Playing your Natural Game - a silly theory

Rahul Dravid during the Newzealand series said he didn't quite understand what the whole "natural game" thing was all about and what mattered was it is the ability to adapt for any player, which makes him a great player eventually. I think it's become a cliche of sorts. Thanks to the power play's in ODI and the T20 format.

While most of the player's credit their success to the "natural game" phenomenon, i feel it has seldom worked barring for a few. The whole problem is, it is embarrassing for the players and teams ending up on the losing side. The game between Rajasthan Royal and Royal Challengers Bangalore was a testimony to this.

First it was Robin Uthappa who succumbed with a mistimed shot with the score reading 17/2 with 15 overs to spare. At this point, all that was required of Robin to stick his neck out and build a nice partnership alongside Kevin Pietersen with Dravid due to come next. The Royals had their share of natural game players in Asnodkar and Tyron Henderson. Asnodkar trying to pull of a good length outswinging delivery wouldn't have even impressed Shipla Shetty, for it made him inept to handle quality bowling.

However it was the master who came out and showed how the game is played. Having lost early wickets Dravid ensured he played a long innings, building partnerships and once set paced the innings brilliantly with boundaries. And deservingly the knock earned him the man of the match which is sure to keep the critics hiding behind their couch.

Clearly it is the ability to play to the situation accordingly and use the natural game as a weapon to counter the opponents at the right moment. The Gayle's, Tendulkar's and the McCullum's know it at the back of their mind and that is why they succeed.

A one off knock could just be a flash in the pan. But its high time the mentality amongst the youngsters change, or else playing the natural game every time would make you look really stupid.

The Dressing Room

Cricketers in India are demi-gods. We worship them when they do well on the field and burn effigies when they fail to perform. For the world outside the perception about our cricketers is different – that cricketers are stars and sometimes arrogant. At times it seems justified for very few are privy to their lives inside the dressing room or their behavior outside the field.

I've been a sports fan and more so a cricket fanatic for long. Having grown up idolizing these stars it was a dream to meet them at some point in time. I've been lucky to have witnessed the cricketers, few of them and observe their personalities to an extent. It was in September 2004 when I had a first hand experience in terms of the effort each player instills in his game. The Indian team had their conditioning camp at the K.S.C.A, Bangalore where I had the privilege to assist the team as a wicket-keeper.

Keeping wickets to Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and few others was phenomenal. John Wright the coach then watched the players from behind the nets along with keeper Parthiv Patel beside him. Sairaj Bahatule, the Mumbai leg spinner bowled one down the leg and I had collected the ball well when I heard John Wright saying “good job” mate and explaining my movement down the leg side to Parthiv Patel. The next couple of deliveries I had goosebumps literally. I remember Sachin Tendulkar having recovered from a shoulder injury and tried his hand at bowling. During one of his deliveries Sachin had bowled a googly which I failed to read and went the wrong way while the ball went in the other direction and Sachin gestured with a smile indicating how I was foxed. The 3 weeks I spent with the players was remarkable.

Almost four years later I had an opportunity to experience something similar. This time around it wasn't with my white dress and keeping gloves, but trying to learn the nuances of my new job or part of it I must say, sitting in the dressing room alongside the players. It was a Duleep trophy game between South and Central zone having great players and prospects like Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, L.Balaji, Badrinath, Piyush Chawla, Kaif, Dinesh Karthik to name a few. To be sitting in there and not get distracted by their presence is impossible. Looking at them speak, conduct themselves, prepare for the game, their food during breaks was fantastic. The starry nature of theirs isn't visible for they are completely natural in the dressing room atmosphere in comparison to facing thousands of autograph seekers outside.

As I sat with my colleague trying to learn some new stuff, right next to us was Venkatesh Prasad speaking about banks and a whole lot of things happening around before he departed. Rahul Dravid who failed to create any impact was alone, not much of interaction, laying his hands at almost every newspaper and discussing a murder case that appeared on the first page with Robin Uthappa. Chief selector and Sehwag of the 80's Krish Srikanth was in his own inimitable style talking aloud and smoking. South Zone were struggling at 81/5 when Dinesh Karthik went out to bat. In the current scenario even a double century by Karthik would be hard to earn him a recall to the test and ODI side and moreso since Dhoni is at his peak. As he walked down to the field, Srikanth shouted at him in tamil saying " dai machaa... Jolly aa valaaadu" (meaning enjoy your game).

The best of the lot of was VVS Laxman. That Laxman is humble, friendly and liked by everyone was a testimonial to what I observed. Laxman, Kumble and Srikanth spoke a bit of every language (tamil, telugu, hindi,english). Srikanth mentioned that the role of a selector was a thankless job along with wicket-keeping and umpiring. He went on to say that the selector could only pick any one of the 3 best contenders for any slot and dropping the other 2 was a sin. The aftermath, the “gaaliyan”(abuse) that a selector receives on dropping players was the worst part.

Dravid eventually joined the three and burst into a laughter when Srikanth mentioned that his “expert analyst” role with one of the news channel was the best as he would sit in his lawn with his “dhoti” and answer few questions from the studio. They spoke about the Satyam scam, recession, stock exchange losses, investments and real estate. On the field Dinesh Karthik did just what Srikanth told him, to enjoy the game, as he resurrected the south zone innings with a fine 152 of 112 deliveries. The whole team stood up and applauded as he showed his bat towards the dressing room. Laxman on hearing the noise sat beside coming fresh from a nap and ordered some tea enquiring about Karthik's knock.

John Wright in his book “Indian summers” mentions Laxman was pivotal in forming a bridge between the old and the younger lot. He was spot on. The way he carries himself is wonderful. Simple, no nonsense, approachable and most importantly liked by all. The general chat revolved around Laxman as he chatted in with Dinesh Karthik, enquiring Balaji about his home in Chennai, Badrinath and few others. Piyush Chawla later came in saying “Laxman bhai I couldn't bowl well as i lacked practice with the Kookabura ball” as part of the new experiment. Post match, Laxman would get Sreeshanth to analyse his bowling and the plan for Day 2 relishing with a plate of Rava Idly.

Personally having had an opportunity to watch these greats from close quarters was fascinating and a day well spent, I'd say.

Cricket's not just Mumbai....

Mumbai and cricket are probably like the fish in water. They are quite inseparable. A place with impeccable cricketing pedigree. The talent that crops up from this part of the nation is noteworthy for it has produced many a gem time and again. Be it Vijay Hazare, Polly Umrigar, Sunil Gavaskar, Dileep Vengsarkar or Sachin Tendulkar. All of them, connoisseurs of the game who brought joy to millions of cricket fans around the globe.

For long cricketers from Mumbai have had an edge over their counterparts from other parts of the country. Samir Dighe, Paras Mambhrey, Ajit Agarkar, Wasim Jaffer had limited talent and ended up representing the country for a substantial period of time with not much impact on the national scene. While Agarkar and Jaffer have had their share of success, in hindsight their performances have hardly been consistent given the opportunities they've had.

Indian cricket is witnessing the transition of a team formed by individuals that made the country's national team a potent force to reckon with. A team game no doubt which produced players of such great repute worthy of emulation. It is almost the end of an era. Kumble and Ganguly have moved on. Sooner or later the remaining part of the "Fab4" will leave on their own terms. The void is massive and to fill it up is difficult but not impossible.

While the selectors grapple to find suitable replacements for the future, the obvious question is who next? Rohit Sharma, Badrinath, M.Vijay, Suresh Raina, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh instantly come to mind, a mixture of youngsters and the tried and tested lot. The talent is available, but it is imperative to fill the slots with the right players. Rohit Sharma, Badrinath, Yuvraj Singh have been knocking on the doors for quite a while now. And it only makes sense for the selectors to pick the most suitable player irrespective of any bias whatsoever.

Dravid not being amongst the runs is a cause for concern, for the last two years have been forgettable for “THE WALL”. While it is premature to even think of a replacement for Dravid, the topic was subject to discussion in the recently concluded test series against Australia. Former players, however have been quite one sided in their views.

While Ian Chappell felt M.Vijay could be drafted in to the middle order considering his impressive temperament in the Nagpur test, Ravi Shastri's constant mention of Rohit Sharma was notable throughout. So much so that Ian Chappell retorted back to Shastri if his preference was due to the fact that the southpaw hailed from his state Mumbai. In an another interview to a television channel Sunil Gavaskar was heard overrating Rohit during a discussion on who was best suited to replace Dravid if his form deteriorated further.

Rohit Sharma no doubt is a great talent, a natural strokemaker, already displaying traits of a seasoned batsman. His drives of the backfoot are elegant as he stands tall, dispatching the fast bowlers with poise.

Indian cricket is not just about Mumbai, Bangalore or Delhi and former players need to be non-biased in their opinions. While there is no harm in pointing out an individual who stands out, it is imperative on their part to mention other players in the reckoning and discuss about the areas of improvement. And to do that they ought to have an understanding of the performances in the domestic circuit.

Afterall a word of praise or two from the 'legends' can only make a world of good for the players and the game even more competitive.

Setting the Benchmark - The Aussie way

Australia's rise in world cricket over the years doesn't come as much of a surprise considering the kind of effort that has gone into developing the game. From investing in the grassroots to creating the right environment for cricketer's to hone their skills to managing the players', the results are apparent. A great team effort marked by the presence of shrewd individuals comprising of former players in the administrative ranks in concoction with a team of spirited athlete's on field testifies their dominance. In short there has been a great deal of emphasis laid on creating an effective work ethic that has helped them succeed.

Every administration has it's share of failures and cricket Australia is no different. There is little doubt their system has been infallible. However what sets them apart from the rest is their attitude towards the game as a whole - Execution of plans with a clear vision and their ability to learn from mistakes.

The recent incident involving Andrew Symonds after being sent back home in the event of missing out on a team meeting (who went out fishing instead) indicates the level of commitment expected by an individual regardless of one's position within the team. Symonds whose commitment to the game has been found wanting had left the Australian management in a rage. The aftermath was quite evident when cricket Australia with the leadership group decided to castigate Symonds leaving the all-rounder to ponder over his future.

Michael Clarke, a close friend of Symonds, along with coach Tim Neilsen and captian Ricky Ponting who as part of the leadership group decided it was time to take a call and that Symonds had to get his priorities right. There were no half measures in invoking the decision. Michael Clarke's statement later summed up the entire issue on how coveted a position it is to be part of the team. A clear demarcation between personal and professional relationships.

Clarke on quote said "It's so hard to play for this team. In my opinion we are the greatest sporting team in the world, and we have standards. They may be higher than other teams, but if you don't fulfil those standards, unfortunately, you're not going to be a part of our squad... The main concern for us as a leadership group and a team is commitment to the team. That isn't just about on the field - that's off the field, that's attitude. There are a number of things we believe he wasn't fulfilling."

Symonds might have had his own share of issues with the board, the infamous racial incident with Harbhajan Singh being the most prominent. While the punishment may sound harsh , cricket Australia's support to athlete's in distress deserves to be applauded. Afterall the Aussies are know to set high standards for themselves.

There are few who believe the issue is too trivial. However this isn't the first of its kind. Ricky Ponting earlier in his career was given a mouthing after his behaviour off the field wasn't going to help his cause if he was to be considered for the Australian captaincy after Steve Waugh's retirement. Shane Warne, who many believed was the best in the business to take over the reigns never had the honour of captaining his country, eventually losing out on the vice-captaincy to Adam Gilchrist owing to his constant misdemeanours.

There are a lot of lessons cricketing bodies specially the Indian (BCCI) and Pakistan Board's (PCB) can learn, who under their ranks have players under severe scrutiny on and off-field. Be it the slapgate incident involving Harbhajan Singh, Shoaib Akhtar & Sreesanth's antics or Mohammad Asif who seems to be reeling under the shadow of his disgraced bowling counterpart. Make no mistake - For these athlete's to emerge successful despite their struggles is a commendable feat. However there is little doubt that early success in sport or in any other walk of life can alter an individual's psyche.

Word's of encouragement goes a long way in motivating an athlete. Rather than leaving the player in a lurch, the Australian board in saying the player is welcome into the team at a later stage has done just that. Be it providing Symonds with ample support or Shaun Tait's recuperation after mental and physical exhaustion.The player's need to be made aware of their importance within the team and that nothing can be taken for granted, for there are player's waiting in the wings for over 10 years just to get a look-in. Ask Michael Hussey, Misbah-Ul-Haq or S.Badrinath and they would nod their heads in unison.

Every individual evolves with his own set of qualities and ideologies. And there are very few who despite constant success and adulation continue to remain grounded. A handful of players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Adam Gilchrist, Kumar Sangakara and Steve Waugh are worthy of a mention. The board's need to realise that they have an obligation towards educating players rather than avoid embarassment at a later stage.

There's more to it than just educating a player. Respecting the player is of paramount importance that is seldom the case in India. There's little doubt cricket in India rides high on emotions. Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid instantly come to mind, having been omitted from the one-day squad in preference to the youngesters.

Ganguly, despite his high handedness and undoubtedly one of the most successful captians in Indian cricket definitely brought in a different prespective to the game exhibiting a great sense of passion and was instrumental in nurturing the youngsters. Rahul Dravid on the other hand, quite reticent in contrast to Ganguly, epitomized an individual with great discipline and grit. The least the board can do is to provide them with an opportunity to have a graceful exit, for their contribution towards the game has been impeccable. The BCCI in the recent past had to be alarmed when it was oblivious in honouring Anil Kumble's feat of 600 Test wickets. The list is endless and the discussions could go on and on.

The Australian board in complete contrast surely knows how to treat its heroes. To say Steve Waugh's contribution to the game has been remarkable would be an understatement. With all due respect, cricket Australia provided him with a mandate to end his eventful career while still on top of his game giving him an opportunity to sign-off the game in his own way at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in 2004. On similar lines Tim Nielsen, the Australian coach when asked about a replacement for Matthew Hayden for the next worldcup iterated - "We really do think it's important to respect senior players' ideas of how they'd like to go out, as long as they're still performing and contributing to the group."

Clearly the Australian's have set the benchmark. If only the rest of the cricketing world could emulate from them, the game would be a lot better.