Sentiment must be cast aside
Naresh Ramaswamy - 11 December 2002

Last week, the Australian selectors named 30 probables for the 2003 World Cup, and as expected, Steve Waugh did not make the list. Ignoring major public outcries and a temptation to fall back on past glories, the selectors are sticking to their judgement - made almost a year ago - to discard the Waugh brothers from the one-day side.

Has either Waugh lost the ability? Or are there 30 cricketers in Australia more talented than them? The answer is an emphatic "No" on both counts. Just to prove a point to the selectors, Steve Waugh captained New South Wales against a visiting England team in a limited-overs match, displaying both astute captaincy and exceptional hitting. So why then would you drop a man who lacks neither the credentials the nor form? The answer is that he is 38 and clearly not the future of Australian cricket.

While Australia are looking forward, India is trying to take steps back into the past. Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble are clearly riding on past glory rather than current performance. Even though it is absolutely imperative to show form before making the grade as an international player, senior players are allowed to take a break before walking back into the Indian team short of form and match practice.

With all due respects to Srinath, he is past his prime. He has lost pace and has throughout his career never displayed the ability to consistently outthink a batsmen. His fitness levels are abysmal and he has to be hidden in the field, especially in the shorter form of the game. What is the need then to bring Srinath back into the one-day team?

In the likes of Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar and Ashish Nehra lies the future of Indian quick bowling. Zaheer has already proven his worth, while for the latter two, their form fluctuates from good to bad like a pendulum. But it is time to nurture these young quicks and help them achieve consistency.

Kumble, being a spinner, may have a few years of cricket left in him. He has never been a great turner of the ball, but his strength is his nagging accuracy. He simply needs to go back to nets, get back his rhythm and accuracy, play some domestic cricket, get some wickets under his belt, and then get back into the team. Kumble also needs to work on his fielding if he wants to make the grade. In Murali Kartik, remember, we have a keen, young and talented cricketer who looks capable of filling Kumble’s rather large boots, based on current form as well as future potential.

It is never easy to shuck the past, but difficult decisions have to be made. South Africa is grappling with a similar situation in Lance Klusener. The best player of the last World Cup is woefully out of form with the bat, although his bowling form has been reasonable. In a team of all-rounders like South Africa, or even in a team like India that relies heavily on its batsmen, one may gamble by including a batsman short on form but high on potential and hope to get away with it. But gambling with one or two non- performing frontline bowlers is sheer suicide.

The Indian team boasts of a great batting line-up, and all the heroics of late have ridden on the backs of the batsmen. It is possible that these batsmen will continue their rich vein of form and India will win the World Cup. But realistically, India does not stand a chance if it cannot bowl consistently well and defend targets. Although it is great to be able to successfully chase 300-plus targets, it is a major problem if every opponent can willfully score that number of runs against the Indian bowling.

In the coming weeks when the Indian selectors come together to choose the final 15 for the World Cup, I hope they will have learned a lesson by observing their Australian counterparts and that they leave sentiment and emotion behind to pick the best 15 based on current form. That is the only path to future glories.

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