The problem with Virat Kohli being fired from his position as ODI captain wasn’t his firing – or even the way it was. When it comes to ambush captains, India’s cricket picks and administrators take the form; they are masters of the parasite’s haste. The problem lies in what comes after.
What comes after is fascinating desi. After appointing Kohli as ODI captain in a single line to issue a statement on other matters, BCCI gave second thoughts and decided that damage limitation was appropriate. It tweeted a belated tribute to Kohli’s leadership. After that, its President, Sourav Ganguly, decided to deal with the problems of his own making.
Kohli, Ganguly explained, had stripped herself of the ODI captain’s armband. Ganguly personally asked Kohli not to give up the T20 captaincy because two white-ball captains were too many. There’s no obvious reason why this should be, especially because as a ticketing format, ODI is supposed to be closer to Test cricket than the shortest version of the game, but don’t get distracted. by the logic (or lack thereof) of Ganguly asserts. Instead, focus on its intended effect.
When telling the story behind Kohli’s firing, Ganguly is Dada, the older brother is concerned advising his younger, more impulsive son. This serves two purposes. First, it shows that Kohli is a suicide, not a victim. Second, it demonstrates the President’s active benevolence. Kohli’s dismissal becomes a sadder decision rather than an angry one imposed on India’s ticketing establishment.
This could be a bump in a parallel universe where Kohli is a non-contract worker who can’t tell her story without the planter’s permission. In that world, Kohli would go down in history as an arrogant captain who despised well-intentioned advice and then ignored a 48-hour ultimatum to resign or be fired. . Ganguly’s spin coincided with a number of prominent news stories citing anonymous sources and claiming, among other things, Kohli, in a tit-for-tat move, opted out of the ODI series with reason for his daughter’s birthday to avoid playing under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. This, if true, is suggested by the Ganguly-esque scale.
Unfortunately for Ganguly, this is not that world. Kohli has his flaws, but he’s been twice the captain that Ganguly was and at least three times the hitter. He is a more suitable and rich person than Ganguly. He has more tattoos and a better haircut. Furthermore, the stories given in the yellow press are clearly bogus due to Kohli’s selfish, treasonous reasons for not playing ODIs, his daughter’s birthday, which turns out to be in the middle of a match will was his hundredth test match, before that. the beginning of the ODI chain in South Africa.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, Kohli held a pre-tour press conference yesterday where he bluntly contradicted everything Gangu said without naming him. No one advised him to resign from the T20 captaincy. No one on the Board of Directors spoke to him about the ODI captaincy until an hour and a half before the official statement confirming his dismissal was announced. The press reports that he chose not to participate in ODI in South Africa was a complete lie, he was always open to choosing.
It is hard to think of a precedent for these watches. I can’t remember another time when the Chairman of a national cricket board made categorical statements that the captain of that national team called a lie less than a week later. And the reason I can’t be a Cricket Board Chairman accused of cheating in this public way would be to either deny the captain’s assertions and fire him from the team, or admit guilt by silence silence and resign. It’s hard to think of a third option. To allow disclaimer of Kohli’s classification unanswered would be discrediting, waive any claim to be taken seriously.
The cynical explanation for this scandal is that Kohli was accused of arrogance and selfishness because his traders knew he would vehemently deny their accusations, thus paving the way for retribution. punishment because that would be his word against them. But it was hard to believe that anyone was that Machiavellian. The more plausible explanation is also the sadder one: This BCCI is an Ottoman seraglio where courtiers scheming for royal favor by humiliating others. After the dismissal of Kohli, the Board of Directors can uphold its advice. After an argument or two, it becomes yesterday’s news. That the Chairman of the Board deliberately misrepresented one of the best of the Board tells you all you ever wanted to know about the despicable public culture of our time.
To combat insinuations and bullying at a time when India’s institutions are controlled exclusively by politicians like Jay Shah, it takes courage, even if you are rich and famous. sounds like Kohli. Defending your personal honor by publicly setting records is a normal act of courtesy in these bad times, not selfishness. “If I am not for myself,” asked Hillel the Elder an era ago, “who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, then when?” any?” Too often in India cricket is considered the better part of bravery. Kohli voiced her support for Shami when the BCCI failed to do so. Now he has spoken for himself. We are indebted to him.
Mukul Kesavan is a writer living in Delhi. His most recent book is ‘Homelessness on Google Earth’ (Eternal Black, 2013).
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability whatsoever.
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