DON'T CROSS THE LAXMAN REKHA

The BCCI censured the coach of the Indian cricket team.The reason-poor Kirsten opined that Dhoni would be the right person to lead the team for the test matches.The BCCI argues that the decision is to be left to the selection panel. The coach should not interfere with the working of the selectors.

The message of the BCCI is loud and clear-Kirsten should not cross the 'laxman rekha'. It is a different matter that the officials of the BCCI can vent their views all across the media.

I think there is a mountain made of the captaincy issue. Sometime ago a player was asked of his desire to lead the team and the player replied in the affirmative. This led the media to make the public smell a coup.

Similarly, Gary Kirsten also made his views known on the captaincy after the departure of Kumble.

VERBAL BOUNCERS

Harbhajan Singh is not too worried over the inclusion of Brad Hogg in the Australian squad. The statement of Harbhajan does not make much sense since the off-spinner does not have any record of repute bowling away from India. Even in the recent series at home in India against Pakistan, Harbhajan looked anything but threatening. Looks like he relishes the idea of ‘mental disintegration’ rather than do his bowling do the talking.

Even the normally sensible Kumble also seems to have taken up the challenge of speaking out his mind. Shane Warne did not have much success against India and the leg spinner was the first to admit his inability while bowling to the likes of Sachin, Rahul and Laxman. So Kumble’s assertion that the home team would miss Warne is not on the mark.

Not to be left behind in the statement race, Shoaib Akhtar took time out from his search to find any takers for his Mumbai film career to give some valuable advice to the Aussies. Shoaib wants the home team to include Shaun Tait just to scare the Indians away. Is Tim Nielsen listening?

The coach of Pakistan Geoff Lawson (an Australian) feels that Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke are capable of taking the responsibility of the spin department. Wonder why Lawson did not think of any such innovative ideas whilst in India! The Pakistan team did not feel the need to field a specialist left arm spinner when the faster bowlers were not able to make any impact on the Indian batting.

Cricket is slowly degenerating into slanging matches that are a regular feature of boxing contests.