Tag Archives: aggression

Overhyped? Or Underachievers?

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PIC COURTESY: HEMANT SINGH

The drubbings at the hands of Pakistan and New Zealand in the T20 World Cup tick both the boxes in the above title. Getting thrashed by 10 wickets and 8 wickets is akin to an innings defeat in a Test match. The Men in Blue are out of another ICC major championship —only this time not making it to the knock-out stage.

Is it such a rude shock? Not really. First, the hype. The IPL is the world’s most glamorous cricket carnival hosted by the richest cricket body, the BCCI. It has given opportunity and confidence to the younger players and enhanced the fitness levels of our cricketers. Some of India’s best have been spotted by IPL franchise scouts; Bumrah was discovered by the Mumbai Indians. The flip side is that it does not have the intensity found in major ICC tournaments or even in well-contested series especially with the SENA nations. The cricketers are feted as celebrities and the real contest and the competitive edge are missing. But here lies the catch. The fortunes of the IPL and Team India are interlinked. If the latter continues to underperform at major tournaments, the mass following for the IPL will dwindle.

Many well-paid commentators, including ex-cricketer experts, have all jumped onto the gravy train. So on international series and tours, they no longer objectively call out selection mistakes, wrong captaincy calls, poor reading of the game, bad sportsmanship, or cracks appearing in team spirit. So when Shastri says that this is the greatest Indian team ever, there is a chorus of approvals. While Kohli says his team can win from any situation, there is chest-thumping in the media. Overconfidence leads to bad results. Curiously, there is very little focus on Impact players from the other teams. Remember that Harsha Bhogle was put out in the cold for some time a few years back. His sin – he had something good to say about the competing international players also. Millions of die-hard fans have been fed this false narrative that our cricket team is head and shoulders above the other teams. Bad days like the 36 all out at Adelaide and the 78 at Headingley on the recent England tour and the defeats at the 2019 ODI WC and the World Test Championships in 2021 are all swept under the carpet.

Indian cricket has an abundance of talent and bench strength which is the envy of other cricketing nations. But this has to be mobilized and harnessed effectively by the captain, coach, selectors, and the BCCI. Captain Kohli’s in-one’s-face aggression has won him a huge legion of fans. But such relentless intensity has also undermined his batsmanship – he is showing symptoms of burn-out. He has been crass and hyper on the field and per reliable reports in the dressing room also. The dressing room environment gradually creeps onto the cricket field. It is bound to affect both team spirit and individual performances. Both are two sides of the same coin. Now let’s talk about Mr Shastri. As the captain’s hand-picked coach and Yes Man, he is also accountable for our futile run at the ICC tournaments. With a rich repository of cricket talent to tap into, this is not acceptable. The toxicity started with the ouster of Kumble as coach at Kohli’s behest and the silence from the BCCI and the cricket establishment. Virat Kohli has gradually become bigger than the game in India. Erratic selection, benching of in-form players, taking decisions solely by instinct, and throwing tantrums have all become acceptable over the years. Analytics inputs or sensible advice from the outside even by a reputed name have all been given the short end of the stick. Team bonding and consistency have suffered and even seasoned players have not played up to their potential.

The extended bio-bubble may have taken its toll on the players. It is also possible that some had tired legs or felt stale with the second leg of the IPL just before the WC T20. But this does not tell the entire story. Pakistan’s cricket team is driven by hunger, anger, and passion. They feel marginalized on the world cricket circuit and have grabbed this opportunity to drive home their point. They are playing out of their skins.

Front and Centre are 2 subjects which are almost taboo topics for our cricketing establishment or brotherhood. Thankfully, Madan Lal has been critical about the scheduling of the IPL second leg just before the T20 WC.  Kapil Dev has gone even further- whether the Indian cricketers are giving more preference to this cash rich franchise league than to the singular honour of playing for the country. In the future the BCCI will have to give serious thought to player work-loads and series and tournament schedules with the prime focus being that the Men in Blue bring home some much needed silverware. Else they are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. The success of the Indian Premier League draws from the success of the national cricket team.

The other relates to Virat Kohli’s captaincy. I guess the jury will always be out on this one. Kohli has become an icon for millions of Indian fans not only because of superlative batting performances but because of his raw aggression, passion for fitness and wearing his heart on his sleeve. Even after his team’s very disappointing exit from the ongoing T20 WC his army of admirers on social media hail him as King Kohli. The cricketing experts and the media in general are tip-toeing around the subject with diplomatic grace. We are living in some strange bubble.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Rahul Dravid will be the next coach. A true cricketing legend and a mentor for many of the younger stars through U19, India ‘A’, and the National Cricket Academy. Immense match experience and cricketing acumen: focused, grounded, level-headed, and universally respected. When The Wall walked out to bat one could see the Indian tricolour fluttering in the breeze. But he has his work cut out. There are challenging times ahead and he has to be given a free hand. Virat Kohli continues as captain for the Tests and ODI’s. Will he listen, change, adapt or even reinvent himself? Regain his mojo as a masterclass batsman? Some of the impressionable youngsters have bought into the hype and the celebrity-dom. They have to face the reality check and rediscover their day-to-day balance. Dravid’s mission is not just to get the Indian cricket team to bond together and play to their fullest potential. He has to get each person on the Indian team to value and respect the India cap to the fullest. And even more. Play to win but with the sporting spirit currently demonstrated by Kane Williamson’s Kiwis.

Viv Richards- Masterclass

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As in other major sports, in cricket too success and failure is all too measurable. It is not only the fans and the experts but also the players who take an obsessive interest in statistics. Very rarely comes a cricketer who transcends numbers, who is beyond records. Say ‘Viv Richards’ and the stats, impressive as they are, fade into the background. The talk is all about his sheer brilliance and his swag. The profound influence he has had on redefining batsmanship and the game itself.

His impact on the teams he has represented has been phenomenal. For the Windies, Clive Lloyd was the father figure, the mentor, the captain. But it was Viv who became the talisman, the catalyst who turned a bunch of easy-going Calypso cricketers into the great West Indian teams from the late 70’s to the early 90’s. His aura on the field, his charisma at the crease and his dominating will to win embodied the Caribbean cricket revolution. Kallicharan, Greenidge, Haynes, Roberts, Holding all rode the waves of their talents and skills and realised themselves as champions.

Take the 1976 tour of England which transformed their cricket. Still hurting from the 5-1 thrashing Down-Under in 1975-76. Tony Greig, the England captain, said that he would make them ‘grovel’. Cricket lore has it that Richards checked out the meaning in the dictionary, “In other words he was going to have us down on our knees-begging for mercy. This was the greatest motivating speech the England captain could have given the West Indian team.” In 4 Tests he smashed 829 runs and the English team into submission. Helped by other impactful performances, it was a historic 3-0 win for Lloyd’s men.

Somerset, till the mid-70’s, were the laggards in county cricket. Enter Richards (+ Ian Botham). The county became the ODI team of the era with 5 trophies in 5 seasons. The Richards effect- instilling self- belief in small town players who had never possessed it before. At the fag-end of his career he signed up with Glamorgan, another struggling team and inspired them to a fairy tale win in the 1993 ODI Axa League title. The aroma of the daffodil win still lingers with the Welsh. Small wonder, that both the English counties have voted him as the best overseas player in a recent BBC sports poll.

Viv Richards- the man for the big occasions. In the inaugural edition of the World Cup finals in 1975, this live-wire fielder ran out Alan Turner and the Chappell brothers as the Windies became world champions. His 138 not out vs hosts England in ‘79 sealed a one-sided final with Collis King firing from the other end. It is widely acknowledged that the turning point in India’s great upset win in WC’ 83 was Kapil Dev’s superb catch to dismiss Richards (33 in 28 balls) just as he was moving into top gear.

In the 2 seasons of Kerry Packer’s World Series cricket against the world’s best bowlers on Aussie wickets he was the pick of the batsmen with 1200 plus runs at an average of 60. On the testing pitches of England and Australia he stamped his class as the best touring batsman of his time. His compatriot and fast bowling great Michael Holding sums it best, “Viv is the best batsman I have seen against anything and everything. He never got intimidated. Hadlee in New Zealand, Lillee in Australia, Qadir in Pakistan, Bedi in India, Botham in England. He got runs against anybody and everybody.”

There are runs and runs. Some runs count more than others for the team. Like the 189 not out at Old Trafford ’84, adding 106 runs for the last wicket and scoring 94 of those runs. Like the 61 not out in 36 balls against India at Sabina Park ‘83 to take his side to a dramatic win. The blistering 60 of 40 balls at the Benson & Hedges Cup final in Australia’ 88-89. Time and again he showed up to change the fortunes of a match, a series or a tournament.

His ability to play attacking cricket, improvise and control the game changed cricket itself. In the mid 70’s batting in Test matches was all about technique and temperament. Bill Lawry, Geoff Boycott and even Sunil Gavaskar were cast in this classic traditional mould. Runs came at a slowish pace with only the bad deliveries put away for four. Hitting the ball in the air was a cardinal sin, against the tenets of the game. There were stroke players like Kanhai and Sobers, Pataudi and Vishwanath, Gower and Ian Chappell who batted with flair and elegance and kept the score board ticking at a faster clip. However, Richards revolutionised the art of batting itself. His very presence at the crease unnerved bowlers. He captured the public imagination with his aggression and raw intent to tear apart the bowling attack. Let’s also not forget that he did this at a time where pitches were more challenging, boundaries were longer, fielding restrictions as of today were not there. He faced upto the fastest bowlers without wearing a helmet. Listen to Jeff Dujon, the Windies keeper-batsman, “He never wore a helmet but had the courage to hook the fastest of deliveries of his face. He never liked to be dominated.” His lightning hand-eye coordination, his flair in the middle and his remarkable performances all put together to make him a truly extraordinary batsman.

Dickie Bird, the famous English umpire, called him “A great character. There are very few left in sports.” Richards took swagger to another level. Scyld Berry, the well-known cricket writer, captures the persona,’ before anyone thought of the phrase, Viv Richards walked the walk. Head held high, jaw working his gum; the maroon cap- never, never the helmet and brandishing his choice of weapon- a Slazenger in his right hand. No choreographer equipped with spotlights and sound effects could have improved upon his entrance. Nobody batted like Richards either. His mental power and the awesomely muscular yet athletic 5’10’’ frame. By the second ball of a Viv Richards innings there were very few, if any, teams who did not recognise the Master in their midst.’

Who better to comment on the MAN than the great rival bowlers of the era. Bob Willis- “The best batsman by a mile. He had this fear factor about him. Even if you bowled a good ball, he could destroy you. He could win matches on his own.” Imran Khan talks about “This complete genius” with “amazing reflexes” who could destroy any attack. Jeff Thomson doffs his cap with his, “Nobody better than Viv” comment. His mate Dennis Lillee, “I just loved bowling to the man. It was such a challenge. I regarded him as one of the supreme players, if not the supreme player.” The great off-spinner Prasanna has called him, “One of the greatest of all time” and Bedi, Underwood and Qadir have all paid fulsome tributes.

The great batsmen peers have all saluted the Caribbean maestro. Gavaskar called his batting ‘Sensational’. Martin Crowe, “He walked out to own the stage.” Inzamam has it that Richards changed the very concept and idea of batting. He remains the ‘hero’ for Tendulkar and Kohli, Sehwag, Gilchrist and Jayasuriya.

The West Indian champion batter was a generation ahead, way ahead of his time. His 100 in 56 balls against England at Antigua ‘86 was only eclipsed by Brendon Mccullum’s century in 54 balls in 2016. Richards would have taken to the T20 format like a fish to water. Imagine the plight of bowlers the world over. Franchisees like the billionaire Mukesh Ambani would have rolled out the red carpet to get this most destructive of batsmen on board. With a blank cheque to write his price.

Hardly surprising that he makes every honour list in cricket. The Wisden’s top 5 cricketers of the last century. Amongst the best 5 Test batsmen ever. The finest ODI batsman in history. 31 man of the match awards in 187 matches at a strike rate of 90 tells its story. Strike rate on par with Kohli today. In 1994 he was knighted for his services to cricket by the Queen of England .(OBE). In 1999 his native Antigua and Barbuda conferred on him the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the Nation. (KCN).

Some may remember that he refused to be a part of the rebel West Indies team to apartheid South Africa in 1983-84. Despite being repeatedly offered a blank cheque. Despite repeated calls from the SA President’s office. Despite the offer of being made an ‘honorary white man’, whatever that means. In the same vein he publicly thanked Ian Botham for always being in his corner and never turning his back on him when the Englishman received hate-mails during their shared apartment years at Taunton, Somerset.

The mettle of the man. In the WC’ 83 semi-final against Pakistan, Qadir deceived him with a googly but the catch was dropped at leg-slip. Richard’s 80 not out propelled his team into their third successive final. Whilst walking back, he approached  Qadir with a hand-shake and a, “Well bowled, Sir.’

After India’s disastrous 2007 WC, Tendulkar was planning to retire from cricket. The turmoil in Indian cricket (read Greg Chappell) plus his own inability to bat like the younger Sachin weighed on his mind. A 45 mins call with his ‘hero Viv’ changed all that. The West Indian urged him to continue as he still had a lot to give to Indian cricket. Become the Shaolin master- a mentor and inspiration for the younger guys.  The message resonated from one master to the other.

Watch any of his interviews or panel discussions on TV or You-tube. You see a grounded person, generous in his praise for his team-mates and rivals. Bob Willis called him a lovely person who left all his aggression on the field. His emotional eulogies for Abdul Qadir and Bob Willis after their passing in 2019 are touching. For him Gavaskar is the ‘Godfather’ of Indian cricket. He has high praise for Tendulkar and Lara, Dravid and Ponting, Kohli and AB and encouragement for youngsters like Bumrah and KL Rahul. Respect for Akram and Lillee, Bedi and ‘mystery man’ Chandra. He has humorously confessed to being a nervous wreck against our spin quartet on his debut tour of India in 1974. He could not read Chandrashekar at all. That the spinners took the new ball in the fourth over itself psyched him out.

Along with Andy Roberts he has changed the fortunes of Antigua and Barbuda. These had been relegated to forgotten backwaters after the exploitative sugarcane plantations were stopped in the mid ’50’s. Their fame brought international cricket to Antigua in 1981 and opened the doors for tourism. Today these islands attract around 3 lakh tourists annually, thrice the size of the population.

Viv Richards has founded the SVRF to promote education, sports and recreation and health. Thousands of locals have benefitted. He has used his stature and influence to persuade the Indian Manipal group to open its educational and medical facilities in Antigua. The colleges attract more than 100 Indian students every year.

Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards is one of the very few sportsmen who have enriched their sport beyond measure. Federer in tennis, Jordan in basketball, Bolt in athletics, Messi in football.  Richards belongs to this exalted company- through his seminal influence and lasting impact on the evolution of cricket and enhancing its appeal-beyond measure.