Calcutta for Azhar

CALCUTTA, Jan 18: India skipper Sachin Tendulkar would do well to himself if he avoids Calcutta at the present.

The City of Joy has always been a fan of the former captain Mohammad Azharuddin and the cricket lovers here are insistent that Azhar should be brought back into the Indian team. Other than presenting garlands, laced with shoes, on pictures of Sachin Tendulkar, the people here have made it clear that they want Azhar back at the helm of affairs. More so after he led the Board President's XI to an emphatic triumph in the Wills Trophy. There has been another factor that has angered the public here against Sachin Tendulkar. That is his failure to use Debashis Mohanty.

In spite of a section of the Board officials, crowd and even a couple of selectors wanting back Azhar, there are more than five in the present Indian team who do not want him back. And at the top of the list are the three men who now constitute the think-tank of the team in Australia. Namely, coach Kapil Dev, captain Tendulkar and his deputy Saurav Ganguly. The three have made it clear to the selectors in India that they would not accept Azhar as a replacement in the team.

A senior cricketer said over the phone from Hobart today, "We do not understand why people are wanting Azhar back in the side. It was he who finished the careers of Ravi Shastri, Manoj Prabhakar and Dilip Vengsarkar; and insulted a man like Kapil Dev quite regularly. So with Kapil back at the top of the affairs it is quite natural, that he will get even with Azhar."

Tendulkar on the other hand does not want Azhar in the side, because he is apprehensive about his lack of commitment. During his first tenure as captain he failed to get the desired result from Azhar. And from that moment onwards he had made it very clear to the BCCI officials, that he would lead the team again only after Azhar had given up the game. As of now, he is facing the predicament of Azhar back in the side once more. A situation, he knows that he is not going to relish. Even though, officially, Tendulkar is avoiding all comments on Azhar, he has made it very clear to his teammates, that he does not want Azhar.

The Indian team management in Australia is so determined to prevent the inclusion of Azhar that they even sacrificed Ajay Jadeja for the triangular series.

When Kapil Dev and Tendulkar wanted Jadeja in the team for the triangular matches, the selectors made it very clear that Azhar and Jadeja came in a package deal. The result, both is playing domestic cricket in India.

As of now however, the scene looks bright for the former Indian captain for the home series against South Africa. The failure of the middle order, namely Rahul Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly against Australia in the Test series has paved the way for Azhar.

As a selector here said, "Azhar, through his fitness itself is worth 50 runs on the field. We heeded to the instructions of the senior players. They have failed to give us the desired result. So now, they will have to accept our decisions."

Amongst all this however, one thing becomes very clear. Indian cricket is in the hand of a few individuals who are more concerned with their personal gains than anything else. It is high time the government intervenes. At least to save the humiliation that we are suffering each and every day in Australia.