Dear Temba, thank you. For bearing the burden of pain, expectations, and voices that never believed in you. For carrying the weight of a nation as its leader. For your Player of the Series performance in Sri Lanka and for becoming this team’s most consistent batter over the last two years.
You stood tall in the Final. You hobbled on one leg and carried generations on your back with an unforgettable 147-run stand with Markram.
You didn’t just survive. You answered the critics. And most importantly, the call of a nation desperate for a moment like this.
Dear Kagiso, thank you. For walking through fire—the off-field controversies, the noise, and the no balls—to deliver one of the finest bowling displays in South African history. For the many five-fers across the two-year cycle, the brilliance in Bangladesh, and the records you shattered along the way.
But at Lord’s, you climbed higher. In those four days, you touched greatness.
Dear Aiden, thank you. For the innings of a lifetime against the fiercest of attacks in Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, and Lyon. You held your nerve and found your flow.
After the disappointment of the T20 World Cup, you came back stronger. From the innings against Pakistan to the balcony at Lord’s, you never looked back.
And yes, thank you for those beautifully exquisite cover drives. And for the golden arm off-spin, always delivering when its least expected. As Temba said, you got character, mate. And that is what matters.
Dear Lungi, thank you. For proving you could bowl the long, decisive spells. You changed the game with grit and rhythm when it mattered the most.
Dear Marco, thank you. For that catch. For the spells. For becoming the all-rounder that South Africa can rely on. And for the Player of the Series performance against Pakistan that helped carry this team to the Final.
Dear Keshav, thank you. For being the senior pro that the team could look up to. The heartbeat of the team. Your constant contributions in Bangladesh and Sri lanka, and that magnificent performance against the West Indies were vital in bringing South Africa to the Final.
And those tears of joy and relief after the win? Those moments are etched in our memories forever.
Dear Kyle, thank you. For that century in Bangladesh and the 105 in Sri Lanka. And most of all, for hitting the winning runs. That image will never be forgotten.
Dear David, thank you. For choosing the road less traveled by and going to that New Zealand tour while others played in the SA20. For scoring that gutsy 110. And what a performance in the final, rescuing South Africa in the first innings and staying till the very end in the second.
Dear Tristan, thank you. For taking clutch catches in the final and for providing sparks of brilliance throughout the campaign with knocks of 122, 106, 68*, 30* that lit up the campaign. The future is bright, and it’s all yours.
Dear Ryan, thank you. For that 259 against Pakistan in a must-win game. The innings that kept the dream alive and pushed South Africa one step closer to glory.
Dear Wiaan, thank you. For doing the tough jobs with a smile. An all-round showing against the West Indies, a century at #7 in Bangladesh, and a crucial knock at #3 in the Final that kept South Africa in the game.
Dear Dean, thank you. For opening this World Test Championship cycle with a magnificent 185. For setting the tone. You may have retired, but your imprint in this triumph remains.
Dear Tony, Senuran, Dane, Corbin—thank you. Tony’s 177, Muthuswamy’s 4-fer vs Bangladesh, Dane’s 5-fers vs Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and Corbin’s 4-fer & 81* vs Pakistan all played a role. Every contribution mattered. The bench is strong, and South Africa’s future in Test cricket is bright.
And Dear Coach Conrad Shukri and the Support Staff, thank you. For backing this group. You helped nurture an environment from which champions could emerge.
So once again, I say, Thank you Temba. Thank you Kagiso. Thank you Aiden. Thank you Conrad. And to Ryan, Wiaan, Tristan, David, Kyle, Marco, Keshav, Lungi, Tony, Corbin, Dane, and Senuran, Dean, Nandre, Gerald, and anyone I am forgetting, thank you.
I may not be South African, but through Hashim Amla’s elegance, Faf du Plessis’ blockathons, AB de Villiers’ magic, and Dale Steyn’s action I spent hours trying to imitate, I fell in love with South African cricket.
More often than not, I found myself cheering for them. Every story felt personal. Every match felt like it was mine. And when the 2015 semi-final ended in a heartbreak, it left scars, even for a neutral fan.
That’s why this win means more. This team didn’t just lift a trophy, they healed something. And if it healed something in me, I can only imagine what it meant to those who lived this journey for a lifetime.
I may not grasp every nuance of South African society or the full weight of what this means in a broader context. But I understand what it means to love a team through pain and to finally see them rise.
“This is for every cricketer that played a part in the beautiful cricketing history of the Rainbow nation. And for every Protea fan who stood by their team through the highs and lows.
This is for you. And this is for me.
What an absolute moment for world cricket.
This is for Graeme Smith. This is for Shaun Pollock. This is for Graeme Pollock. This is for Lance Klusener. This is for Dale Steyn. This is for Shabnim Ismail. This is for Allan Donald. This is for AB de Villiers. This is for Laura Wolvaardt. This is for Hashim Amla. This…
— Broken Cricket Dreams Cricket Blog (@cricket_broken) June 14, 2025
South Africa’s Dream, Realized by Bavuma and the Class of 2025
Persistence pays.
Through the heartbreaks and doubts, this team did not give up. Did not deviate from the end goal.
Thank you, Temba. Thank you, South Africa.
For the belief. For the fight. For the quiet grace with which you carried the weight of history. From a fan who watched with admiration, I will not forget what the Class of 2025 gave us.
****
I’ll leave you with the best content from Temba Bavuma’s WTC win. Thank you for reading.
If you are interested in South African cricket, you may enjoy:
In 1918, US President Woodrow Wilson gave a speech in the US Congress that would be regarded as the “Fourteen Points.” It proposed potential resolutions to end the ‘Great War’ (World War I), outlined how the world could move towards peace and prevent future wars, and was a key factor during the Treaty of Versailles.
Now I know what you may be thinking. What kind of comparison is this? Cricket is not war!
It definitely isn’t, but we can all agree that cricket has its share of problems.
Yesterday, the West Indies and England reminded us how special Test cricket truly is. The ebbs and flows, last day drama, the inspiration of an injured Shamar Joseph and Jack Leach fighting for their countries, the comeback of Tom Hartley, the camaraderie between the teams, and much, much more.
It reminded me why I started watching cricket in the first place, and I would love more of days like yesterday.
Hence, without further ado, here are my Fourteen Points to help preserve Test cricket, reduce the conflicts in the current cricketing calendar, and help fuel the growth of cricket in smaller nations.
A Test match fund shall be formed from ICC’s annual budget to support the endeavors of Test cricket around the world. This budget shall, at a minimum, include match fees (players, support staff, ground staff, umpires, administrators), minimum set of cameras to support the DRS (decision review system), miscellaneous finances (hotel, food, and travel), advertising & marketing costs, and all such costs which shall be deemed necessary and proper for carrying into execution a proper Test match. The distribution of the budget shall be approximately proportional to the number of Tests a cricketing nation hosts per year.
How will it work?
In 2015, the Test Match fund was pondered, where the ICC would offer $12.5 million to the non-Big 3 Test playing countries to support Test matches over a few years.
This idea, however, never materialized. In our research, we found that it takes anywhere from $350,000-$1.4 million to host just a single one Test match, which is often a burden on the smaller nations. If a team hosts 2 three-match Test series in a year, that could incur a cost ranging from $2 million-$8.5 million per year.
Potential Problems
Even at the lower estimates, $2 million for 12 Test playing nations would cost the ICC about $24 million per year. That is a lot of money.
This will be a huge effort on the part of the ICC, which may require additional sponsorships, broadcast rights expansions, etc.
To start off this process, the ICC Test match fund could be piloted among the cricketing nations who are losing money to host a Test(ex: New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Pakistan, etc.).
Who Said What?
“Unless the boards change the economic model, I don’t think Test cricket will thrive outside of the Big 3.”
An adequate minimum Test match fees shall be established to players across all nations for both women’s & men’s Test cricket, the monetary value of which should be updated every two years based on inflation and market economics. Boards are free to provide additional bonuses to their players.
How Will it Work?
Currently, India pays its men’s Test players $18,800 per Test, Australia pays about $12,500-$17,725 USD per Test, and England pays its players around $17,600. On the other hand, a New Zealand men’s Test match fee is about $6,600 USD.
The ICC will need to setup a committee and decide what a decent minimum Test match fee is and then work with each of the cricket boards to split duties on minimum fees.
For example, if we decide that $ 17,600 (like England) is a good enough Test match fee and NZ cricket board are already paying their players $6,600, then the ICC would jump in and make up the deficit of $11,000 per Test per player. Hence, the Big 3 may not need support from the ICC (and will be allowed to pay their players bonuses on top of the minimum fee), but the ICC would need to help the other countries out.
Potential Problems
Once again, we are asking ICC to bear a potentially high cost, but does the ICC even have this much money?
If not, how can they bring in more money? If this causes the ICC to host more World Cups and tournaments, then this will crowd the already crowded cricket calendar. We do not want to create more issues to solve one problem.
“We’ve got to figure out a way for them [other countries] to be incentivized to play international and particularly Test cricket. That requires transparency from all cricket boards around the world to try to figure out how to pay the players the best way they can.”
– Usman Khawaja
“…Similarly to save Test wicket they should introduce standard match fee for all the boards, so that all players of Test cricket nations can have the same match fee.”
Mohammad Hafeez
III. Introduction of Test Match Windows
Two Test match windows, one each for the Northern & Southern hemispheres respectively, shall be implemented for three months of the year.
How Will it Work?
A few people have suggested having 3-month window where only Test cricket is played. However, I think this is an incomplete solution since the Northern and Southern hemispheres have different seasons for cricket.
What could happen is from May-July, there should be a window to play Tests in England, West Indies, and the subcontinent nations while December-February should have a window for Test cricket in New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia. In these windows, we may simultaneously see the Ashes, Ind-SA Tests, and NZ-Pak Tests for example. So the focus of the fan base is solely on Test cricket.
Now we cannot stop franchise cricket for six months, so what can be done?
We can customize the window per nation. For example, when a country is hosting or touring for Test cricket within those two larger windows, they are not allowed to host a franchise league. This will help avoid clashes that we are seeing with South Africa and the SA20. On the flip side, leagues like the BBL can benefit because the BBL will have all their international players to choose from.
Potential Problems
This will definitely cause backlash by the franchises because prime time will be taken away from them.
For example, this rule would mean The Hundred cannot be scheduled in the summer months when Test cricket takes priority. This is the time that students have vacations, the weather is decent, and there is time to spend with family. The broadcasters may also suffer due to lower television ratings.
Who Said What
A 3 month dedicated window for Test cricket every year for both the men & women’s teams is the only way to protect the greatest format .. no other cricket but Test around those 3 months .. the other 9 months for all the leagues ICC events .. 👍👍
The bilateral ODI series shall be abolished from the cricket calendar.
How Will it Work?
As simple as, no more bilateral ODI series.
Don’t worry, I am not advocating the ‘Death of ODI cricket’ or anything like that. We saw in the 2023 ODI World Cup that fans still enjoy ODI cricket albeit in a smaller dose. Removing ODI bilaterals will provide space in the calendar to accommodate Test cricket, franchise leagues, and qualification matches (more on this, a few sections later).
Potential Problems
Loss of sponsorships and advertising revenues for host countries.
V. Abolishment of the Bilateral T20I Series
The bilateral T20I series shall be abolished from the cricket calendar.
How Will it Work?
Read point IV. Same as above.
This year, India will only have the 3-match T20I series against Afghanistan and the IPL to choose its players for the World Cup. The franchise tournaments will be enough to assess the player pool for T20 World Cups.
VI. Transformation of the two-year World Test Championship cycle into a Concentrated Test World Cup
Every four years, the league of Test nations shall assemble to play in a Test World Cup during the two 3-month Test windows. The top eight ranked teams shall compete, four winners proceed to a round-robin semi-final, and the Top 2 compete in the Best of 3 final series at a pre-determined venue.
How Will it Work?
Four 3-match series will occur for the Top 8 ranked teams during the first six months of the year in two different neutral countries (ex: Aus v WI (#1 v#8), Ind v SL (#2 v #7), Eng v Pak (#3 v #6), SA v NZ (#4 v #5)).
The four winners will then play 6 Tests in a round-robin format in the ‘Final Stage’ of this Test World Cup. The Top 2 teams will then play a 3-match series for the World Cup Final.
Note: During this Test World Cup year, regular bilateral Test series will not take place since this will take place during the Test windows.
Potential Problems
The teams that did not qualify in the Top 8 or lost in the first stage may not play much Test cricket that year.
Who Said What
"The only effort that's been made to try to keep it relevant, I think has made it worse!" 📉@markbutcher72 believes the introduction of the World Test Championship has contributed to the decline of Test cricket.
VII: Two-Tiered Test League with Relegation & Promotion
Relegation and Promotion shall be established in Test cricket that will feed into the Test Match World Cup. Teams will be promoted and relegated at the end of every two-year cycle.
How Will it Work?
The 12-Test playing nations will be divided into two brackets (#1-6 in Bracket A and #7-12 in Bracket B). At the end of each two-year league, the bottom two of Bracket A will be demoted to Bracket B and vice-versa.
The top eight-teams (all 6 teams in Bracket A and top 2 of Bracket B) will compete in the Test World Cup.
Potential Problems
Since we are proposing Test match windows, some windows may have too much Test cricket if that’s even possible.
VIII: 4-Day 3 Match Series instead of 2 Tests
The two-match Test series shall no longer be in existence. If for some reason, due to calendar conflicts, financial reasons, or unforeseen circumstances, there is only space for 15-20 days, then a three-match four-day Test series shall take place with the approval of the cricket boards of the interested parties.
How Will it Work?
If the Test match fund and calendar problems are solved with the above solutions, then there will not be a need for a 2-Test series (since teams will have enough money to host Tests).
However, if the situation arises that only 2-Tests are possible, then instead a 3-match 4-day Test series should take place. This will only add two days to the overall match time and maybe an additional week for the overall tour.
Potential Problems
This could result in too many draws if multiple teams agree on this approach.
Who Said What
“I’m not sure whether it’s changing it to four-day Test matches, so you can have an extra day to make sure that you play that third Test match.”
IX. Advertising Revenue and ICC Funding for County Cricket, Sheffield Shield, Ranji, and other domestic four-day tournaments.
The cricket boards will have to allocate their respective annual budgets to the betterment of domestic cricket. This includes, but is not limited to, advertising, recruiting, providing better facilities, etc. The ICC shall subsidize cricketing boards with a poor financial situation.
How Will it Work?
Franchise cricket is popular because the best players play in these leagues and sponsorship/TV revenue is high. On the other hand, County Cricket is shown on some YouTube channels, if at all.
The ICC should have a mandate to oversee that cricket boards are actively publicizing domestic cricket. This could be done by providing boards additional capital for domestic tournaments, having free to air channels, or by marketing domestic tournaments on social media channels.
Potential Problems
This could take additional manpower and resource, which will increase the costs of all parties involved.
X: Mandatory Practice Games with Similar Pitches
Each visiting team will be provided at least one practice match (for a 3-Test series) and two practice matches (for a series with 4 or more Tests). An impartial inspector from the ICC shall monitor practice pitches to ensure they are closely aligned with the pitches that the series will offer.
How Will it Work?
I have no problems with India coming up with rank turners or South Africa’s bounce troubling batters. I do, however, have a problem with multiple Tests finishing within two to three days and the lack of practice matches.
England have gone to India for a 5-match Test series without a practice match!
What should happen are at least 2 mandatory practice 4-day matches on pitches with similar conditions. If India plan on putting up rank turners, they need to make rank turners for these practice matches. If the series will have a variety of surfaces (for example, Dharamsala and Chennai), then the two practice matches need to have different surfaces. The ICC need to get involved as the impartial spectator to ensure consistency in pitches.
Potential Problems
This could mean longer tours for visiting teams and time away from home.
XI. Revival of the ODI Super League, Revamping of Qualification Systems & ICC Rankings
The ODI & T20 World Cup qualification systems shall be revamped and the ODI Super League shall be revived. No country, with the exception of the host nation, will be guaranteed a place in an ICC tournament. The space provided by the abolishment of bilateral series will be replaced by qualifying rounds that feed into the ODI Super League and World Cup qualifications.
How Will it Work?
The ODI Super League shall be revived for the benefit of ‘Associate’ nations like the Netherlands and Scotland.
Unlike the first edition of the ODI Super League, the Super League will be divided into a few groups (for example, 18-team Super League with 3 groups of 6). Every few months, a country will hold a Qualification round to play some of the matches. After a couple of rotations, each team in the group have played against each other twice (at least 10 matches per team before the World Cup).
These matches will be all be a part of World Cup qualification. No additional friendly bilateral games.
Potential Problems
Scheduling could be a problem with the various franchise leagues going around.
XII. Staggered ODI & T20 World Cups every 2 years, Removal of the ICC Champions Trophy
Each ICC World Cup tournament for both men’s & women’s cricket shall be held every four years, staggered by two years for the format. The Test World Cups will occur in the years there is no bilateral World Cups.
How Will it Work?
There are too many World Cups happening now. T20 World Cups in 2021 & 2022, an ODI World Cup in 2023, and another T20 WC coming up in 2024.
That’s an overkill. Rather, we can have ODI World Cups in 2027, 2031, 2035, etc. while T20 World Cups are hosted in 2029, 2033, 2037, etc. – also every four years. Then there will be space for the Test World Cup in 2028, 2032, 2036, etc.
This should also be implemented in the women’s game (One idea could be to stagger all 4 – 2027 Men’s ODI, 2028 WODI, 2029 – MT20, 2030 – WT20, etc.).
Potential Problems
Players might retire earlier if they know they cannot make it to the next ICC tournament.
XIII. Maximum Leagues Cap for Nationally Contracted Players
If a player is nationally contracted by their national cricket boards, they are limited to a maximum of three leagues (IPL, domestic league, and one other) per year or four leagues per year (if no IPL contract provided) or risk being fined their match fees. If a player does not have a national contract, they are not obligated to follow this limit.
How Will it Work?
We can come up with a compromise so that nationally contracted players can play a maximum of 3 leagues per year (including the IPL), any 4 leagues (if no IPL deals), and no restrictions if without a contract.
If Test windows and minimum Test match fees is implemented, then this should benefit both international cricket and the players themselves.
Potential Problems
Players may not sign the national contract at all and be franchise freelancers if that benefits them in the long run.
XIV: Re-Establish Champions League, Limit Expansion of the IPL
The Indian Premier League (IPL) shall not expand beyond the three-month window it is currently provided. The franchises are free to invest in other leagues around the world and a one-month window will be allocated for an annual Champions League.
How Will it Work?
It is clear that IPL franchises are starting to own stakes in other leagues. In the past, the Champions League did not provide value because a single player would have conflicts over multiple franchise but end up playing for their IPL teams.
If the IPL team starts doing year long contracts (for example, the same player plays for MI, MI Cape Town, MI NY, etc.), then there shouldn’t be a conflict of interest as before.
Potential Problems
For yet another competition to be in the cricket calendar, the IPL has to stop at the 10 teams, 3-month format. If the IPL is any longer, international cricket may cease to exist.
Final Thoughts
I was trying to write this article for a couple of weeks but for some reason, couldn’t find the words and ideas. But on a day where Shamar Joseph and Tom Hartley created history and Test cricket came to life, the idea just magically flowed through.
Much like Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen points and the League of Nations (precursor to the United Nations), I fully expect the ICC to not pay attention to any of this and lead to major chasms in cricket in the coming years (much like the US themselves did not join the League of Nations, thereby weakened it, and ultimately were not able to prevent World War II).
This article may sound a bit quixotic in nature, but we have to start somewhere, don’t we? The world can only change if conversations begin.
The future of cricket is at stake. Will the ICC do something about it?
What are your thoughts? I want to know, comment below! How would you solve the problems that cricket faces today?
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After West Indies lost to Zimbabwe and Netherlands in the 2023 ODI World Cup Qualifier, fans reacted around the world. Here are my honest thoughts on the state of West Indian cricket.
Events That Have Transpired During the 2023 ODI World Cup Qualifiers
West Indies are on the brink of exiting from the 2023 ODI World Cup Qualifiers.
First of all, let us not take anything away from Zimbabwe and Netherlands (as well as Scotland & Sri Lanka from the other group), who have been playing excellent cricket. Today, Logan Van Beek produced a Super Over performance of the ages, hitting 30 runs and taking two wickets.
However, West Indies has been below par. From dropped catches and misfields to over rate penalties, no ball calls, mindless bowling changes, and questionable strategies, things have not quite gone right for West Indies.
Over the last five years, though, they have descended into further depths. The West Indies cricket team
Failed to qualify for the 2017 Champions Trophy
Had to go through the 2018 ODI World Cup qualification
Performed shambolically at the 2019 ODI World Cup (won only 2/9)
Crashed out of the 2021 T20 World Cup Super 12 stage (won only 1/5)
Failed to get out of the first round itself in the 2022 T20 World Cup (won only 1/3)
Their fortunes in Test cricket wasn’t great either. In the latest edition of the World Test Championship, they ended up 8th/9th, winning 4 Tests & drawing 2 out of 13. They had similar fortunes in the inaugural edition of the WTC as well (won 3, drew 2, ended 8th/9th).
Their fortunes continued to plummet in the ODI Super League, where they only won 9 out of the 24 ODI matches. The men’s side are currently ranked 7th in T20I cricket, 8th in Test cricket, and 10th in ODI cricket. The women are ranked 6th each in T20I and ODI. If you have only won 7 Tests and 4 World Cup matches over the past 5 years, then there is plenty of room to introspect.
This isn’t the first time we are talking about the ‘Downfall of West Indies cricket,’ is it? Since the late nineties and early 2000s, they have faced a steady decline.
West Indies cricket used to produce the likes of Lord Baron Constantine, Sir Conrad Hunte, Sir Clyde Walcott, Sir Everton Weekes, Wes Hall, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Lance Gibbs, Sir Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Sir Clive Lloyd, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brian Lara, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, George Headley, Malcolm Marshall, Brian Lara, Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Alvin Kallicharan, Rohan Kanhai, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Carl Hooper, Lawrence Rowe, Roy Fredericks, Vanburn Holder, Sir Charlie Griffith, Jackie Hendricks, Colin Croft, and Ian Bishop.
They still produce individual talent like Hetmyer, Pooran, and Hope, but it just does not feel the same anymore.
Every cricket fan is a West Indies cricket fan. The flair that the Caribbean brings to cricket is second to none. Folklore of the West Indian greats, the menacing fast bowling units, the dominating power of cricket.
I may just be overreacting. After all, these twin defeats came on the back of 8 consecutive victories (5 ODI, 2 Warm-Ups, 1 T20Is) and the charismatic Darren Sammy has just taken charge.
West Indies cricket fans can still take some hope from Afghanistan’s 2018 World Cup qualifier experience. Afghanistan was in a similar situation then but made an improbable comeback (also thanks to the rain Gods) and qualified for the 2019 ODI World Cup.
West Indies can still qualify with certain permutations going their way, but what have we learned? West Indies are no longer in the upper echelons of cricket or even mid-tier.
Sure, a Carlos Brathwaite magic moment, a Pooran innings, a Hope classic, or a Joseph hat-trick can win West Indies a few games here and there, but where is West Indies’ fortunes going in the long run?
When all seems to fail, West Indies produce tournament performances of champions – 2004 Champions Trophy, 2012 T20 World Cup, and 2016 T20 World Cup. 2016 U-19 World Cup. 2016 Women’s World Cup, but this time just feels different.
We can criticize franchise cricket and the IPL for all we like, but the Gayles, Bravos, and Pollards were product of this system and won the West Indies a couple of T20 World Cups. The Caribbean continues to produce exciting talent, no doubt. But they no longer produce great teams.
The transition is happening and something needs to change. Change very quickly that is.
Legacy of West Indies cricket is at stake. West Indies cricket as a whole is at stake.
Who knows, if the downfall continues, we may not even see the West Indies. We may, instead, see Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, and Windward Islands competing as separate nations.
The golden era of the last century is long gone. The great era of the 70s is gone. Even the time of Lara-Chanderpaul-Ambrose-Walsh is gone.
All that is left is memories.
I just hope that West Indies cricket does not end up becoming just a memory.
After the defeat, or ‘thrashing’ India received from England in the 2022 WC semi-finals, fans worldwide were frustrated at another disappointing finish. Here are my honest thoughts for Those Who Care and Run Indian Cricket. An open letter, “Enough is enough.”
Dear Indian Cricket Administrators,
Enough is enough.
2014 T20 World Cup Final. 2015 ODI World Cup Semi-Final. 2016 T20 World Cup Semi-Final. 2017 Champions Trophy Final. 2019 ODI World Cup Semi-Final. 2021 World Test Championship Final. 2022 T20 World Cup Semi-Final. 2023 World Test Championship Final.
9 Long Years. 7 ICC knockout matches. 3 captains. Different coaches. Same result. So close, yet so far.
When India suffered 0-4 losses to England & Australia in the 2011 disastrous Test tours, MS Dhoni frequently said, ‘It is the processthat matters.’ The same talks continued throughout the decade.
Process. Journey. Learnings. Yes, learning is good. Making mistakes is good…if and only if, they lead to tangible changes. Not if they result in the same mistakes again.
We have Questions. More questions. LOTS of questions. What is the exact process? Who decides these processes? Because if the same story plays over and over again, and India keeps losing in key moments, then there is an inherent problem with the process itself.
Then the blame game starts. IPL vs internationals. Not able to play in overseas leagues. Injuries. Handling the ‘pressure.’ Retrospective selection debates. Rest & rotation.
Excuses.Enough is enough.
This letter is not to single out individuals, players, coaches, team management, or even the system. I’m not questioning the commitment or the lack of trying. These are professionals, and they try to do their best on and off the field.
Rather, I’m questioning the status quo. The Hero Worship. Administrative bias. Selections and Experimentation. Media leaks. Lack of the winning mentality.
The current England team is doing something right. After the 2015 World Cup debacle, they took some tough decisions. The team of Eoin Morgan, Andrew Strauss, and Nathan Leamon invested in a system that would produce results and backed players that fit their system.
Enjoy the journey. Learn from the process. Keep improving. All this is good, but at the end of the day, results matter. The IPL wouldn’t still exist if it wasn’t a profitable venture. Brazil (5), Germany (4), and Italy (4) wouldn’t be as feared in the soccer world if they hadn’t won that many trophies consistently over time.
You know why West Indies in the 2010s were so good? Because they won World Cups AND had fun doing it. That’s the ideal situation. Process plus results. Why can’t India get there? Why can’t India win both bilaterals and World Cups?
The Power of the IPL and depth of India’s pool of talent—A blessing and a disguise. There is a key difference between gradual progress and stagnation. It is high time that Team India starts converting this golden generation of players and financial power into trophies.
Lost opportunity. Enough is enough.
The fans are just as much as stakeholders in the game as the administrators and players themselves.
One of these days, the confidence in the team might be a disappear. The team needs to start winning world tournaments. That’s it.
And this is not to say that India is a bad team. Not even close. Coming to the semi-finals in almost every competition ten years in a row is no joke. However, the final hurdle is sometimes the most important step. And not getting over that step points to deeper issues.
It’s a well-known idiom to “Hope for the best and Prepare for the worst.” But maybe, just maybe, that is not the right way to go.
Don’t play safe. For once, just go all out. Try something new. Take some risks. Make courageous selections.
Indian fans can live with defeat. What they can’t live with is manner of defeats and making the same mistakes over and over again.
Something needs to change. Otherwise, all that will be left is Broken Dreams.
Because enough is enough.
Sincerely, A Cricket Fan
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