An avoidable verbal war

S. Thyagarajan

Chennai: That a war of words should erupt between the selector, Aslam Sher Khan, and chief coach, Harendra Singh, at a time when the team is performing reasonably well in the Punjab Gold Cup is unfortunate.

Since an inept ad hoc committee came into being, consequent to the suspension of the Indian Hockey Federation last year, Aslam has been an embarrassment to the establishment as well to the players.

While reports floated that he was miffed at not being made to head the committee, the circumstances leading to his demotion to the role of a mere selector from the post of chairman raised more eyebrows.

Raising a controversy

As a former international and a spokesman who lost no opportunity to run down the establishment headed by K.P.S. Gill, after enjoying the perks and privileges with it, Aslam is known for his acerbic remarks. Small wonder, his reported statement about the utility of senior players has raised a storm of protest.

Understandably, Harendra Singh is forced to face the ire of the players when the team should be focussing on the task ahead. It is a moot point whether the chief coach should have made such a drama of it all instead of merely ticking off the selector for expressing an opinion unacceptable to him.

The question that needs to be examined is whether Aslam’s view is out of place in the present context. The argument that seniors have passed their prime is a matter of opinion. The larger issue lies in evaluating the viewpoint.

The fact to be stressed is that a team is good only when it is balanced, regardless of the number of seniors and juniors. It is absurd to argue that all seniors are no good and that every junior is worth a trial. In the Indian context, it is too late to build a new team for the next year’s World Cup and Commonwealth Games.

Experience counts

The current performance is largely the reflection of experience and efficiency born out of long exposure to international competitions.

That the combination of Rajpal, Prabhjot, Deepak and Shivendra with mid-fielders like Gurbaj, Vinay and Vikram is proving effective is because of the expertise acquired over the years. So what the selectors and the chief coach should debate must be the efficacy of the team rather than split hairs over the number of seniors and juniors.

Subject to fitness, there is nothing outlandish if the coach opts for a fair number of seniors. Interestingly, as a selector Aslam is also part of the current combination.

Most balanced side

Looking back, the last time when India had the most balanced squad was under Rajinder Singh (Sr) in the Champions Trophy at Amsterdam in 2003. That team was good enough to claim the trophy.

The tragic auto accident involving Jugraj Singh and subsequent clash of egos with Dhanraj Pillay in the wake of the Asia Cup win at Kuala Lumpur ripped apart the fabric that had been assiduously built by the chief coach. The rest needs no repetition.

There is a semblance of seniors performing well against formidable teams like Germany and the Netherlands. Beyond noting the positives, slipping into a comfort zone or raising needless controversies will cause more damage than good.