I just happened to switch on the TV to find a bad news for our cricket team: Zaheer is out of the squad due to injury. Worse, he won’t be able to play for the next 4 months! An already battered side will face a better side without Zaheer? India is clearly pitted against a very difficult challenge and facing the perils of a complete washout in the ongoing test series against the English team. The introduction of Viru & Gauti is least likely to improve the team performance as both of them need time to adapt & acclimatize with the adverse playing conditions.
Whether the Men in Blue will be able to salvage any pride for their country remains to be seen. However, their current forms; recent performances are highly uncharacteristic of their crowning glory which they are on the verge of losing to a better cricketing side! While this is as disturbing as it can get for a country of one billion cricket fans, they are faced with a very pertinent question: was winning the last world cup just a fluke?
When the Australian team were in charge of the World Cup, they were virtually unbeatable worldwide & dominated the world of cricket against all teams whenever they played a contest in & away from their home-ground. They clearly held the world championship crown as their side, regardless of team reshuffle, continued to humble every other team for a span of ten years on the trot!
Clearly, winning dozens of test matches back to back against a slew of competitive contenders wasn’t a fluke for the Aussies; neither was their winning the World Cup in 2003 & 2007! Their dominance in the world of cricket was unmatched & impeccable.
Compare that with the current champions of the World Cup 2011 i.e the Indian cricket side who were bundled out for a meager 150 runs in their second innings to lose the second test match to England quite embarrassingly.
A team truly worthy of World Championship should never be reduced to such shameless size in the same year they won the world cup. Their excuses about not having the top players in form or out of playing squad only demonstrate their inability to sustain the championship crown.
It’s high time the ICC introduced a new clause in the World Cup rule book: if a nation holding the world championship failed to perform up to the set standards in the same year they won the world cup, they should be stripped off the tag immediately until the next world cup!
Howzzat for a performance appraisal for the Men in Blue?
One Response to Was Winning The World Cup-2011 A Fluke for The Men in Blue?
Sweta
August 7, 2011
Very true.. To be the best in something you have to be consistent enough. Men in Blue must work on that.