Australia tour: Why all the fuss about Rohit Sharma’s paternity leave?

In the end, Rohit Sharma didn’t accompany the Indian squad which left for Australia in two batches on Sunday–Monday (9–10 November). The question mark over his availability for the first Test in Perth still persists; but, personally speaking, I see nothing wrong if the India captain finally gives it a miss to be with his family as they await and welcome their second child.

The past week or so has seen the Indian cricket team being pilloried from all quarters, with the trio of head coach Gautam Gambhir and the Big Two in particular facing the heat for a downright whitewash at the hands of the New Zealand team. Nothing wrong with that, but it does not explain what has become a case of 'much ado about impending fatherhood' — with misplaced criticism that Sharma should have placed the ‘national cause’ first.

This is where the Indian cricket fan certainly needs to grow up.

Yes, there will be the counter-argument that the elite cricketers, who are under hefty central contracts with BCCI, should be more accountable; but it’s high time we stop thinking of them as soldiers going to war for the national cause!

What they are is professional sportspersons out to ply their trade — and sure, they must be ready to cop all the flak for it when they fail; but they are certainly entitled to a life beyond the cricket pitch.

It is in this context that one is reminded of a relevant quote from Mashrafe Mortaza, the former Bangladesh captain-turned-politician. Quite a few years ago, Mortaza said in an interview: ‘’We are simply entertainers, but the real national heroes are those who are roughing it out on war fronts.’’

It is a valuable perspective that often eludes the fans in the Indian subcontinent. Thus, we conjure images of a Mahendra Singh Dhoni as an army general when he tries his hand at running a boot camp in battle fatigues for fun. Thus our nationalism goes into overdrive ahead of each major ICC event.

There is also a school of thought that, at every scenario like this (remember both the occasions when Virat Kohli skipped his ‘national duties’?), rakes up the example of a Sunil Gavaskar — who was in the West Indies when his son Rohan was born. Or invokes the example of Dhoni, who chose not to take a break from his tour of Australia when his daughter was born, as he felt he was on ‘national duty’.

Well, each to their own — that’s all one can say.

How come we hardly cock the snook when some of the big names from England, Australia or South Africa take breaks in the middle of high-profile tours to be with their better halves for such an important moment of their mutual lives?

This is where a fair amount of transparency from the BCCI would also help: Creating the smokescreen of ‘personal reasons’ every time surely doesn’t wash and in fact, generates unnecessary speculation in the media.

There is, of course, a ‘personal’ element to such situations, and the players’ privacy has to be respected; but this is where the stars’ own PR machinery and the BCCI’s communication channels should play a more proactive role.

After all, it does not reflect well if the chief coach says it’s uncertain whether Rohit Sharma will be available for the first Test when the captain is staying put in India for a perfectly worthwhile reason that surely the team is well aware of!

Postscript: As I wind up my comment, I come across a photo of Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins enjoying a Coldplay concert with his wife Becky Down Under — even as they were shocked in the home ODI series against Pakistan.

Cummins and a few other regulars were rested for the white ball series ahead of the demanding Border–Gavaskar Trophy, and Cricket Australia was slammed for the move.

Can you imagine what would have happened to an Indian captain under such circumstances?