True Confessions

By Gulu Ezekiel

With the IPL entering its final week, it appears the franchise captains are ready to unburden their inner thoughts.
The other day Delhi Daredevils’ Virender Sehwag admitted the IPL was tougher than international cricket as losing captains have to face the music from the franchise owners in case of a defeat.
Fortunately for Sehwag, Delhi have become the first side to book their place in the semifinals so he must not be facing too many dressing downs of late from the money bags.
Now Kings XI Punjab skipper Yuvraj Singh has admitted that “the IPL brings out the worst in me.” He confesses to losing his temper on the field and while Preity Zinta’s hugs and smiles when her team wins are most welcome, surely Yuvraj and his boys are aware that “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”
It is now Mumbai Indians’ captain Sachin Tendulkar to take the heat since his side faces a next-to-impossible task of reaching the last four.
Already his best buddy Harbhajan Singh has been whining in his column about the manner in which his bowling has been utilized. And the support staff are washing their hands off the constant chopping and changing in the batting order.
The talk is there is mutiny brewing in the MI ranks and Tendulkar is smack in the middle of it.
Last year after they were edged out of the semifinals, the former India captain is said to have blasted his young teammates back in the dressing room, leaving them in a state of shock.
Of course in India we are all painfully aware of that old saying: “Victory has many fathers; defeat is an orphan.” Just look at the alibis flying around in the defeated camp after the national election results became public! It has always been the same with Indian cricket as well.

www.sportshero.com (18/5/09)