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CB Series 2007-08
Sanjay Manjrekar: Time for youth to take over
January 20, 2008
Sanjay Manjrekar feels that the selection of the ODI squad for the CB Series is a step in right direction
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Sanjay Manjrekar: The 16-member Indian one-day squad for the Australian triangular [CB Series] has been announced, and I must confess I am quite happy and pleased to see a sense of purpose in the selection and some amount of maturity as well.
In the past, there has been a tendency with a lot of selectors to go by the public mood and many a times Test match performances have been confused with one-day performances. So if you were to expect a typical Indian selector's decision then most of the players from the Test team would have been retained after that great win India had at Perth. But, the selectors have shown us they have a certain vision in mind, which is about youth in one-day cricket, and the Twenty20 success has reinforced this belief in youth as far as limited-overs cricket is concerned. They haven't let the vision they have in their mind get affected by Test match performances.
A bold decision to get Sourav Ganguly out, but I support the decision. I think the time has come for youth to take over from people like Sourav Ganguly, who has made a handsome contribution to Indian one-day cricket over the last so many years. In Australia, where boundaries and sixes are not going to be as easy to come by for the batsmen, your running between the wickets and your prowess in the field is going to come to the fore; and I think that is where Sourav Ganguly has been sidelined, on that account. So I see a lot of sense in that decision. VVS Laxman has had a wonderful time in Test match cricket. In the past, that would have tempted a few selectors to put him in the one-day team but that would have not made sense.
Also, the Ranji Trophy season has been going on in full swing. We have seen some good matches and the final was being played just before the team was announced. The selectors were watching those games, and that had a lot to do with the [ODI team] selection. So you have a couple of names coming through on their Ranji Trophy performances - which are very fresh in the selectors' mind. This is something the selectors have to keep doing: they have to reward outstanding performances at the first-class level, because that is how you will give certain amount of importance to first-class cricket. Or you will have players performing over the years and making contributions at the first-class level and never getting the recognition. So, it is nice to see few names coming from those good performances in the final of the Ranji Trophy.
Virender Sehwag's inclusion is a bit of surprise. Here is the case of people confusing Sehwag's performance in Test match cricket and one-day cricket. I for one thought that Sehwag should have never been dropped from Test match cricket, although there was a strong case for him to be sidelined in the one-dayers, especially with the scores he's had and the contribution that he's made in one-day cricket. So that is a bit of a surprise, but Sehwag is such big impact player that it is always a tempting thought to put Sehwag in a line-up, especially against Australia. He has the ability and somehow he has the nerve to rattle even a team like Australia. So that selection is also a good one. [Rahul] Dravid is somehow not getting the backing of the selectors - as far as limited-overs cricket is concerned - and I hope this omission doesn't disappoint him too much.
Well, as far as Suresh Raina is concerned, this is one player whoever I have spoken to In Indian cricket - who have seen him and played with him - rate him highly. They reckon - along with somebody like Rohit Sharma - that he is one of the great hopes on Indian cricket. His last stint wasn't very good, and whenever I saw him he did not get the runs but his contribution was still there in the field. Now here is a player who doesn't only look brilliant, but actually makes a contribution in the field by run-outs - direct hits that can change the course of the match. He failed with the bat last time I saw him, but he made a contribution in the field. Talent like Suresh Raina needs to be tested again and again, so let's hope that this time his batting also comes through along with his fielding - it is certainly going to help Indian cricket's cause. So a good decision to get Suresh Raina in, and let's not forget that he was rated highly by a lot of people who know a bit about cricket, so good to see Suresh Raina back.
There is just one, you can say a prayer that I have for the fans of Indian cricket: not to make too much about Sourav Ganguly's omission. There comes a time when you have to look at youth. Mahendra Singh Dhoni leading a young team is always great to watch. There is always hope when youngsters take over. Look at Australia, they are playing with a young team now - their big stalwarts like [Glenn] McGrath and Shane Warne are missing but they are continuing with their cricket. They might have lost a game [at Perth] but they are on the right path. India, by making these selections for the one-day squad has also shown the same approach, which is heartening to see. So I wish this India one-day team all the success, it's going to be a great triangular [series]. Sri Lanka is the other team, so look out for some top quality one-day cricket action in the coming weeks.
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Probably Mr. Manjrekar was not thinking properly when he made these comments. It is not new to me at all as he made these type of irrational comments earlier regarding our heros like Sachin, Ganguly, Lakshman and Dravid. If fielding alone is suffiecient to remove the best performers from the team then why not Indian athelets are being selected in the cricket team. I feel pity for Mr. Manjrekar as well as Cricinfo for their biased reporting and thinking. Mr. Manjerakar is so biased that he urged the people of India to not to express their feelings about the omission of Ganguly as he understands very well that this is a wrong decision. Anyone, who can think with a open mind will consider it as a blunder and true disrespect to a man who is the fifth best run getter in One day in 2007 and has given so much to Indian cricket.How would you feel Mr. Manjerekar if you would get the same treatment during your time? You should look at the mirror and ask am I doing the right thing? Shame!!
Posted by sanjay_vernekar on (January 22 2008, 06:27 AM GMT)I do not agree with the dropping of Sourav from the team. I believe, too much emphasis is bein laid on fielding. The primary skills required in Cricket are ability to score runs and get wickets. If these are not present, you may put the best of fielders in your team, you will never win. Bottomline, we need to have the abilty to score runs and get 10 wickets. Sourav, has been scoring runs for the good part of last year and that reflects in his stats. He was one of the leading run scorers in 2007. On that count itself he should have been in the team. Maybe there is a case for not having Rahul & Laxman in the team, but their performance in Aus. should have been taken into account based on which a call could have been taken. I do not think we can make our team to be the best fielders overnight. This hs lot to do with the infrastructure(grounds) available to our players which do not allow them to be the best. The focus should be to make them safe fielders than best fielders.
Posted by anoop11 on (January 22 2008, 06:26 AM GMT)Hi every one, Sanjay can talk like this because he was missed place in team on his early 30's. But the players dravid and ganguly not like him. They played very well in recent times. Except some bad performance of dravid. But all of us know that he was playing very well in last 4 or five years and his performance is above than any indian players. I dont know why give lot of oppertunity to give sewag. I dont know he played a memorable innings last couple of years. I strongly believe that there is no need of exclusion of ganguly and dravid , atleast in australia. my vision of new commers:: if we give oppertunity to robin utthappa and raina, they will be great asset to our team.
Posted by aviejeet on (January 22 2008, 05:35 AM GMT)Sanjay, the most important issue is why does one play cricket. The basis of Idian Cricket is surely not just the performance in a tournament which happens after every 4 years. The replacements of Rahul and Sourav are Gambhir- who struck form in Ranji final but is an average fielder at best and Rohit Sharma and Robin Uthappa- who are finding it difficult to score in domestic matches also. This suggests only one thing that inform players can be dropped in the name of promoting younger players whose credibility does not really measure up to anything. These young players would have found it difficult to make a name in any international side.
Posted by guss846 on (January 22 2008, 04:47 AM GMT)Hi Sanjay, the triangular series is one of the glamorous event which we cricket loving public wait for after world cup, that has been robbed now, I accept that we need youngster in such a fast paced version but we missed numerous opportunities when we could have prepared them. Even Dhoni and Yuvraj struggling to adjust to the bounce is something which selectors missed completely. Two failures from a young batsman would put enormous pressure and would make them tentative and that's the end of it. I will be surprised if India makes it to the final.
Posted by ITTI on (January 22 2008, 04:02 AM GMT)I agree that these players sholud be rested or used sparingly in the one dayers. But the plans should have been discussed with them and they should have been given the chance to bow out in grace. some excuses - that they are not available for the series would have saved a lot of faces and avoided controversies.After they are a bunch pf greats pf their generation. The team looks good. But let's see the performance and judge, after all we've seen what the shoulders which was to carry indian batting forwards- did in Australia.
Posted by Abhishek1980 on (January 22 2008, 03:38 AM GMT)It's an appreciable decision of our well known selectors to drop aged crickers & open door for those youth cricketers whose are standing on the threshold for long time.But they did not show enough courage to drop Sachin Tendulkar. Why???? Why did they not consider Kaif & Badrinath? What is the selection criteria of a cricketer? Age or performance...Why did selectors consider Robin Utthappa and Rohit Sharma? I have gone through a comment of a Selector in local news paper that it was not selector's team.How did team managment know about players whose are performing well in home tournament? We all Indian are eagerly waiting to see how our Young Blue Heroes perform in Australia.
Posted by KK_menon on (January 22 2008, 03:12 AM GMT)Young criketers shoul given the chance but at the same time the management has to check the importance of the series as well.I don't think inclusion of any youngsters will not worth the value of Ganguly as he is at his supreme form of his career.Also they could have include Murali Karthick as he did extremely well against Aussis last time they visit India.Kaif should have considered a head of Raina and Chawla.Anyway all the best for team India....Kumar.
Posted by bindas_perfect on (January 22 2008, 02:58 AM GMT)Lets go on and watch the series. we are going to win the forthcoming series with the same team. About Laxman he is a brilliant batsman but not adjustable to 50 over format. We cant expect 40 ball 50 from him in one day format. Even i had seen him batting in slog overs, he was not playing up to the mark. About Rahul i think a bad decision he should be in the team. About Ganguly, Sanjay is right time has come to move on................... One thing more Australians are not going to play final of CB Series
Posted by shyamanator on (January 22 2008, 02:43 AM GMT)Mr. Manjrekar please note that even the aussies warm the benches for a couple of years after playing the level of cricket they do on the domestic circuit. I believe that Ganguly, Dravid and Laxman should've been included.They are way ahead of the rest in any format of the game. If the reason for sidelining them is fielding, it is preposterous because they have been the same fielders throughout their careers..I don't see the reason for complaining now..whats more, they are all in sublime form.