Bangalore, March 30: Veteran leg spinner Anil Kumble,
who announced his retirement from the one-day cricket today,
said that there was no need to take "drastic action" in the
wake of India`s World Cup debacle.
"We need not take any drastic steps. I feel that the
World Cup squad which went to Caribbean was the best that was
selected. Unfortunately, it did not go our way," he said.
"It is unfortunate that Dravid is being made a scapegoat.
Captaincy is a hard job. It’s a team loss. People think that
players are not disappointed after losing a match. But players
and their family really feel hurt and disappointed.
The 37-year-old Kumble said it was important not to take
emotional decision because of the World Cup failure.
"It was one of the bad starts in the World Cup. Our
batting did not live upto expectations. I don`t think we need
any drastic changes in the team. A lot of things need to be
discussed. I am sure we will come up stronger after this World
Cup defeat," he said.
Asked about the previous world cups he had played, Kumble
said, "we had a good chance in the 1996 World Cup. In 1999 we
lost to Zimbabwe which cost us the World Cup. In 2003, it was
a great opportunity and we reached the final but lost to
Australia.
"It`s always nice to finish on a high note.
Unfortunately, it does not seem to happen. There is not always
a fairytale end. Hopefully it will happen when I leave Test
cricket," he said.
Bureau Report
