SA provided strong challenge

India players shake hands with their South Africa counterparts (in yellow) after the fifth T20I in Ahmedabad on Friday. Pic/BCCI

India's T20 series win will give them loads of confidence ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in February. Some of the margins of their wins may look massive but make no mistake, they were challenged by the Proteas team and this can only stand in good stead for them, come the World Cup. There's the challenge with New Zealand too next month which should fine-tune them for defending the title they won in the Caribbean about two years ago. By the time you get to read this, the squad will have been announced but it would be a huge surprise if there are massive changes in it from the team that just beat the Proteas.

There's so much cricket going on especially Down Under with Australia playing England and New Zealand hosting West Indies. While the Ashes series has gone pretty much as expected, the West Indians have shown great resoluteness in one Test and at the same time shown their fragility in another Test match. As of writing, they are showing that same determination as the first Test match, in the third and final match despite being pummelled for over 500 runs by the Kiwi batters.

Good to see WI do well

It's always good to see the West Indies do well because they bring such flair to the game with bat, ball and the acrobatic and athletic fielding. Not to forget the unique celebrations, which thankfully are not a copy of the footballers celebrating a goal. It's thrilling to see a different celebration and the men from the Caribbean with the elastic bodies provide the game's entertaining ones indeed. Sadly, because they may not speak the management and corporate language that guys from other cricketing countries do, we don't see too many West Indians among coaches in the T20 leagues all round the world but especially in the IPL which is dominated by coaches, consultants and coordinators from Down under. And yes, commentators too! This despite the West Indies having won the T20 World Cup twice, an achievement India will try to emulate early next year.

Caribbean influence on IPL

Even in the IPL if you have a look at the records, you will find that the men from the Caribbean have been the game changers and match winners more often than anybody, apart from the Indians of course. Compare the records of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran with the others and you will see the huge difference. Bravo, Narine and Russell have turned games around with both bat and ball and Pollard too has struck with the ball at critical stages in the game. There's Dwayne Smith too who has been terrific for the IPL. Chris Gayle has won the MoM awards 22 times and only AB de Villiers from the overseas guys has won more.

The two Aussies who have done well over the years have been David Warner and Shane Watson with Warner picking 18 MoM awards. Despite this when it comes to auctions somehow the men from the Caribbean are ignored, as also for the coaching gigs. Maybe like I said earlier they don't speak the management language that decision makers like. Or is there another reason which we can't articulate?

Josh Inglis's buy for the price he got, despite him not being available for most of the matches has raised the eyebrows of even ABD. His last year's franchise Punjab Kings is also seemingly unhappy about it because he had informed them of his availability for less than half a dozen matches this season and so they released him from their squad minutes before the retention deadline was over. And now this. Apparently, he will now not go on a honeymoon but come back and play the rest of the tournament after his wedding. Of course, with the honey many times more than his last year's contract, he already has got the moon. Hasn't he?

Professional Management Group