Although Gautam Gambhir has long opposed the mega-star culture that dominates Indian cricket, Mohammed Siraj’s incredible performance during the English summer has undoubtedly given the Indian head coach a boost.
The admirable 2-2 series draw in England will undoubtedly give Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors, the confidence to crack the whip and establish a uniform team culture where some players are treated equally, as has been the case in recent years.
It is believed that Gambhir, the selection committee, and the Indian cricket board’s decision-makers are all in agreement that players should no longer pick games and series under the guise of workload management.
“There have been discussions and the message will be sent across to the centrally contracted players, especially those who are all format regulars that this culture of picking and choosing games won’t be entertained in near future,” on condition of anonymity, a senior BCCI officer with knowledge of current events told PTI.
“It doesn’t mean that workload management will be thrown out of the window but a more objective approach is expected in near future. Obviously, fast bowlers’ workload needs to be managed but it can’t be accepted that in the name of workload management, people will miss crucial matches.”
A prime example of peak fitness is Siraj, who bowled 185.3 overs in five Test matches, in addition to the hours of fielding and overs bowled in the nets over the previous six weeks.
More significantly, Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Akash Deep’s performances demonstrated that no one is greater than the team and that even the biggest stars are dispensable.
Despite a number of problems, England captain Ben Stokes bowled for extended periods of time till the end of the fourth Test, sparking discussions over whether workload has become a “overrated concept” that is merely employed for convenience.
Former batting legend Sunil Gavaskar criticized the overuse of workload management.
“When you are playing for your country, forget the aches and the pains. On the border, do you think that the jawans are complaining about cold? What did Rishabh Pant show you? He came out to bat with a fracture. That is what you expect from the players. Playing cricket for India is an honour,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“You are representing 140 crore people and that is what we saw in Mohammed Siraj. I think Siraj bowled his heart out, and he debunked forever this business of workload. For five Test matches, non-stop he has bowled 7-8 over spells, because the captain wanted him and the country expected of him,” added the former skipper.
“I hope that the word ‘workload’ goes out of the Indian cricket dictionary. I’ve been saying that for a long time. And I think that is the one thing that we all should keep in mind that this workload is only a mental thing, not so much a physical thing,” he added.
It is safe to say that some BCCI officials are not been pleased with Jasprit Bumrah’s inability to handle the workload of five Test matches.
The proficiency of the sports science team at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru has also come under scrutiny.
Bumrah is anticipated to be available for the Asia Cup T20 in the United Arab Emirates from September 9 to September 28 following a month-long break.
“Look if Bumrah plays in the Asia Cup and if India go the distance till September 28, he won’t obviously play the West Indies Test series starting October 2. However, if there are no injuries, he will certainly play the two Tests against World champions South Africa in November.”
The idea is that players, particularly fast bowlers, would be able to play more than just being wrapped in cotton wool now that Nitin Patel has left and the new head of the Sports Science division is anticipated to be hired at the CoE.
