Break ke baad

Team India’s dismal performance at the T20 World Cup has raised many questions. TOI asks a few if a new team would be a saving grace
Kapil Dev, former cricketer
The timing is only right to bring up this question of trying a rotation policy or forming a different team to bank upon. But I must say the calendar does not allow a rotation policy and to change the calendar is a taxing job in itself.As far as forming a new team is concerned, it can happen only when we have 10 Sachins, 10 Dhonis or 10 Yuvrajs to bank upon. A better idea, according to me would be to choose players cautiously so that we don’t require a dismal performance. If the new team fails to perform, there will be a thousand questions again. A rotation policy can ask a player in his best form to be seated and an out-of form player to perform, that’s the problem. Tomorrow, if Sachin and Dhoni are made to sit as per the rotation policy, everyone will go berserk. These things are not that easy to decide. It must be ensured that players are allowed a breather between tournaments.
Raghav Sachar, musician
As a fan of the Indian cricket team, like millions of my countrymen, I am disappointed with their performance. I feel the team is playing way too much cricket. They need to relax and take it easy between big tournaments. I think that playing the IPL, which is so hectic, just before an international tournament like T20 World Cup, is not the best planning.
Bishen Singh Bedi, former cricketer
The idea to try and form a new team sounds great but I wonder how a team will be formed. My point is players cannot be chosen on the basis of their performance in IPL — that’s not cricket. The best players need to be picked up from the Ranji and Duleep Trophy matches. We have immense talent, but who is bothered about that? The top bosses are just busy minting money. Where do they have the time and energy to pick the right talent and use him on the right platform! Moreover, I believe a T20 isn’t real cricket anyway and there is bound to be fatigue when we have non-stop cricket. You see, Australia can afford not to repeat players because they are careful in forming a team and give utmost importance to fitness. We need to learn a few ground lessons before we start talking of big ideas.
Hansika Motwani, actor
I am really disappointed with the way our Indian team has been performing. I thought we will win the World Cup this year, as I felt that the IPL was an ideal platform for everyone to get ready for the T20 World Cup. I think more than the players, it’s the pitches that have done us in. We clearly don’t look ready to play on hard surfaces and our susceptibility to play short bowling has led to our downfall.
Syed Kirmani, former cricketer
There are many reasons for team India’s dismal performance. I think it’s time to do a thorough evaluation. As far as a new team is concerned, I am all for it. We have no dearth of talent and it will be best to form a new team to bank upon. At least that will save us some grace.
Gurmeet Choudhary, actor
I think India is playing too much cricket. The game has become a business and with less emotion from the players and authorities. Just a few days post the IPL, the team had to fly to the West Indies for the T20 World Cup. How do you expect them to perform well, with so much fatigue and injuries. Fielding an alternate team could help. But they have to be honed well in advance.
Amruta Patki, actor
The dismal performance should be attributed to them not concentrating on weak areas and just going ahead with playing on friendly Indian wickets. The chink in the armour is the short ball which currently no Indian player is playing with ease. Also the IPL being such a long tournament has only left them fatigued and a depleted lot with most of the players having niggling injuries and not being 100 per cent fit for an international tournament.
Jackky Bhagnani, actor
T20 is an amazing format. Teams are closely matched and it’s anybody’s game. As a fan I am hugely disappointed, but not disheartened. We are missing some of our key players like Virender Sehwag, easily the most explosive batsman in world cricket and we are genuinely missing a fast bowler and that is what I feel is the reason for our two losses. But why are we forgetting, that we started our campaign with two wins which also included an amazing victory over South Africa.
Debina Bonnerjee, actor
The key players have had no time to recover or rest. The planning and strategising is dismal and it shows. I’m upset. But I don’t think the authorities are looking at fielding an alternate team.
As told to Sarah Salvadore & Rupam Jain
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