Cricket is a foreign game and we Indians are not comfortable with cricket in its entirety, especially in terms of the sportsmanship and team spirit required. Forget the spectators, even players sometimes do not seem to appreciate the nuances of the rules or the sanctity of the umpire’s decisions.

Cricket is a gentleman’s game and Indian spectators do not generally appreciate the good performances of the opposing team. During the second Indo-Pak test match at Kolkata, the whole stadium fell into silence every time a Pakistani player hit a four or took a wicket. We also cannot countenance the bad form of a particular player in the Indian side. There are instances of mobs attacking the homes of players who played indifferently. For us, winning is the only thing that matters.

It was Greg Chappell, a foreign coach, who is reported to have presented to our players the concept of forging a wholesome team. We still seem to be unsure of the concept. We are individualistic and anarchistic — which goes against building a ‘team spirit’.

Our World Cup performances early this year caused a great deal of heat. Greg Chappell was accused of resting Sourav Ganguly. The ranting against Chappell came mainly from Bengalis of all professions and from all geographical locations. Even some Bengali parliamentarians did their bit. At the same time, few TV channels bothered to focus on Ganguly. A Bengali player on the bench did not excite their sympathy. This Indian characteristic of parochialism and regionalism is another reason why India needs a foreign coach.

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