In Search of a Leader

Someone once said “It's hard to lead a cavalry charge if you look funny on a horse”. I’m afraid Saurav Ganguly is starting to look funny on the horse. In the past four years he along with John Wright has transformed the Indian side from meek side lacking self belief to a side that is arguably the second best side in the world. All this good work is in danger of falling apart if he overstays his welcome. With John Wright already making the decision (right one I must add) to move on after this series against Pakistan time is now right for Ganguly to give up the captaincy and bring down the curtain on a glorious partnership of Indian cricket.
The Ganguly and Wright partnership has taken India to the exalted position they are in now, but the job is only half done. To carry India to the next level we need an infusion of fresh ideas. Ganguly’s captaincy lacks it. Moreover his batting though supreme on its day lacks the consistency it needs for test cricket and is keeping talented youngsters out of the team. Assuming Ganguly would quit soon lets look at the options.

The Contenders
Rahul Dravid: The strongest contender for the post. He is at his peak of his skills as a batsman. He is also a model professional who sets a great example for the youngsters in the team. He has also demonstrated admirable nous for the job in every opportunity he has had so far to lead.
Strengths: A Model professional
Weaknesses: Maybe too intense to sustain as a captain
V.V.S.Laxman: Another favorite of the pundit, he is an intelligent thinking cricketer who has the mental ability for the job. As a kid he had a choice of pursuing a career in medicine but chose cricket instead. Many, including me, think the added responsibility of captaincy would bring out the best in him. His current form and his inability to cement a one day berth may count against him.
Strengths: Intelligent and nerveless in tough situations
Weaknesses: His form, fitness and one day position
Virendra Sehwag: The dark horse in the race for captaincy, Sehwag has already been entrusted the captaincy of Delhi and North Zone. Contrary to popular opinion I think he is a thinking cricketer as demonstrated quite so often by his bowling at the death in one day matches. He also has age on his side to grow in the role. One thing that would worry most observers is how captaincy would affect his batting. Surely Sehwag the batsman is too precious to lose to captaincy.
Strengths: His age and his cricketing brain
Weaknesses: Apprehensions about how captaincy would affect his batting
Others: Others options are-
Sachin Tendulkar: Might want one more shot at the job but not a serious long term option
Kaif or Yuvraj: May eventually get the job but need to get a settled place in the test team before that happens.

Conclusion
I think the period after Ganguly’s departure would see Dravid installed as captain. Dravid is a safe option for the selectors and they are bound to go that way. I would have gone with Laxman but it is difficult to argue with the choice of Dravid. The selectors should also look at getting Kaif into the team and entrusting him with the job of vice-captain with a long term view of grooming him as a captain. Sehwag should be left alone to concentrate on what he does best: destroy attacks.

Legends I - Saudagar

Walking in the Aberdeen bazaar in Port Blair in the 90s you would often be accosted by a small wiry man with a snow white goatee and round glasses. He’d demand to know why you didn’t greet him! "Janta nahi main kaun hai!" he’d ask indignantly. "Mai, Suadagar!" he would proclaim with a touch of arrogance. As a kid you were part scared and part in awe of him. Of course everybody knew him. His fame had traveled far and wide among the islanders. In his 90s he was still very fit. Surely human meat must hold the key behind his good health. Human meat? This is Suadagar’s story.

In the year 1942 World War II was at its peak. The Japanese were rampant in South-East Asia. After a string of triumphs over the British and the American Pacific fleet the Japanese had occupied most of South East Asia and were heading steadily towards India, the jewel in the British colonial crown. Aided by the Indian National Army headed by Subash Chandra Bose, they wrested control of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from the British. It was the first Indian territory to become free of the British control with Netaji hoisting the Indian Flag at Port Blair. The residents of the islands rejoiced, for the dream of freedom had come true.

The dream however quickly turned into nightmare. The Japanese occupiers displayed cruelty that surpassed the worst of the British. They raped and pillaged at will. When their supply ships began to come under increasing British pressure, they suspected to have a spy in their midst. They also had a food shortage problem in their hands. They quickly set out to eliminate the problems. This was no time for finesse. They rounded up anyone who was educated, anyone suspected to have sympathies with the British, anyone who was old infirm or otherwise unproductive. Initially they shot them and buried them alive in mass graves at a place called Patthar Gadda outside Port Blair. When they realized this was taking more time than necessary, the Japanese took these prisoners out to the sea and threw them overboard. Anyone who tried to swim was mercilessly hacked down by the ships propellers.

Saudagar was one such prisoner. Being very fit and an expert swimmer, when he was thrown overboard, he swam under water escaping the notice of his Japanese captors, made his way to an uninhabited island. He hid there for 14 days. He survived by eating the flesh of the bodies that were washed to the shore. Luckily for him these were the last days of Japanese occupation. Soon it was over.Suadagar survived, the only one to do so. To this day his name evokes awe among us.

Suadagar died in 1997 at the age of 102