Distrust and suspicion. The Indian Davis Cup challenge against Japan is shackled by the choking hold of these two very human emotions.
Davis Cup team is imploding for want of communication
NEW DELHI: Distrust and suspicion. The Indian Davis Cup challenge against Japan is shackled by the choking hold of these two very human emotions.
Captain Leander Paes and Prakash Amritraj — the man who has been most vocal about Paes’ ability as leader — have been in the same hotel and have shared the same practise courts for two days but no words have been exchanged between the two.
The trio of Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna and Amritraj has been loath to turn up for team meetings till the time Paes has a talk with them discussing the issues they raised.
Paes is willing to meet each of them individually but wants manager SP Misra along as witness in case of a group meeting. In an atmosphere vitiated by a total lack of communication, India goes into this tie bogged down by a team that’s imploding.
As the Davis Cup superstar Paes has a right to expect those who belittled him in the press to make the first conciliatory move. But as captain perhaps he needs to be the one reaching out sans conditions.
After all the rebels have already swallowed a whole load of personal ego to back down from their initial aggressive stance of not playing if he captains the team.
At the same time there is the crucial question of discipline that propels the AITA into unconditionally backing Paes. By not responding to the overtures of Misra, Amritarj and Bopanna risk the ire of the federation once this tie is done with. Bhupathi on account of his achievements and importance to India for a medal at Beijing will escape similar censure.
Then, Bhupathi was the immaculate team man during practise on Wednesday. He was boisterous in his participation in the warm-up drills laughing out aloud many a time. His ability to compartmentalise personal issues beyond the tennis court surely makes him the champion he is but it is clear that the other dissenters are yet to gain the same maturity.
Amritraj warmed up alone in one corner. In the team bus, the easy camaraderie is gone with the players preferring the familiarity of their ipods to the acerbity of facing each other in a confined space.
The players have backed down from most of their demands for now except the issue of Paes being in the chair during matches. Bopanna has claimed that he lost his match in the tie against Kazakhstan last April as Paes kept giving him technical advice on his serve which he did not want to listen to. Amritraj still feels that with Paes guiding him he won’t be comfortable out there.
In such a situation Paes dangles on the horns of a dilemma — does he put the interest of India winning the tie before everything else including his right as captain or does he back down on this issue and risk setting the dangerous precedent of the player of the day dictating as to how the captain is to perform his role?
Despite all that he has done for India as a player his conduct as captain during this tie may forever dictate how Paes is viewed within the tennis community as a leader. Its time for the man to show the heart he has. Reaching out first will only add to his stature.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}