World Cup 2015: No place for unfit "tourists" Down Under

So Ishant Sharma's long holiday in Australia is coming to an end even before the first ball is bowled in the ICC World Cup. For weeks, we heard the Delhi fast bowler is battling a knee injury and the rest Down Under would do him good. But on Saturday, when news trickled in that Ishant has been ruled out of the World Cup and Mohit Sharma will replace him, it did not bring any cheer to the Indian camp.

Since the time India lost the Test series and failed to make it to the tri-series final, there have been doubts about the chances of a successful title defence. One would have imagined that before the biggest 50-over competition, the players would be fighting fit and ready for the big battles.

However, from Ishant to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and from Rohit Sharma to Ravindra Jadeja, speculation centred round their fitness woes, though the last three were cleared after the latest tests. If a player is unfit, why carry him around like a tourist in Australia? Had it been a player from England or Australia, the team management would have sent him home, asked him to recover and then prove his fitness. But this happens to be a senior player in Team India who has been around for years and yet breaks down each time when needed the most.

There are questions the team management would have to answer, starting from skipper MS Dhoni to coach Duncan Fletcher and director (cricket operations) Ravi Shastri as to why unfit players have been kept Down Under. This is not like old times, when handling injuries was difficult. The number of people who travel as support staff comprising physiotherapists, masseurs and doctors would have had some idea about the nature of injuries and how long they would take to recover. If one had watched the last league match against England in the tri-series, Jadeja looked less than 50 per cent fit.

On Saturday, Dhoni spoke about the team lacking depth in batting and how it needs to bowl well in the middle overs. These quotes don't sound good six days before the World Cup. As it is, there is great hype about India's first match against Pakistan next Sunday, but realistically speaking we need to take a look at our team from the viewpoint of fitness.

These days, cricket is like an individual professional sport. The players earn huge money and it is their responsibility to stay fit before an event as huge as the World Cup. If one takes a look at professional football players, the way they have to be on the field to earn their bread is no joke. The big money comes from clubs they are associated with but when it comes to international games, the same big names have to deliver. You won't hear a pro footballer complain about fatigue and being worn out as he knows what is expected of him.

If one looks at professional tennis players, the way they have to travel and preserve their bodies is fascinating education. Forget the superstars like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. Someone like Leander Paes, at 41 years of age, has preserved himself so well. The hunger and enthusiasm is intact and the way he handles his fitness is a lesson for every other Indian sportsperson. From head to toe, literally speaking, Leander has battled various injuries. But each time the champion has only returned stronger and fitter. Leander is a natural athlete, but even a natural athlete has to pay attention to his body and ensure he does what is best to preserve his body. If one wants to look at another prime example of a professional who plays with passion, it has to be India hockey captain Sardara Singh. He has never complained about injuries and is invariably available to do duty for India. The Indian cricketers need to learn lessons from the likes of Leander and Sardara.

As a rule, fast bowlers are prone to injuries but if Ishant and company need examples of bowlers who have stayed fit despite shouldering a big workload, they need to speak to Kapil Dev and Javagal Srinath. To expect former India captains to be critical of players like Ishant or Bhuvi would be unrealistic as in some way or the other they are linked to the commerce of cricket. At this point of time, they are also involved in building the hype! Indian cricket does not need 'passengers' on overseas holidays. They have enough money to take care of such luxuries on their own.