Anil Kumble's Return: Much Ado About Nothing

Scribes of various descriptions and literary ability have been expending reams discussing whether Team India captain Anil Kumble should return to side after MS Dhoni's men smashed the Aussies in the second Test in Mohali. Among the said scribes is yesteryear's superstar, turned commentator, Ian Chappell. To put it bluntly, Chappell is disgracing his intelligence and talking absolute drivel by calling for the Indian captaincy to be permanently handed to MS Dhoni from the next Test.

These expert commentators often make me wonder whether they really have lost the plot or simply have hidden agendas when spurt such ill-considered claptrap. I might be more inclined to understand if a fan with absolutely no background in formal club or representative cricket had vociferously called for Dhoni to be permanently anointed captain from the third Test. Chappell should know better.

As a hypothetical, assume the following for the next Ashes series:

• Ricky Ponting plays poorly in the drawn first Test, is injured and replaced by Shaun Marsh for the second Test;
• Michael Clarke captains in the second Test and the Aussies win by a healthy margin;
  
• Marsh blasts a century on the fourth day of the second Test to set the win up for the Aussies;
• Ponting is fit and raring to go for the third Test.
  

Would Chappell seriously contend that Ponting now be stripped of the captaincy and play under Clarke for the remainder of the series and, possibly, his career? The likelihood of Australian selectors stripping Ponting of the captaincy is the same the BCCI ever becoming a professional and accountable organisation. For the uninitiated, this equates to a probability of zero.

Chappell and his ilk are employed to provide us, the fan, with justifiable, well reasoned and insightful analysis of events. Ian, do everyone a favour and spare us the amateurism. We already have to endure far too much of this class of nonsense.

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