Whom do we blame the players or the management?

Whom do we blame the players or the management?

Whom do we blame the players or the management?

          The string of defeats faced by the Indian cricket team has become a topic of debate amongst India’s sports fans. India was one of the favourites to win the world cup, however collapsed against Pakistan and New Zealand, nations it had to beat to progress. The captain and players faced the backlash, which they accepted. However, the management, which includes the top body of the BCCI went scot-free, whereas the blame should have also been there. The well-known quote, ‘the buck stops here,’ was placed on the table of the team and not the BCCI.

Many questions were raised including team selection, spirit of the players and their determination to succeed. At the end of the day, it must be remembered that this is a game, where one has to lose. However, what hurt Indian fans was the capitulation of the team in its initial games, which blocked its further progress.

          The management made major blunders which were passed onto the team. The biggest blunder being the confusion between concentrating on a global tournament where national pride was at stake or a money minting machine, the IPL, which was essential for the BCCI’s coffers. Being an independent body, beyond the control of the sports ministry, the BCCI chose the IPL over the world cup. Squeezing it between the England tour and the world cup ensured that the team had no break from living a bubble life for months, a process which tires everyone including the players.  

The common man is aware of what a lockdown routine means as the nation has undergone two long spells of lockdown. It breaks the spirit of the best. Players are no different when they undergo months of a bubble routine. A classic case of seeking a break was that of Chris Gayle walking out of the IPL bubble mainly because he needed a break prior to the world cup. Player fatigue, possibly due to a prolonged bubble life, was evident in the Indian team as every aspect of the game collapsed. A team can have one bad game but not a series of bad games with players displaying scant interest in the field. There has to be a reason, and, in this case, it was the bubble.

In addition, while one may argue that cricket is an almost individual game, the bonding of players into a team takes time. This is the reason why nations organize training camps before teams proceed abroad for tours, a process India has always done previously. A perfect example of impact on the game of a disjointed team is that of the West Indies, where all its players participate in cricket leagues, across the world, playing against one another, rather than bonding as a team to play together. The BCCI repeated the same blunder. Playing the IPL and the world cup are two different cups of tea, the BCCI considered them similar, despite having a collection of former players on its board as advisors. This only accentuates the logic that it gave greater importance to the IPL than the world cup, implying money power over national prestige.

No player, on entering the field desires to give anything but his best. But if players are exhausted and have been put through months of lock downs then the game is monotonous, and their response is as per expected lines. This was evident in the performance of the Indian team, the blame for which must be shared by the management.

The national team should have been well-rested prior to the tournament, rather than being pushed in to play, exhausted from the IPL, which is a physically taxing tournament. Some would argue that participants of the IPL comprised of members from all countries. However, all teams had a mix of IPL and non-IPL players, whereas for India the team had exhausted IPL participants. This does not mean that the IPL should be cancelled. It implies that conducting it almost in conjunction with the world cup was tiring and should have been avoided. The BCCI should have had its priorities clear.

The next question which the management missed out was putting the team through psychological training. Sledging off the field, especially from enemy social media handles, is part of hybrid warfare, seeking to cause a religious rift within the country and demoralize the players. The criticism, especially towards Mohammed Shami on religious grounds, post the loss to Pakistan, from Pak handles, was done solely with the intent to impact the performance in subsequent games. There is no doubt that the team was impacted as the captain and players commented on the trolling in support of Shami.

No team member would try and deflect the blame for their failures onto the management as they control selection and purse strings. For cricketers, this is their profession and hence they need to support the management. Hence, the team accepted the blame for its failures. No member of the management or even expert commentators passed the blame beyond the team for similar reasons. Personal financial interests override truth and accountability.

The BCCI, an independent body, selecting the national team should be answerable for its strategic flaws. It should explain to the sports ministry and the nation on why it considered income over national interest and cut corners in preparing the team for the world cup. In summary, it must be remembered that the team is just a pawn in the hands of the overarching BCCI, which has kept its own interests above that of the nation and presented a half-prepared national team for a global tournament.