Enamul End

Bangladeshi tweaker's consistent poor show with the ball raises questions whether it was a wrong move to pick him in the first place

Suhrid Barua, Pune Mirror December 8, 2008

It doesn't need excessive brain racking to fathom that foreign players were welcomed by BCCI in the Indian premier domestic competition - Ranji Trophy with a sole objective of lending more 'quality' to the existing standards.But what do you do when the foreign players pan out to be of sub-standard quality? Take the case of Bangladeshi left-arm spinner Enamul Haque; Hang on; we are not yet insinuating that he is of sub-standard quality but the way he has failed to make the ball 'talk' under Maharashtra Ranji colours in three matches before the shoddy run led to him being dropped for the ongoing Baroda tie, would definitely lead many to believe that it was a selection gaffe by MCA.Well, there hasn't been any shortage of excuses to defend Enamul.

When the State bowlers went for a massive mauling at the hands of Tamil Nadu in the Ranji opener, the MCA high and mighty were toeing the 'Give him time to settle down' line.And again when he floundered against Andhra, the State Ranji coach Shaun Williams said that people were having unrealistic expectations from Enamul. "He's still young, you don't expect him to get heap of wickets everytime he comes on to bowl, Williams said after the second tie against Andhra.Well, should we stop expecting the Bangladeshi tweaker to fire with the ball.

One MCA official even went to the extent of saying that Enamul was being readied up for Maharashtra's away games since the said official was cocksure that turning decks would be on offer in our away games in Kanpur, Baroda and Bangalore.So what after the bowlers' wicketless ways in our first away game in Kanpur? Defintely, stuff like wicket is a batsman' delight would be a common alibi. Or what more? Let's hope his exclusion from the playing eleven is not construed as a decision taken because the track at Kanpur is a green top.

Even if the people choose this an alibi, then one can ask why Digambar Waghmare was persisted with and dropped instead of Enamul being wielded the axe.Miracles do happen in cricket and who knows Enamul could turn out for the Maharashtra Ranji side next season and that would be in sync with MCA's famous 'building a team for the future' at the cost of what, one is not sure. Clearly, the people who picked him will always put up a postiive