Cricket: India in World Cup 2007

It is time Indian cricket underwent a sweeping revamp. Indians went to the Caribbean with a bang and returned with a whimper. I think the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) should change its name to BSCI (Board of Control for Sports India). Indians would do well to promote so many other sports that are not given the importance they deserve. Why not promote games like hockey, football, tennis, badminton, table tennis or athletics? The BCCI has tons of public money. India would have made a mark in one of these sports had they received the attention required. Cricket has been responsible for destroying all sport in India. At least now other sporting disciplines should be given some importance.

The cricket board should be professionalized. Only cricket players of good standing must hold positions and not politicians and non-players. Instead of hiring foreign specialist coaches by paying huge sums of money; a good alternative would be to hire specialists from within the country and conduct training camps at the school and university and town levels where great talent can be scoured. Talent should be discovered at the grass roots level.

The BCCI’s move to limit sponsorships to three per cricketer is a good move and should be implemented. The sponsors in India have learnt a lesson by putting large money on cricketers and the sport. I hear that one leading nationalized bank withdrew its sponsorship to India’s top chess player Koneru Humpy and opted for Rahul Dravid. With India’s dismal shown in the World Cup I am hoping it will mean seeing less of cricketers selling and endorsing products on television.

Our cricketers are generally a non performing bunch, and yet a billion Indians insanely cling to them. Indians in any sport usually enter with a fatalistic attitude resigned to defeat lacking the competitiveness that is so necessary. Added to this is the fact that the media in India over hypes cricket to unimaginable levels. I only hope the BCCI and the sponsors come to their senses for a better Team 11 for the next world cup.

Watch these 2 videos…sad and funny!

Also check out for this post on Indian cricket