Feelings reach fever pitch

Clayton Murzello

• Last Updated: November 03. 2009 10:59PM UAE / November 3. 2009 6:59PM GMT

I wonder whether the Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting was aware of all the drama surrounding Delhi’s problems in preparing to host the Commonwealth Games next year before he lashed out at the practice pitches his team were expected to use last Friday.

Ponting would not have been surprised at the Commonwealth Games fiasco considering what he experienced when his team turned up for training before the third one-day international against India.

All set for a good workout in the nets, the Australian captain discovered the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) had provided him with damp wickets which his team could not even use.

What could the poor groundsman do? He was not told by his bosses, who were probably busy handing out complimentary tickets to the high and mighty who never fail to grace the Kotla. Sometimes you get the impression that a match day in Delhi is an off day for the Parliamentarians.

“It seems everybody in the world other than the groundsman knew that we were training at 9am. To turn up here and find the wickets completely unusable is disappointing,” Ponting told the media that afternoon.

Never known to miss out on an A versus B story, the media then asked Mahendra Singh Dhoni for a reaction to Ponting’s outburst.

The India captain played into their hands by saying it was only a matter of a day’s practice, meaning no big deal.

Dhoni should have left that delivery alone, something which would complement the cool batting approach he has displayed in the ongoing one-day series against Australia, but he played down the wrong line and exposed himself to ridicule from those who believe in sporting fairness

Let there be no doubt that Ponting’s Australians were treated rather shabbily and had every right to be livid over the condition of the pitches.

Dhoni’s comments would have come as a bit of a shock to most Indian cricket lovers, but those who have been following and reporting on his team over the past two years are not surprised. The captain is not a great believer in training every day.

His belief should be respected but what is good for his side may not be ideal for another.

A respected television channel portrayed Ponting’s pre-match press conference quotes as a log of excuses.

To say it was unfair is putting it mildly. It was shameful reporting or editing which covered up the error of the DDCA’s (some in the Indian capital call it the Delhi Drinks and Card Association) and targeted a justifiably enraged visiting captain. Cricketers have a right to be up front about the disadvantages they face on tour and authorities have a duty to perform by ensuring facilities are allocated fairly.

India falls short more often than not compared to their foreign counterparts, even though some of them are far from perfect.

On several occasions the Indian team has been left terribly short of net bowlers. Sometimes, they bring it up, at times they don’t.

In England in 2007, for example, the Indian team complained of cramped hotel rooms, but it did not become a major issue with over-the-top media reporting.

The apex body, the International Cricket Council and the Board of Control for Cricket in India must look at these issues more closely.

Just like a staging association can face suspension for poor quality pitches, cases of penalties for poor practice facilities must be heard more often.

This should also apply if there are complaints of improper accommodation, although one cannot see a solution to hotels not having larger rooms in England.

The Delhi game was a disappointment from a spectator point of view.

It has been reported that some spectators spent several hours in the early morning queuing up for tickets only to discover that the counters would not be opening as all the tickets had been sold. The same spectators arrived the next day to discover tickets being sold by black marketers.

This may appear trivial but it provides a good indication of how genuine cricket lovers are being deprived of their passion.

While blogging on the DDCA’s ticket distribution, Sharda Ugra, one of India’s finest sports writers, wrote: “It is a crafty piece of creative accounting, which makes it almost a pity that the DDCA is involved in cricket rather than investment banking or a venture capital business.

“After all, their track record in cricket administration has only left them with negativity publicity and bad headlines.”

Members of the media always have sordid tales about the Kotla. My favourite concerns an India versus Pakistan match in 2005.

Journalists were asked to be at the media centre at 7am for a 9.30am start. This was to accommodate security measures which had been put in place because of a visit to the ground by the then president of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf. The journalists did not expect a spread for breakfast, but they expected some drinking water.

Each of them had to walk from their homes and hotels since most of the Delhi roads were closed because of the visit. A few bottles arrived long after the captains had made the toss.

If cricket is to be a global game in every sense of the term then a well-rounded approach to anything and everything connected to the game is imperative. And India, which boast a massive following for the game, must lead the way.

Clayton Murzello is Group Sports Editor of the Indian newspaper MiD DAY

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