Pune Warriors India - No Focus, No Purpose

It has been a rough initiation (of sorts) for the Pune Warriors India into the Indian Premier League. Owned by Team India’s long-time sponsors Sahara India Parivar, the squad boasts of a large number of talented players from different parts of the world. Yet, they are strong contenders for the wooden spoon for the second year running. The outfit’s woes are not just limited to the field, but also off it. The fact that their wins have been few and far in between does not do justice to the immensely talented players who form the squad. Here are some of the reasons why their record is abysmal:

No Focus, No Purpose

This has been Pune’s biggest problem this season. There hasn’t been even a little focus from any of the batsmen. They were intent on hitting their way out of trouble instead of staying in for a couple of overs and opening up later. The way guys like Manish Pandey, Luke Wright and even Robin Uthappa (at least for the first set of games) threw their wickets away after a promising start or let the pressure get to them was disappointing to say the least. Clearly, there was no purpose in mind in terms of setting a reasonably defendable target or chasing successfully. Every single batsman out there looked lost and jaded.

The Captaincy Conundrum

Michael Clarke‘s untimely back injury deprived PWI of a cool mind at the helm of things. Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews was then given the job, but after a string of losses, he gave it up as well. Aaron Finch then took over and tried his best to get his side’s shaky campaign back on track, but he too was let down time and again by either the batsmen or the bowlers. When there is fragmented leadership at the top, the entire team collapses. Sadly, that is what the Pune outfit has suffered from.

Flawed Selections and Strange Strategies

I’ve been saying this time and again. In a format where fortunes keep swinging like the pendulum of a grandfather clock, team selections have to be spot-on. You need your best 11 to be on the field and show hunger and intent. Why bring in pacer Ashok Dinda at the death when he has shown a clear tendency to spray the ball all over the wicket? What is the point of not giving Bhuvneshwar Kumar his full quota when he is obviously your best bowler? Yuvraj’s recurring back spasms upset the balance of the side, so why not bring in Wayne Parnell and give Mithun Manhas a break? Pune’s domestic bench strength has been completely under-utilized: Left-arm pacer Shrikant Wagh would offer more variety in the bowling department, yet he has been warming the sidelines almost all season. His variations towards the end of the innings had proved to be extremely beneficial when the squad made its debut back in 2011. J&K all-rounder Parvez Rasool could either pair up or replace a struggling Rahul Sharma. Why, then, did Pune fail to take these steps in order to arrest their downslide?

Flop Show by the Big Hitters

Barring Robin Uthappa, Aaron Finch, Angelo Mathews and Mitchell Marsh, none of the big hitters in the Pune lineup have lived up to their reputation. Ross Taylor, Luke Wright and Yuvraj Singh have all failed miserably with the bat for their side. I’m particularly critical of Yuvraj; he no longer has the same calm, collected mindset which characterized his approach to batting. The way he has been dismissed in the last few games tells me one thing – he’s simply no longer interested in staying at the wicket. Luke Wright, on the other hand, is a complete waste of talent – trying to manufacture your shots is only going to hurt your team more than the opposition. Sahara must look into re-thinking and re-evaluating their team composition if they are to succeed in this T20 tourney.

Final Summary

The Sahara Group has got its task cut out. For starters, they must release all their non-performing players and start afresh. In the auctions, they must target those players who they feel will deliver consistent performances. Sahara’s coaching outfit also needs a revamp – perhaps bringing in former cricketing greats such as Michael Holding as consultants could be helpful. They must insist upon having players who are available for the whole season, are fully fit and in decent form. A captain who can lead by example and guide the team skilfully is the need of the hour for the brow-beaten and battered Warriors. Till then, they must play out this season by trying to win as many of their remaining games as they can – at least they can exit with their heads held high.