The slings and arrows of outrageous criticism

In the recent past, two former greats have criticised the current cricketing set-ups of their respective countries. Coincidentally enough, those very two teams are set to clash in the not-too-distant future.

Alvin Kallicharran, in an interview to a cricket website, called Roger Harper, the coach of the West Indian team, a "mediocre cricketer" and added rhetorically, "What has he achieved?" There was not so much as a whisper of protest against the remarks of the elegant left-handed batsman of yesteryear. Kapil Dev then followed suit with more scathing criticism, suggesting that stars like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly appeared to lack commitment. This time, though, the reaction around the country was instantaneous - an almost unequivocal condemnation of Kapil Dev's statements. The reason for the disparity in reactions is simple: Kallicharran was right and, with all due respect, Kapil was not.

If someone had suggested even one year ago that Ganguly would be setting an example for Kapil Dev in acting with grace and dignity, he would have been summarily dismissed as a lunatic. But by choosing to not react to Kapil Dev's allegations, Ganguly has shown that there is perhaps a leader in him yet. Much hated by the foreign media for what is seen as an arrogant attitude, and even dubbed "Lord Snooty" by one particularly caustic journalist, Ganguly has now shown that he has it in him to act sensibly, even in the heat of the moment.

Tendulkar, of course, is a different case altogether. To question the man's commitment is to test the elasticity of the imagination to ridiculous limits, and even a man of Kapil Dev's stature cannot really take anything away from Tendulkar. The respect he has earned since that first bloody battle against arch-rivals Pakistan as a callow 16-year old cannot be diminished by a few off-the-cuff remarks. After all, as the saying goes, if you take a glass of water out of the ocean, it does not make the ocean any smaller. With his deafening silence, the little Mumbaikar has given Kapil Dev's words all the attention they deserve - none.

India have just departed for the Caribbean one man short, with Ganguly joining the team two days late on account of a domestic delay. Whispers have begun to do the rounds again. "Is there really a problem, or is he meeting up with another starlet girlfriend of his?" churn the rumour mills. "Why are there different rules for Ganguly and for the rest?" question the detractors. Really, just when are the media and public going to tire of asking the same old questions?

Just before Steve Waugh's Australians landed in India to breach their "final frontier," a veteran Indian journalist pulled me aside and raised a rather interesting point. Have you noticed how well Steve Waugh runs Australian cricket, he asked, referring to the Aussie press as almost an arm of the cricket team when he remarked, "How carefully they plan and attack one cricketer with stories and theories in the build-up to a tour." Ganguly should do the same, he suggested - call a meeting of the press, reach out to them and work as a team.

One hopes that things have not come to such a pass yet, where reporters pit themselves against each other as keenly as the teams that slug it out in the middle. But whether you agree with his views or not, you have to admit that the media has never been as powerful as it is today, especially with respect to Indian cricket. The proliferation of televisions and the fact that only one commentator is not a former Test cricketer make it impossible for the players to ignore what is being said about them.

And so the familiar tunes are being strummed out as India get set to take on the Windies. Before a ball has been bowled, people are keen to see to it that Ganguly does not get his due. The team, accordingly, also comes under more pressure to perform. Will India be triumphant away from home? To stick one's neck out when it comes to Indian cricket is about as safe as betting that an unseeded Croat will win Wimbledon.

But hang on a sec. Goran Ivanisevic did just that, didn't he?

Perhaps that is why one is tempted to think that West Indies 2002 will be the series that forever changes the way Ganguly is perceived. Sure, nothing will take away the magic of Sunil Gavaskar and 1971. Things have changed a lot since, and Ganguly and his troops look all set to collect a coveted silver objet d'art to place upon the relatively bare shelf that houses the goodies from India's efforts overseas. Rahul Dravid said, somewhat unimaginatively, "If we do play to our potential and play as a team, we have a good chance." Surely the Indian vicecaptain meant, "This is our best chance of a series win away, and I have a sneaking feeling that this will be it."