Former India bowler and a member of Mumbai Cricket Association’s Cricket Improvement Committee, Balwinder Singh Sandhu tells DNA that the shock Mumbai teams got in 2010-11 season should motivate them to perform better in the coming season.
Not a good season overall last year?
Yes. We didn’t do well at all. It happens when you are winning for a long time, you tend to become complacent. And to some extent, we took things for granted and paid the price for it.
What about the khadoos attitude? Mumbai is no longer an unbeatable team.
Seniors, who were khadoos cricketers or have been a part of the khadoos culture, should pass it on to the next generation. The youngsters should not only hear and read about it. They should probably have a hands-on experience, which can only be imparted by the senior players. That has to be inculcated in them. They should not be playing in Mumbai team to get IPL contracts. It’s a very cheap attitude. See, jungle me mor naacha kisi ne na dekha hai? If somebody wants to earn name, respect and fame, it is in Test cricket and national duties. Ajit (Agarkar), Wasim (Jaffer), Ramesh (Powar) can groom fast bowlers, batsmen and spinners respectively. All of them have had a taste of what it takes to be a part of Indian team. Last Ranji season, with lifeless pitches at BKC and other venues, we were getting comfortable scoring big runs and gathering points on first innings basis. But once you reach the knockout stage and have the same mentality, it will hurt you. The ruthlessness was missing. It has to come back.
Whenever Mumbai has been ruthless and been khadoos, Mumbai hasn’t lost. We should not show mercy. I think the body language and their act on the field showed they were taking things for granted. But now that we have got a shock at all levels, probably we will come back strong.
Is there a need for a complete overhaul?
It is for the new committee to decide. For now, we need a change in our attitude. And not only in the senior side, but also in the U-14, U-16, U-19, U-22 sides. If we play ruthlessly, we are not allowing the opponents to dictate terms. And in that if we lose, we can at least say we gave what we could and in the best possible way.
Even the junior teams didn’t have a season to remember...
I think at junior level, we need to show patience with the talent. We need to make them more skillful. The coaches need to impart them that kind of knowledge at the grassroot level. At the junior level, the art of batsmanship needs to be inculcated. Most young cricketers don’t play division cricket. Senior players don’t play domestic cricket which doesn’t help the cause of youngsters to some extent. Coaching aspects have to be updated. One coach can’t teach everything sometimes. For instance, in batting, senior players can come and conduct clinics. That can go a long way. When the inputs or tips come from the former or current Test cricketers, it makes a big impact.
So, coaching at all levels is something to be taken care of?
We have to create a system where proper training and coaching methodologies need to be inculcated. For instance, when I took up coaching, I thought I knew everything since I had been a Test cricketer. But when Frank Tyson came, I was his assistant then and realised the importance of having a mentor. I learnt a lot more about coaching from him. Today, sadly that is missing. Every coach wants to do a stint in IPL. I mean not only the players, even good coaching candidates want to go to IPL and make quick money without going through the grind. Three years of being an assistant to some senior will help them, but they don’t want that. That aspect is something we need to look at all levels. So, coaches also need mentoring to produce better teams and better players.
Gone are the days when Mumbai used to have 4-5 players in the national side…
Earlier, Mumbai was the hub of Indian cricket. Now, cricket has gone to villages. Punjab never had a history of cricket, but with Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh, youngsters are taking the game. For these guys, the hunger to perform is more. They want to come uphill come what may, whereas we are sitting on the hill and doing nothing much. Sitting on top comfortably isn’t going to help us. These guys with never-satiating hunger will pull you down to take your place. It’s getting crowded at top with players coming from small towns since they are willing to put in that extra bit and make it big. The competition has increased and we are not living up to it. We should aim for four Mumbai players in the national team.
Do we have a next generation ready to replace seniors like Wasim Jaffer, Ramesh Powar and Ajit Agarkar?
There is nothing called senior players and junior players. The kind of fitness regimes that are at the players’ disposal nowadays, even a 37-year old player is fitter than a 24-year old at times. It is about experienced and inexperienced. The experienced ones have to take up to do the mentoring. But both have to perform. But if experienced guys aren’t performing, it is better to lose with an inexperienced side and groom them for near future.
Do we have enough talent to make the next level?
Yes. Enough and more. They should be taught the khadoos attitude at this level so that when they go up they are ready to do what Mumbai is known for. We should look at winning the war and not battles. If junior level teams lose, it should not be much of an issue. But if we are able to identify good talent, we should groom them and give more experience to play at higher levels.
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