Self-respect above all considerations

There is a concerted attempt by certain people to say that the Kumble-fiasco is not unique in Indian cricket, it has happened before. I am sure the serious followers of Indian cricket will not be misled by such atrocious suggestions. The reason for penning these lines is to make the casual follower of cricket aware of exactly what has transpired over the years in the parade of Indian cricket.

Anil Kumble’s resignation from his post is an unique achievement in the annals of Indian cricket. He resigned. He was not omitted. He finished his first term of one year in style and splendour. The moment he was reinstated, he resigned. No one dropped him. He took his own decision on the context of the prevailing environment. A brave decision considering the enormous amount money and fame he was sacrificing. Not an easy decision. But then Anil Kumble is an exceptional individual.

Please do not allow yourself, dear reader,to get misled by what happened between the coach Greg Chappel and the captain Sourav Ganguly. Ganguly did not resign. He was omitted from the team and Chappel stayed on. I hope the reader would appreciate that there is an ocean of difference between resignation and omission. Kumble and Ganguly issues are different and not to be confused.

Relationship between coach or manager and captain has seen ups and downs over the years all over the cricketing world. Indian cricket certainly is no exception. But to relate that Bishan Singh Bedi, Ashok Mankad, Abbas Ali Baig, Sandeep Patil, Madanlal Sharma, Ajit Wadekar and Kapil Dev, to name a few coaches of the India team, were at loggerheads with the captains is stretching the issue a bit too far.

To find a similarity with the Kumble-fiasco is not the true picture. None of the above-mentioned Indian coaches were dropped. Nor did they resign from their post. All these gentlemen were appointed for a particular tour or for a specific period. At the end of the term, they just left. No one resigned. To resign one needs a different level of character.

Kumble happens to be the first India coach to have resigned on a point of principle: self-respect.