South Africa vs India, one-off T20 match: Indian cricket players are human and not machines
Just when a balanced schedule is needed for the world’s busiest cricket team, India, they will be lined-up gracefully in money-making domestic tournament of BCCI – IPL. Players who usually complain about hectic international schedule will be seen in action on the gorgeous platform of IPL – playing in air-tight-jar schedule without any complains.
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| India to meet South Africa in an one-off T20 encounter at Johannesburg. |
Team India is now in South Africa to play a one-off T20 match. So far the away tours for us have been a pathetic story and for which another fear of defeat is looming large in the minds of the fans but thankfully it’s not another long-tiring tour but just a one-off match.
But I wonder, what is the significance of arranging such matches? It was not in the ICC’s FTP and as soon as the proposal came from the South African cricket board, the BCCI confirmed its availability without a second thought. I ask, when a team needs to galvanised after repeated humiliations in the away series, when questions are being raised on the presence of seniors in the side, neither the bowlers nor the batsmen are performing, then what this one-off T20 match going to prove?
I feel the current Indian team has neither the positive frame of mind nor the energy after long-tiring tours to prove a point in such a useless one-off T20 show-off. Are our players human or robots? Or, are the men in blue money making machines?
A travel of 15,000 km seems quite reckless as it’s not only India who will travel after a disappointing Asia Cup but the Proteas too will travel after a hectic tour of New Zealand. Even though the tour would be a proud gesture towards ‘150 years of Indian settlement in South Africa’ which appreciable in maintaining political healthy relationship but you just can’t bet on your players.
Between how would you react if I say team India will fly back after just one match to play for the IPL?
I want to see India win matches with enough vigor and sizzle. But how can they? How can I expect them to fare well?
After the pathetic exit from the Asia Cup the team didn’t have enough time to gel together through practice sessions. It’s only in South Africa where they’ll come together as a team which might not prove that worthy. After returning from South Africa the team will be scattered again to play for their respective franchises. This show will go a month long to squeeze all the energy from a player’s mind and body who are already fatigued.
With the thoughts of IPL looming large in the Indian players’ minds, I wonder, what significance this one-off T20 will bear for our men in blue. In a sense it will bear little significance. If the significance is not such big then I am afraid of another non-digestible defeat.
It’s time for the BCCI to maintain a designed gap between international calendars and domestic tournaments like IPL and CLT20. I am not against such events for a good cause but I don’t want to see fatigued faces, tired body languages and a mediocre performance by team India. Our players are human and not machines, I repeat again.
