Yesterday, the victory of the Indian cricket team against England at Edgbaston had been a well-deserved one. The joy and jubilation of the Indian team and their fans simply brushed away all the pains and agony of the tumultuous times which this cricket crazy nation had suffered for the last two years or so. The Indian fans have witnessed their favourite men surrender meekly in abroad and, as well as, at home while the recent spot-fixing debacle had totally demoralized them and to relive their spirit this win was like fresh monsoon rain.
Like the fans, the Indian cricket team needed this win as
well. They traveled to England without the renowned names and there was doubt
whether this young unit would be able to fight like a champion in English
conditions and maintain their mental stability amid the spot-mixing fiasco.
Hardly anyone wished to put their money on the Indian team. But this young
Indian unit proved everyone wrong. With a Daabang-like-mojo India lifted the
trophy and taught everyone a lesson about how to travel through the ugly
transition period.
During those terrible days, the voices were vociferous to
remove captain MS Dhoni. And at that point of time I wrote a piece in support
of MS Dhoni in cricketsoccer stating that it won’t be wise to sack your tried
and tested captain but have faith in him. As in any transition period there
occurs a situation where one has to play without the services of the stars
whose retirements create a vacuum which is hard to fill in the twinkle of an
eye. And for which you need an experienced captain to build your team. In that
sense, it was wise enough to keep faith in captain MS Dhoni. BCCI kept their
faith in Dhoni.
MS Dhoni has paid back the price of keeping the faith in
him. He handled the tough situations with enough composure and never
concentrated on the mounting conundrums but stuck to the task of building a
young side into a formidable unit. Dhoni has been successful. He has delivered
his nation the moment to relish.
But aren’t we forgetting another person’s immense
contribution alongside MS Dhoni? That person too shared an equal amount of
angry response alongside Dhoni during those terrible days. He is none but the
Indian team’s coach Duncan Fletcher.
People are praising Dhoni and his men but surprisingly no
one is talking about Duncan Fletcher. Why? Has not Duncan been a big support
for MS Dhoni during those periods of frustration? Has not Duncan been like a
father to this young Indian team? Has not Duncan Fletcher been an architect
alongside Dhoni in transforming this youngistaan into world-beaters? To speak
the truth, Duncan Fletcher has been instrumental in building this Indian team.
And don’t dare to forget this Zimbabwean maestro but he should be equally
praised. Duncan’s chemistry with team India has gelled well – the fighting
attitude is back, the hunger for success has been relived and the zest to win
at any cost has been reinstalled amongst these men. My instincts tell me that
the wily old Zimbabwean coach has a big role in galvanizing this Indian unit.
While the chemistry between Duncan Fletcher and team India
has gelled well, on the other hand, in Australia, Mickey Arthur’s chemistry
with the Kangaroos didn’t go well. This morning I came to know that he has been
sacked as Australia’s coach just two weeks before the start of the Ashes.
Former Australia batsman Darren Lehmann, the Queensland coach who is in England
with the Australia A team, will take over from Arthur.
I feel sorry for Mickey Arthur as he is a brilliant coach
and was highly successful in making the Proteas as one of the best Test sides
in world cricket. But with the Australian unit, his theories and work ethics
weren’t working at all. Apart from horrifying defeats, the Australian team was
dishing out controversies off the field which were absolutely unexpected from
such a professional unit. A vicious and poisonous circle developed between the
players, captain and coach which made the Australian cricket to suffer big
time. Sadly, Mickey Arthur failed to be a father to his team like Duncan
Fletcher during Australia’s transition period. His understanding developed
neither with the captain nor with the players nor with the Australian cricket’s
authority.
But again, just two weeks before the start of such an
important series this sudden decision to sack Arthur is not pleasant at all.
What actually made the Australian authority to take such a drastic decision
remains a moot question. Such actions indicate that the problems are deeper and
require perfect solutions. The appointment of Darren Lehman should have been
earlier. Or, I should say, there was no need for a South African in the Aussie
camp? As only an Aussie will know what is needed for the well being of
Australian cricket.
You might question me if I could invest my trust in Fletcher
then why not on Arthur? My answer would be that Arthur lacks the composure of
Duncan. In managing egos Duncan is a master. Duncan is friendly with the
egoistic personalities while Arthur tried to be a high school headmaster with
them. And with the Australians, you can’t be like that. To build an Australian
unit you need to handle the egos by creating a friendly atmosphere, an
atmosphere where beers will flow and smile will play. The headmaster like
attitude isn’t for the Aussies. A trusted and friendly atmosphere is much
needed for the Aussies and only an Aussie can provide this. Only an Australian
coach can rekindle the lost Australian mojo.
Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer on 24/06/2013 Well done MS Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher while goodbye Mickey Arthur
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
No comments:
Post a Comment