'BCCI's strict action improved players attitude'

Dambulla:

The disciplinary action taken by the BCCI against a few players after India's disastrous World T20 campaign has made a significant impact on the cricketers attitude in the ongoing four-nation Asia Cup here, according to team sources.

A team source said that the players have become lot more serious here than they were during the World T20 in the West Indies.

According to the source the body language of the players appear positive and aggressive. There is an intent in everything they have doing on this tour and the training sessions have been vigorous with more emphasis on fitness and fielding drills.

"We have seen a lot of difference in their approach. After the BCCI hauled up the players in the immediate aftermath of the World T20, there was striking difference in Zimbabwe. It has been a lot better in Sri Lanka. There is seriousness among the players," said the source.

He added that there is a desire among the players to prove a point before the cricket fans that they more loyal to the nation than their Indian Premier League franchises.

"The ICC T20 debacle and subsequent media backlash has stirred the players into a proactive mode," the source said.

It has also been reliably learnt that the entire Indian squad got off the bus midway and ran two and half kilometers to the team hotel after defeating Bangladesh by six wickets in their tournament opener yesterday.

It manifests that Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men, who were ridiculed and publicly reprimanded by BCCI, are a serious bunch, wanting to achieve heady targets that they set themselves.

It has also been learnt that the team has been barred from night outs and there is big no on liquour.

Interestingly, tender coconut water has replaced fizzy soft drinks in the dressing room and the diet also been decided by the team management.

It was also reliably learnt that the training regime has been player-specifically designed to ensure that all the cricketers reach optimum fitness levels before the end of the tournament.

Trainer Ramji Srinivasan has been given the task of keeping the boys trim and fit at all times.

Coach Gary Kirtsen, who was annoyed with the attitude and fitness of a couple of players, has made it mandatory that each cricketer, be it the captain or a newcomer, follows the strictures laid out by the team management and the Board.

If Indian cricket does see better times in the future, the credit should go to team manager Ranjib Biswal.

Immediately, after returning from the West Indies, he faxed his tour report to BCCI president Shashank Manohar and honorary secretary N Srinivasan, stating the true facts that were affecting the performance of the players.

He had squarely pointed fingers on Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma for their attitude, which the BCCI took seriously and issued a missive to the national selection committee to deal sternly with errant players.

Subsequently, Yuvraj was axed from the Asia Cup squad and Rohit Sharma was specifically told to stay off liquor and work on his fitness.

The warning seems to have had a cascading affect on the players who, off late, have begun to follow the work ethics and discipline of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and VVS Laxman.