Passion or Compassion???

Epilogue

After my disastrous/embarrassing last post, which failed to evoke any kind of criticism/appreciation, I have learnt a lesson that there is no point in posting a blog ‘just for the heck of posting one’. Every time I run out of ideas I feeling like giving up blogging, but instantaneously lighting strikes and end up penning down my thoughts. Having been ridiculed for my pathetic sense of humor, I have taken a firm decision to exclude humour from my (atleast next couple of) blogs. It’s always a big gamble to write on something as monotonous as cricket. But you sometimes do things for yourself.

Its been a while since India has been Knocked out of the ICC Cricket world cup 2007, which has evoked ire, criticism, sarcasm, dozens of forwards, a couple of commercials; few stupid ones and few humorous ones.

But the commercial that did make some sense was the “Bajaj – Avenger” one.

IND 191 All out
“I forgive the batsman”

BAN 195/5
“I forgive the bowlers”

Indian Team Returns Home
“I forgive the team”

The reason the advertisement was more apt, because we Indians come across as the most forgiving people which was rightly portrayed. (Excluding the last part of the commercial)

After the Post Mortem analysis being done by Ex-Cricketers, TV anchors, BCCI, paanwalas, milkman, the next door uncle who doesn’t know the difference between a night-watchman and a pinch-hitter. Here I come up with my own Post-Mortem report, just because I am an Indian (I am NOT being sarcastic here) and it is so typical of an Indian to have an opinion on any damn issue, in the name of democracy.

As the blame game begins our Ex-Coach - Greg Chappell is among the first people to be victimized, which seems very normal to most people, but once you get into the nitty gritties it is a different story altogether.

So all those people who strongly feel Greg Chappell is to be held responsible … read on….

What was the role/responsibility of Greg Chapel as a coach?

Greg teaching

1) Sachin how to bat
2) Harbhajan how to bowl a doosra
3) Pathan how to bowl the slower one
4) Yuvraj how to dive

The very thought of teaching a maestro who has scored 20,000 International on how to bat sounds silly. It is very obvious that Greg had a different role to play.

The need was/is for a Motivational & Inspirational Individual who played cricket at the highest level. Someone who will not get intimated by the Cricketer’s Demi-God Status and will go to any extent to maintain professionalism and motivate people and get the best out of them. Indians Lack the killer instinct in them (Indians here refers to you and me each one of the billion people)

If Greg has done that or not is a debatable issue, as there is scope for improvement always. But he is not to be blamed for the debacle for sure

I know we are a country of 1 Billion people, but there is No Indian who is fit enough to do this job, because we Indians are basically more of Compassionate people rather than passionate ones.

Talking about passion many such incidents run through my mind, but let me quote this one incident …… "An Indian in Japan standing all alone in the Bus Stop watches a guy zoom past him on a Honda Bike, moments later he takes a U turn comes all the way and parks his bike, he notices a Honda Logo dangling on one of the Honda bikes parked close-by, in a jiffy removes his tool-kit, and starts mending the Logo, the confused Indian asks him if he owns the bike…”I work for HONDA, I cannot see my Company’s Logo dangling upside down” was the reply from the Japanese."

That little incident might have given you goose bumps for a minute, and you quickly say “It just cannot happen in India” and would ridicule the entire episode.

If Greg Chappell holds Virender Shewag’s collar for playing a rash shot at a crucial stage in a match its nothing else but passion towards the game, passion for his job, the passion for winning. That’s the AUSSIE way of doing it. An Indian coach in Greg’s place would have been show compassion instead of passion, even if he had some passion along with compassion he would surely have been intimated by the star status of the individuals in the team.

Indians always come across the most kind-hearted, caring, individuals who spread the message of goodwill, humanity, love, warmth, empathy compared to people from the other parts of the world. It is this very attitude that ties down us making us emotional Individuals who are more compassionate towards fellow beings.

It would be the same people who burnt effigies of cricketers who would rush home early to catch the highlights of the Ind-Ban Series in about a few weeks time.

The point here I am trying to make is;

1) When you have given the authoritative control to an Individual whose nationality is not an Indian, who has put India’s interests ahead of his personal interests and is proud to wear the Indian tricolor on his apparel you better start treating him as an insider and not as an Aussie.

2) Greg has every right to question the attitude of the Indian cricketers, be it Sachin or be it Dravid. When was the last time Sachin scored a Century in the Second Innings of an ODI? The 20,000 runs he has scored may prove the point that he has Talent, but the debate is about his commitment, not his talent.

3) Questioning someone’s attitude doesn’t mean he has to be dropped from the Indian Team. If Sachin has to be dropped, find a suitable replacement someone as talented as him. Only when talents are on par commitment would come into the picture.

4) Easier said than done. Applies to all Ex-Cricketers who always failed to realize that India was never one of the Top Ranked teams over the last century.

5) Everytime we loose a series, we all wake up and talk about the pitches in India, Cricket at the grass root levels, which is true. However none of these things are the reason behind India’s debacle in the Caribbean. Nobody can teamPut bat to ball !!

It is very difficult to balance between two opposite adjectives called Passion and Compassion.

If you are Compassionate - the passionate ones blame you for all the debacles.

If you are Passionate - compassionate people will label you as shrewd.

You can choose to be compassionate or passionate, you cannot force others to choose !!

DON'T BE NICE - BE REAL !!

ps: Now don't ask me which category i fall into