Harish Dugh Posted online: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 at 1129 hours IST Updated: Thursday, April 14, 2005 at 0438 hours IST
New Delhi, April 13: Team India future may well have been mapped for BCCI by Sourav Ganguly getting himself banned for 6 matches due to his slow over rate in the 4th ODI against Pakistan at Ahmedabad’s Motera Stadium.
Over the recent weeks and months Ganguly has been in the eye of a hurricane for his insipid leadership and an even worse batting record.
His inability to raise the morale of his team and lead them through close matches towards wins as well as leaving the field open to his counterpart Inzamam-ul-Haq to assume the role of the dominant and aggressive captain, had ensured that the Board of Control for Cricket in India takes notice and finally act to try and give India a viable long-term solution.
While the appointment of Rahul Dravid as skipper was a foregone conclusion, what has been highlighted by the BCCI is the elevation of Virender Sehwag to the vice-captaincy. Through this one stroke, the BCCI has indicated that he is being groomed for the future captaincy.
This assumes added significance due to the factor that other senior players have been ignored. While Sachin Tendulkar would not accept the v-c’s job, the presence of Test-match performer-of-the-year and ODI-comeback man, Anil Kumble could have put the BCCI in two minds.
Tyros, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif, regulars in ODI cricket, have been ignored because they have not performed up to par in recent times and against Pakistan they have virtually contributed nothing.
Spinner Harbhajan Singh could have been considered too but his underperformance in the current series must have cost him.
Finally, the fact that Sehwag is the highest scorer against Pakistan in the Test series and he has done exceptionally well in the shorter version of the game, made him the frontrunner for the post. In fact, India won a Test against Pakistan due to his scintillating batting. In the ODIs he led the Indian charge to give the host’s a 2-0 lead.
This is an opportunity for Sehwag to prove that his leadership can be as fiery and unbeatable as his batting. Also, since Dravid has a few years of top class cricket left in him, Sehwag will get the opportunity to get familiarised with the job. The fact that there is no rival on the scene for the foreseeable future, Nawab of Najafgarh’s climb to the captaincy will be a jog.
New Delhi, April 13: Team India future may well have been mapped for BCCI by Sourav Ganguly getting himself banned for 6 matches due to his slow over rate in the 4th ODI against Pakistan at Ahmedabad’s Motera Stadium.
