19 September,2011 09:28 AM IST | | MiD DAY Correspondent
The Board of Control for Cricket in India's Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Wankhede Stadium today will bring India's cricketing big wigs under one roof. And while heads of state associations get elected in various committees, there couldn't be a better time and platform to sort out 'cricketing' issues. Officials, like fans, must feel the pain of defeat. India's success rate on the just concluded England tour has been a ridiculous zero and much of that is due to the injuries to key players. No one can control players being struck on the field, but prevention of injuries that are caused by overload or warped training methods must be looked at. This aspect cannot go unnoticed at today's AGM.
If the BCCI mandarins don't have a discussion on better preparation for important tours, they should be ashamed of themselves because that will mean lessons of the England tour have not been learnt.u00a0 Doubtless, the appointing or retaining of the national selectors will be of great importance. Sure, Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Co picked a World Cup-winning team, but their work should be viewed in perspective. At times, they have appeared clueless and not brave enough to give youngsters a go.
Also, without crying over spilt milk, the Board should call for an objective review of the England tour. There are some critical questions to be answered like, why was Zaheer Khan kept on tour for so long if his hamstring and ankle injuries were so serious? Why was no cover sent for the injured Zaheer? What was the wisdom behind summoning R P Singh, who reportedly was on holiday in Miami before making the playing XI for the Oval Test? And on what basis was Virender Sehwag declared fit to join the touring party for the third Test at Birmingham where he bagged a pair? And finally, the BCCI should be open at their post-AGM press conference on what was discussed and suggested. There's still a long way for Right to Information to come to fruition where cricket is concerned, but doesn't a fan deserve to hear the truth?
