Should SRT retire?

Well, thats for SRT to decide, but we can surely try to help him make the right decision.

When should a player retire, either of his own bat, or courtesy a tap on the shoulder?

1. Possibly, when his current performaces are significantly below his earlier stats. And there is no real chance that this is a temporary decline which will reverse.

2. Possibly, when his current performances, taken on their own merit, do not entitle him to a place in the side? And there is no real chance that this is a temporary decline which will reverse. Or in Australia, there is a contender whose current form is much better, but is being held up (Healy held up Gilchrist, Martyn held up a few, McGrath held up Stuart Clark, Darren Lehman was held up by Mark Waugh etc..)

3. When he is just sick and tired (I mean this literally) of the game..

I reckon SRT can answer Yes to #1 easily. Even #3, come to think of that . He cant seem to play for a month without back / elbow / buttock problem.
#2 is trickier - I reckon SRT circa 2007 is better than Ganguly circa 2007, Mohammed Kaif circa *.*, Jaffer circa *.*.

Would suggest that SRT continues. It is upto the nation to lower her expectations. Its upto the coach to tell SRT that he is no longet Atlas - just a man doing his day job.

I really should look up Statsguru at CI to drum up the numbers - Not too difficult - Take the last three years which means start after the SCG 2004 match, and exclude the Bangaldesh double century. L, DL and S.

The hunt for a scapegoat

BCCI is not happy with poor old Munaf Patel. Doubts his integrity. Read this http://www.cricinfo.com/india/content/current/story/275892.html

Munaf did look unfit in the third test, but then:
1. Wasn't he certified fit by the coach and physio? Didn't he take a fitness test? A bit unlikely that he could perform in the test and not in the Test?
Only the player can feel the pain (and the player can lie), but my contention is: if he could play through the pain in the fitness test, it stands to reason he should have done a better job in the test. So either, the fitness test wasn't strict enough, or Munaf flunked it and was asked to play anyway.

2. Is this a trial by media? Why hang it all out? This is unfair because Munaf is effectively gagged by his contract to BCCI. He cant pressent his side to the nearest TV channel, and we get one way traffic.

3. Seems that the lynch mob has elected Munaf as the scapegoat for the SA losses. Led by the driveller-in-chief, Sunil Gavaskar. He is upset with Munaf because Munaf lets his shirt tails hang out, and thus has no respect for India . Some one should pay ESPN STAR to take SMG off the commentary team.

4. What is the captain doing in all this? Dravid doesn't seem to speak up for his players - let Sreesanth down when he got fined for showing Amla off, let Harper give a dressing down to Karthik for over appealing, etc etc.. Too keen to preserve the good old jammy image, no spine. Give me Ganguly any day as captain. Who would have thought of letting Waugh wait and stew?

So does India have a chance in the WC? No.