There is a saying that "winning and losing are part and parcel of a game." But if there are more losses than wins then the issue has to be taken seriously. The Indian team's shocking exit from the World Cup has hurt the emotions of billions. We are only champions at home.
In India, cricket is a religion and the players are like demigods. Our players are involved more in endorsements than in playing the game. This was seen when they were running from one city to another behind the advertisers after the home series win against Sri Lanka. When it comes to playing on foreign soil they clearly lack technique and it would be interesting to see how the "men in blue" regroup themselves and come back to winning ways.
S. Sudarshan, CoimbatoreConfusing outlookRohit Brijnath's Cover Story (Sportstar, March 31) is laced with philosophical overtones. It has an air of a concerned counsellor patiently advising the Indian team, which is now at the crossroads. If one attempts a SWOT analysis of Indian cricket, that person will end up a bit confused.
The SWOT analysis inherently resembles a wave pattern with strengths and opportunities being representative of the crests while the weaknesses and threats are symbolised by the intermittent troughs.
But when strengths double up as weaknesses and opportunities become threats as it does peculiarly in the case of Indian cricket, the analyst is bemused! The unmatched passionate cricket following (doubtless a strength) ensures the youth preferring cricket over other sports, thereby resulting in a huge talent pool. But unreasonable expectations weigh down heavily on the players. What shall we call this, a strength or a weakness?
The cash-rich BCCI wants to take the game to the untapped rural areas; this is a sound logic provided there is a meaningful follow-up action by the Board.
Looking back at the 1983 scenario, Team India was riding on sheer talent and clinched the Cup. So, let's hope and wait till such a team falls into place.
Suresh Manoharan, HyderabadTriumph and disasterThe meek surrender of our players in the World Cup has opened up the reality confronting Indian cricket. The cricketers, enjoying demigod status at home, have incurred the wrath of their fans, who were shocked by the dismal show.
The passionate fans, in fact, were misled by the media hype. Our team was projected as one of the favourites to win the Cup.
While our superstars were busy with their commercials, the other international players were training hard for the mega event.
Ironically, the die-hard Indian fans harboured high hopes especially after our team's ODI series victory over West Indies and Sri Lanka, before the start of the World Cup.
The fans should now perceive the real standard of our team and should cease such passionate following of these dispirited Indian cricketers. Above all, our fans should think about the words of Rudyard Kipling, "If you could meet with triumph and disaster... treat those two impostors just the same."
M. Kuppuraj, Chennai
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