Mumbai: Mar 7, 2014
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Though disappointed at the India‘s pathetic performance
over the last few months, former skipper Dilip Vengsarkar is
optimistic about the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side’s chances in the
upcoming ICC World T20championship in Bangladesh. The Indian team has
lost successive Test and One Day International (ODI) rubbers to host nations South
Africaand New Zealand before coming a cropper in the ongoing Asia
Cup 2014 in Bangladesh where it failed to make the final. However,
Vengsarkar is hopeful the team would bring back the Twenty20 World Cup it won
in its inaugural year in 2007.
“Of late, India is not doing too well. But I still have a
strong belief that India would do extremely well in Dhaka [n T20] because the
wickets over there are similar to Indian wickets.
“But the [bowling] attack looks like a weak link. I think we
have the same attack in Tests, ODIs and T20. The same Bhuvneshwar Kumar,
the same [Mohammad] Shami, the same guys.
We don’t have options and that is the crux of the matter,
unfortunately,” Vengsarkar said while unveiling the replica of the coveted T20
Trophy at the Bombay Gymkhana on Friday.
The T20 event is scheduled from March 16 to April 6.
The former chief selector felt spinners hold the key in the
sub-continent conditions and was also happy with the return of Dhoni, who
skipped the Asia Cup due to injury, in beefing up the batting department.
“In Asia Cup, the performance wasn’t that great but I still
hope we will do well in this forthcoming World Cup. It is a 20-over tournament
and we have won it before and we hope we will do the same thing again.”
“Dhoni will definitely make a lot of difference. He is an
excellent captain and has been around for almost six to seven years. He is an
experienced campaigner and he has won so many matches with his batting as
well,” Vengsarkar said.
“He is a crucial player at number six and he is a good
keeper also. Dhoni is a very important member of the team and I am sure he will
do well. Of late, he has not done well abroad but I am sure, the team under him
has still plenty of hope,” he said.
“I am sure he [Dhoni] will not fumble like what had happened
in the last few matches,” said Vengsarkar, referring to the spate of reprieves
provided to opposition batsmen by stand-in stumper Dinesh Karthik in
the Asia Cup.
While emphasising the weakness of the bowling attack, spin
in particular, he felt India could, on the other hand, depend on the strength
of its batting.
“The bowling department looks like a weak link for us but
anything can happen in 20 overs. They have to bowl only 4 overs and how they
bowl that is very important,” he said.
“Spinning department is very important because we are
playing in an Asian country, where spinners will be very important. And those
in the team would have to deliver.
Unfortunately we don’t have many bowling options. The same
set play in all formats. They look tired and jaded.
“[But] we have a strong batting line up. If we can score in
excess of 180 we should do well,” said the 57-year- old, who is a veteran of
116 Test matches. The former middle-order mainstay expressed dismay over chief
coach Duncan Fletcher, under whom India have lost four overseas Test
rubbers on the trot in England, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand,
returning home to Zimbabwe after every international assignment instead of
watching domestic games.
“It’s a matter of serious concern because India will be
playing five [Test] matches in England [this season]. It’s disappointing we
have not won anything abroad [in recent times]. Also, he needs to watch
domestic cricket. If he watches only international cricket it’s not good
enough. After an international series he goes back home.
“I don’t know what is in his contract [with BCCI]. The thing
is he has to watch local games also. Ishwar Pandeyhas not been picked [in
the India playing 11 so far] because he has not been watched. Unless he
[Fletcher] watches local matches he will not know who is good enough to play
for India,” Vengsarkar maintained.
Vengsarkar recalled how the Indian cricket officials were
not inclined towards the T20 format when it was conceptualized
“In my career, I never played T20 games but I was very much
part of the first International Cricket Council (ICC) trophy, which the Indian
team won in South Africa. I was the selector and I was in England at that time.
“Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was not
very keen on this format then and we didn’t have any key records or scores for
the tournament and the BCCI was the last board to accept this format of the
tournament,” he remembered.
“I was with the Indian team that time and we were playing
against England and we had to pick the side. The other four selectors were
there in India. It took us almost two hours and, apart from the format, we were
discussing who would do well in this format,” he said.
“Dhoni was made the captain that time and all young players
were there. We all thought the youngsters would bring in the energy and they
would do well in South Africa,” Vengsarkar said.
“Almost 4-5 senior players dropped out of the tournament and
that allowed us to get all the youngsters with whom we were happy in ODI
matches. And then, India won the World Cup,” he said.
Among the seniors who opted out of the inaugural edition in
2007 were Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.
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