to rectify it. The Indian batting is in a mess. The great writer Sir Neville Cardus once wrote about Sir Jack Hobbs, “There could be an error of judgment in gauging the length and line of the ball but there could never be an error of grammar (technique) on his part.” Indian batsmen have forgotten the grammar.

However, the problem does not seem to be of technique alone. In hindsight one feels a mental conditioning coach ought to have accompanied the team. Test cricket is not merely about executing skills but doing it repeatedly under pressure. The five-match series has really tested the Indian line-up physically and mentally. At the international level, one needs to add an iron-clad temperament to one’s game. Unlike its Australian and English counterparts the BCCI has been dragging its feet on making tough decisions for a while now. The BCCI has addressed this issue at least in part by making Shastri the Director of the team. If for some reason Shastri is not keen to continue as Director, Ganguly should replace him. Like Shastri, he too has the knack of getting the job done. 

Importance of TRDW

Let’s not forget, Indian cricket changed its course only after the BCCI introduced the Talent Resources Development Wing (TRDW) in 2002. Had not TRDW been formed, Dhoni who had played four years of first class cricket till 2002 would have been missed. Similarly, talents from small towns were identified and nurtured through India ‘A’ tours.

The problem now is not with the talent but in making the transition from the domestic to the international level. The transition does not happen overnight and the domestic structure must aid players in preparing for it.

The pitches in India do not allow our players to make the transition to the next level; this despite having trained curators. How will the problem be solved by playing knockout matches at neutral venues? In England former international cricketers are appointed Match Referees with full power to dock points on the spot for poor pitches. Here, Match Referees are required to submit the reports.

The BCCI can have the top 10 teams in the elite group of the Ranji Trophy compete in five-day matches from the league stage onwards. The addition of a day of 90 overs makes a difference to the strategy management of the team. Shastri’s suggestion of including two foreign international fast bowlers in each Ranji side will also go a long way towards the development of players.

Setting up such systems is the need of the hour for long-term prosperity of Indian cricket rather than knee-jerk reactions of firing the captain or questioning the talent India has. After all if the TRDW is proof of anything it is that having proper grass-root level systems produce results. Let us hope that the BCCI and the players do not forget their lessons due to temporary success in the past.