Line & Length
R Mohan
Players emblem of brave new India
October 16, 2007
The Indian cricketer of today is a creature of the age. He is far removed from the stereotypical goodie-goodie type who is so well mannered he couldn't say boo to an opponent. This newfound hard attitude is seen as emblematic of a brave and confident new India with its roaring economy, galloping stock market and appreciating rupee.
There cannot be a more representative symbol of the changed face of Indian cricket than the young fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth. He virtually snarls at his opponents as if he were a quick from the Australian school of fast bowling. He has even been compared, not unfairly, to Andre Nel of South Africa whose expressive face betrays emotions as theatrically as Sir Laurence Olivier on opening night at the West End.
Indian cricket has come a long way since the early days of a definitive inferiority complex that saw its players kowtow to levels far beyond the regular sporting etiquette of applauding an opposing batsman's fine strokes. Gone is the image left by the likes of the gracious Gundappa Viswanath who once recalled Bob Taylor to the crease in a grand gesture that cost India a test match.
The in-your-face attitude of Sreesanth is born of the brand new competitiveness that tries to answer several old questions about the lack of a killer instinct in Indian cricketers. Even a soft cricket team would wish at least its quick bowlers would be aggressive guys who could help the team give as much as it gets on the field by way of the gesture of the glare or lip after an extra effort ball passes the nose of the batsman.
Critics who never tire of pointing to the overt aggression of the likes of McGrath and Nel who invariably escape the eagle eye of the dreaded match referee may have a hard time reconciling to the tough as nails approach of the new breed of aggressive Indians who do not mind staring down opponents or sledging batsmen. The players themselves do seem to encourage the tough guy acts of Sreesanth, Zaheer Khan and Rudra Singh.
Docked a part of his match fee recently for excessive appealing, which is probably the least of Sreesanth's newfound expressions of sporting aggression, the fast bowler is said to have expressed the opinion that he would not mind losing all his match fee if he could win more matches for India as he did at the T20 world championship in South Africa in which India beat England, South Africa, Australia and Pakistan on the trot.
Till very recently, the Indian cricketer was seen as the whining amateur who loved to point out the double standard that ICC match referees employ in allegedly excusing the excesses of his opponents while pouncing upon his most minor offences against the spirit of fair play. He may even have had genuine grievances in this regard as offenders from certain privileged teams got away while subcontinental players got hauled up.
On the England tour, too, the Indians were reluctant players in gamesmanship. But they were able to use their anger at some of the tactics to fire themselves up as Zaheer Khan famously did in routing the English after the Jelly bean incident. It appeared in the T20 that the Indians had suddenly matured into full blown aggressors with Sreesanth being the one to be sanctioned for behaviour.
The same men nowadays pride themselves in landing up before the match referee with an apology for an excess but not pleading for forgiveness from the big bosses of the game. In the matter of sledging, the Indians give back pretty well these days as seen in the not so amused reactions of others. They have taken on the big names in gamesmanship in demonstrating that two can play this game of putting opponents off their game.
In this matter of showing attitude, Sourav Ganguly had consistently led the way. He even took on the old master at the art in Steve Waugh, keeping the Australian captain waiting at the toss and behaving in such a way as to get under the skin of the Aussies to the extent of being called Lord snooty. The difference between then and now is gamesmanship is no more an isolated incident practised by one player.
These acts, such as those of Sreesanth, do not hold up as an example for the millions of kids who watch the game. They are as ugly as Nel letting steam out of his ears. But, times have changed and so too have Team India . The younger side would like to rub shoulders as equals with the best in the world, as they did in the T20 world championship where they can be said to have not only excelled in the game but also in gamesmanship. We may have to like it or lump this newfound "aggro on the field".
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
There cannot be a more representative symbol of the changed face of Indian cricket than the young fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth. He virtually snarls at his opponents as if he were a quick from the Australian school of fast bowling. He has even been compared, not unfairly, to Andre Nel of South Africa whose expressive face betrays emotions as theatrically as Sir Laurence Olivier on opening night at the West End.
Indian cricket has come a long way since the early days of a definitive inferiority complex that saw its players kowtow to levels far beyond the regular sporting etiquette of applauding an opposing batsman's fine strokes. Gone is the image left by the likes of the gracious Gundappa Viswanath who once recalled Bob Taylor to the crease in a grand gesture that cost India a test match.
The in-your-face attitude of Sreesanth is born of the brand new competitiveness that tries to answer several old questions about the lack of a killer instinct in Indian cricketers. Even a soft cricket team would wish at least its quick bowlers would be aggressive guys who could help the team give as much as it gets on the field by way of the gesture of the glare or lip after an extra effort ball passes the nose of the batsman.
Critics who never tire of pointing to the overt aggression of the likes of McGrath and Nel who invariably escape the eagle eye of the dreaded match referee may have a hard time reconciling to the tough as nails approach of the new breed of aggressive Indians who do not mind staring down opponents or sledging batsmen. The players themselves do seem to encourage the tough guy acts of Sreesanth, Zaheer Khan and Rudra Singh.
Docked a part of his match fee recently for excessive appealing, which is probably the least of Sreesanth's newfound expressions of sporting aggression, the fast bowler is said to have expressed the opinion that he would not mind losing all his match fee if he could win more matches for India as he did at the T20 world championship in South Africa in which India beat England, South Africa, Australia and Pakistan on the trot.
Till very recently, the Indian cricketer was seen as the whining amateur who loved to point out the double standard that ICC match referees employ in allegedly excusing the excesses of his opponents while pouncing upon his most minor offences against the spirit of fair play. He may even have had genuine grievances in this regard as offenders from certain privileged teams got away while subcontinental players got hauled up.
On the England tour, too, the Indians were reluctant players in gamesmanship. But they were able to use their anger at some of the tactics to fire themselves up as Zaheer Khan famously did in routing the English after the Jelly bean incident. It appeared in the T20 that the Indians had suddenly matured into full blown aggressors with Sreesanth being the one to be sanctioned for behaviour.
The same men nowadays pride themselves in landing up before the match referee with an apology for an excess but not pleading for forgiveness from the big bosses of the game. In the matter of sledging, the Indians give back pretty well these days as seen in the not so amused reactions of others. They have taken on the big names in gamesmanship in demonstrating that two can play this game of putting opponents off their game.
In this matter of showing attitude, Sourav Ganguly had consistently led the way. He even took on the old master at the art in Steve Waugh, keeping the Australian captain waiting at the toss and behaving in such a way as to get under the skin of the Aussies to the extent of being called Lord snooty. The difference between then and now is gamesmanship is no more an isolated incident practised by one player.
These acts, such as those of Sreesanth, do not hold up as an example for the millions of kids who watch the game. They are as ugly as Nel letting steam out of his ears. But, times have changed and so too have Team India . The younger side would like to rub shoulders as equals with the best in the world, as they did in the T20 world championship where they can be said to have not only excelled in the game but also in gamesmanship. We may have to like it or lump this newfound "aggro on the field".
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
