Stepping down

The wall comes down

Sir — After almost two years of continuous upheavals in Indian cricket, here is a bit of good news at last — the news of Rahul David’s resignation as captain of the national cricket team (“Dravid declares”, Sept 15). I think the resignation is a blessing in disguise for both Dravid and Team India. The top brass of the Board of Control for Cricket in India will perhaps understand now that a technically sound cricketer does not make for a strategically good skipper. M.S. Dhoni’s appointment as the Indian captain for the oneday side is a step in the right direction. In fact, I think a youngster like Dhoni should lead our team in both versions of the game. Look at how the South African selectors opted for a young Graeme Smith to lead the team over seniors like Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher. With time, their decision has proved to be an effective one. Opting for Sachin Tendulkar or Sourav Ganguly again will be like taking a step back, since we need to look for an efficient leader in the long run. And seniors like Tendulkar and Ganguly will always be there to help a young captain like Dhoni.

Yours faithfully,
Subhayu Saha, Khagra, Murshidabad

Sir — Indians have a strange tendency to hazard wild guesses about any incident which leaves the slightest room for speculation. Right now, it is the possible reason behind Rahul Dravid’s resignation. Instead of leaving the matter and concentrating on the selection of the next captain, the people and the media are busy guessing why Dravid quit and whether Sachin Tendulkar will accept the offer of captaincy. What we now need to think of is, who is the right person to lead the team till 2011 at least. Tendulkar, Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag are better not considered. Dhoni, V.V.S. Laxman and Mohammed Kaif may be brought into the discussion instead.

Yours faithfully,
M.M. Kale, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh

Sir — The resignation of Rahul Dravid as the captain of the Indian cricket team is surprising, but what is more shocking is that nobody from the BCCI requested him even once to reconsider his decision. The speculation about who should take over began without a thought being given to what may have prompted Dravid to give up the post in the first place. It could not have been concern about his batting alone, because statistics do not reveal a huge gulf between his pre-skipper and post-skipper averages. The more likely reason is the constant criticism by the fans and the media, coupled with the fact that he has never been given due credit for his achievements, both as captain and player. Sadly, all this points to the great mess that Indian cricket is in. But what is more unfortunate is that instead of attempting to cure the ills, preparations are being made to appoint Sachin Tendulkar as the captain again. If Tendulkar has learnt from his experience, he will refuse the crown of thorns. It is difficult to blame Dravid for shrugging off the mantle.

Yours faithfully,
Isha Shah, Calcutta

Sir — It is incorrect to say, as The Telegraph has done, that “the Wall” has fallen. Rahul Dravid has earned the title for his solid batting style, and he is still going to wield the willow. Stepping down from captaincy is hardly the end of him as a batsman.

Yours faithfully,
Gautam S. Prasad, Ranchi

Sir — Rahul Dravid’s decision to resign from the captaincy is an unexpected development. In cricket, a captain is as good as his side. So when a team does badly, each player should take the blame, and the buck should not be passed to the skipper. Dravid, like every other captain, has had some good days as well as some forgettable outings. But according to the reports, Dravid did not quit because of the games that India lost under him. He seems to have decided to step down because the pressure of captaincy was taking a toll on his batting. But cricket fans in India are unlikely to accept this explanation. They all know that certain other factors must have forced Dravid’s hand, and that being a private person, he is unlikely to reveal the real reasons in public.

Only time will tell whether Dravid has done the right thing by renouncing the top job. However, what is fairly evident is that he got the timing of his declaration absolutely wrong. With Australia and Pakistan scheduled to visit India, Dravid should have continued at the helm, at least till the end of these series.

The question as to who would lead India next seems to have been settled too. M.S. Dhoni has been declared the skipper for ODIs while Sachin Tendulkar is likely to be anointed captain for the Tests.However, the BCCI would have been better off passing the crown to Sourav Ganguly and selecting Yuvraj Singh as his deputy. Dhoni is too young to face the rigours of captaincy. The Maharaj-Yuvraj combination would have surely succeeded in reviving the glory days in Indian cricket.

Yours faithfully,
Partha S. Chatterjee, Howrah

Sir — Rahul Dravid has never been a true leader of men, someone who could lift the morale of a side by being aggressive. Perhaps he realized this after losing the oneday series in England, and hence gave notice.Dravid remains one of India’s best batsmen and should continue playing for India. M.S. Dhoni’s nomination as captain of the oneday side needs to be applauded. This shows that the BCCI is ready to look at young players to secure the future of Indian cricket.

Yours faithfully,
K.K. Singh, Jalpaiguri