A privileged lot
Harbhajan Singh, disappointed at being dropped from Team India for the Champions Trophy.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, once a mainstay in Team India, is no longer part of the playing eleven. The senior player is shocked. He said no one from the selectors or anybody from the team management has ever reached out to him to point out that he needs to work on a particular drawback in his game to be considered for selection. “We too have played for 19 years and won and lost matches for India. I have won two World Cups too. Clearly, this privilege is for some players and not for others and maybe I figure in the others. I don’t know why,” he said.Was he hinting at M.S. Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and the likes as “privileged players”?
Harbhajan clarified soon after that he wasn’t hinting at Dhoni. To get selected to represent one’s country in any sport is a matter of pride. However, at times, factors other than a player’s ability and talent take precedence. This has raised a huge question about what goes into the selection process in Indian cricket. Because there are some players who get a long rope and some dropped soon after few failed matches. The former New Zealand captain, John Wright, who was India’s coach for almost five years also hit out at Indian selectors in his book Indian Summers.
He revealed that V.V.S. Laxman and Mohammad Kaif were the ones who felt the heat of the selectors’ whims the most. “Laxman and Kaif are examples of outstanding performers who always seemed to be only one or two failures away from having their places questioned,” he said once during an interview. He also explained that many selectors were parochial and tried to plug for players from their own zone.
Unfortunately, most players stay away from commenting on this topic, as they have hope against hope to be playing in the Indian cricket team. If not as players, they hope for a chance as Team coach — Virender Sehwag has applied for the post — or at least a cricket commentator, which they won’t stand a chance if they criticise BCCI.
Talking about what goes into selecting a player for the playing 11, former Indian all-rounder, Sunil Joshi says, “Being selected in the Indian cricket team itself is a privilege. However, as the captain and the selectors change, the priority of the team changes. While selecting a player, there are many things that are taken into consideration — the age of the player, the recent performances in a particular format of the game that the team is going to play and if the selectors think that the player fits the bill.”
Sunil feels that ups and downs are part and parcel of every player and one should know how to deal with it. “When a player isn’t performing, the selectors ask them to play a few domestic tournaments like Ranji or Duleep and if they perform well there, they are welcomed in the team. Sachin, too, while playing for India, has represented Mumbai in domestic tournaments. However, Sachin is Sachin and can’t be compared to any other player,” he says. Says renowned Indian sports writer Ayaz Memon, “There are a few players one cannot judge according to each match they play. They bring certain value to the team over a period of time. So, if there is somebody of proven calibre and has done substantial work, then a captain or selectors trust their ability to come good, and if they get duck out in a certain match they don’t make them sit on the bench.”
A few sports personalities beg to differ. Shuttler Jwala Gutta says, “There certainly are a bunch of players who are privileged. Some of us have achieved so much in our career, but have never gotten our due. How can one person have his own sports academy, be the national coach of that particular sports and a part of the selecting committee too?” questions Jwala, probably hinting at national coach Pullela Gopichand. “What is important is to have an unbiased approach towards sports and treat all the players equally. Everyone should get equal opportunities to play and prove their worth,” she concludes.