Kya Scene Hai?
Lancashire ka 2025 season bilkul bakwas ja raha hai. Division One se 2024 mein out ho gaye the, aur ab Division Two mein bhi ek match nahi jeeta. Saat matches khel liye, ek bhi nahi jita, aur ab table mein second-last position par hain, bas Kent ke upar. Pichhle 21 Championship matches mein sirf teen jeete hain, toh samajh sakte ho kitna bura haal hai. Team mein ab jawaan khiladi zyada hain, jaise 16 saal ka Rocky Flintoff, par experienced players ki kami khatakti hai. Iske pehle red-ball captain Keaton Jennings ne bhi do hafte pehle apna post chhod diya, aur Dane Vilas aur Steven Croft ne red-ball cricket se retire kar liya. Toh team ka mood poora down hai.
Dale Benkenstein Ka Kissa
Dale Benkenstein, jo ek 50 saal ka South African ex-player hai, December 2023 mein Lancashire ka head coach bana tha. Iska pehle ka record bhi thik-thak tha – Hampshire (2014–2016) mein promotion dilaya aur do baar T20 Blast Finals Day tak le gaya. Gloucestershire (2021–2023) mein thoda kam successful raha, par Lancashire mein jab aaya toh fans ko ummeed thi ki kuch solid karega. Usne kaha tha, “Lancashire ka proud history hai, main apna vision launga.” Par vision ka kuch nahi hua, bhai! 2024 mein relegation hua, 2025 mein ek bhi jeet nahi, aur fans toh poore gusse mein the. X pe log bol rahe the, “Benky ka press conference sunke neend aa jati thi,” aur Reddit pe ek banda likhta hai, “Benky teen counties mein coach raha, sab jagah fail.” Finally, May 28, 2025 ko club ke director Mark Chilton ne kaha, “Results nahi aaye, toh mutual consent se Dale ko chhod rahe hain.”
Steven Croft Ka Swag
Ab Steven Croft ko interim head coach banaya gaya hai, aur yeh banda Lancashire ka asli baadshah hai. 600 se zyada matches khele hain, 2011 mein County Championship jeeta, aur 2015 mein T20 Blast ka title bhi captain ke roop mein dilaya. 2024 mein retire kiya, par abhi Second XI, Academy, aur England Under-19s ke saath coaching kar raha tha. Ab yeh T20 Blast ke liye team ko sambhalega, aur uske saath assistant coaches Will Porterfield, Craig White, aur Karl Krikken bhi hain. Chilton ne kaha, “Croft ek legend hai, dressing room mein sab uski izzat karte hain.” Ab Thursday ko, May 29, 2025, ko Worcestershire ke khilaf pehla match hai, toh Croft ke liye bada test hai.
T20 Blast Ka Plan
T20 Blast ek naya mauka hai Lancashire ke liye. Is format mein pehle bhi achha kiya hai, aur Croft ka T20 ka experience kaafi solid hai. Par team ka morale low hai, aur permanent coach abhi nahi hai. Squad mein Keaton Jennings, James Anderson jaise bade naam hain, aur Rocky Flintoff jaisa naya talent bhi, par consistency chahiye. Croft ko apne purane captain wale jazbe se team ko josh dena hoga. Agar T20 mein achha khel gaye, toh season ka mood badal sakta hai.
Fans Ka Reaction
X aur Reddit pe fans ka reaction mixed hai. Koi bol raha hai, “Benkenstein ka jana zaroori tha, par club ke upar wale log bhi change hone chahiye.” Ek aur banda likhta hai, “Croft ka naam sunke thodi ummeed jagi, par itni jaldi change kyun?” Sabko lagta hai Lancashire jaisi badi team ko ab kuch bada karna chahiye, warna fans ka gussa aur badhega.
Aage Kya?
Croft ke paas mauka hai team ko ek naya direction dene ka, par yeh interim role hai. T20 Blast ke baad club shayad permanent coach dhundhega. Division One mein wapas jana hai, aur uske liye solid planning chahiye. Ab dekhte hain Croft apne legend status ka kya jadoo dikhata hai.
