The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : `Pay heed to players' complaints'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 12, 2006

Sport

Sport - Cricket

`Pay heed to players' complaints'

Kingston (Jamaica): Do not gag them but heed the complaints of the likes of Virender Sehwag and Shahid Afridi about fears of player burnout, some leading voices in the world of cricket said on Thursday.

Former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga, Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer and former England skipper Graham Gooch expressed the view that honest opinions of players should be listened to.

But in an interesting take on the warning given by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to vice-captain Sehwag for talking about too much cricket, former West Indian fast bowling great Michael Holding suggested that the relationship between the board and the Indian players was that of an employer and an employee.

Mentally stale

Ranatunga stated that excessive cricket could make players mentally stale and better pay cheque alone was not the answer for it.

``I am not sure if excessive cricket or travelling is the reason for complaint but if true, it could cause mental staleness among cricketers. Extra money alone isn't the answer.''

Gooch, the highest run-getter in England's history, said it was time the administrators started to treat players like grown up individuals rather than pull them by the ear every time around.

``Players are grown up, why shouldn't they be allowed to express an honest opinion,'' Gooch remarked.

``It is natural for a Virender Sehwag or a Shahid Afridi, those players from whom so much is expected of, to voice an opinion as the pressure creeps up on them,'' Woolmer told PTI. ``It would be wise for all administrators to heed the players, they don't all have to agree with them, but listen at least.''

BCCI allays fears

The BCCI officials have sought to allay the fears by stating that they were playing only 12 Tests and 30 one-day internationals a year as prescribed by the International Cricket Council.

However, a closer scrutiny shows it up to be a false claim. For example, India has so far played six Tests and 14 one-day internationals in the first four months of the year.

There is still a tour of the West Indies ahead (four Tests, five one-dayers), a visit to Sri Lanka in September, Champions Trophy in India in October followed by a visit to South Africa. An offshore visit to the United States is also pretty much on cards.

Indeed, from now onwards till the next World Cup in the Caribbean, or in nearly next 12 months, a regular Indian player could at the most have a break of only 10 weeks. — PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail