Every series is like a World Cup for us: Srikkanth

HE WAS always known for his out of the box kind of batting. And years later, his words are nothing but the replica of his style of play. He was candid as always and rarely used any decorated ideas. Though he ‘hooked’ some trifling questions put forth by young and eager reporters, he left everyone spellbound when he had finished.
The Chairman of selectors, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and former Indian captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth was pretty much in his own elements replying to questions at the annual awards function jointly hosted by Sports Journalists’ Association of Nagpur (SJAN) and Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Sunday.
After India’s tri-series loss to Sri Lanka in the final on Saturday, the youngsters in the Indian team faced ire of the media and fans for their dismal performance. The chief of the selection committee was readily accepted the fact.
"They (youngsters) lacked confidence which cost us. Also, we lost wickets at crucial stages. But hopefully the players will learn from this and do well in the future. Winning and losing are part of a game and we must accept defeat gracefully," Srikkanth said.
Though Indian team’s performance has come under the scanner in recent times, Srikkanth maintained that Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men have been doing quite well. "Even when you look at the ICC rankings, we climbed from No. 3 to No. 1 in Tests whereas in ODI’s we are the second best side. That shows that we are not that bad a side," reminded Srikkanth.
Talking about injuries that have hit the Indian team, Srikkanth said injuries are part and parcel of the game and sometimes it is difficult to have right replacement at the eleventh hour.
The 2011 World Cup and the hype related to it has started making waves amongst the media and people. But the former explosive right-hander felt that the need was to concentrate more on present. "We have our sights on the World Cup but we should not plan too ahead. People always talk about the future and forget the present. Every small series is like a World Cup for us."
Srikkanth supported his statement by giving the example of India’s 1983 World Cup win. "There was hardly any hulla bulla about it prior to the tournament that time. And yet we ended up winning it. Same was case at the 1985 mini World Cup in Australia or the 2003 World Cup where we did quite well," he added.
"We need the players to relax a bit and let the selectors do their job. That way I’m sure we will do well in the World Cup. Agreed?" he asked the mediamen as he signed off with a wide smile.