A blog by ©hinaman:

IPL parties not responsible for T20 World Cup debacle: Tendulkar

PTI, May 28, 2010, 05.16pm IST

… Link to the full article

PUNE: Contradicting Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s views, senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Friday said IPL parties cannot be blamed for India’s debacle in the recent Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies.

India could not reach the semifinals of the Twenty20 World Cup and skipper Dhoni said late night parties and continuous travelling during the Indian Premier League took a toll on the players’ body.
Tendulkar, however, begged to differ and said every player should be aware of their responsibilities.

“Parties and performance are two different things that cannot be related and every player should know his responsibility,” Tendulkar told reporters after laying foundation stone of an extension of Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital. Besides, Tendulkar said parties are not new in cricket. “Parties used to be held even in the past,” he said, laying stress on observing individual’s discretion in the matter.

Tendulkar, who led Mumbai Indians to the final of IPL 3, said he avoided the parties since he wanted to be fresh for the next day’s match.
“I did not go for any of the IPL parties. I always wanted to be ready for the next match,” he said.

Tendulkar said every player should know how his body reacts and follow certain things to carry out his duties and responsibilities. Arguably the greatest batsman ever, Tendulkar said it was important to “understand your body” and strike a balance between play and rest.

Sorry Mr T. I cannot agree with you on this.

You say,

“…said he (you) avoided the parties since he (you) wanted to be fresh for the next day’s match.”

Now why would you do that if parties, as you have said, does not affect one’s next day’s performance. I find this statement of yours self contradictory.

You say,

“… every player should know how his body reacts and follow certain things to carry out his duties and responsibilities…”.

You cannot deny that many of the players who went on to play the WC did not behave responsibly at the IPL parties. If such a player parties every match night till the small hours for six continues weeks and then while on national duty plays well below his potential, how can you rule out with such certainty that the parties were a possible reason for the failure.

You say,

“Parties and performance are two different things that cannot be related …”

what I would have accepted is if you had said “… are two different things that do not go together and SHOULD NOT be mixed.

You say,

“Parties used to be held even in the past.”

I presume you meant in the pre-IPL era. But has there ever been such debauchery prolonged into the night after every match day and before the next? During every tour and tournaments there has been, and will always be, strict curfews. There was no curfews on players during the IPL. For such curfews would have been counterproductive for the very reason for the parties. To make money.

Please do not refute what the captain of the Indian team himself has said. He is the captain of the Indian team, you are not. He was leading the playing XI at the WC you were not. He has every right to raise his concerns.

You may have your reasons to side with the BCCI/IPL on this.
You cannot undermine the captain who still has the responsibility of leading our players to bring back the teams honour.

Your halo has just slipped, sir.

cricketIPLTendulkar©hinaman