Operation Discipline
Mrigank Chhibber - 18 May 2002
When the one-day squad for the five-match series in the Caribbean was
announced, I was quite amazed to see that Ajit Agarjar had been
picked. This is a man who has regularly given away matches with
indisciplined bowling. This is a man who would probably bowl short at
Richie Richardson and give half-volleys on the off-stump to Walter
Hammond.
What is most distressing about him is that just when he starts to look
reliable, he falls by the wayside. Agarkar at his best can provide
spells that amaze, but on a regular day, he can bowl spells that evoke
only one kind of amazement - about his inclusion in the side. Once
again, now, Agarkar has been called up to do duty for India, and once
again a whole nation awaits with bated breath for his talent to come
of age.
Pas contre, the West Indies also seem to have a similar problem in the
form of Ramnaresh Sarwan. If he is truly the player his fabulous
stroke-play suggests, he will need to meet the person who is currently
sticking pins in a rag doll every time Sarwan reaches 50. This is a
player who is a future West Indies captain, but at present, he cannot
even seem to control himself, so leading the islands seems quite
distant at the moment.
An Achilles heel is fast forming and it requires surgery; some of the
better surgeons for the job, at present, are Carl Hooper and
Shivnarine Chanderpaul. It seems quite odd that these individuals, who
play for both the Windies and Guyana, cannot come together to correct
Sarwan's problems. Both Hooper and Chanderpaul seem quite adept at
converting good starts into substantial scores; in fact, Chanderpaul
himself overcame a problem similar to Sarwan's in his own
international career.
Agarkar and Sarwan are just clear examples of the problem that is
plaguing both squads. This is what separates India and the West Indies
from the likes of Australia and South Africa. It is not common to see
the likes of Jason Gillespie, Shaun Pollock and Glenn McGrath straying
from immaculate line and length. They are also sensible enough to know
what and how to bowl when they are getting some stick.
On the other hand, the likes of Adam Sanford and Agarkar are quite
likely to try to bowl with extra pace, thus offering up treats to the
batsman. Both teams contain many similar individuals who should now
stand up and be counted. An evolution to a higher level is required,
and their respective nations are waiting.
The views expressed above are solely those of the guest
contributor and are carried as written, with only minor editing
for grammar, to preserve the original voice. These contributed
columns are solely personal opinion pieces and reflect only the
feelings of the guest contributor. Their being published on
CricInfo.com does not amount to an endorsement by
CricInfo's editorial staff of the opinions expressed.
© CricInfo
[Archive]