This is what happened. Cornered by the unthinking scorn of ignorant journalists, the Board was forced to offer the job to Chandu Borde who said yes without knowing what he was saying yes to. When the news broke and journalists quizzed him about the details of the offer, he said he'd know when the official letter arrived.

Even here, though, the sensitive critic will notice the lengths to which the BCCI went to indulge its cricketers. Knowing that Rahul, Sachin and Saurav didn't want an Indian coach, the Board didn't appoint one: Borde was made Cricket Manager instead. Of course, this might have had something to do with Borde's age. 'Coach' has a hands-on ring to it: early morning fielding sessions, shorts, laptops, none of which is suitable for a distinguished gent about to turn seventy-three. 'Manager' seems the right title for Borde's likely duties: reminiscing with old men in MCC ties, visiting the Indian High Commission, telling his lads that they were lucky they weren't up against Truman, Tyson, Statham and Loader, being benevolent all round.

Mr Pawar, for all his modesty about being a hands-off President who leaves the running of the Board to his trusted lieutenants, knew exactly what he was doing when he pulled Chandu Borde's name out of a hat. One, he knew Borde would say yes which was important because vulgar public opinion, uninitiated in the neti thing, wouldn't brook another 'no'. But the more crucial reason for picking Borde was that Borde wouldn't play favourites. That had been the trouble with Greg Chappell. He'd had his pets and peeves and by the end of his tenure the team had been riven, with lurid stories of the skipper being on one side and the senior players ranged on the other. The Board couldn't let that happen again, so Pawar and Dungarpur chose someone who who was mature enough to know that the historical individual was unimportant: it was the eternal type that counted.

Borde has been ridiculed in the Hindustan Times by an anonymous Board 'insider' who claims that during his tenure as chief selector, Borde called the former Indian skipper, Gaurav Ganguly. These critics don't see that this is exactly what recommends him. Borde mightn't be able to tell Gambhir from Ganguly but he can see, in his mind's eye, the perfect opening batsman, the compleat number four. He might call that platonic ideal at number four Gundappa Tendulkar, but so what? Having seen Merchant and Mankad and Gavaskar and Srikkanth and Sehwag play over the decades, Borde can conjure up a composite, eternal opening batsman and by speaking of him as one person, inspire the incumbent opener, the current instance of that ideal type, to greater things.

We should also recognize that the Board's willingness to accommodate the senior players' aversion to an Indian coach extended to the support staff. Robin Singh, looked at closely, is sort of foreign: he grew up in the West Indies and his fielding ethic is completely alien. Venkatesh Prasad's foreignness is harder to discern but I suspect it was his un-Indian enthusiasm for swearing at opposing batsmen during his time in Indian colours that got him the job.

Without wanting to seem like an apologist for the BCCI, I think it's clear that the board made the best decisions it could in difficult circumstances. There are two suggestions the Board could consider.

One, it could do the daring thing and consult the Junior players about their preferences for coach. This would appeal to the Senior players because in the context of Indian cricket, it would be such a Foreign thing to do. Also, it would be logical: the likes of Ranadeb Bose and R.P. Singh need the coaching more than Sachin or Saurav do.

Two, the Board could do away with the idea of the constant coach and consider a relay of mentors. It has made some headway in this direction already: Shastri for Bangladesh, Borde for England. A roster of coaches, one for every month? It's worth looking at: in one stroke it would sweep away resentment, favouritism, entrenched prejudice, all the cankers continuity brings. The boys would be given BCCI diaries to orient themselves through the year. April would bring Amarnath and May, Madan Lal. The winter months could be reserved for non-tropicalized foreigners. And so on.

As farcial a post as the BCCI hunt for coach.

Pretty sarcastic. But that is what everybody is writing. Would have been better if somebody writes something that CAN go right.

Apna Cricket like Apna Desh....Bhagwan Bharose...
Would'nt be too surprised if our team gets a royal flogging at the hands of Flintoff, Harmy, Pietersen et al....
Our team is bunch of over hyped under performing ego maniacs who have rarely performed as a team...
what Chapell tried to do was to bring out the players from their comfort zones, challenge themselves to perform better, but such revolutionary methods never work in indian cricket, We will be back to some 'Yes man' as the coach who will tow the line that the jokers who make up the BCCI tell him to... ST will make another 100 against some sub standard bowling attack & our media will go GAGA over his pre-historic batting stats....cricket will again dominate the media channels...the feel good factor will again return...irrespective of the fact that it is the team that is more important than ST's stats...Soon, with the retirement of RD, SG & ST and no promising bowling talent looming on the horizon our team will be thrashed by all and sundry,....really...Apna team...bhagwan bharose...

ROFLMAO. Best thing is Pawar, Shah, Srinivasan et al seem to be living in a different world and trying to show as if nothing has happened - see Shah's interview to the Hindu. Or may be for BCCI, nothing truly has happened!

Mukul
You, I and everyone who despairs at the eternal tragi-comic farce that Indian cricket has descended to today, can heap scorn on the BCCI as much as we like, but it's water off an elephant's back. It seems to me the only solution is a radical one - the Indian government legislates to take away the power to organise cricket in India from the BCCI and creates a statutory body, say Cricket India with a board, CEO and paid professional employees. But I can already hear the howls of laughter, not to mention the cynical sniggering in the background - because the real problem is not the structure but Indians generally. Speed was spot on - annoyingly so - when he said (I'm paraphrasing here) that India hasn't fielded a winning cricket team of 11 players with a population of billion people fore more than two decades. At this rate, I wonder if it ever will. You only have to see the state of Indian hockey!! I think that says it all.

Fair analysis of the situation, Mukul. And hilarious in parts too. Infact an ideal scenario though it may be by default (read neti)!
The bowling and fielding coaches are anyway intact. The batting doesn't really need coaches. If they at all need to fall back on expertise, it is well known that the likes of Sachin & co. have got an inhouse expert, the same Gavaskar who would be around doing his commentary stint and has helped out in the past.
What India needs to do is to put this coach issue out of the mind and plan for Belfast and Lord's right away. They have to get the runs and the 20 wickets, not Borde nor Chappell nor McLaren.

There are two meaning of the word 'manager' in the Wordweb Online dictionary.
1. Someone who controls resources and expenditures
2. (sports) someone in charge of training an athlete or a team
I doubt Chandu Borde would be doing either. No disrespect to Chandu Borde as a player. He belongs to an era when Indian cricket was desperate to be taken seriously. He did well in that context. Hooking the likes of Hall, Sobers, Statham and Trueman with no headgear was outstanding. But sadly times change. They always do. Rod Laver was a great player. But you cant imagine him doing anything of note 'managing' Andy Roddick. He just cannot teach him anything in this era, let alone enabling him to take a set from Federer.
This is what will happen. Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Kumble and Laxman would indulge him, accord him space in the dressing room with utmost politeness. Dhoni, Bose, Sharma, Singh and Jaffer would accord a lot of respect to him. And if he does not try to impose himself, he will have a generally good time in a country he did not have a great record.
If India loses the series it will not be because of Chandu Borde. Neither will India win because of him.

Very funny and very apt. The Indian cricket team has not done much of note in the last 2 years. This does not stop them from making unreasonable demands such as a foreign coach and asking for large sums of money. Kapil's team did not have a coach nor were they paid as much, but they were a truly great team. Perhaps Dravid and his men should have a chat with the '83 world cup winning team. Is there a chance the BCCI can arrange a series with Kenya? Sourav and Sachin can rack up a few more centuries.

This article, as sarcastic and farsical as it may be, is ironically pretty close to the thinking and politicking that goes on within the BCCI. I'm a proud Indian living abroad, tirelessly following my team till the wee hours of the morning. And what thanks do I get as a fan? A nonsensical approach in choosing a coach, a cricket manager who is one sandwich short of a picnic basket and one of the most exciting tours, that of the British Isles where I'm sure we're going to get kicked around like a stepchild. All I want to know as a follower of cricket is why can't these administrators who supposedly run the game in India give us a winning team. In a country of a billion strong, where cricket is a religion, where talent and passion for the game springs on every street corner, why can't we have a good team, that wins and performs consistently. I whole-heartedly wanted Ford to accept the job, but a part of me knew he wouldn't. And I can't say I blame him. There's simply too many egos running Indian cricket, Gavaskar for one who can't get past the fact that he's retired and somehow wants to feel wanted. Pawar, who by his performance running the BCCI really makes me wonder about the plight of his regular political constituence. And the rest of the BCCI. Do we really need Pawar, Shah, Shastri, Venkataraghavan and whoever else makes up this committee to pick a coach? As a diehard fan of cricket, and Indian cricket, this whole saga along with the shambles that is our national team make me sick. Let the circus continue.

What India need is self belief .BCCI should have that guts and vision to kill the problem at least for next 3 years.Afterwards they should give advance notice to the possible Indian candidates to prepare themselves for the next selection.One thing is sure why Indian coaches are not able to prove themselves in the domestic circle because our board is not serious in devloping domestic cricket.By promoting domestic cricket we are developing not only new cricketers also the new coaches are gaining experience and proving themselves as candidates for future Indian coaches.The Australian system is an example.I saw in the previous somebody mocking C Borde on his memmory.Mukul you are right on your observation -You need not remember the names but you should be sure of their role.I am running an organisation of 200 employees .It doesn't mean that I should know the names of all of them but I should know their roles.I am sure Borde is experienced and capable of fitting in to his job though there are many others in the line better than him.Some of them were keen to criticize Gavaskar.Who the hell they are to criticize him.He is one of the legends in world cricket who has shown the world about batsmanship and we have to respect him.He not a person to be criticized by steet boys as we have seen.I feel pity for those those who did that without knowing who are they .First they should assess themselves whether they are capable of doing that.

Some nuggets of truth do exist in it, however, the simplest thing is the truth. BCCI thinks, anybody would jump at the job, if they are offered it (Since, there are no dearth of people in India look at Mohinder for example, perennially asking for the job). That assumption back-fired. So, it is back to Square One. They should use this period to ask either Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor or Arjuna Ranatunga if they want to coach India. Instead of the players, the President of BCCI should make a phone call and decide and forget the committee. Nothing good ever came of a committee, we saw what a royal mess they have made twice.

Isnt it crazy that the silly coach question is getting all the attention, while the all-important team selection (always a controversial topic), with enough elements of the traditional BCCI farce in it, seems to be attracting much less comment

Mukul,
This is hilarious. Surely brightened up the regular working day.

Giggle!

I dont understand why we cant make Robin Singh the Head coach. He is more or less an all rounder , a shrewd tactician , selfless and without an ego problem , and importantly has coached junior sides with distinction.Besides he has played alongside the seniors and can build a good rapport with them.Is coaching the Indian cricket team strictly the white man's burden?

Excellent piece. Nothing is ever right in Indian cricket. After the World Cup flop, cricket will slowly climb back in the popularity charts in course of time. Of course, our cricketers are an over-hyped, non-performing bunch. This 'tamasha' will go on and on...

BCCI should ask Sir Alex Ferguson if he'd like to be the coach. :)

Shrivathsa, I totally agree with you. The Indian board should definately look at Steve Waugh and Mark Taylor as options. I think a fighter like Steve Waugh would instill some self-belief and fight into the current Indian line-up. While someone like Mark Taylor, who in my opinion is the smartest, shrewdest and instinctive captain to ever play the game. We can only hope the folks at the BCCI can look at these two former players. Though I wouldn't be suprised to see Amarnath installed as the new coach. Another brainless move by a brainless bunch.

whinge whinge, moan moan. Don't you have anything insightful to say, ever? Why don't you tell us whom the bcci should appoint or do rather than criticise, take offence and moan at everything under the sun.

Steven Waugh or Mark Taylor is not going to do any mircales with this bunch of losers and pension getters. Greg chappell story has already taught us that. He tried to push these people a little, and our so called ST, came out firing on all cylinders.

Hilarious. I particularly enjoyed the ending.

I am actually looking forward to the England-India matches. Two vastly over-rated teams, watched and dissected by their respective media organizations who are unforgiving one minute and adoring the next, one whose cricket board longs for the cricket of yore while the other aims to suck cricket of it’s very soul. What’s not to like?

Let the circus begin.

A coach wouldnt suddenly start throwing from the deep like Ganguly... or bat like Sachin does in crucial situations... or spin like Bhajji does his doosras... or field like Kumble does... or open like Jaffer does in swinging english conditions... So it doesnt matter who the coach is... people who would make a difference in overseas tours are, Dravid, Dhoni, and Yuvraj... and with some luck... Sourav and Karthik

Is the problem that the Indian team is effectively unmanageable because of the senior players? Since when did players select a coach? And when will Tendulkar finally realize the good days are over and retire? As for Gavaskar as a batting coach - do you really want someone to coach to the standard of twenty years ago? The best Indian cricket could do would be to clear out the old pros, start over, and make it clear that this is a profession, not an amateur sport, and that the work ethic has to match it. Of course, the old players would rebel - which is why a purge now would make life better down the road. I know none of this will happen - and it's why so many people really worry about India running the ICC. Sorry to be blunt - but how can they try and run the ICC when they can't run their home game affectively? A year ago, there seemed to be plenty of talent, especially in bowling - and now, look at how threadbare the tour party looks for England! Does anyone have an explanation, other than gross incompetence?

Friends,
Here is a grate opportunity to get a fat salaried Job, Indian Coach, technical requirement as follows,
1. Not even pass comments even while passing our
Grate Cricketers who plays poorly or selfishly not even in your dream.
2. Praise them to the core according to our media hype.
3. Pour complements even if they get useless runs.
That's it you promise these you will be selected
by them for sure.
One thing to remind everybody, The Grate Sir Bradman said that Our Littttle Maaster Blaster just looked like him while moving and playing some shots, media and ST himself hyped to such a level that he compares him with that Gratest ever
player to play the game along with our own Kapil and Sunny.
Please don't compare ST with former grates because he never faced quality bowlers in his entire blood shedding career..

This is actually best article I have read by this particular writer, and the only one that has made me feel he deserves a Cricinfo blog when I don't have one.

Was almost Chesterton in its deftness, which added another layer of irony as surely that most English of writers would be foreign enough to appeal to any Indian player.

Haha, good one, well written suits our board to a T.
Cheers

Mukul, you have captured the frustration of the general public quite well in this witless post. While I hope that frustration leads to a dramatic wane in interest in the sport, well actually just in the national team, I know that will not happen. I for one would be delighted if the latest news in Indian cricket had more to do with exciting domestic matches, than anonymous tip-offs, rebellious inside sources, sting operations, which the media sensationalizes really well nowadays thanks to in-depth studies of how these things are done abroad in the tabloid industry. I mean honestly, egos apart, who are Niranjan Shah, Sharad Pawar, Sunil Gavaskar, Borde? I'm joining that ever-popular club whose members don't give a.... about who these people are.

And why is there so much interest and speculation about the next coach? The underlying attitude among the seniors in the team, which no doubt they shall do a good job of fostering in their subordinates (isn't that what they are?), will ensure the team stagnates irrespective of who is eventually selected. So no, I'm not interested in seeing who the next coach will be, and I will NOT be lining up to throw fruit on him after the next series of losses. A foreign coach always makes a better scapegoat, and if you're thinking about a career with the board later on, how's an ex-foreign coach going to affect that?

The BCCI, the players, the ex-players can afford to have their egos only because of the passion the public has for the sport. For some reason, I think if there were 50 test playing nations, implying that they are 50 countries which play at an acceptable standard, that passion wouldn't exist. I mean, out of ten teams, our mediocre team languishes among the bottom three, where would we stand among 50? Cricket then would garner as much interest as Indian football.

Which is perhaps why the BCCI plays this game which the rest of the world simply can't understand. They're sole aim after all is to harvest their profits, who knows when China might enter the sport :) ! And they now how to stir up that passion, create flat lifeless tracks, set a day-night series against Australia, Pakistan or South Africa, and our second rate team will use our home conditions to their advantage and win a couple of matches.

Cricket will surely die when the BCCI assumes international authority, because in their bid to promote mediocrity and sustain national interest, they shall limit new entries to the sport. Unless they can tap that elusive holy grail, the US market before it collapses, of course ( I can already hear Kris Srikanth with his ludicrous suggestions in this regard)

Hopefully after a few (more?) iterations of this money making nonsense, someone will eventually realize that this is not a sustainable way to keep your coffers full. A strong team, a strong domestic league, and strong foundations will maintain the level of interest. But as long as that level isn't below a critical level during your tenure, why would you bother?

@ Theena, Brilliant, you've summed that up as well as it could've been!

Sankar said: "Please don't compare ST with former grates because he never faced quality bowlers in his entire blood shedding career."

Call me naive, but I thought that the likes of Warne, McGrath, Pollock, Donald, Ambrose, Walsh, Murali, Wasim and Waqar would count as "quality bowlers". Considering that, in addition to their reputations, most of these players took over 400 wickets and averaged under 23, there would seem to be no argument. ST faced these bowlers, and other worthy triers, while they were at their most fearsome in the early '90s. He had a bit of success now and again too.

I actually believe that cricket should follow soccer philosophy. Remove the idea of coach and replace it with Managers. A manager like Alex Ferguson or Jose Mourinho could make a difference. When players like ST don't perform you could see shoes flying in the dressing room.

--THE FORD FIASCO--BCCI'S REALITY--
SIR,
THE INDIAN PEOPLE ARE SIMPLETON & VERY NAIVE . BCCI IS NOT AT ALL AMATEURISH. AT PRESENT, BCCI IS RAN BY VERY HIGHLY SELFISH, SELF-CENTERED, HUZOOR-MAI-BAAP & CHAI-PAANI CULTURED , FEUDAL & JUST LIKE OUR TEAM, TIGERS AT HOME PROFESSIONALS!!!
BCCI IS CONTROLLED BY PROFESSIONAL BUSINESSMAN; PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS; PROFESSIONAL MISCHIEF MAKERS; PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNISTS; PROFESSIONAL FIXERS & PROFESSIONAL POWER BROKERS, BUT NO PROFESSIONAL SPORTSMAN , ALL FOR A COMMON PURPOSE OF MAKING MONEY FOR THEMSELVES. THEY ARE PERFECTLY DOING THEIR JOBS. BCCI IS NUMBER ONE IN MONEY MAKING & IN SHOWING OFF ITS CRICKETING PROWESS OFF THE FIELD.

HENCE WHEN AT PRESENT NO PROFESSIONAL SPORTSMEN/CRICKETER IS IN REAL AUTHORITY & POWER,WHY THE SIMPLETONS ARE EXPECTING BCCI TO "PLAY" "CRICKET" PROFESSIONALLY & EXPECT OUR TIMID HOME TIGERS TO PERFORM.

Mukul, you are a terrific writer. Perhaps even a great writer. Why are wasting your time over such trifles? It was wonderful to read your column during the world cup with Cardus-like descriptions of battles and humans. It is also great to read when you are nostalgic [like when recounting the viewing of 83 world cup] or writing about the relationship between people and cricket. But when you write about the politics of BCCI or ICC or whatever, I feel you are wasting your time. You are too good a writer for such small matters.

Help me. I am getting a perverse pleasure in the Indian Cricket farce. Who needs cricket, the side stories are more engrossing.

Kudos!!!
Take that BCCI!!! BCCI sucks & this blog rocks!!!

I think the problem is not BCCI, it's the Gavaskar and co. Why does India have same bunch of people for every problem in the world?

Very Art Buchwald! I like this one especially:
> Coach' has a hands-on ring to it: early morning > fielding sessions, shorts, laptops, none of
> which is suitable for a distinguished gent about > to turn seventy-three. 'Manager' seems the right > title for Borde's likely duties: reminiscing
> with old men in MCC ties, visiting the Indian
> High Commission, telling his lads that they were > lucky they weren't up against Truman, Tyson,
> Statham and Loader, being benevolent all round.

Brilliantly funny!

Come on - this is the worst Kesavan article I have read

I am pained by the farce that is going on in the name of Coach Hunting.
Indian Cricket has become the latest laughing stock.
As someone suggested, how can BCCI think of controlling ICC, when it can not make a decent job of selecting a coach for its team?

Simply the best on the topic so far!
The humour is acid, the tone is oozing sarcasm!

Mukul, you may be the person to write a satire (on the lines of "Animal Farm) on Indian cricket. Please consider!

Thank you for being here.

Another negative article for no fault of anyone! I wonder how much Indian media is to blame for the current state of cricket. Time for some accountability?

Many years ago, a friend of mine had likened the goings-on in the Indian cricket board to a drunken couple performing a waltz -- one step forward, two steps backward. We have just seen another stand out performance from the BCCI, to take the dancing metaphor a step forward, now that Ford has refused to tango.
That Ford fellow is rather smart. He sussed up the situation pretty quickly during his brief stay in India on Saturday and his instinct for self-preservation must have prevailed over the lure of, despite its obvious pressures and considerable distractions, taking up what must be one of the hottest jobs in international cricket today.
Ford's refusal to take up the Indian coaching job, less than 48 hours after the dramatic announcement of his appointment by the BCCI, is only the latest in a series of eminently avoidable situations the Indian cricket board finds itself. Ford's snub comes in the wake of Nimbus walking out of a deal to cover the Afro-Asian cricket series and Zee Network's decision to cancel the contract to telecast offshore cricket matches involving India.
Then Kapil Dev, honorary director of the National Cricket Academy, and Kiran More, the last chief selector of Indian cricket, have embarrassed the BCCI by associating openly with TV moghul Subhash Chandra's proposed cricket league.
Meanwhile, my friend who had come up with the drunken couple performing a waltz one liner came up with yet another gem last night to describe the Ford fiasco.
He said, more egg on the face wouldn't bother the Indian cricket mandarins. He said : "I am sure one of these days someone like Lalit Modi, the current Mr. Moneybags of Indian cricket, would grandly announce that with so much of egg around, the Indian cricket board has decided to get into the poultry business!"

kal tak coach..."aaya ram, gaya ram"....aaj, "jo bhi aaya wohi ram"

The BCCI might have plenty of money but clearly has no common sense and not much of a cricket team. Despite the protestations of Ian Chappell, a man trapped in the 70's who genuinely believes he himself was the greatest captain of all time and that a few beers with the lads can cure any ills, a competent cricket coach (or manager if you will) is now integral to the success of an international cricket team. His brother Greg was clearly not the man for the Indian coach's job. A review of his coaching record in Australia indicated that he did little to improve the fortunes of South Australia in his tenure as their coach despite having a reasonable list of players and probably wasn't going to have much success with the Indian team. His ego and the egos of a number of Indian players all were not going to fit into the same room. If the BCCI genuinely want to improve the national team they are going to have to bit the bullet and do some hard things. Firstly they are going to have to pension off all the "superstars" who are clearly in decline. Tendulkar, one of the greatest batsman of all time, is clearly past it. He is fast becoming a liability in big games and in these parts is now considered a flat track bully. A number of Indian fans are misty eyed about ST with good reason but he, on any objective measure, is not the player he once was and is fading fast. Ganguly is in the same category. Impressive batting averages are nice but the most important statistic is whether your team won or lost. The selectors have finally bitten the bullet with Sehwag who needs to lose about 10kg and get fitter. Secondly the BCCI needs to appoint a coach and equip him with the necessary power to take on the whiny senior players if necessary and be able to move them aside if they won't comply with reasonable requests (like hard training). The culture of the Indian cricket team needs a fundamental change. The goals of the team needs to take precedence over the interests of any one individual.

I guess the politics of Indian cricket will result in little or no change to the current structure. The Indian team, with it's resources, should be challenging Australia and South Africa for the title of the best cricket team.

"Chandu Borde who said yes without knowing what he was saying yes to"

PRICELESS ;)

How about Allan Border for coach??

I can't help but wonder about mukul's article on trying to justify how indians should run for ICC presidency. I wonder if he still shares the sentiment? These bunch of Indians (Pawar and co.) can't even run BCCI properly let alone ICC.

i actually think this sounds good, even if it may have been in jest.
keeps everyone happy. the oldies get to preach every now and then- given that the actual benefits gained may be through prasad and robin singh and a batting consultant. favoritism is ruled out and the bcci does not have any strong factions threatening the apple cart.

How about Santa claus for coach?

Mukul
It is unfortunate many people and yourself see that Graham Ford's declining to become the coach is the end of World for BCCI to get a foreign coach. Whatever be the defects of BCCI, obviously they are not the reasons for Ford's rejection of the job. How will you explain Zimbabwe finding foreign coaches, whenever they need? I don't think their board is better than BCCI.
I can't accept words like 'Ford snub' etc. It does say something about Indian mentality. Ridiculing ourselves on rejection. The rejection is a part of life and it talks more about the rejector also. Ford may have got a better deal in Kent and so he made the decision. You made sarcastic comments with Tennis and soccer coaches. Sri Lanka also had to face rejections from foreign coaches. Do they make these comments?

Dear Mukul,

It looks like you haven't bothered to put my comments on this blog (It wasn't offensive or anything).

Atleast have the courtesy to reply why you chose not to put my comments.

Who cares about the matches in England?
It is the ridiculous media that excites me in either instance.

Now that B.C.C.I.has taken the bold step of making good old Chandu Borde the "Manager",it should furhter innovate and declare Sachin Tendulkar the "Coach"and Saurav Ganguly the "Non Playing Captain".Sachin is fully qualified for the job,the Seniors cannot object,and S.M.G.and the Bombay Gang should approve.Having Saurav as the N.P.C.should please the Calcutta lot if they are told that it is a post even higher than that of Captain.All problems solved.

First of all bcci should forget the name of john emburey and should try to contact graham gooch or dennis amiss. They should also overlook graham ford because he is a proved racist.5 coaches who have coached our national team are themselves indians and hade an unsuccessful stint with our team. So we should again appoin a foreign coach and dismiss allegations of stupid people that the Australian or English or Kiwi character is dominitive

First of all bcci should forget the name of john emburey and should try to contact graham gooch or dennis amiss. They should also overlook graham ford because he is a proved racist.5 coaches who have coached our national team are themselves indians and hade an unsuccessful stint with our team. So we should again appoin a foreign coach and dismiss allegations of stupid people that the Australian or English or Kiwi character is dominitive

Sad state of affairs.. where everyone seems to know what and where the problem is.. yet, no one wants to sit and take a decision.. the sufferer, the game of cricket in a cricket-mad nation (as the western media calls us). Have a look at how China is taking their cricket - am sure very soon BCCI would opt for a Zu Chen Chow to teach Sachin on how to hold a bat or Zaheer on how to rotate his left arm. Long live our Politicians (read as players).

Sad state of affairs.. where everyone seems to know what and where the problem is.. yet, no one wants to sit and take a decision.. the sufferer, the game of cricket in a cricket-mad nation (as the western media calls us). Have a look at how China is taking their cricket - am sure very soon BCCI would opt for a Zu Chen Chow to teach Sachin on how to hold a bat or Zaheer on how to rotate his left arm. Long live our Politicians (read as players) - forget the winning part, we have RAIN-GODS with us - to take care of the statistics!