As I watched the Indian cricket team capitulate to an embarrassing innings defeat to Sri Lanka this afternoon, I felt sorry for Kumble and his team, and happy for Indian cricket. I must be out of my mind to be happy about this abject surrender by my team, right?
I am an Indian, and love my country immensely. I have been following international cricket now since 1973. I don’t just follow cricket, I watch it, play it, read it, analyze it, and talk about it with just about everyone who is willing. Though I am proud of what Indian cricket has achieved in the last 15 years, part of me is sad at how much we underachieve.
My experience tells me that as a nation, we do not fix problems until they come to such a pass, that ignoring them is no longer feasible. I am sure every society is guilty of this, but the difference is in degrees. To illustrate my point, look at the traffic in our country. Anyone who has ever driven in, or visited a developed country will understand what I am talking about. I believe that traffic in our country can be streamlined in less than 5 years with a heavy dose of education, enforcement, and a little bit of the Indian ingenuity we are all familiar with. The penalties collected through enforcement can perhaps pay for all the necessary education. All that is required is some leadership, political will, and execution discipline. However I am not optimistic that we will successfully streamline our traffic even in the next 25 years, unless things come to such a pass, that the alternative is unlivable.
So what does all this have to do with Indian cricket? A lot.
By and large, Indian cricket is run by an administration devoid of any professionalism. We will remain underachievers until we industrialize the way cricket is run, and introduce a solid corporate culture in the organization and running of the sport. The IPL is a step in that direction, but in its current form, IPL is more entertainment than serious competitive cricket that is likely to impact how we as a nation perform in cricket in the international arena. Is there any hope that all our cricket will be professionally run, for example like the National Basketball Association in the USA? The chances are slim to none, unless our cricket plunges to depths where the Bangladeshis salivate at the prospect of playing Team India.
Until then, let us all just experience the mediocrity that is Indian cricket. Enjoy the occasional highs, and curse the frequent lows. Or if you want India to be the undisputed kings of international cricket in the long run, just hope and pray that we lose every game we play for the next few years!
I am an Indian, and love my country immensely. I have been following international cricket now since 1973. I don’t just follow cricket, I watch it, play it, read it, analyze it, and talk about it with just about everyone who is willing. Though I am proud of what Indian cricket has achieved in the last 15 years, part of me is sad at how much we underachieve.
My experience tells me that as a nation, we do not fix problems until they come to such a pass, that ignoring them is no longer feasible. I am sure every society is guilty of this, but the difference is in degrees. To illustrate my point, look at the traffic in our country. Anyone who has ever driven in, or visited a developed country will understand what I am talking about. I believe that traffic in our country can be streamlined in less than 5 years with a heavy dose of education, enforcement, and a little bit of the Indian ingenuity we are all familiar with. The penalties collected through enforcement can perhaps pay for all the necessary education. All that is required is some leadership, political will, and execution discipline. However I am not optimistic that we will successfully streamline our traffic even in the next 25 years, unless things come to such a pass, that the alternative is unlivable.
So what does all this have to do with Indian cricket? A lot.
By and large, Indian cricket is run by an administration devoid of any professionalism. We will remain underachievers until we industrialize the way cricket is run, and introduce a solid corporate culture in the organization and running of the sport. The IPL is a step in that direction, but in its current form, IPL is more entertainment than serious competitive cricket that is likely to impact how we as a nation perform in cricket in the international arena. Is there any hope that all our cricket will be professionally run, for example like the National Basketball Association in the USA? The chances are slim to none, unless our cricket plunges to depths where the Bangladeshis salivate at the prospect of playing Team India.
Until then, let us all just experience the mediocrity that is Indian cricket. Enjoy the occasional highs, and curse the frequent lows. Or if you want India to be the undisputed kings of international cricket in the long run, just hope and pray that we lose every game we play for the next few years!
