Despite all the disputes and arguments around Indian cricket and its administration, one thing is evident that cricket is prosperous, thriving and growing by leaps and bounds in India. And time has come for the people running the show to have a system where these incredibly talented players who have made it big or about to make big could be taught about their conduct, their behaviour and their overall approach towards life.
They need to be advised on how the right balance and perspective in their personal life can take their game to another level. Examples of Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli could be cited to the youngsters about how the ‘balance’ in their personal life complemented the much-needed balance on the field.
Stories about the young Ricky Ponting and his pub brawls are part of the Australian cricket media folklore. And then there was a time when administrators felt enough was enough.
They called Ponting and told him that it couldn’t go on like this. He was subtly told about the talent he possesses and how far it can take him, provided he mend his ways.
One of the administrators in that meeting said to Ponting, “Look, we see a great player and future Australian captain in you and your on-field commitment is impeccable. You need to work on your temperament.”
All the possible help was provided to him, be it a chat with senior cricketers or a therapist. And the rest is history.
It’s not that we don’t have sound advisors to guide our youngsters. The India under-19 team couldn’t have asked for a better mentor and coach than Rahul Dravid. And one can confirm with absolute certainty that Dravid would have shaped their personal life far more than their stance and grip.
The most successful batch of young cricketers in Indian cricket was of Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, and Zaheer Khan. These men were fortunate to have towering figures like Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and captain Sourav Ganguly in the dressing room to directly or indirectly influence their thoughts and ambitions.
Yuvraj would proudly tell the story of how he once threw his bat in dejection and got a lengthy lecture on how to respect the tools of the trade from Tendulkar. Harbhajan’s aggression often was channelised the right way by these senior men.
Even the current system has the captain like Kohli who exemplifies discipline and the right approach to life. Ravi Shastri, from his playing days, has been a mentor and big brother to many cricketers – from the Mumbai dressing room to the Indian team to now as head coach of the national side.
But colleagues, seniors and coaches have boundaries. Therefore, the cricketers need a professional to guide them. Who knows where Sreesanth would have been if he underwent professional counselling? Someone who could have taught him to use his flamboyance in making the right choices and decisions.
When I write this, I know this for a fact that seniors and team management around Sreesanth tried their best and advised him at every curve of his life. Everyone praised his bowling but mutely doubted his attitude. And there are many examples like him.
Some big names you may know and thousands of unknown names you may not, they have lost the wicket of their career to the bad shots they played in their life, wittingly or unwittingly.
Just look at the life of a cricketer. If one is talented and starts playing junior cricket, this game takes away everything – one’s childhood, innocence, teenage years and a chance to educate and expose oneself to normal life. Before their moustaches, their names start appearing in newspapers and gradually they lose connection with the real world.
If one is successful, then he lands up with an IPL contract. One needs to learn to deal with multi-crore contracts before he can handle a razor. It’s an unreal situation in a very real world of sports.
Some of these players come from small towns, humble backgrounds, and very little exposure to life. They are mostly uneducated and unaware. And everyone isn’t blessed to be calm and confident like a certain MS Dhoni.
Former Indian speedster Javagal Srinath once said:
It’s good to have this much fame, money and power at such young age. But these are things that can finish you also. You need to have the right kind of people telling you the right kind of things to stay grounded and handle this glamour and glory.
Many players lose this battle and their way not on the cricket ground but mostly out of it. It’s one thing to have talent and all that comes with it and another thing to make the most of it.
Some players need constant hand-holding and subtle checks to keep them on track. Just like injury management, they would need personality management too.
Time has come when the BCCI should have dedicated professional counsellors to deal with these kinds of cases. You can call them mental conditioning coaches or sports psychiatrists or whatever you feel like. Someone who can understand their background, their fears and anxieties, channelise their passion and energy, always remind them of the kind of life they need to live to be successful in their profession.
One doesn’t say it would change the way cricketers will live their personal life or the choices they will make outside the field. At least the system will make them more aware and conscious. After all, cricket is a game of technique, and more often than not, characters with sound technique will survive, on and off the field.
(Nishant Arora is an award-winning cricket journalist, and most recently, the media manager of the Indian Cricket Team. He also co-authored the best-selling book on Yuvraj Singh’s battle with cancer)
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