Editorial
Players opt for ICL
A blow to our cricket
WITH the BCB officials' last-ditch attempt to prevent the 13 rebel cricketers from joining the Indian Cricket League failing, our cricket is passing through a crisis. And it is the latter who are being held responsible for it.
It seems the BCB officials were genuinely surprised by the development as they did not have an inkling of what was going on even a day before the players submitted their resignations. It is not clear why the cricket managers failed to smell anything even after the team's dismal performance in Australia, where the players were apparently busy formulating their future plans, instead of concentrating on the game. Coach Jamie Siddons has very rightly said that it was a "shame" that they had something else in mind while they were playing in Australia. But what was the BCB doing while the players were getting ready to resign? It is not enough to claim now that the resignations were not acceptable because the players hadn't served any prior notice. That is a legal question that the rebels may have to answer, but it can by no means alter the palpable truth that the officials had distanced themselves from the players and did not bother to keep themselves abreast of the latest developments.
The players, for their part, have failed to behave like mature and responsible members of the national team. To claim that the coach had misbehaved with somebody was but childish. After all, they have not performed well enough in the recent past to quit with honour and grace. Much of the cricket fans' expectation remains unfulfilled, as the cricketers lost almost all the matches that they played in the last couple of years. Now they have decided to quit the team that they failed to serve with a sense of dedication and commitment. Obviously, nobody can stop a player from retiring, but the players should have mentioned clearly in their resignation letters that they are retiring because they failed to deliver. Yes, their professional needs cannot be ignored, but is cricket, or any sport for that matter, all about money only?
The ICL, viewed negatively by the national cricket boards, is a reality that we cannot overlook, nor can we ignore its enormous financial clout. So, what can the BCB do now? They should follow coach Jamie Siddons' suggestion and replace the rebel players. Nobody is indispensable and the game itself is more important than any individual.
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