My Cricket Diary

Did any of you feel Kumble should've been chosen ahead of Vettori? True Vettori has a good record against Australia, but if that argument is to be applied consistently then VVS should have played this Test and not Inzamam!!

I'm certainly upset. Many reasons:

1. For long, I belived a vice-captain can remain a vice-captain all his life, and never complain about it. Or rather, a vice-captain can think of taking over the reins when his captain is dropped or if retires from test cricket. Looking at Australia - the most successful team in the last decade, Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting & Adam Gilchrist have all been wonderful vice-captains. They simply stepped into captaincy roles when their captain stepped down or retired. They also led when their captains were out in a Test. But one thing which I have never seen or heard in the press is a complaint that these vice-captains deserved to be given a long term reign. But when Dravid took over the captaincy during Sourav's ban, the Indian press was suddenly abuzz that there must be a long term plan for Dravid!!! And it came from no less than Javagal Srinath - which clearly indicated his personal preference for Dravid as a captain. The press, the media and finally a mass hysteria somehow seems to have influenced the comman man that Dravid deserved a long term plan. The fact that it has influenced a person like Harsha Boghle does not auger well for the future of cricket and cricket journalism in India
2. Did anyone ever get a feeling that it may have been Greg Chappell himself who leaked his email to the press? Sensing the pulse of the India media, he could've well done it. Well, I for one certainly suspect it. After all, this is not the first time an email from an Australian coach has reached the media. Remember the email leak after Australia lost to India in the 2001 series?
3. Why is Chappell allowed to talk crap in public, while others Ganguly is banned from talking about this public. Statements like "Dravid's selection is a positive sign", is defintely not acceptable, and why does he want to monitor Ganguly's progress. These statements from Chappell instills doubts in the minds of the already poisoned minds of an average cricket fan!!
4. Lastly, I'm upset that Dravid himself had very little to say about Sourav in whatever little time he spent with the media. I certainly hope he says a few comforting words about Ganguly when there is a full fledged press conference.