Don't blame IPL for Indian debacle

A lot of hue and cry is going on after India's loss in the Twenty20 World Cup. To a certain extent that can happen because in the last three-four years India has not gone past the initial few rounds in five of the six major international championships they have played in. It is definitely a point of worry for all. But I must tell everyone, please restrict the criticism to cricket and not go on talking about issues which are just ordinary news and have no bearing on the game.

I was amazed at the sensation which was created on Thursday night about a brawl in a pub on the basis of public allegation! The two people alleging were from some parts of America and have no credibility. There is no guarantee that they were speaking the truth and if some of the people put their mind to it, they will find out that it was a perfect example of getting their face on the television channels!

A lot of people have blamed the IPL for India's debacle and that is ridiculous. IPL has become a platform for lot of domestic players to break into the national team. Never in the past have first class players got such a big stage other than playing for the country and let's give it its due. How can playing in the IPL stop one from performing in the World Cup?

Let us be practical and find a right solution to the real problem. India is currently the number one Test team in the World and very rightly so. Lot of people expect them to do the same in both the shortened formats of the game, but they seem to forget that most of the people playing in the 50 or 20 overs Indian team don't find a place in the test team. This is a puzzle one needs to resolve. One has to remember that only a good test player can play in all forms of the game.

Indian bowling also needs to be looked at. It is a weak point for Indian cricket and more so on flatter pitches. So the coaches in the national team and the National Cricket Academy need to find out a way of monitoring the progress of the bowlers in terms of bowling and physical fitness. That will provide a supply line to the Indian team which is very essential for success in every format of the game.

On my behalf I have a request to all, to solve cricketing problems of India and focus only on that. Because that will help India to progress and the rest will not. So let us please support the national team in this tough situation. That will in a way help, as some will emerge from the current scenario as better players in the coming days.