Our star studded cricket team had played no better than a club
class team and had lost 5 consecutive tests on foreign soil. Thus, the think
tank of BCCI had to meet for analysing the cause. They were concerned as the
streak of poor performance was not ending for our world champions like a spell
of a true magician. And they were more worried as it could result in to possible
loss of revenue. After hours of discussions, arguments & counter arguments,
they managed to reach consensus on two points which were although most believed
but certainly not the actual reasons behind the one after another fiasco.
(1) Packed schedule of
players and meaningless tournaments leaving cricketers tired
(2) Shrikant & Co.
can never go wrong with the selection
With no exact reason
in sight, they still had to find and deal with the root cause of current
debacles. So it was decided to provide the bogged down team an extra
Psychologist who can boost their morale and help them getting back into rhythm.
As budget has never been an issue of constrain for BCCI, all big guns of the
profession in the radar were being approached, but unfortunately none of their
service was available on immediate basis. In the mean time, one of the bright
brains suggested to try and persuade none other than our beloved Rajnikanth to
help the down and dusted Indian side in his very own way. Overjoyed by the
suggestion, they readily accepted it thinking his supernatural powers and
charismatic personality will definitely blow the positive air in Indian
dressing room and that should prepare them winning overnight!
Luckily, Rajnkanth agreed
for the cause and reached an overseas venue to motivate the demigods of
religion which is virtually worshiped by every Indian…
What he saw upon
reaching the team’s hotel left him shell shocked as the unit he thought he
would have to handle was a divided house- just without bitter relationships and
hard feelings! While the super seniors were indulged in practicing and
planning, new members were busy adoring them rather than learning important
lessons. There were also numbers of players who were busy either spending
quality time with family or enjoying the sightseeing tours.
So in his short stint
of 3 days, his first important task became to bring everyone together to revive
the lost team spirit. However, he realized that it would be easy to handle them
in groups before bringing everyone on the same page.
He made 3 distinct
groups and decided to spend his first day with group 1 containing super
seniors. In his conversation with the group he realized each had different
issues bothering them to perform at their best. Their issues ranged from
upcoming milestones to ageing body. In his day long interaction with them
Rajnikanth tried to explain them to just concentrate on the upcoming game along
with fitness and rest will fall in place automatically.
His next day was with
the group of individuals who had well established place in the team. This was
the group which still wanted to bank upon the fact that, they are current world
champions and was no. 1test team in recent past. In addition, they were already
in a discussion phase of upcoming IPL schedule and the income from commercials.
Of course, impressing female fans with their flamboyance was always performed
spontaneously. This was the group reluctant to come out from comfort zone just
like Govt. employees. Rajnikanth felt it was difficult to handle these people as
they have tasted the success and is yet high on it. With the little time and
authority he had, he asked the group to learn from previous mistakes and take
the maximum benefit from the valuable experience of seniors.
His last day was with
the new recipients of test caps. This was the group who had yet to make its mark in
international arena. They were more like a mute spectator than a player. They had the liberty to play their own game but hardly spoke for meaningful
contribution in order to respect the experienced generation. And for sure, the attention
they were getting from public and media seemed to be taking toll on their
concentration. They were the easiest to tackle as all he had to tell them was “All
the Best, do your best and learn from this experience”.
Before his departure
he called for a team meeting and spoke to everyone in general and what the
nation was expecting from its champions. Everyone seemed to be convinced and
hoped for better game next morning.
Everyone bid adieu to Rajnikanth
and thanked him for everything. Just to see the effect of his three days long hard work, he decided to extend his stay to watch the team
play. Unfortunately, what he saw on the field next day was identical to the last game, meaning the
team was yet in the same old mindset. He left the ground and met the team at
the end of day to ask what the problem was. Somehow, this became his final visit to the team
and he left for India next day itself.
Upon returning India,
he looked disappointed but made a statement without mincing words. His
exact words were “I had tried my best but even God cannot do much for those who
fail to recognize and set their priorities right.”
If
you want to make the most out of day, plan your trip from Kuwait city in
midafternoon and reach Wafra around 4-5 P.M. in the evening. This will save you
from scorching sun of desert and give you ample time to enjoy the greenery. In
some farms you will see endless rows of Palm trees and some farms will have
lush green lawns and gardens. Rest houses known as ‘Shaliyah’ in local language
are also a common feature of these farms, and as they say in Kuwait posh and
bigger the ‘Shaliyah’ rich the Kuwaiti owning it. This is also a good
demonstration of Islamic architecture. You may also visit a farm after seeking
permission from the security. By the time, you start leaving for city it will
already be dark. The road trip back to city will also be memorable as the
lighting and fire from the chimneys of the refineries running parallel to the
road creates a majestic scene. However, be careful as the photography is
strictly prohibited on this road due to security reasons.
