Add one more to the list...

The Indian cricket team has lost yet another final and has successfully maintained its reputation as chokers. Winning and losing is indeed a part of the game, but sadly this Indian team seems to have taken too much fancy to the losing part.

The number of finals lost by the Indian cricket team since that glorious triumph at the home of cricket, Lords, makes for extremely embarrassing reading, yet in spite of all the embarrassment nothing has changed and unless the selectors show some much needed courage, nothing will.

At the moment, the Indian team is not really a team. A team has a collective purpose, an objective, a cohesion, and a sense of responsibility and accountability in their performance. These traits are sadly missing in this bunch.

There are players who are playing merely to retain their place in the side, otherwise how can you explain Kaif's painstaking 65 against an ordinary Zimbabwe, or Agarkar's good performances against Zimbabwe and poor returns against the stronger, New Zealand.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a general tendency to pile up the numbers against weaker teams to cushion poor performances against the stronger opponents. Consequently, the emphasis is primarily on building up averages , because it is these that would give a player the edge when it boils down to selection. Sadly, when statistics are used as yardsticks for selection, the very popular phrase-Statistics conceal more than they reveal- is often ignored.

However, the time has now come that if averages are to be used as measures of performance, then they must be looked at more closely. For example, when looking at averages, the deviation from average must also be looked at, and in case of One day cricket the Strike Rates, must also be given due consideration.

Strike rates, after all, are no less important than averages in modern day cricket, when most teams are not only setting larger targets, but also chasing them. In this scenario, those quick 10-20 runs can prove the difference between winning and losing.

Thus, a batsman who is averaging above 40 runs an innings but scoring at only 70-75 runs per 100 balls, in my opinion does not deserve to be selected. Ideally, selectors should be looking at players who can score a run a ball if not quicker. Finally, I would also like to add that averages against higher ranked teams and in crucial matches must be given the highest consideration during selection.

Now, moving away from this numbers affair, I wish to highlight another issue, and that is regarding the performance of certain players.

First, let us focus on India's 'greatest and most successful captain' Saurav Ganguly. There was a time around 1999-2001 when Saurav was at his peak and was easily among the very best in one day cricket. He left the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara behind in terms of sheer volume of runs and impact.

However, that Ganguly of yore is now no more. The Ganguly of today is a mere shadow of the once great player. He is insecure, he is under pressure and he is reluctant to accept his follies and these are terrible signs for a professional. For him to survive he needs to regain that confidence, that belief, that conviction in his abilities. These will not come through constant failures, but through a period of good consistent performances.

In my opinion, the only way to regain that lost touch is through performances in domestic cricket, away from the glare and pressures of media and the ruthless ways of international cricket. Unless Ganguly does something drastic, he must think of the guillotine hanging over his neck.

Same can be said for others like Ajit Agarkar, Yuvraj Singh and even Harbhajan. The three of them have not had ample opportunities to convert their potential into performance , but have only flattered to deceive. These cricketers also need to pull up their socks and start performing at the crunch or otherwise prepare to pack their bags.

So, while sport is not all about winning, it is about leaving behind a proud legacy. It is about performing when the chips are down, and putting yourself in the line of fire and about being able to stand with your head held high in victory or in defeat.

However, it seems that our Indian "superstar" cricketers have forgotten the ultimate goal of a sportsman, which is still to win, and these players seem satisfied as long as they can maintain their individual reputations and remain "superstars."

As for the team, if Team India can go to the gallows, it certainly will, especially if those in the hot seat remain impassive when change is the need of the hour.