Straws in the wind

Friday was one of those rare days when just a couple of clicks on the television remote offered a glimpse of two possible futures. Certainly, Kaif and his boys deserve effusive congratulations. Still, it is debatable whether their victory would have been so enthusiastically celebrated if the pictures beamed from Australia had provided any cause for cheer. It may be deemed petty quibbling, but this never-ending search for rays of hope too could be a self-defeating exercise.

It is sometimes argued that an inordinate emphasis on success, as opposed to defeat, is in itself responsible for the mess that is Indian cricket. That instead of appreciating the execution of skills, Indian fans keep both eyes transfixed on the run chase, on the chances of victory. That instead of enjoying the interplay of a host of factors that make the cricketing cauldron a microcosm of life at large,they only seek a win, no matter against whom, no matter in what conditions.

No wonder then that a cash-rich BCCI is ever agreeable to pampering the players with home pitches that virtually ensure victory against any visiting team. There is, of course, no harm in providing players with a home advantage, especially if it entails sustenance to beguiling art of spin bowling. But when this becomes an excuse for failing to nurture domestic pacers by providing bouncy tracks in domestic ties, fiascos like Australia are inevitable. It would be extremely unfortunate if the path ahead for the most skilled of Kaif’s boys also ends with a humiliating defeat at Perth, with the odd victory en route at Ahmedabad or Bangalore.

It is time the Board realised that its responsibilities involved much more than merely balancing comprehensive away defeats with assured home wins.