Dear Editor,
Your editorial, “Another stacked deck,” raised eyebrows as you insinuated that the Indian team had an unfair advantage in the recently concluded T20 World Cup. This reeks of cherry-picking data and presenting contrived scenarios to support your flimsy premise of a “stacked” deck. You scoured the media for “rumblings” to bolster your case. Your glee over the “empty trophy cupboard” reference and the mention of humiliating defeats, such as “the 180-run loss to Pakistan in the June 2017 final at the Oval in London,” is glaringly obvious. Editor, could you not bring yourself to mention any of India’s successes within the last decade?
Cricket pundits have celebrated that the sport finally “arrived” in the USA. Could you not muster the integrity to acknowledge India’s role in this accomplishment? Speaking of stacking: the pitch for the match between India and Pakistan was flown into New York from Australia. What if it had been brought in from India? You’d be howling in outrage! We recognize that the 10:30 a.m. matches suit the financial czars who control lucrative TV rights. But how does this arrangement specifically advantage the Indian team?
You wrote, “While all the other teams had to adjust to morning, afternoon, or evening games, the Indian players’ body clocks were subjected only to the demands of travel itineraries, a distinct advantage.” What an absolute drivel! All the teams, except those from North America and the West Indies, were disadvantaged because of the distance travelled – including India.
Nasser Hussain, the England icon and former captain, was asked to comment on the “bias” and conditions that allegedly helped India. He obliterated that notion in the “Daily Mail” and delivered a “mouth-shutting” reply to those harping on about ‘bias’! India held their nerve when “30 balls remained, the target was just 30 runs, and South Africa still had six wickets in hand.” How did they do it? Through grit, calmness, strategy, and determination! Say what you want, but you can’t escape those facts.
Sincerely,
Devanand Bhagwan
