A few years ago I saw a small portion of a test match between the West Indies & England, played at the Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica. England opened with its obdurate Geoff Boycott and the West Indies had Colin Croft bowling. Croft was fearsome, in size and demeanour.He snarled at batsmen from 6ft 4in and was mean, as far as batsmen were concerned.
Every ball had Boycott fending off his throat or head and at the sixth ball, he got a nick to the wicket keeper, and Boycott walked even before the bowler appealed. He later said that he was never more afraid for his life than that particular over.The fear of a cricket ball hurtling at you at speeds of 14-150 km/hr can be daunting.
Fast forward to the Feroz Shah Kotla, where a couple of days ago last SL/India one dayer was called off after the two captains deemed the pitch to be 'unsafe' for batting where the ball behaved erratically after bouncing on an ill prepared Kotla pitch. A pitch on which crores have been spent over the last few years!
While the entire sordid episode is a cricketing disaster, it is more of a national shame, that a cricketing powerhouse like India, can only manage a sub standard pitch in the nation's capital.
When the dust has settled & finger pointing ended, we will have to see who will be held accountable for the negligence.Delhi has also jeopardized its chances of holding a World Cup fixture in the following year.
A couple of days ago I read a rather interesting article as to how Mr.Arun Jaitley, former Union Minister, introduced the 'kulcha' to uninitiated Delhites and so vastly improved their sense of gourmet. Mr.Jaitly appears to be very well informed of the Punjabi cuisine and takes immense pride in talking about it. I wish he was as erudite in cricketing matters as head of the DDCA and not let the just discussed debacle occur.
Can we expect a modicum of accountability from Jaitley and will he take the cake or in this case the kulcha?
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