What do we do with you, Sri?

By Amit - 28 March 2003
March 28 2003

Srinath has been one of the top bowlers in the just-concluded World Cup, and was a huge contributor for India there. But how long is his lease of life in the team with all the new talent knocking on selectors doors?

Without any doubt, India would have never gotten as far as it did in the 2003 World Cup had it not been for Javagal Srinath. The headlines were stolen by Mr. Superstar Sachin Tendulkar and the young pace duo of Zaheer and Nehra. Yet, throughout the drama, the tension, the rise of the phoenix that was the India team from the smoldering ashes of the loss at Centurion, there was Sri.

16 batsmen in this tourney were sent back to the pavilion by the warhorse. India relied on Srinath to choke the top orders of opposing teams and watch as Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra ripped them apart. In the match against England, it could easily have been Srinath who broke the back of Nasser Hussain's lineup and walked away with a man of the match award. Sadly, fans watched with a mixture of disappointment and amusement as people like Trescothick and Vaughan time and again groped for the ball, only to find it falling safely into Rahul Dravid's gloves.

Throughout this renaissance of his career, numerous fans have eaten their words with pleasure, as the Mysore Express spearheaded India's campaign in the Cup. With people like Ajit Agarkar on the bench, a quick bowler and fast mover in the field who is also decent with the bat, it seemed strange to keep the 33 year old in the team.

But in fairy-tale like style, Srinath came back and proved everybody wrong, a happy ending. Perseverance triumphed and he showed the world what he was made of, but what now?

The fact remains that this man cannot bat or field, and when India needed him most in the World Cup final, he managed to produce absolutely egregious figures of 10 overs for 87 runs. Zaheer is young, hot-headed, and inexperienced, but what of Srinath? Is there any excuse for him, even a shred of defense? People say the same thing of Sachin, but these people are stupid and can't seem to understand that if Srinath hadn't bowled like a 6 year old we might not have had to chase such an exorbitant total. With all his experience, Srinath managed to make an utter fool of himself. Gilchrist, Martyn, and Ponting couldn't have been happier.

Srinath is aging, a liability on the field, and a rabbit with the bat. This comes at a time when the tail is expected to wag. Look at Avishkar Salvi and company playing for India A over in the West Indies, they are grinding the bowling and scoring runs, something that Srinath would be expected to do, but simply can't. To top it off, he has contributed to the gift-wrapping of Australia's 3rd World Cup, more psychological weight for an already soft person.

Before the South African safari, we could have let that all pass. The bottom line was that nobody save Zaheer and Srinath knew how to bowl quick, so Javagal's back-from-the-dead showing in New Zealand was welcomed by many. When the fast bowling cupboard was as bare as India's, we became desperate enough to include Srinath.

However, post-World Cup, our fast bowling arsenal looks to be much more promising. With Nehra finding rhythm and Zaheer adding a degree of control (he still needs additional work) to his hostile bowling, I frankly don't see why we need Srinath.

The reader may disagree with me, saying that Sri is one of the best pacemen in the country. I agree completely. The point is that now, with the World Cup past us, is the perfect time to blood a new fast bowler. We must be willing to invest in the future and take a risk. If Srinath goes to Australia, we may be hindering the careers of Avishkar Salvi, Irfan Pathan, and Laxmipathy Balaji. Look at Brett Lee: he debuted right after the 1999 WC, coincidence? I doubt it. With Srinath out of the squad, we'll have three fast bowlers under the age of 25; hungry, aggressive players who might bloom into demons under the proper coaching.

The 2003 World Cup saw the end of many careers: Wasim Akram, Nasser Hussain, Allan Donald, and although it happened before the event started, Steve Waugh. Let us show Srinath the door. It would be a ruthless, even cruel decision, but one that must be undertaken for the good of the team.

Goodbye Sri, and thanks for everything, but we don't need you anymore.