Need to have a rotation policy

THE NEED to have a rotation policy is imperative, if not to blood the batsmen, to protect the bowlers, at least, from burning out. Pick the best but do not pick the best always for easy assignments home or overseas. Spare a thought for the body and mind of the players.

When Javagal Srinath pleads for the rotation policy, there is reason for the cricket administrators in the country to sit up and take notice. It is not often that Srinath speaks his mind and on this occasion it has been necessitated by the fact that he was not able to deliver the goods.

In a very honest confession to TheHindu, Srinath admitted that the defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe at Harare would rankle him long. ``On the personal front I'm very disappointed that I wasn't able to deliver the goods,'' he said.

How many cricketers in the country would admit that they let the team down. A captain owning responsibility for the team's failure is rare and one cannot recall an individual standing up and admitting that he let the team down.

Srinath was again being very honest when he said he was very keen to analyse why he failed to deliver. ``It wasn't fitness let me assure you. I was fit and excited about it. It's just that I couldn't deliver,'' he said.

Ashish Nehra was the find of the tour in Srinath's opinion. ``Ashish bowled the best and was able to bring the ball in. He kept hitting the right spot consistently. Zaheer (Khan) was unfortunate to miss the second Test. I thought they both did very well.''

Adaptability, observed Srinath, was the key. ``A sign of a good bowler is his ability to adapt.'' Nehra was quick to grasp this point. So was Zaheer. For Debasis Mohanty, there was no opportunity to test his adaptability. Ajit Agarkar has not translated his talent to better use in five-day cricket even though he has come to stay as a one-day cricketer.

It was not that Srinath was close to breaking down at any stage but he did make a valid point when he stressed on the need to rotate the bowlers.

``We've to soon realise that we can't push the same set of bowlers and expect them to keep doing well. It's not possible because it's tough to maintain a decent level of consistency at the international level. With the amount of cricket being played these days, it is very important that we protect the bowlers from the burn out factor,'' said Srinath.

The selectors have a big pool of bowlers to pick from and going by their potential not much separates them really. It is a matter of getting the right breaks at the right time.

It will help the bowlers if the selectors come to understand their potential better. As Srinath noted, there was no harm in identifying the Test match bowlers and one-day bowlers and giving them opportunities by rotation.

A healthy competition is what Srinath hinted at when he spoke of the rotation policy. ``I've experience but I can't take my place lightly. There's stiff competition and I need to deliver. I've done it in the past but missed out in Harare. Believe me the effort was there.''

There is no point in carrying a few players around and not giving them opportunities to perform. A player needs to be given the break when in form. Debasis Mohanty, for example, is one bowler who happens to perform more in the `nets'. It is not his fault if the team management does not play him.

It is also important to utilise every talent and it can be done effectively by rotating the players. There are certain bowlers like Mohanty and Venkatesh Prasad, who can be lethal when the conditions help them, but they have often been denied those opportunities. It would encourage the team by backing them on pitches which help the ball to seam.

Then there are bowlers who can excel in unfriendly conditions and they should be marked for such assignments - bowlers like Zaheer and Nehra, who have the confidence to dictate on any surface.

There is no substitute to hard work and Srinath wants the new comers to remember this. The fact that he talks of going back to the basics means Srinath is keen to give his best. Or, as he says, ``deliver.''

``The main thing for a bowler is line and length and the body action dictates it. When I bowl the same length it hits the stumps. In Zimbabwe, the same length saw the ball passing over the stumps. I couldn't adapt to the conditions as quickly as I should have,'' Srinath analysed his performance.

With the long season ahead, Srinath is now concentrating on preparing himself mentally for a grind, and better performances too.

As he admitted, none can take his place for granted, what with such competition around.

VIJAY LOKAPALLY

Harare

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