Cricket weakening ? - Stock taking of current health...

It is sad that current status hints at the beautiful game is overall losing the old charm inspite of the wonderfully contested recent Ashes series… Here are the reasons - why...

Cricket has always held its charm when there are more than two equals fighting for the top position. Lets have a look at the various teams, in order of their capabilities – from top to bottom, in world test cricket at this point…

- England: The healthiest team in the world at this point. With a beautifully scripted win against the so far perceived No. 1 team, this team is in the pink of health. It has learnt to win (with SA and WI wins already in its kitty) and reproduce some charm in the game. There are crowd pullers like Flintoff, Harmison etc for their performances as well as Pietersons for their statements, appearances and delivering knock-out punches. Overall the team works wonderfully together and thatz the mark of greatness. Hope they remain the same for years to come and pull other nations to their current level…

- Pakistan: This team talked about second in order, shows the health of the cricket at this point. It’s true that Aussies should’ve been atleast in this position, but why they aren’t will be mentioned later. As far as this undependable Pakistani team is concerned, they’ve always shown they have it “in” them, but they never come “out” with that! Consistency is a bad word in their dictionaries. Woolmer, in his short stint, is showing some signs of getting things right but still will have to prove. They’ve got to show they aren’t injury prone and infighting prone in years to come. Bowling, especially in spin department would need some focus for this team as well the one on top.

- Australia: Yes, they’ve lost Ashes. More importantly, the best performers in the series, Warne and McGrath, are the ones in the verge of retiring. What happened to the much-talked about strong bench reserves that they have? Shaun Tait, Shane Watson & co aren’t showing any signs of greatness that this team seemed to be once possessing. Gillespie and Kasper aren’t yet ready to take McGrath mantle. The openers are casting doubts on themselves and the middle order seems to be non-existent. The tail wags better than the head. However, it is incorrect to talk about the team so rudely after one series. Aussies have a strong structure and can bounce back with their much-known “aussie spirit”. But we’ll have to wait and watch.

- South Africa: This team has always been somewhere there but not yet. First of all, it doesn’t have any superstars. It cannot attract crowd on its own strength. There are consistent performers like Kallis, Pollock but how long do we keep repeating these two names? Its time for something exciting to happen to this team. Else, it will always remain somewhere in the middle having the potential, but not yet!

- Srilanka: This is one team that has shown progress consistently but yet to prove itself strongly outside home. It keeps burying all the visitors royally in its graveyards homeland but gets treated the same when it tries venturing outside, especially away from sub-continent. But , with a couple of axing and couple of fresh breaths, including one at helm, would do this team a world of good and soon you might find this team giving a knock at the doors of the top.

- Newzealand: This team is another that has a strong leader and a mediocre team that fights well, at times. Its given many a scare to the top teams in the shortened version of the game but never has been able to do that consistently in the longer version. It’s high time to switch modes from short to long and more importantly find suitable strong replacements for ageing yesteryear talents like Astle and Cairns. Marshalls should marshal – the sooner the better…

- India: This is one team which fits the clichéd adage, tiger on paper but cat on the field. With doubts on the captain, the much celebrated superstar (has it not been for too long?) taking long rest, not that it is making any difference, this team finds itself lost somewhere of nowhere. The bowling remaining a weak link (identified years back), the wicket keeper shoes remaining slippery, the talented batsman leaving their talent often safe in the dressing room lockers, it is nomore what it promised in world cup last year… Its time for some quick changes, disregard the past glories, getting the unit work together and oil the rusty batting machines. More importantly, it is important to focus on reserves as much as the main team. A real ‘boost’ (or boots!) is needed to the team, not just advertisements.

- West Indies: This team has lost its way in the beginning of 90s and yet to find its way. One superstar, who is no more what he was, and some decent make-fill all-rounders like Gayle do not make a semblance of the team comprising Richards, Ambrosh, Walsh and the likes. Bowling was lost the day Walsh put up his boots. Sponsors & contracts add another problem dimension to the existing (?!) incohesive team. Will this team ever come back?? Am not sure…

Rest of the teams or their likes do not deserve a talk…

Overall, none of teams are reforming in a pace thatz required at the moment. ‘England Rising’ is a good sign but its high time for the rest of the teams to follow suit. In the pretext of spreading the game, the weaker teams being awarded test status and playing with the big ones, doesn’t do any good to the game. Let them compete at their league, prove themselves, strengthen their reserves, then come to face the big boys. Superstars are no more emerging – leave out Pieterson, rest of them are old finds – some of them old enough to find their exit gates open soon.

The recent changes made to abridged version of the game has aroused some exciting yawns even in the unassuming four-legged creatures standing by the cricket stands (who else comes to the stands in most parts of the world, otherwise?). So the administrators shouldn’t focus on changes to format – but to the fundamentals of the game. The structure and body existing in each country and how to fill the coffers for development of game in existing nations… Let the game thrive in the nations where it is played, lets look outside beyond that.

Wish the game retains and re-assumes the lost glory. Amen! (Harry potter, come with your magic wand and touch the cricketing band …)