Milestones in Multan

Sachin didn8217;t say much on Monday but, given his penchant for saying nothing at all, that was enough. And, whether he was right or wrong, justified or not, his reaction 8212; a child who8217;s had his lollipop taken away 8212; was unpardonable. Problems within the team should always be confined to the dressing room, never aired in public. And especially not on a tour as important as this. He could, as he and his colleagues frequently do, have instead used his friends in the media to make the point on his behalf.

Someone in the BCCI should have a quiet word with their star player. To observe the pitfalls of speaking out, and speaking out of turn, they need only look around them in Pakistan, where Imran Khan and Javed Miandad are still fighting battles they began a quarter century ago.

Indian cricket is at a crossroads of sorts. On the one hand, is the old road of highly paid players playing the game in the manner of amateurs. It8217;s the theek hai, chalta hai mentality 8212; so what if we lost the game, it happens8230; On the other is professionalism, with all its attendant issues. It8217;s the latter road the game seems to be headed for in India, as the national team8217;s performances have shown over the past couple of years. To begin with, team selection is finally based on merit 8212; you may criticise a particular player8217;s selection or dropping, but no longer can you ascribe regional or other biases as the reason behind it.

The problem with professionalism is, it8217;s not an a la carte menu for you to cherry-pick what you want out of it. To be effective, you need to go the Full Monty. In the context of Indian cricket, it means you must play to win. Success on the field breeds success off it which, in the long run, breeds success on it again. Professionalism, to quote Queen, has no time for losers.

Which begs the question: Does it have time for genius? Is there, then, a role for a Sachin or a Lara or, indeed, a Sehwag though he8217;s a maverick, not a genius? In other words, does professionalism mean uniformity? No, it doesn8217;t. It can8217;t. Because take away Tendulkar8217;s imperiousness or Sehwag8217;s impetuosity and you have empty stands and blank TV screens.

The trick is to balance the eccentric with the ordinary, the virtuoso with the versatile. Why else does India8217;s batting work? Because you have all types, each playing their role. Make no mistake, an effective Aakash Chopra is as important a member of the team as Tendulkar is 8212; in the same way that Ringo Starr was as important to The Beatles as was Lennon. Without his backbeat, there would be no solo.

Underpinning all of this is a professional work ethic. The great West Indies teams will always be remembered for their wonderful cricket; yet every time we see their successors of today we are reminded that the gains of unbridled, directionless genius are ephemeral.

There is, in North London, a living, thriving example of genius succeeding within a professional set-up. He goes by the name of Thierry Henry, he plays for Arsenal and he is probably the most exciting footballer of his generation. Last year, Arsenal 8212; Henry leading the way 8212; played some of the most breathtaking football seen in England. But, call it hubris, fate, carelessness, his club missed out on the big trophies because they assumed those trophies to be theirs by right. That was unprofessional.

This season, they are playing even better football and stand a good chance of winning whatever they want to win. They have recognised their mistakes and have apparently sorted them out 8212; without compromising on Henry8217;s genius. That is professionalism.

Finally, a word to Tendulkar8217;s many fans who see this as a personal slight to the player. Please don8217;t measure Tendulkar in centuries or statistics, reducing him to the status of an assembly line producing automobiles. Indulge instead in the pleasure of watching the one stroke only he can play, the satisfaction of waiting the whole day, maybe all five days of a Test, to see that one moment of perfection. Remember the smile of Tuesday evening, Moin8217;s wicket captured, rather than the sulk of the previous night.

And celebrate the achievements of Team India. They deserve your support.