Notice to Ganguly, Demotion to Tendulkar

Ganguly is softening up. Ganguly can really make a difference to India's fortunes, only when he is at his aggressive best, only when he exactly does what he thinks is correct, and not go by popular opinions. He has alway been a classic 'On the Contrary.....' kind of a chap, also a person capable of making things happen.

The current few events indicate otherwise.

Firstly his batting isn't what it was. He has to find form very soon or he just won't be able to command anything from anyone. His on-your-face attitude against the opponents is enhanced when he does well and that has been his biggest contribution to the current success of the team. That attitude is missing, completely.

Yuvraj's success in Pakistan has brought lot of pressure on his position in the Test team and he has deftly managed to shift the pressure by suggesting Yuvraj as an opener. This has the potential to be a huge and colossal blunder, if it really happens . There are rumblings within the team against this move, unity was another point of success for this team which is in danger of being lost.

The intention to push Yuvraj as an opener is not a brilliant, make-it-happen strategic, like the ones he made earlier - blooding and persisting with Harbhajan and Zaheer, pushing Sehwag as an opener and converting Dravid as a keeper. Those strategic moves were made in team's interest, this seems to have been made for a personal gain. What would have Steve Waugh done in such a position? Well, he would have come up with some glorious knocks, taken his limited chances, pull the team out of woods, take them one more step ahead of other teams by virtue of such an innings and made a Yurvraj-in waiting, wait for some more time. Ganguly is instead defensive. This is not the Ganguly we have known.

You can't pull your shirts out and parade half naked in front of our audience. If you do that, I would beat you, remove my shirt at the Mecca of Cricket - Lord's and let out a War Cry. That was vintage Ganguly.

That gesture made quite a few people notice - Don't mess with us was the statement he made to the world. It's quite unfortunate that Ganguly is apologetic these days when commentators and journalists question him on that. The very fact that he is defensive about it shows that he is truly softened up. Mr. Ganguly we liked you because you did that. You took the fight to the opposition.

Then there is one Mr. Tendulkar, a pale shadow of his true self. Oh no, there is no doubt on the amount of runs he would score match after match, and the wickets that he would take in One Dayers, he is brilliant in playing percentage cricket. But the moot question is the manner in which he scores or whether he scores the run at the right time.

I dread to watch Sachin bat these days , reminds me of Vintage Shastri, would make any Mickey go to sleep. He is neither entertaining, nor effective. I do not remember the classic Management lines about the difference between efficient and effective. Sachin is efficient for himself completely ineffective for the team.

It's time to give notice to Ganguly and time to demote Sachin.

I believe I was one of the early to see the good tidings when Ganguly was just made captain and I believe his decline has begun, if they still manage to arrest it, I for one would be extremely delighted and happy.