The Kolkata Knight Riders are inflicted with several maladies a team divided between Indian and foreign players, distrust and discrimination, all thanks to the John Buchanan-Sourav Ganguly stand-off
The Kolkata Knight Riders are inflicted with several maladies a team divided between Indian and foreign players, distrust and discrimination, all thanks to the John Buchanan-Sourav Ganguly stand-off
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Thanks to their director of cricket John Buchanan's various theories, the team has become a sad history in the 2009 Indian Premier League. He cluttered the minds of his players with his theories, and, when the mind is cluttered it's a proven fact that you can't think, work or play to perfection.
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John Buchanan and Sourav Ganguly |
Is cricket so complicated? To start with, the Australian is known to have given a 30-page document to each of his support staff detailing the requirements, team goals etc. As it has panned out, it is more a case about showing off a systematic approach.
With Chris Gayle as Brendon McCullum's opening partner, battle-hardened Sourav Ganguly and Brad Hodge, pace sensation Ishant Sharma, the experienced Ajit Agarkar, the feared Ajantha Mendis, on paper it was as good a team as any in the fray. For no reason, Buchanan unsettled the team.
Buchanan did not want Ganguly as captain. To be fair, it was only for a cricketing reason as he felt the left-hand batsman wasn't fit enough for Twenty20 cricket. But, instead of taking a direct approach and telling the player why he did not want him as skipper, the Aussie chose to get around things and floated theories like multiple-captain theory, to sideline Ganguly.
Ganguly did not take the decision to replace him as skipper well. It led to distrust in the team. The team broke into two camps. One, the Ganguly camp, who naturally had the support of most of the Indian players, and the foreigners' camp. The distrust only grew deeper as the tournament progressed. Ganguly was completely sidelined.
The players say that allegations of racism are false, the right word is discrimination.
No Indian was in the decision-making group which included Buchanan's support staff like assistant coach Mathew Mott, bowling coach Andy Bichel and skipper Brendon McCullum. Even Hodge was consulted and had more influence in the team than Ganguly.
Ganguly is believed to have told one of his trusted friends: "I have never played in a team that had so much chaos."
They feel Buchanan's selection of the first XI was flawed. That little-known Sri Lankan, Agnelo Mathews playing ahead of Mashrafe Mortaza, one of their highest-paid players was one of many silly moves Buchanan & Co were guilty of.
KKR was doomed right from the time their director of cricket floated the first of his 2009 season's theories of playing with multiple captains. Looking back, it was KKR's first step towards committing suicide. McCullum as captain turned out to be poor choice. It did no good to the team, no good to McCullum and no good to Ganguly. It confused the team, it severely affected McCullum's batting and it demoralised Ganguly.
It's always a gamble to burden your best batsman with extra responsibility and it was a move doomed to fail. As it turned out, McCullum did not relish the leadership role much in the IPL. He's the New Zealand vice-captain and earmarked as their next skipper but IPL is an Indian tournament with majority of local players. The
expectations can be unreasonable and the temperament needed can be very different from back home.
The circumstances in which he was handed over the reins would have tested the most resolute of leaders.
Instead of focusing on making strategies for the opponents and concentrating on his batting, his foremost responsibility became to get a divided house in order. The scrutiny on the team was greater also because it is co-owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who appears to have all the trust in the world for Buchanan.
Along with his beleaguered team, King Khan has failed too in judgment and direction.
It came as no surprise that McCullum, who had kick-started the IPL with a spectacular century in the first season, was a pale shadow of the batsman he is. With the pressure off him, McCullum showed how destructive he could be in the inconsequential game against Royal Challengers when he carved out an unbeaten 84.
The local Bengal players strongly and entirely blame Buchanan for the debacle. One of them said that he was dropped after he asked the manager about Buchanan's statement on the need for more foreign players in the playing XI.
The situation is such now that even if Buchanan says and does something for the benefit of the team, he will not be taken seriously. The fake IPL player blog added to the pile of ridicule never mind if the blogger's 'information' is unsubstantiated.
Shane Warne was never a fan of Buchanan and he has proved a point at the IPL. If Warne tells his Royals' players to jump, they will not ask, 'from which floor'. But imagine the response if Buchanan asks his Knight Riders to do that.
When Sunday MiD DAY approached team director Joy Bhattacharya for an interview recently, he turned down the request by saying he had no answers.
Probably, his response sums up the state of things.
Grist from the rumour mill
> There's no way Buchanan will be retained as director of cricket. This is the second year that KKR have failed to make it to the IPL semi-finals.
> Steve Waugh is tipped to be approached to replace his former coach in the Australian team
> Ricky Ponting, who may be fully available next year, will take over the captaincy reins from Brendon McCullum
> McCullum has heard about Ponting taking over next year. It made him so upset that he wanted Sourav Ganguly to take over but Ganguly declined and has decided that he will never again lead the side.
> The decision to replace Ganguly as captain was taken last year itself when the former India skipper did the opposite of what the team decided to do if they won the toss in one of the key games.
> Shah Rukh Khan has publicly defended his team but mid-way through the tournament had sought the help of experts on the IPL governing council for inputs on what can be done to put things on track. It is learnt that he was told to rope in an Indian coach u00e2u0080u0094 either Chandrakant Pandit or Anshuman Gaekwad.
> Shah Rukh wanted to make some sacking announcements during the tournament but decided not to rock the boat further with the team already in choppy waters.
> The big shots of the team did not bother about the fringe and lesser known players. When one of them was injured, he expected SRK to inquire about his condition but was shocked when he was ignored.
> SRK admitted that business-wise, KKR has prospered last year. This year won't be a drought since sponsors had committed for the second edition of the IPL. KKR are expected to face huge problems next year in trying to rope in corporates.
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