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KARACHI: Former Pakistan Test captain Mushtaq Mohammad has blamed the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) for the debacle of the Indian team in England where it has lost the Test series and its number one ranking.
“The BCCI is very much responsible for poor planning of this tour. They thought their cricketers were machines and are being treated like machines. They (the players) can’t play day in day out, they are human beings and they do get tired both physically and mentally and they do need rest,” Mushtaq said.
The 67-year-old Mushtaq had no doubt that the Indian players looked tired in the ongoing tour. “I have watched India play in all the matches so far and what I have found is that they look tired. It is not only surprising but very disappointing too.
“You got to have enthusiasm to compete in any kind of competition. Mentally and physically, they are very tired and it is showing on their faces and bodies. You can tell a lot by how a player thinks and reacts to different situations, but due to tiredness they have no answer to England,” he said.
Mushtaq also said that the Indian bowlers, in particular, looked worn-out with a lack of backup options.
“The bowlers appear as if they have over-bowled. From the series in the West Indies, they came straight to England and went on to play the four-match Test series without any preparation.”
The former cricketer said that the Indian batsmen were not given an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the tough English playing conditions.
“Indian batsmen never had a chance to settle down and score runs. They only played one three-day warm-up game and straight away went on to play the Test series. This is one of the reasons why the Indian batting has failed.
“For any major series such as this one, if you do not have proper preparation, it is bound to come back to hurt you and this is exactly what has happened,” Mushtaq said.
Stating that he was surprised to see India’s famed batting line-up which has got the reputation of ‘the best in the world’ failing to reach 300 in any innings so far, Mushtaq said, “They must realise that Test cricket is very tough and it’s not over in a day and you have to survive and battle for five days. One of the best batting line-ups in the world has failed miserably and disappointed all their fans and supporters.”
Mushtaq, who played 57 Tests and 10 one-dayers, also blamed the Indian players for giving competitions like IPL more preference than playing for the country.
“I also blame the players for running after the money in the IPL. They had put their body through all kind of strain and pain and didn’t think about the tour of England, which was a very important tour. I hope they learn their lesson that too much IPL and unnecessary cricket spoils the ranking of the team,” he said.—Agencies
