India - The Best Team in the World???

This post would have made a lot more sense before the fright that the New Zealanders gave us last week.

There’s been a lot of talk about this Indian team being the best team in the world. Unfortunately, when even a cursory but honest audit of all teams is done, I’d have to concur. And I say unfortunately because I feel very strongly that this Indian team is not really a great team, yet it is lucky to be playing in an era of extreme mediocrity.
Pakistani and West Indian Cricket are in perpetual though different kinds of crisis. Pakistan has a crisis of morals and West Indies has a crisis of talent, born out of a decline in interest. Zimbabwe is virtually isolated and ignored in World Cricket. Bangladesh has promise but still has some way to go before they can challenge the ones at the top. New Zealand has a doughty but talent-light squad. Australia hasn’t fully recovered from the retirement of its legends, Warne, McGrath, Brett Lee, Hayden, the Waugh’s, Gilchrist and Langer and don’t look nearly as invulnerable as they did a few years ago. This leaves Sri Lanka, South Africa and England. Sri Lanka has lost Murali and there is an over-reliance on Sanga, Jayawardane and Malinga. While they are a good team, their batting looks shaky and in the bowling, there’s not too much beyond Malinga. South Africa and England are the only teams that can be counted as genuine threats to the Indian team but they too are not even close to being dominant.

Just think of the Aussie squad of the late 90’s and early 2000’s and the legendary West Indian team of the 70’s and 80’s. Will we ever get to see their like again?