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By:

Correspondent

21 August 2024 at 10:20:16 am

Fallen Idols

India’s shocking T20 series defeat to Ireland is a warning that the country’s greatest cricketing opponent is no longer the team standing across the pitch, but the complacency festering within its own dressing room. A team that commands the richest cricket board, supposedly the deepest talent pool and the most lavish ecosystem in the sport has contrived to lose a T20 series to a nation where cricket remains a minority pursuit. That this is Shreyas Iyer’s fifth match as T20 captain without a...

Fallen Idols

India’s shocking T20 series defeat to Ireland is a warning that the country’s greatest cricketing opponent is no longer the team standing across the pitch, but the complacency festering within its own dressing room. A team that commands the richest cricket board, supposedly the deepest talent pool and the most lavish ecosystem in the sport has contrived to lose a T20 series to a nation where cricket remains a minority pursuit. That this is Shreyas Iyer’s fifth match as T20 captain without a victory merely sharpens the embarrassment. His captaincy has been hesitant, his batting unconvincing and, by his own admission, India’s preparation was woefully inadequate. The more troubling reality is that Indian cricket has acquired an unhealthy habit of mistaking hype for greatness. In 2024, India had suffered a stunning home Test series defeat to New Zealand, shattering the myth that we were invincible on our home turf. Then a year later, South Africa again beat us in Test at home. Those reverses should have prompted introspection but were instead casually dismissed as aberrations. Ireland has now demonstrated that the rot extends well beyond Test cricket. The decline is particularly ironic because India has never possessed greater resources. Its players enjoy facilities, coaching, sports science, analytics and financial rewards unmatched anywhere in world cricket. Yet abundance appears to have bred complacency rather than excellence. The Indian cricketer today is celebrated long before he is tested. Franchise contracts worth crores, endorsement deals, social media celebrity and carefully cultivated personal brands have created stars whose reputations often exceed their achievements. Too many players now arrive wearing the confidence of champions without having earned the consistency that defines them. This culture has blurred the distinction between entertainment and excellence. Success in franchise cricket has become a passport to international leadership. Sunil Gavaskar was right to describe the defeat at Ireland’s hands as one of Indian cricket’s darkest days. India played with the arrogance of a superpower and the discipline of an amateur side. The obsession with T20 has also exacted a heavier price. Test cricket remains the ultimate examination of skill, temperament and resilience. India’s recent home defeats showed that its technical foundations are weakening. Now even the supposedly easier format has become a source of humiliation. When a team begins failing in both the longest and the shortest versions of the game, it smacks of a systemic failure. Indian cricket does not suffer from a shortage of talent. It suffers from an excess of comfort. Today, an entrenched celebrity culture has replaced a hunger for runs and wickets while easy money has replaced accountability. Unless Indian cricket rediscovers the virtues of discipline, humility and relentless self-improvement that made it great, it will continue to lose not just matches, but its claim to excellence.

Dangerous Departures

Updated: Oct 30, 2024

Dangerous Departures

In yet another shocking incident adding to Mumbai’s infamous tryst with stampedes, chaos erupted at Mumbai’s Bandra Terminus following a weekend stampede that left at least ten persons injured, two critically so. A crowd surged toward the Gorakhpur-bound train with nearly 1,500 people vying for seats in 22 unreserved compartments, leading to the stampede. Several others narrowly avoided tragedy, with some even pushed onto the tracks. This is not a unique episode but rather a recurring theme in Mumbai’s bedevilled crowd management, one that has haunted the city’s public spaces, particularly as festive seasons magnify the crowds.


Mumbai is no stranger to stampedes. A horrifying incident in 2017 at Elphinstone Road Station left 23 people dead and nearly 50 injured. The cause was a familiar one: an overwhelming crowd confined to a narrow footbridge during peak rush hour. The tragedy sparked an outcry, with promises from authorities to upgrade infrastructure and enhance safety protocols. Yet seven years on, crowd-related incidents continue to be a constant danger. Today’s incident reveals a similar lapse—a lack of foresight in managing the thousands who gather on platforms ahead of Diwali, eager to return to family. That the Gorakhpur Express was unreserved and heavily crowded was predictable.


The issue lies beyond simply crowd density; it is emblematic of deeper systemic negligence. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), responsible for local public safety, along with the Railways Ministry, bear responsibility for ensuring order at such high-risk hubs. Although the BMC acknowledged the “festive rush,” it appears little was done to pre-empt it. Swift action could have been taken to either disperse the crowd or reroute passengers. Instead, chaos prevailed.


Political reaction has been swift but uninspiring. Aaditya Thackeray, son of Uddhav Thackeray, launched a scathing attack on the Union Railways Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, branding the incident a result of the minister’s “incapable” leadership. This hardly addresses the immediate need: a substantive plan to manage crowds and prevent similar incidents.


Mumbai’s transport infrastructure remains sorely outdated. Platforms are undersized, signalling systems frequently falter, and crowd control mechanisms are grossly inadequate. Despite repeated accidents, there has been little investment in comprehensive crowd management systems or the deployment of personnel trained in emergency response. While railway footbridges were widened after the Elphinstone tragedy, Bandra’s incident demonstrates that such incremental changes are insufficient. Mumbai, which sees a swelling populace during festivals, demands a robust strategy to address its vulnerabilities. This should include technology-driven crowd monitoring, clear communication channels to inform passengers of platform conditions, and additional security and medical staff on high-demand days. It is essential that crowd management training for personnel becomes a priority rather than a reaction to tragedies.

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