Sunil Gavaskar: Indian cricket is way too big now for any selection hanky-panky

We cricketers are extremely fortunate that our sport is liked by so many in the country. While that can mean that some of the top players will constantly be under scrutiny on and off the field, it also means that the game is being talked about, too. What the popularity of the sport also means is that the media, both print and electronic, is under pressure to constantly have something about the game or the Indian players in their mediums. So even if there is no India game being played, there has to be something or the other about Indian cricket or the players in that day’s papers or TV. A lot of speculative stuff thus comes up with the ubiquitous reliable source being mentioned to protect the publication or channel if the item turns out to be incorrect.

The point is not about the authenticity of any news but the necessity of having something about the game and the Indian players pretty much every day. To accommodate that, even someone who has probably never picked up a bat in a sports shop is quoted for an opinion on the game. Due to our foreign complex and the need for overseas validation, even players who are unknown in their home country or convicted and banned for fixing are extensively quoted about Indian cricket and players.

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Now that the ODI World Cup is barely a month away and there is curiosity all around as to what the Indian squad will be, this practice of getting anybody’s view will be seen more and more. Mind you, if this were happening all over the world, with every country’s team selection being discussed and debated by everybody, then it would be perfectly understandable. This is where the popularity of the game in India shines through. Nobody is concerned about what the composition of the different countries’ squads is, except for the cricket followers and correspondents in their country. But here in India, we have people from all over the world being asked what the Indian squad should be, who should be opening the batting, who should bat at which number, or who should the spinners in the eleven be? By all means, debate this with fellow Indians, for it matters to them too, but why bring a foreigner into the discussion? How is he concerned, and why should his opinion matter even if he is the most celebrated cricketer in the world? When are we going to get over this foreign complex? Why would a foreigner be interested in having the best Indian team — one that could beat his own country’s team? Wouldn’t there be an element of bias towards his country? We haven’t learned from our most recent experience in 2019, when the foreign commentators for the IPL pretty much influenced the selection of a player so memorably called a 3D cricketer. Ironically, none of these experts are even asked in their countries what their country’s squad should be, and here they are giving gyaan (preaching) on what the Indian team should be and who should be doing what.

Sure, it is understood that there has to be some item or other in the media about Indian cricket, but aren’t there plenty of former Indian cricketers, especially those who have been part of teams that have played in the World Cups both in India and overseas? Or is that old suspicion of him being biased towards his state players still prevalent? When are we going to stop questioning the integrity of our former players?

The BCCI has refreshingly shown that it believes in the non-bias of former players by having two selectors from Mumbai and not going the zonal way. Hopefully, that will be the way forward. Indian cricket is way too big now for any selection hanky-panky to take place. Make no mistake, all former cricketers want this as well as future Indian teams to win everything, for there’s no greater feeling than hearing the national anthem and the Indian team flag go up when the winners are on the podium.

Good luck, India. Go out and conquer not just Asia but the world too.