In India, (more so in Indian sport), we seem so focused on the 'future' that we forget about the present. For example, the Indian men's cricket team has just lost the second Test at Sydney and all the 'experts' are calling for VVS Laxman's head. Why not Virat Kohli? I mean Laxman is one of our best batsmen, he has an exceptional record against Australia and he scored a 60 odd at Sydney in the second innings. He has looked good in the middle, so why would you want to drop him?-- The experts say he is "too old" and we should therefore give Virat Kohli another chance because he is the "future of Indian cricket." Honestly, I think that is complete nonsense! Yes, Virat is the future of Indian cricket. He's an outstanding player and deserves his place in the Test side, but not a place in the XI at the cost of Laxman- a man who has won and saved many Tests for India over the past few years. He truly is an unsung hero!
The picture is no different in women's sport; in fact it is only worse. I agree that the career of a sportswoman is considerably shorter than that of a sportsman, but when one is consistently churning out performances age should not matter. Personally, I believe that however old you may be, if you are truly committed so something and are contributing your bit to make that 'something' better, then you are an asset.
Only recently I had a conversation with one of my co-players about age based selection. She said that it is not right for someone to be ignored simply because they are "too old"; if you are good enough, you deserve a chance. For example, Tamil Nadu batsman, Subramaniam Badrinath, has been churning out runs consistently for the past 4-5 years in the domestic circuit. His record speaks for itself. Why then, do you ask, is he not in the Indian side?-- The answer is simple- because he is on the "wrong side of 30" at a time when slots in the middle order are opening up.
If there is something I have learnt this season, it is that as you get older, you begin to "understand" your game better. As youngsters we tend to be overambitious. Not every 16 year old understands her strengths and weaknesses because not every 16 year old is Sachin Tendulkar or Mithali Raj. The older you get, the more you understand your game- you learn to play within yourself- something that only comes with experience and exposure.
This season I had the privilege of watching some of the stalwarts of Indian women's cricket from close quarters. Anjum Chopra, Neetu David, Hemalata Kala, Jaya Sharma and Nooshin-Al-Khadeer have all served the Indian team well. They are still playing domestic cricket and are continuing to do well for their state sides. The enthusiasm is still there. It's amazing to watch them play. When we played against Railways in the T20 tournament earlier this month, both Hema di and Neetu di were outstanding on the field- diving around making the most unlikely stops on the boundary and pushing the team towards excellence.
What we as outsiders tend to think is that the older bunch means the slower bunch. That is not always the case. For instance, Ricky Ponting is on the "wrong side of 30" and he is a brilliant fielder. Michael Hussey, Badrinath, Dilshan and many others fall in the same category- they contribute so much in the field. In fact, during our recent encounter with Jonty Rhodes, the great man was sliding and diving with utmost ease. He made what seemed like almost impossible direct hits with his rocket arm- and he's 42!
What I'm getting at here is that age should not be the main criteria on which players/ teams are selected. Young players are not always the answer to all your needs. Every team needs a blend of youth and experience- both are equally important. Sometimes a 32 year old provides more to the team than a 22 year old can. By this I am not saying that we should fill the team with 30 year olds simply because they have ten years of domestic cricket behind them. What i am trying to say is that if you are committed to a sport and are performing consistently, how old you are should not matter. In times of crisis it is usually the experienced ones that pull you through.
The picture is no different in women's sport; in fact it is only worse. I agree that the career of a sportswoman is considerably shorter than that of a sportsman, but when one is consistently churning out performances age should not matter. Personally, I believe that however old you may be, if you are truly committed so something and are contributing your bit to make that 'something' better, then you are an asset.
Only recently I had a conversation with one of my co-players about age based selection. She said that it is not right for someone to be ignored simply because they are "too old"; if you are good enough, you deserve a chance. For example, Tamil Nadu batsman, Subramaniam Badrinath, has been churning out runs consistently for the past 4-5 years in the domestic circuit. His record speaks for itself. Why then, do you ask, is he not in the Indian side?-- The answer is simple- because he is on the "wrong side of 30" at a time when slots in the middle order are opening up.
If there is something I have learnt this season, it is that as you get older, you begin to "understand" your game better. As youngsters we tend to be overambitious. Not every 16 year old understands her strengths and weaknesses because not every 16 year old is Sachin Tendulkar or Mithali Raj. The older you get, the more you understand your game- you learn to play within yourself- something that only comes with experience and exposure.
This season I had the privilege of watching some of the stalwarts of Indian women's cricket from close quarters. Anjum Chopra, Neetu David, Hemalata Kala, Jaya Sharma and Nooshin-Al-Khadeer have all served the Indian team well. They are still playing domestic cricket and are continuing to do well for their state sides. The enthusiasm is still there. It's amazing to watch them play. When we played against Railways in the T20 tournament earlier this month, both Hema di and Neetu di were outstanding on the field- diving around making the most unlikely stops on the boundary and pushing the team towards excellence.
What we as outsiders tend to think is that the older bunch means the slower bunch. That is not always the case. For instance, Ricky Ponting is on the "wrong side of 30" and he is a brilliant fielder. Michael Hussey, Badrinath, Dilshan and many others fall in the same category- they contribute so much in the field. In fact, during our recent encounter with Jonty Rhodes, the great man was sliding and diving with utmost ease. He made what seemed like almost impossible direct hits with his rocket arm- and he's 42!
What I'm getting at here is that age should not be the main criteria on which players/ teams are selected. Young players are not always the answer to all your needs. Every team needs a blend of youth and experience- both are equally important. Sometimes a 32 year old provides more to the team than a 22 year old can. By this I am not saying that we should fill the team with 30 year olds simply because they have ten years of domestic cricket behind them. What i am trying to say is that if you are committed to a sport and are performing consistently, how old you are should not matter. In times of crisis it is usually the experienced ones that pull you through.
It is not how old you are, but how good you are that really matters!
Well said... I'm one of those 16 year-olds! lol.
ReplyDeleteVery nicely written. I like that you have addressed an issue that quite a few professions could change their outlook on.
ReplyDeleteWell well, the BCCI Women's Wing seems to have heard your plea(this time around at least). One such 'some side of 30' yet amazing Anjum dis comeback seems like an interesting move, how interesting only time can tell, but for starters I like the advancement :)
ReplyDelete