Fact or fiction? Buchanan book causes stir
Posted on Jul 09, 2009 at 21:01 | Updated Jul 09, 2009 at 21:23
4 Comments
New Delhi: He might have got a boot from the IPL, but John Buchanan refuses to leave India and Indian cricket. Only now he is making news with his presence on Indian bookshelves.
His latest book - don't let the appearances of this cover with a ball on top of coins - mislead you into judging, it's merely on the business of cricket.
Buchanan has taken swipes at top Indian cricketers of the present as well as past generations, particularly taking digs at Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar.
Buchanan has sensationally claimed Tendulkar lacks the power, domination and fearlessness to survive the new format, raising a question mark on his usefulness in the IPL.
"History will remember him as a cricketing master. But is he an effective T20 player at this stage of his career? In the position he plays, as an opener or No 3, the T20 game requires not only the finesse and skill he has, but also power and domination... an ability to take the bowlers on while being creative. You have to be inventive, fearless. And I don't see those qualities as part of Sachin's make-up at this stage of his career. Sachin Tendulkar is still a great player, but not in this arena of T20," writes Buchanan.
His swipe at Gavaskar comes while Buchanan is talking about a franchisee meeting with the IPL bosses in Goa in February this year. He claims his suggestion for more international players in the playing eleven were referred to the IPL technical committee headed by Sunil Gavaskar and says:
"What this means is that any idea that effects the way Twenty20 might be played are referred to a committee chaired by a person who is blinkered by bias and tradition," he says.
But despite his troubled relationship with Sourav Ganguly, he has reserved some rich praise for the former Indian captain. "Ganguly was the model for the new breed of confident and combative Indian cricketers. Ganguly showed that Indian cricket could stand up for itself. He is similar in that way to Ian Chappell who stood up for what he believed and was not afraid to take on the administration," he writes.
Buchanan hasn't even spared leading Indian players like Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh. Buchanan has described Yuvraj as trying "to be a modern-day Ganguly but I don't think he has the charisma or the dignity with which Ganguly carries himself."
Referring to Harbhajan Singh's troubled relationship with the Australians, Buchanan says, "Harbhajan is good at dishing out treatment, lighting the fire and then finding an appropriate means to camouflage his actions."
Having been a part of the IPL for two years, Buchanan has also shared some interesting observations on Bangalore Royal Challengers owner Vijay Mallya and his methods.
"Vijay Mallya didn't allow the players to play and the coaches to coach, which is why he employed them in the first place," he says.
Buchanan has also laid the blame for his team's dismal show in the IPL, squarely on the IPL management for keeping him ignorant of the second player auction.
"We spent all but $1,07,000 of our funds in the first auction. I noted with curiosity after the initial auction that Jaipur (Rajasthan Royals) were fined for keeping $2million of their salary cap up their sleeve... This was the only time to purchase players, wasn't it?" he writes.
Interestingly, Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan is among the lucky few who come in for a praise in Buchanan's book. But clearly, Buchanan seems to have missed a trick by not releasing the book much earlier, at least before he got the boot by Shah Rukh.
| Ads by Google |
Total Comments: 4
Read All Comments | Post Comment
Posted By avbsam
Mr.Buchanan..I personally think you have completely lost your mind and respect with these comments. These comments have once again proved
Read Comment
Posted By lviss
WELL HOW MANY PLAYERS PLAYING IN NO 3 POSISH IN T20 HAD THE POWER, DOMINATION AND FEARLESSNESS .
Read Comment
Posted By saim93
It is as if buchanan is making one final attempt to be in the headlines, and what better way to
Read Comment
Posted By virufan
More than anybody else Buchanan is a misfit as shown up in his handling of IPL coaching.It is surprising how
Read Comment