Khaled Masud Myths - A Rebuttal

[billah]

It's easy to compose all of Masud's statistics on one page and call him incompetent. So, why is Ash in the squad then? And, what the heck is Veeru doing in the Indian team?

Some of us may be trapped in our own number-based thinking. I think that is the basic difference between the thinking of a cricketer and a non-cricketer. That is probably why pretty much all of our experienced ex-skippers are calling this a wrong decision.

One ex-cricketer tells me, for a new-comer at the world-stage, the most difficult thing is making adjustment to his game in the middle of a match. This is something that comes with experience. That is why the cricket teams of the world stick to their experienced guns.

Remember Asif Karim in the last world cup? The Insurance salseman who was brought out of retirement to spearhead the Kenyan bowling. Obviously, other than experience, Asif did not have any performance numbers working for him. If you have already forgotten, Kenya made it to the SEMI-FINAL last time ! And Asif still holds the world record for best world cup bowling performance ! Do you wonder why Russel Arnold and Tuffey are included back in the WC squads of SL and NZ?

We all know, Pilot has to go. But dropping him from the WC squad is unthinkable. Let's listen to what we are saying:

- We are sending in the understudy in the WC 2007, the biggest cricket show on earth. (Let him use the most important matches of our cricket history to warm up and settle in. In the least, its gonna be fun watching him hobble under deep water...)

- We are dropping our most experienced wicket keeper at this stage, since we think this understudy, who barely has any credentials to his name, will do better with the bat in the World Cup. (Why, since we did not find any data to support this, we just asked him ! He promised to us he would try...)

- We come to this decision based on some runs he scored in our tour that concluded last week in Zimbabwe. ( Mushfiq was such a Tendulkar in Harare, we just could not leave him out... Now we are eyeing that 400+ to shut India out of the World cup..)

- Pilot ! He's just bad blood ! He's a big mouth ! (So, there ! Ha'ya like me naaau ?
I would do anything to stick it to him, even if that means weakening the national team ahead of the world cup..)

Pilot has to go. This is what I have written in my latest article recently. But, for that, we need to prepare his replacement properly. Give both of them and the team some time for adjustments. Instead, we pull the rug from under Pilot. Then we drop the rug over the tiny shoulders of the young one. Yeah ! Way to go Faruk bhai !

There is one word that describe doing an understudy experiment for the wicket keeper position INSIDE the world cup matches, leaving an experienced campaigner home - "STUPID". More so, this is no justice to young Mushfiqur Rahim. We saw how badly Rahim flops under pressure, even at his home ground at Bogra. Remember the Sri Lankan tour? I'm sure Mushfiq will play upto his potential for the foreseeable future in our national team, if we stop using him recklessly, to exact our personal revenge on another.

Sad thing is - this decision has "ego conflict" written all over it. The trouble between Pilot and some selectors was well-publicized before. Pilot has never been known to be diplomatic. As a selector, it would be my job to look away from these other issues, and deal with Pilot on a personal basis privately, instead of chopping him from the team. I would keep personal feeling away from selection, in the interest of selecting the best possible team for the world cup.

Now, it seems, that the selectors acted in malicious intent. They exacted their personal vandetta against Pilot. So, not only did they cut him from the world cup team using the most feeble of arguments, they are having to take other malicious steps to keep him out. Wrong only begets wrong.

Rajin Saleh - his hair and his self-confidence, are in a perpatual competition with each other for running out these days. For me, Farhad Reza is an easy choice over Rajin, specially considering the possible playing condition in Port of Spain.

Then there is Javed. Javed is not even assured of a spot in our Test team, let alone in the ODI world cup. Do you remember Javed's great recent performance? You don't? Funny, neither do I. Heck, even Javed is so surprised by it, he is attributing the whole thing to God's divine will.

Tamim, well, apologies to the fans that want Tamim to become an overnight superstar. However, this is the first time in history, a player was selected for world cup finals based on three 4s and two 6s.

Looks like these names were used just to block out the 14th and 15th position from Pilot. The selectors may not have done it with such intent, but now, that is what it looks like. The baffled fans, cricketers and ex-cricketers alike are wondering what Javed is doing in the squad, while Pilot sits out (Please don't attempt to compare Javed and Pilot's numbers here. If you do, you have missed the point completely). It also looks like the selectors were pushing Mushfiq's batting order just to push Pilot out. That just ain't cricket, man.

Well, there is a remedy for for every wrong. Better late than never, Faruk bhai. No, don't send a personal apology to Masud. No, don't take him out for Biryani at Samarkand. Don't promise him more matches after the world cup. Don't tell him in details about how we acknowledge his past contributions. Don't go and tell him we will still need him later.

Just bring him back in the WC 2007 squad.

WE need him.