In direct contrast to the supremely arrogant, mindless and clueless manner that India adopted in selecting its coach, Sri Lanka went about their task of finding a replacement for Tom Moody in a quiet, focussed, organised and goal-oriented manner. Sri Lanka has chosen Trevor Bayliss, the current New South Wales coach after a professionally conducted search process. Sri Lanka stayed under the radar and went about their business in a quietly efficient manner.
Sri Lanka had former-cricketers on their selection panel too; cricketers who care about the future of Sri Lankan cricket. In Sidath Wettimuny, Michael Tissera, Anura Tennekoon Duleep Mendis and Aravinda de Silva, they had a brains trust that was dependable and able. They had Board administrators on the panel too; officials who care about things other than just moolah. The end result was a smart appointment.
Bayliss was a decent player for New South Wales. On retiring, he turned to coaching and took over the coaching of the NSW side when Steve Rixon left. He led NSW to triumphs in the Pura Cup and the ING cup. This was a smart appointment.
In direct contrast, we have Niranjan Shan now crying like a 5-year old whose lollies have been stolen. Unfortunately, Indian cricket is run by a bunch of guys that do not seem to know the difference between their backsides and their bent elbows.
The most shocking piece in all of this was Gavaskar’s comments when Graham Ford turned down the job. He said, “We are back to square one, that is a fact of life. I don’t know what the BCCI’s thinking is, whether it will start the process [of appointing a coach] all over again or make a short-term appointment as it did for the Bangladesh tour.”
Now, what does this statement really say?
Yes. The fact is that the Butchering Cricket Committee of Idiots (BCCI) is back to square-one. And Gavaskar is indeed right — that is a fact of life! But why did this “fact of life” realisation hit the idiots-committee only post the Ford-Escape event? If the idiots-committee knew that a rejection is a “fact of life”, why did they have to send I-can-talk-more-nonsense-than-you-can-write-Niranjan-Shah to thump his chests in an arrogant and bullish manner and claim that they had appointed Graham Ford even before Ford had accepted?
But the most galling part of Gavaskar’s comments is where he says “I don’t know what the BCCI’s thinking is“. Huh? Has he absolved himself of all responsibility? Dammit! He is part of the committee that is supposed to have the answers! Why throw it back to the BCCI? The least he could have done is to say “I don’t know what our thinking is”. In that one statement he has effectively sought to absolve himself of all ownership and accountability in the selection process. Is he placing himself as part of the solution or part of the problem?
And the part where he says “whether it will start the process all over again or make a short-term appointment as it did for the Bangladesh tour” is further evidence of pointing the finger of accountability somewhere else. Clearly, the idiots-committee did not even think through a Plan-B, let alone evolve one. No wonder they adopted an ants in the pants approach to hurriedly appoint Chandu Borde, the first name that came to their collective (non)minds.
Should this man have any part in the running of Indian cricket?
And to top it all, we have Chandu Borde saying that he is not sure what is expected of him! So, we have a selection committee that has just thrown their collective hands in the air and absolved themselves of all responsibility. We have a bunch of idiots that do not have a clue but are crying foul while hiding behind their mama’s saris. And a coach-manager that does not have a clue! And all of this, just before a major, lengthy tour.
Sigh!
— Mohan
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