Why did the wise men of Indian cricket -- famously labelled ``a bunch of jokers'' by Mohinder Amarnath -- schedule pre-tournament series on flat pitches in India and Sharjah, thereby converting crucial opening encounters into costly warm-up games? After sticking their backs to the wall in the round robin stage and then squeezing through to the Super Six, why did they abandon an old canon -- do not disturb a winning combination half-way through a series -- and shuffle Sachin Tendulkar up the batting order? Why was quiet strategy made subservient to Sachin's genius? Why did the skipper and his mentors toss aside the only lesson from India's chequered historyin pyjama cricket and opt to field against Australia, a team they could have pipped at the post to make it to the semi-finals? Why did the coach first outline his strategy in his weekly column -- Saurav Ganguly's golden arm, etc -- only to belatedly implement it on the field?

But given the permanent present the funny old game is played in, these queries will in all probability remain unanswered and attention will be focused on the villain of the piece, the points system. The anomalies are glaring.

India ranked second at the round robin stage, yet it carried forward no points while Zimbabwe, one rung lower, amassed four points and virtually booked a berth in the semis. Five big hundreds in a total of eight till Zimbabwe caved in to Pakistan simply advanced Azhar's return home.

The timeless exhilaration of beating archrivals Pakistan by 47 runs counted for nothing as Wasim Akram and co, winning just one match in the Super Sixes, careered into the last four. Really, it's not quite cricket when GeoffBoycott declares that manipulating points and rankings amounts to professionalism, not match-fixing.

The ICC will no doubt have to address this, but it cannot be an excuse for failing to rise to the daunting challenge of the big game, the minute exigencies of a solitary over against the new kids on the block. Excuses have never behoved potential world champions.

It's time the BCCI woke up, smelt the leather and looked beyond a forgettable six months. The Indian team has talent in plenty and, barring an ageing captain who bats well at the nets and a keeper oblivious of his responsibilities with the willow, this team will have to soldier on for some time.

Indeed, Ganguly and Rahul Dravid's innings in England will be replayed for years to come, the pace attack's adaptability offers hope of a different future on bouncy tracks. But individual brilliance only gives the game and its cause a magical sheen, it does not compensate for lack of str-ategy and grit. For, Azhar and men are coming home early becausethey did not play to a plan, not because of Zimbabwe's topsy-turvy performances.