Too Much Cricket Risks Player Burnout

Modi deals are still giving BCCI nightmares cricket.yahoo.com: By Qaiser Mohammad Ali in New Delhi The ghost of Lalit Modi continues to haunt the Indian cricket board. Thanks to what it calls "unauthorised" contracts and deals struck by the sacked chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Board is strugg. Read more news on cricket from India and around the world from Yahoo! cricket

So MS Dhoni thinks India need a rotation policy for players in the national team. He is right, of course, for either you play less cricket or have more cricketers. It is not that difficult to follow. And since it is unlikely that India will play less cricket - nobody does these days - you need to rest players occasionally to ensure they are fit for the biggest contests.


But at the heart of a rotation policy lies trust. A player will never agree to be rested if he is insecure; if he worries that his absence would give someone else the opportunity that could ultimately unseat him, he will never take a break. And for that trust to be established, while there must be complete honesty and openness in selection, there must also be a plan for each cricketer.


The two players who need rest more than anyone else are Dhoni himself and Suresh Raina. At least Dhoni asks for rest, and he knows his place is secure, but Raina is like one of those Energizer bunnies...just going on and on and on. But cricketers are not like batteries, you can't just discard them when they run out of steam and so they must be recharged.


The popular perception seems to be that must happen in the IPL. And the reason so many think that way is because the IPL is inevitably sandwiched between national commitments; the club versus country horse is then an easy one to flog. But just shoving the IPL in between is like forcing another pair of shoes into a case that is already full. If the staging of the IPL is critical, and there is nothing wrong in thinking that way, then something else has to give.


Assume you plan to play for nine months of the year. Then you add in the IPL, which means you are effectively playing 11 months since it does not come with a corresponding drop in cricket in the original nine months. My argument is that if you have to play two months of the IPL, that interval must be part of the original nine-month plan.


But as things stand, the only players getting a break are those not playing the Champions League. For those that are, and for those that play all forms of the game, the next real break is sometime in June!


Harsha Bhogle, is writing in his role as a Castrol Index spokesperson.

India vs England 3rd ODI: MS Dhoni seeks miracle

After trailing the five-match ODI series 0-1, the injury-ridden Team India has been seeking miracle to taste the first victory on England soil in this tour.

India’s England tour 2011 has not been proved fruitful for the World Champions as they were toppled from the No.1 Test team following 0-4 defeat and also faced humiliating defeat in the one-off T20 by six wickets.

Now trailing from 0-1, it is now prestige issue for skipper MS Dhoni and his inexperienced young team.

India is still looking to open account of victory and injury and poor form of few players have added more woes with the visitors.

The toothless Indian bowling attack is real area of concern for Dhoni and team management. Through this attack, English team can chase down any total. After the 2nd ODI at Rose Bowl, skipper Dhoni looked worry about the bowling attack. Dhoni said that it would be a real area of concern if Indian bowlers failed to get swing. “Our pacers can just produce a speed of 120-130 kph. And in such condition if they won’t be able to swing, they can’t stop English batsmen.”

Dhoni already confessed that Praveen Kumar is not a good choice for death overs. The absence of fifth bowler is also an area of worry for Dhoni.

On the other hand, ‘The Oval’ pitch is known for its bounce and pace. It is unlikely that Indian bowlers can manage to produce swing from it. The Oval ground is always suits English pacers, who rely on bounce and pace. It is definitely going to be a real taster for Indian batsmen because English pacers will continue with their strategy of short delivery.

It is expected that Ravindra Jadeja will get chance in Friday’s match. Jadeja is good all-rounder and he may be proved lucky charm for Team India.

The match will start at 17.30 pm.

lost again

India who already lost test series by 4-0 and now after losing the 2nd ODI they have plenty to do to get back to winning ways to at least salvage their pride on the ongoing England tour.

The main concerned for them is there bowling department which looked one dimensional during 2nd ODI with same pace and variation amongst all the bowlers. India must change some of there bowlers for the 3rd ODI at ovals, which is considered as high scoring venue.

M.S.Dhoni also looked flat with his captaincy during 2nd ODI where he has made few bad decisions first with team selection and then defending the par total of 188 runs. India must play with Varun Aaron and R.P.Singh as well as they needs to bring Amit Mishra for 3rd ODI because bowlers like R. Vinay Kumar and R. Ashwin failed to trouble the England batsmen so far.

There is nothing right going for them on this tour and there is no harm in trying few different options regardless of the outcome of this match or series. Indian batting so far looked more promising with Ajinkye Rahane and Parthiv Patel doing great job as an opener in both ODI’s. Middle order also responding well with the likes of Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina.

However since they are World Champions they know how to tackle the situation. Indians got some new faces and this is the time to prove to the world that even without the service of star players they can beat formidable English team. It’s good opportunity for Ajinkya Rehane, Parthiv Patel, Manoj Tiwary to prove them at international level.


The problem India has is with the ball. Praveen Kumar, despite an off-colour showing at the Rose Bowl, is reliable, as is Munaf Patel, but beyond that the ranks are thin. Varun Aaron was flown in to give India the pace they have lacked all summer but has so far served the drinks. The emphasis of this one-day series should now be a view to the future so it's a pity Aaron can't get a game.

Likely Playing XI for both teams (Match is schedule to begin at 18:30 PM India Time)




England is likely to bring J.Trott back into the playing XI in place of Shamit Patel after he sit out because of rain reduced 23 overs game. Rest teams are likely to be same as played during 2nd ODI.

On the other hand India is likely to bring Amit Mishra and Varun Aaron in place of R.Ashwin and Vinay Kumar.





India Squad: Parthiv Patel (WK), Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Manoj Tiwary, Suresh Raina, M.S.Dhoni (Captain & WK), A.Mishra, Praveen Kumar, Varun Aaron, Munaf Patel.

England Squad: Craig Kieswetter (WK), Alastair Cook (Captain), Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Jade Dernbach.