[pratyush6]

Time and again IPL is the chosen criteria for Test Selection. Bhajji has bowled well, no one would doubt it, but he has been hopeless in the Domestic season - though I wish him well.

We should have been bold enough to experiment with the ODI team atleast. Commercial interests again pushing Indian cricket well being back.

By the way, wasn't this among the worst IPL seasons? Very few close games and Indian stars not performing as expected. The only game I watched over than 50% was the final.

Regarding Chanderpaul - I think a player who has for so long played for you, deserves a proper farewell, even if he wasn't in good form. Sports is somewhat of a passionate thing and once you take emotions out of it, why would someone even support a team?

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by pratyush6

Regarding Chanderpaul - I think a player who has for so long played for you, deserves a proper farewell, even if he wasn't in good form. Sports is somewhat of a passionate thing and once you take emotions out of it, why would someone even support a team?

I dont think Sunny Gavaskar got a farewell test for him. He went out on a high on his own. It is better to quit the game when people ask WHY IS HE RETIRING rather than WHY DOES NOT HE RETIRE.

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

WHY IS HE RETIRING rather than WHY DOES NOT HE RETIRE.

I feel this statement is all Gas. Why wouldn't you question the so-called experts? It's just a different POV.

Imagine you working for a broken down organisation (like WICB) and you've reached your retirement and you are simply shown the door one fine day. No send off, no wishes, no farewell - wouldn't you feel rotten somewhere? Like you were just an object.

We are human beings, without emotions we could just be stones. Everything that we do; we should keep that fact in mind.

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by pratyush6

I feel this statement is all Gas. Why wouldn't you question the so-called experts? It's just a different POV.

Imagine you working for a broken down organisation (like WICB) and you've reached your retirement and you are simply shown the door one fine day. No send off, no wishes, no farewell - wouldn't you feel rotten somewhere? Like you were just an object.

We are human beings, without emotions we could just be stones. Everything that we do; we should keep that fact in mind.

Sorry but there are other ways to give one a farewell. It should never be at the expense of not selecting your best team for a test series.

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by Oxy

Sorry but there are other ways to give one a farewell. It should never be at the expense of not selecting your best team for a test series.

And what are those exactly as a cricketer? And if they were, why didn't WICB do it?

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by pratyush6

And what are those exactly as a cricketer? And if they were, why didn't WICB do it?

Well honour him at his home ground, give him a lifetime achievement award or something. Maybe hold a friendly match and give the proceeds to him.

My point is, you can find ways to make the person not feel "rotten inside" as you said. The team though needs to move on. When you are trying to compete with a team like Australia, why would you select someone who is well past his best just to give him a farewell?

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by PPS

Lets face it, there is a dearth of good spinners in our country! And that is what made the selectors go back to Bhajji in the Test format.

Here is last Ranji trophy's top wicket takers list. There are many spinners. But Harbhajan (who managed to play only 3 matches), doesn't even figure in the list.
Link: Ranji Trophy, 2014/15 / Records / Most wickets

Originally Posted by vasudeva

However, it seems now that IPL has become the criterion for selection in test squad.

Yes, the precedence is set. Strong performance in IPL will cement place in Test & ODI squads. Just ask Rohit Sharma, Raina and many other who did well in Ranji but failed in IPL.

[vasudeva]

Vinay Kumar at the top!!!
Surely at his speed, he can pass off as a right arm slow trundler.

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by vasudeva

Vinay Kumar at the top!!!
Surely at his speed, he can pass off as a right arm slow trundler.

That is in IPL. But in Ranji, he had swing, reverse swing and frequently took wickets in bulk and caused collapses. He was main architect of Karnataka win this season.

[Marauder]

Originally Posted by pratyush6

Regarding Chanderpaul - I think a player who has for so long played for you, deserves a proper farewell, even if he wasn't in good form. Sports is somewhat of a passionate thing and once you take emotions out of it, why would someone even support a team?

I think Cricket is a team sport and putting individuals ahead of the game is not right. I don't think that Chanderpaul should have been dropped in such a way and WICB handled it really badly, but the people calling for farewell series for a player is not good for the game.
I still think that BCCI was absolutely wrong in arranging for a farewell series for Sachin. They just took advantage of the emotion of the Indian fan to make another truck-load of money.

If a player announces his retirement ahead of the series then well and good but arranging for a special series to send him off shall not become a tradition.
Having said that I believe Chanderpaul was good enough to be picked in the squad against Australia.

[carwatcher]

I still can't see any comment regarding MS Dhoni's retirement which I posted on previous page.

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by carwatcher

I still can't see any comment regarding MS Dhoni's retirement which I posted on previous page.

Dhoni is terrific leader and man-manager, who held the team after the Greg Chappell disaster. He managed the team with greats and later with newcomers after the greats retired.

In cricket, wicket keeping is a difficult and thankless job. Bowlers, fielders can relax but a wicket keeper has to be on the game and focus for every single delivery. Being a captain is a demanding tasks. He has to work with coach on tactics, strategy & plans off field. He must work on his team mates' game and also his game. On field, he must be one or two overs ahead in the game and must have control over his team mates & over rate.

So it extremely difficult to be a captain and a wicketkeeper. Dhoni has done it in all forms of the game and for all teams he has played. Probably he is the most successful wicketkeeper-captain in the history of the game. That is an achievement and hats of to him. Indian cricket is blessed to have a player like Dhoni.

PS: One nitpick on Dhoni would be that he didn't seem he was in control of test matches, or didn't show the same intensity as he was in ODIs & T20s and let the game drift away from victory.

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by Oxy

Maybe hold a friendly match and give the proceeds to him.

Proceeds? Lifetime award? Really? Do you even believe that?

Originally Posted by Oxy

My point is, you can find ways to make the person not feel "rotten inside" as you said.

Yes, agreed, you can - IF you want to.

Originally Posted by Oxy

why would you select someone who is well past his best just to give him a farewell?

Originally Posted by Marauder

I think Cricket is a team sport and putting individuals ahead of the game is not right

Just one answer to this: It is after all a sport, not war. If you win/lose a game, the world isn't going to end.
But if you gave the guy a proper send off (like SRT) the world will remember. And it possibly gives far more joy to people who love the game rather than just be blinded by wins or losses.

An offshoot of this is cricket lovers wanting to see KP in action, as he brings so much to the game, even if it is against their own country.

Hey.. maybe I am simply an old school cricket lover than a wild team supporter

PS, I still remember Sidhu howling on TV when Trescothick left a series in India mid way to go see his family (which was on a verge of collapse) He kept on harping how weak willed this guy was and that he had betrayed his country. And all I had was praise for the guy who put his family before a game of cricket.

[carwatcher]

Thanks for a comprehensive reply but my question was that doesn't Dhoni deserves respect for not demanding farewell like Chanders.
Or he doesn't deserves it as he plays 100% of his matches in IPL so fitness is not that an issue.

Originally Posted by msdivy

Dhoni is terrific leader and man-manager, who held the team after the Greg Chappell disaster. He managed the team with greats and later with newcomers after the greats retired.

[Eddy]

Anyone here who loves the Ashes ?

Do give this a dekho !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTUj57MCtQg