The Power Struggle - Kohli versus Kumble

A lot of people have commented on social media that Kohli got Kumble out. Kumble's release on twitter directly mentions Kohli too. I would be quite surprised if Kohli would stand against Kumble if he was the only one having an issue with Kumble. Is the Indian team a bunch which doesn't believe in discipline? Kohli has been quite a disciplined cricketer. So to question this, I find odd. 

I am not sure why people can't accept Kumble might have been a bad coach and so he was wanted out by the players. When the same thing happened with Kapil Dev, no one believed otherwise and they backed Tendulkar and the other players who didn't think Kapil was a good coach. If Kumble was any thing but a disaster, people wouldn't have wanted him out.

I do know for any basic job you require experience. Has Kumble had any coaching experiences for a season with even a state side or any coaching training that suddenly he got the top coaching position in cricket in the country? One way coaches could get to the top position is by coaching club and first class teams apart from learning the aspects of coaching. For international teams, dealing with A teams , taking up smaller jobs in the Indian team first would be better. A lot of time in soccer for example, the person who get's the manager's job is first used part time before getting the managerial position or he has a lot of experience. 'Indian coach' is a glamour job which attracts all and sundry. Last time there were 20-30 applicants for coach. The number of misses we have had in the past 15-16 years is too much. We can't afford it as a team.

Finally, I wonder how much of a power struggle this is. Gavaskar lashing out is interesting. Kohli and company aren't bowing to pressure of former players. Kohli wanted Shastri as coach. Got Kumble. He wasn't able to work and was opposed and removed. Kohli appeared in every press conference. He is the captain and he is taking a lot of control in his hands. It's not a bad thing. Ten committees try to take Indian cricket in ten directions. Ultimately the blame game ends with the captain. I like some one who leads from the front rather than one who doesn't.

India versus Pakistan

India plays Pakistan in a cricket match on Sunday. However, it is much more than a cricket match, every one will tell you. In many ways it is. So many people who don't usually watch cricket matches would watch. They will abuse the other country's players or their own; make them into superstars or throw stones on their houses depending upon the result.

In a time of right wing politics prevailing in our country, the atmosphere will be even more charged up. The government says that we can play Pakistan in ICC tournaments but not in bilateral tournaments. I can't quite understand this stand. If it's not okay to play them, surely it's not okay to play them, period. Not playing versus Pakistan in such a tournament would lead to commercial loss. So this is probably the real reason but any ways.

With so much fervour associated with the match, drama and false pride abounds. A fan posted on WhatsApp a hand written note that he would never watch another Indian match if we lost this game. Another asked me to leave the country as I thought that India will lose the match.

Why can't we focus on the cricket? Pakistan bowls well, so does India. Indian batting is stronger but I feel Yuvraj-Jadhav-Dhoni is a a chink in the armour which Pakistan can exploit. Jadhav and Dhoni haven't had a chance to bat much either so far. Hasan, Raees, Shadab and every one else are bowling really well. Moreover, Pakistan is fielding exceptionally well. This never ever happens. They have a tremendous spirit about them right now.

Why can't we focus on the pitch and the weather and cricketing aspects? There is no shame in losing a cricket match and no extra pride in winning one. Of course one can feel happy the team one supports won. However, the upmanship beyond the cricket which we see every Ram and Kabir expouse is cringeworthy. 

Anil Kumble and the Art of the Coach

This week saw the start of the eight edition of the Champions Trophy. A tournament which started as a knock out in Dhaka in 1998, it has had a storied past. The week has also seen rumblings about a controversy regarding Anil Kumble as coach of the Indian cricket team. The BCCI has taken in fresh applications for the coach and Kumble is part of the process and among the six people who have applied for the job.

There are topics which emerged like Kumble being a strict disciplinarian and fitness freak which didn't sit well with some of the players. Anand Vasu brushed aside the whole controversy as Chinese Whispers. We should probably not indulge in it then.

I will indulge any ways. When the rumours first emerged, it was said that the reason Kumble will be booted is that he had backed the players for the pay hike and the BCCI was not happy with it. Later, reports started emerging that players were not happy with him including Kohli.

However, no one has commented any thing officially. It would have helped if the process for the coach had happened after the Champions Trophy. It would have also helped if Kohli had made some sort of statement backing Kumble regardless of whether he is happy with him or not to shut down the whispers once and for all.

One aspect which troubles me is that BCCI kept Duncan Fletcher as coach till his tenure expired. They could have sacked him earlier but they chose not to do so. For months later, they had Shastri as a figurehead in the team, some one Kohli seemed quite happy with. Yet, they went for Kumble to the utter dejection of Shastri who had also applied for the job.

The coach is an important position. The successful runs of the team has coincided with great coaches - John Wright and Gary Kirsten. We cannot play musical chairs with this post. Depending upon the player and fan, one thinks the coach has more of a management role or more of a coaching role. This shouldn't be the case either.

In England, the roles are defined. Andrew Strauss is director of operations and there are coaches which work on their own roles. Andrew Strauss has remained the director of operations for a while now and it has lead to a functioning which has lead to some sort of system for the English team. Players are not picked and dropped for a game usually and it's mostly for a season or series before they are let go. There are so many aspects. Why do we not have such roles. We have appointed Ganguly, Dravid and Tendulkar as part of a committee but how often do they actually meet?

What I call for is some structure, more than any thing. Let's have basic qualifications and track record for coaching the Indian national team. We had a fiasco when Kapil Dev was coach, similarly with Greg Chappell (whose coaching experiences with smaller sides were quite ordinary). Let's bring in better coaches, better administration process. Let's give due respect to each position. Let's have players talk about issues with the media and not have them mumb about it to give rise to these Chinese Whispers. I am sure we can.