Right then, we are into the World Cup season and it's hard to not think about it every now and then. Especially with its unabated and unabashed promotion through every second news byte or even advertisements.
Before I actually get into talking about the World Cup chances and performances, let me first dwell on something that has long been a mystery to me: India's approach towards UDRS.
I do understand the point that it might not be fool-proof and there could still be the odd 50-50 one or even an incorrect one being dished out to you, even after going with this option.
However, to say that it is useless just because it is not foolproof is laughable, to say the least. What in the world, by the way, is foolproof?
Do we stop driving (fearing that a non-foolproof thing like driving could cause accidents) or stop eating (fearing a non-foolproof bite might choke us)? In short, do we stop living, coz it is not fool-proof anyway either?!
And to beat this, what I surely, totally, do not get at all, is how we can claim to be ready for UDRS, without even having tried it ever in an ODI? Sure, we might still go on to use it well (and I do hope so) but does that mean we adopted the right way to learn using it? - by avoiding it, till it became necessary and avoidable?
We made a hell lot of noise about rotating all the top players in the Indian ODI mix over the last few years for World Cup by trying and testing them with international match practice before (and for) the World Cup - way to go!
Tested and strengthened our bench strength with international match practice before (and for) the World Cup, played and pottered around with Ravindra Jadeja (before patience with Jadeja finally ran out and Yusuf finally paid off) for the No. 7 position, but what about our testing and practicing our tactics and approach when it comes to the UDRS?
Why did we not try it out with international match practice before (and for) the World Cup,when the entire squad should have known how and when to use it?
The most essential bit about UDRS is that we can atleast do away with the blunders that no fair cricketer would want. I’d imagine even a victory feeling would be soured for many fair cricketers and fans, if you find that the match-winning player got away with a howler. As you said, it’s about judicious use of the referrals.
I think India’s reticence stems from the way we used our referrals the only time we ever used it - in India's 2008 Test series in Sri Lanka. And honestly, how Sachin got out to referrals (though Sehwag also was a victim of the referral – that too a 50-50 referral decision going against him, he still supports its usage). India was always at the rough end of the stick in that series – I think we got 2 refs right, as against SL’s 11.
I, like millions, am a Sachin fan, but I suspect even the BCCI is against anything that SRT doesn’t like. As you have rightly brought out, it’s nice to have limited appealing rights and that’s where knowing, using, learning and practising the UDRS usage is all the more important, instead of being a bully in every series and striking the option down.
Doesn’t even portray India as a fair player (and honestly, others are correct if they think so in this rergard) since whatever UDRS is, it is the same for both sides. How can only it be unfair to only India and not the other side (or vice versa), especially when the opposing teams have no objection to (in fact they want and support) its usage?!
Come to think of it, how many people/teams would be in complete support (or even prefer/like!) the dreaded and much-less-clear and much-more-random Duckworth-Lewis method?! But we all go by it, don’t we? I’m sure, UDRS is much better, much more reliable and beneficial and likeable and preferable by all vis-a-vis D-L. No?!
Otherwise too, if you see, specific to WC 2011 plans, even with all the anathema we have had against UDRS, what I find totally useless and stupid is why not agree to use it in all the series we played (Aus, NZ, and SA) and practise usage when, it is clearly and unarguably already known and decided, that even if we agree or not, like it or not, IT IS TO BE USED in the WC!
Hope better sense prevails and ICC gets to decide. For once, I don’t agree with SRT on this.
Before I actually get into talking about the World Cup chances and performances, let me first dwell on something that has long been a mystery to me: India's approach towards UDRS.
I do understand the point that it might not be fool-proof and there could still be the odd 50-50 one or even an incorrect one being dished out to you, even after going with this option.
However, to say that it is useless just because it is not foolproof is laughable, to say the least. What in the world, by the way, is foolproof?
Do we stop driving (fearing that a non-foolproof thing like driving could cause accidents) or stop eating (fearing a non-foolproof bite might choke us)? In short, do we stop living, coz it is not fool-proof anyway either?!
And to beat this, what I surely, totally, do not get at all, is how we can claim to be ready for UDRS, without even having tried it ever in an ODI? Sure, we might still go on to use it well (and I do hope so) but does that mean we adopted the right way to learn using it? - by avoiding it, till it became necessary and avoidable?
We made a hell lot of noise about rotating all the top players in the Indian ODI mix over the last few years for World Cup by trying and testing them with international match practice before (and for) the World Cup - way to go!
Tested and strengthened our bench strength with international match practice before (and for) the World Cup, played and pottered around with Ravindra Jadeja (before patience with Jadeja finally ran out and Yusuf finally paid off) for the No. 7 position, but what about our testing and practicing our tactics and approach when it comes to the UDRS?
Why did we not try it out with international match practice before (and for) the World Cup,when the entire squad should have known how and when to use it?
The most essential bit about UDRS is that we can atleast do away with the blunders that no fair cricketer would want. I’d imagine even a victory feeling would be soured for many fair cricketers and fans, if you find that the match-winning player got away with a howler. As you said, it’s about judicious use of the referrals.
I think India’s reticence stems from the way we used our referrals the only time we ever used it - in India's 2008 Test series in Sri Lanka. And honestly, how Sachin got out to referrals (though Sehwag also was a victim of the referral – that too a 50-50 referral decision going against him, he still supports its usage). India was always at the rough end of the stick in that series – I think we got 2 refs right, as against SL’s 11.
I, like millions, am a Sachin fan, but I suspect even the BCCI is against anything that SRT doesn’t like. As you have rightly brought out, it’s nice to have limited appealing rights and that’s where knowing, using, learning and practising the UDRS usage is all the more important, instead of being a bully in every series and striking the option down.
Doesn’t even portray India as a fair player (and honestly, others are correct if they think so in this rergard) since whatever UDRS is, it is the same for both sides. How can only it be unfair to only India and not the other side (or vice versa), especially when the opposing teams have no objection to (in fact they want and support) its usage?!
Come to think of it, how many people/teams would be in complete support (or even prefer/like!) the dreaded and much-less-clear and much-more-random Duckworth-Lewis method?! But we all go by it, don’t we? I’m sure, UDRS is much better, much more reliable and beneficial and likeable and preferable by all vis-a-vis D-L. No?!
Otherwise too, if you see, specific to WC 2011 plans, even with all the anathema we have had against UDRS, what I find totally useless and stupid is why not agree to use it in all the series we played (Aus, NZ, and SA) and practise usage when, it is clearly and unarguably already known and decided, that even if we agree or not, like it or not, IT IS TO BE USED in the WC!
Hope better sense prevails and ICC gets to decide. For once, I don’t agree with SRT on this.
