Published: Feb 26, 2011, 10:51 AM (IST)
Edited: Jul 03, 2014, 10:16 AM (IST)
By Dr Vikas Sharma
Shantakumaran Sreesanth, the comeback man and star of the ODI series against New Zealand and the Test series in South Africa, could not find a place in India’s original World Cup team. It’s only the sidelining of an injured Praveen Kumar that got him a belated recall in the team.
Trouble and controversies follow Sreesanth. The Big Mystery: Is the innocent-faced and passionate strike bowler a trouble maker or victim?
Harbhajan Singh slapped him on the field of play. The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) did not want him as captain. Graeme Smith was peeved with his verbal volleys in the recent Test series. Ricky Ponting had a verbal tussle with the Kerala pacer in a warm-up match and his own captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, warned him before the start of India’s most important campaign not to irritate his Indian team-mates.
Let’s closely examine Sreesanth’s recent controversies. When Harbhajan slapped him, Dhoni remarked that the incident might have occurred because Sreesanth’s remarks to Harbhajan were similar to those by Italian footballer Materazzi to French star Zidane prompting a headbutt from Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final – 10 minutes before Zidane was away from international retirement. It’s believed that the Italian footballer insulted his mother and sister and called Zidane terrorist.
At the same time it is believed that Harbhajan slapped Sreesanth because it was Harbhajan’s fourth consecutive IPL match loss as Mumbai Indians’ captain and Sreesanth was laughing at him. Harbhajan, himself a temperamental and controversial player, could not digest the loss and the laugh. The incident was a national shame as it involved two Indian cricketers.
At the Annual General Meeting of the KCA, the members cautioned Sreesanth, asking him to mend his ways and that strict action will be taken against him if he doesn’t stop his tirade against the state body. The temperamental fast bowler was stripped of the state captaincy.
The KCA was upset when the speedster announced that he would like to join some other Ranji team, which in any case Sreesanth is free to do.
Sreesanth irked Smith in the second Test in the series before the World Cup. Smith remarked after the match that in his 90 Test career he has never been subjected to such insulting and personal remarks against his family. Captain Dhoni had to caution Sreesanthto control his sledging and not cross the line.
Despite the paceman’s errant behaviour, one somehow still gets the feeling that that some of Sreesanth’s team-mates and officials have decided to teach him a lesson. And the players from foreign teams are just cashing on the situation Sreesanth finds himself in.
I think what Sreesanth needs at this point of time is a respectable mentor who could help him control his rage from going on to destruct his career. Someone like Sachin Tendulkar, who has the stature and commands the respect of one and all. And as someone whose career has been controversy-free, one cannot think of someone better to harness this passionate pacer from Kerala.
(Dr.Vikas Sharma, a dermatologist and laser surgeon, is passionate about cricket)
