Columns: Flipside

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India Today, April 19, 1999
April 19, 1999

FLIPSIDE
Team Selection

By Dilip Bobb

It doesn't get any bigger than this. The countdown has begun and, sooner rather than later, the ultimate prize will once again be up for grabs. And, to add suspense and drama to the occasion, this time there are no clear winners. In fact, there are plenty of clear losers including the current holders who have been going through something of a slump. Experts predict that it is anybody's game and that, according to recent polls, there are no crowd favourites. All they can say with any certainty is that there will be some players who will have a key role in deciding who is left holding the trophy. Here they are:

Jayalalitha: Is the engine that can drive any train. Or derail one for that matter. Like Sachin Tendulkar, the team's dependence on her is total. Her strike rate can be devastating, she carries a heavy bat, shows supreme confidence and has the capacity to demoralise the opposition. However, sometimes has difficulty in deciding who is the opposition, which makes her performance fairly unpredictable. Also has the tendency to hit out at the wrong balls. Will be the key player in the coming confrontation.

Sonia Gandhi: Her role as non-playing captain in no way diminishes her growing clout. Like Azhar, she is not very communicative, does not interact with the rest of her team as often as she should and her strategy is occasionally suspect. But commands respect, has a huge fan following, the right lineage, and can be a crowd puller. Has the ability to turn a match around single-handedly. As leadership material, clearly lacks experience, but will definitely be the player of the tournament without even a ball being bowled.

The Two Yadavs: Both attacking openers who have, through lots of pomp and more of circumstance, been recalled to the national team. However, both are not entirely certain to play, with Mulayam demanding he be made captain and the other having staked his claim for "vice" captaincy. The alternative is to use them as reserve players who could lend their services on a match-by-match basis. This, in cricketing parlance, is known as "strategic posturing" or more locally, as "going backwards to go forward".

Subramanian Swamy: How he gets out, switches sides, yet survives and finds favour with the powers-that-may-be is something of a mystery. But after playing a major domo role in tea-time diplomacy, is on something of a roll. Or, as they say in cricketing parlance, "on a good wicket".

Kanshi Ram/Mayawati: Don't always see eye-to-eye, their performance so far has been going downhill, and their attacking style can cause problems for the team. But even with their limited resources, this offers them the best opportunity yet to claim their stake.

Om Prakash Chautala: Many thought his playing days were over, but he's back in the reckoning. Used to be a useful pinch-hitter in the slog overs. His father was vice-captain of one of the worst sides India ever fielded and history may yet repeat itself.

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