Team spirit is the key
By Navjot Sidhu

OVER the years, what I have seen in Indian sport, particularly cricket, is that there is no dearth of talent. But the problem is this talent exists in isolation, and only in harmony will it work. And to harmonise this talent, the need of the hour is to inculcate team spirit, even as the Indian cricket team is trying its level best to bring home the ultimate in cricketing supremacy — the World Cup. The ability to laugh together is the essence of love. And in cricket, a team game played by a group of 11 individuals, the ability to create an aura of team spirit is the essence of success.

Having played some cricket, my experience over the years has been that team spirit is the pivot around which the fortunes of a team fluctuate. Aword of praise or an arm around the shoulder of a youngster having a lean patch, can be of immense help. But then praise has to be earned. It has to be deserved like a hug from a child.

Personally, I feel that the team selected for the World Cup is an ideal combination. So, hopefully with team spirit acting as a catalyst, I sincerely wish that the collective wisdom of our cricketers may enable them to see the stars to chalk out the nation’s victory path.

I am fortunate enough to witness one of the greatest innings ever played on Indian soil by an Australian — an innings which symbolises the ultimate in team spirit. No better example can suffice than the innings of a lifetime played by Dean Jones in a pressure cooker atmosphere in the famous 1988 Chennai tied Test. Dean Jones scored a superb century, but the blazing Chennai sun had extricated its price. Jones, his legs turned to jelly, collapsed and fell to the ground in a heap. With a superb ton under his belt, an exhausted Jones could easily have non-chalantly swung his bat only to be caught in the deep. No questions could have been asked, for, this ‘courage personified’ cricketer had already done his bit, weilding the willow. Misfortune of the soul cultivates character. The five feet eight inches Dean Jones had a lion’s heart that pounded for his country when it mattered the most. Surviving on vitamins and glasses of glucose, Jones deliberately endured pain, even as the brain cried enough to come up with a double century. When I asked him as to why, despite the fatigue and exertion, did he continue playing after having scored a century, the man, with his face registering as little emotion as a wall clock, said: "I wanted my country to win". And when the Test was tied, Jones started crying like a child whose favourite toy had been snatched away.

Yet another player rising above the petty and vested interests is Sachin Tendulkar. There is something unique in that indefatigable genius’ approach towards the game, which is transparent, particularly when he is batting. Even if he is not the striker, Sachin runs like an untamed horse.

Manzoor Elahi chose a moment, where due to his own self-interest, he let his team down when he came to the crease at a crucial moment. In 1988 at Sharjah, skipper Imran Khan sent in Manzoor Elahi with three overs to go. The brief was simple. Hit the ball and hit it hard. But at that time something extraordinary happened. Elahi, already going through a lean trot, choose to prod around while the need of the hour was to slog it out.

A furious Imran Khan gave him a severe tongue lashing which put an end to Elahi’s career. Khan saw to it that Elahi never again played for Pakistan, for he had murdered the spirit of the team.

In my opinion, team spirit is just like love. It does not consist in gazing at each other, it consists in looking outwards together in the same direction. When you take pride in a colleague’s performance, the scorpion of jealously seeing the success of others should not effect the unity of the team.

When Ajit Wadekar was the coach of our team, after a good performance he would shower praises. Yet, when we played badly, Wadekar would take the blame fair and square. If he criticised a player it would always be constructive in nature. And just to think about it, his criticism would be sandwiched between two layers of praise.

The highs and lows through which my career has meandered are too well known to be illustrated. A high for me has sometimes meant a knock on the door announcing the next low. I Identify myself with Jimmy (Mohinder Amarnath). Both of us have made innumerable comebacks, which are already part of Indian cricketing folklore. I have been through a lot of bad patches, but Jimmy’s encouragement has always provided oxygen to my career. If I have come back from the edge of the precipice regularly, the credit goes to Jimmy.

(As told to Ravi Dhaliwal)