The IPL's become a parameter to judge a player for national selection © Indian Premier League

Is thriving in domestic cricket, scoring tons, and excelling in the longer format any good, after all? I am beginning to wonder, for let’s face it, the franchises, understandably, care a zilch about your scores in the Ranji Trophy. A player could have well put on view both the temperament and the technique essential to succeed in the coveted championship, but it is still not enough to bag a ticket to the IPL.

But, that’s not the league’s fault, you may say. It’s a Twenty20 championship that requires a particular skill set, which some domestic cricketers may or may not possess. And hasn’t the IPL anyway picked up many a domestic players and made stars out of them in a span of just three years? While I don’t dispute that, there’s still an issue lurking, almost lost, in the whiff of the aromatic IPL. It involves that crop of players who are not suited to play the slam-bang cricket, and who are beginning to wonder if playing and excelling in the IPL is bigger than representing their state in domestic cricket.

Till a few years ago, a domestic player played for peanuts, while the recognition for his skill was even lesser. All that mattered was to play for the country, while everything else was either inconsequential or simply stop-gap. But the IPL changed it all. Besides being ever so lucrative, and a sure-shot way to instant stardom, it actually, and quite bafflingly, became a parameter to judge a player for national selection.

Continue reading "Does being prolific in domestic cricket matter?"

Wrong intent is the reason behind poor pitches on a lot of occasions in Indian domestic cricket © ESPNcricinfo Ltd

"When you play in the semi-finals of a premier tournament like the Ranji Trophy, you want it to be played on a much better surface, not one that makes it a lottery. The mud was flying from where the balls were pitching,” said Robin Uthappa at the end of first day of the Ranji semi-final. While one can understand Vadodara's preference to play on an under-prepared track (Karnataka was a much stronger opposition), it would be impossible to not feel for the Karnataka boys, whose dreams of making it to the second consecutive final were dashed in just over five sessions of play.

But, there’s a larger issue here. Karnataka lodged an official complaint which meant shifting the venue for the final in Baroda to the Moti Bagh Ground, and also, of course, preparing a slightly better pitch. I say a better pitch because it lasted five days, otherwise the track was so low and slow that it made for boring cricket. And that brings me to the perennial question that's haunting Indian cricket, especially domestic cricket. Is preparing a good pitch which has something in it for everybody so difficult?

Every season we witness at least a few matches finishing under two days. The tracks are either like the one provided for the semi-final, a rank turner, or have far too much grass left on them with moisture (if the hosts' strength lies in fast bowlers), like the match Delhi played against Orissa a couple of years ago. While both these tracks produce the much-needed result and with it the crucial five-six points, it has a damaging effect on the health of the game. These games not only inflate bowlers' figures to unimaginable enormities, but further boost their chances to stake a claim at the next level of selection. But mostly, they are not half as good as their figures suggest.

Continue reading "Is preparing sporting tracks so difficult?"

Batsmen from the north need exposure to pitches in the south © ESPNcricinfo

The BCCI did well for Indian domestic cricket when they decided to scrap the redundant Ranji format of teams from a particular zone playing among themselves, before the top two could proceed to the knockouts. While the system had been in place for long, it wasn’t doing any good to improve either the standard of cricket or the quality of cricketers. In fact, since it’s almost a given, that a couple of teams in each Zone would be mediocre, the players from stronger teams often walked away with inflated figures, which of course wasn’t a true reflection of their actual skill. Some of these performances, at times, went a long way in getting a nod for Duleep Trophy. After all, it’s the number of runs and the wickets that count, however lopsided the contest may have been.

Even the quality of surfaces provided in certain Zones was not conducive to producing good cricketers. What does a batsman learn about playing the horizontal bat shots if the ball doesn’t bounce above the knee-height regardless of the length? Or how do you possibly learn to tackle pace when you play on surfaces where, perhaps you can lean back and enjoy a cup of coffee, before the ball actually reaches the bat? If not the quality of the opposition, such surfaces are bound to make you an ordinary cricketer. Also, by restricting the games only to the Zone, you end up becoming a one-dimensional cricketer. For the longest time, the players from the North were better equipped in tackling the swing, while the men from South could only master playing spin.

Continue reading "Implement Ranji format for the shorter versions"

The 2010-11 Duleep Trophy winners South Zone had not won the tournament since the 1995-96 season © Getty Images

Fresh from the Ranji games and straight in to the Duleep Trophy; one can’t help but marvel at the latter’s standard and the quality of cricket on display. Just a look at the net session of a zone team is enough to gauge the palpable difference from a state side. After all, the team which represents a particular zone is made up of the best and most in-form players of all the states falling in its purview.

Not too long ago, the Duleep Trophy was the fulcrum around which Indian domestic cricket revolved. While performing for the state, one always had an eye on a possible place in the Duleep Trophy team. You would keep a tab on how your competitors were faring and what exactly was needed to get a look in.

Continue reading "The Duleep Trophy needs a revamp"

It isn’t just the level of competition being several notches up that separates Duleep Trophy games from regular domestic cricket. Of course, the pleasure of watching the pick of the bunch is enormous, but what truly sets this competition apart is the use of the magical Kookaburra ball. Brought up manoeuvring the SG Test ball, Indian bowlers have struggled for long playing overseas with the Kookaburra. Even our seam bowlers have, to a certain extent, found it tough to hit the deck, which is essential to succeed with the ball of this particular brand, when all that they’ve learnt has been with the SG Test. It is precisely for this reason that the BCCI introduced this much debated ball in the coveted Duleep Trophy for the cream of Indian domestic cricket to get the hang of it, without the pressure of playing international cricket. The idea has been to not only get the bowlers to understand the character of the ball, experiment with it, but also alter their game in accordance.

While the thought has been both wise and far-sighted, its implementation has left a lot to be desired. Firstly, there is an obvious scarcity of these rather expensive balls and hence all one gets are only a couple of balls in the practice session, that too just a day before the match. And that’s certainly not enough to get used to the ball. It goes without saying that only a couple of bowlers bowl with these balls and the rest continue with the SG Test balls.

Continue reading "Domestic cricket needs the Kookaburra"

RP Singh bowled with great control in the second innings © AP

We, Central Zone, had the resources. With an All-India bowling attack by our side, we could well give sleepless nights to most domestic teams. The track, quite unusual for a domestic game, had a thorough covering of fresh grass with enough moisture underneath to make the ball talk, in fact shout in this case. And with a ball like the Kookaburra, used exclusively in the Duleep Trophy, difficult to handle of a responsive surface, it was just going to get tougher for the batsmen, especially the openers and No. 3.

The toss was crucial and after winning it, we quite carelessly assumed the job was half done. And perhaps, that’s where we got it all wrong.

We didn’t bowl in the right areas and allowed the opposition to get off the hook, a fatal mistake regardless of the quality of resources at hand. We squandered the advantage and East grabbed it with both hands. Both Manoj Tiwary and Ishank Jaggi (a talented cricketer from MS Dhoni’s land) helped themselves to fine centuries, though guilty of not converting them into big ones, something they might be regretting now.

Continue reading "Central's resources trump East's resolve"

The Rajasthan team poses with the Ranji trophy © ESPNcricinfo

While the feeling is yet to sink in completely, the big question has already popped up – What was it that catapulted “Team Rajasthan”, bottom till the previous year, lost in the abyss of oblivion, straight up to the topmost honour of bagging the Ranji Trophy? After all, creating history isn’t expected of underdogs. Perhaps, that’s exactly what worked in our favour -- the surprise element, and our reputation.

Even though the professionals came in handy, it was the local talent in Deepak Chahar, Ashok Menaria, Pankaj Singh and Vivek Yadav, that came to the fore and made all the difference. Yet, Rajasthan’s resurrection wasn’t just about a bunch of young lads with fire in their belly. The dream was in the making for the past two years.

The regime change under Sanjay Dixit brought in path-breaking changes that were meticulously conceived and executed with cricket as the top most priority. Cricket think tank, Tarak Sinha, whose Sonnet Cricket Club has produced more Test and first-class cricketers than the number of cricket academies thriving in the capital, was then roped in to head the academy. While his technical fluency helped the game grow, his guidance helped the academy find its long lost perspective.

Continue reading "Local players made the difference"

S Badrinath kept Tamil Nadu in the hunt, but the batsmen around him were too impatient © Getty Images

Was it Rajasthan’s deep desire to win the semi-final against Tamil Nadu that turned the tables, or was it the latter’s lack of caution that cost them the game? While the analysis is on, here’s how the story unfolded on the pitch.

Tamil Nadu won an all important toss against us, Rajasthan, and were obviously gung-ho about their prospects of storming into the finals. After all, it was overcast, the track wore a black look (a sign of moisture underneath) and they had come prepared for exactly this. They had five quick bowlers in the squad, out of which four played in the final XI. As most teams would in their place, Tamil Nadu thought all they needed to do was to bowl the ball and the conditions would take care of the rest. Unfortunately for them, that’s where they faltered.

Once they didn’t get the expected initial breakthrough, they believed it was actually a flat track, which of course it was not. They had two choices at that point: the first, albeit the tough one, was to put their heart and soul into their bowling effort; the second, the easier one, was to go on the defensive with field placements which would not challenge the bowlers enough. Fortunately for us, they chose the latter and had fielders manning the boundaries as a cover for loose deliveries. We, on the contrary, being the smaller team, knew that the only way to win against Tamil Nadu was to bat them out of the game. And that needed application right from Nos. 1 to 11. We were prepared to grind it out the hard way and it worked for us.

Continue reading "Why Rajasthan got past Tamil Nadu"

The third day, in my opinion, is usually the most important day of a four or five day game. And tomorrow is not going to disappoint the theorist in me, or so I hope. The match is ‘evenly’ poised -- I need to be objective while writing about a game I’m involved in, right? But is it not obvious to believe that we are slightly ahead of Tamil Nadu at this juncture, after all being objective is one thing and being totally detached is quite another!!

We have already batted and they still have to. We have runs on the board, quite a lot of them, and now they need to chase them down. They may not have to deal with the first day’s fresh wicket with moisture, but then they will have to fight with tired limbs to go past whatever total we post. If days two and three are the best days to bat on this track, day four might spring a surprise or two.

This has been a classic cat and mouse game so far. The moment one side goes on the offensive, even slightly, the other team pulls down the shutters and plays defensively. For instance, whenever Tamil Nadu’s four-pronged seam attack bowled aggressively to take wickets, we played with extra caution in order to deny them a look in. And the moment we tried to up the ante, Tamil Nadu deployed defensive field with a defensive line of attack. It didn’t make for entertaining cricket but, unfortunately, it isn’t about entertainment when a place in the Ranji Trophy finals is at stake.

Continue reading "Third day's the charm"

They come half an hour before the team arrives, as they can’t be late. They warm up on their own, for the team can’t be fiddled with; they bowl their hearts out while the rest go through the motions because there’s a match round the corner. A rather nonchalant ‘well bowled’ means the world to them and that’s what keeps them going till they drop. They hope to catch the coach’s eye if he finds the time after he’s done with the main guys. Then they will be mere spectators while the team goes through its fielding drills or stretching sessions; they must do it themselves, for they are the supporting actors and not the main lead. These are the guys who make practice sessions possible, for no team carries more than a few bowlers in the squad and it’s almost certain that the main guys won’t bowl for long, let alone at full throttle between matches. Welcome to the unknown world of the anonymous ‘Net Bowlers’.

Continue reading "The anonymous world of net bowlers"

Pankaj Singh took six wickets in Mumbai's first innings © ESPNcricinfo

It was a classic David v Goliath battle. After all we, Rajasthan, had finished at the bottom of the table in the Plate division last year and Mumbai had won the coveted Ranji Trophy more times than anyone else. Yes, we did turn things around a bit this season but how far do these teams from Plate division go in the men’s world? Not too far!!

That’s exactly what Mumbai thought while taking us on in what was deemed to be an easy quarter-final en route to their eventual destination - a place in the finals and perhaps the trophy in their hands one more time. They certainly had enough ammunition to ensure a safe and easy passage. All their batsmen were in top form coming into the knock-outs and their bowlers were doing enough to keep them on track. We, on the other hand, had done everything right so far to earn that all important promotion to the Elite division. For most teams who make the cut, the journey beyond promotion is considered a bonus. What makes their progress even tougher is that they invariably play one of the finalists from last season, which in reality means the toughest match of the season.

We found ourselves in a similar situation and managed to keep the temptation of providing an under-prepared wicket for the match against the defending champions at bay. If you’re up against much stronger opposition, it’s advisable to leave a lot in the track to bridge the gap as the better team will rout lesser opposition on an even surface nine out of 10 times. Another reason for not going for an under-prepared track was that our strength lies in our batting and we wanted to back it to score whatever Mumbai would score. The second hurdle was the decision to bat or bowl first. While the track was dry and a good one to bat on day one, we would have opted to bowl first in order to extract anything the track had to offer. It goes without saying that we needed all the help we could get to stall such an experienced and talented batting line-up. But Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer won the toss and made the decision for us by electing to bat first.

Continue reading "How David got the best of Goliath"

I knew I was in trouble. I’d called for a run, got a negative response from my partner, but it was a bit too late. I scrambled back to the crease and made a desperate dive. I wasn’t sure if I’d made it back and neither was the umpire. Till the last season, it was that split-second decision from the on-field umpire that would have sealed my fate, but this time it was different: he had the option of referring it to the third umpire. After waiting a few agonizing minutes, I got the green signal of safety and heaved a sigh a relief. I did survive to live another day.

Continue reading "Rules and their abuse"

Pankaj Singh's 31 wickets have helped Rajasthan top their group in this year's Ranji Trophy Plate League © Getty Images

The two semi-finals in the Ranji Trophy Plate League are going to be crucial, with the big promotion to the elite group at stake. Four teams from the Plate League – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra and Maharashtra - after having played some tough cricket for over a month and a half, and finishing in the top two in their respective groups, are now set to lock horns in their most important fixtures of the year. Will they continue to be the poor cousins of the elite teams? or get upgraded and play the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy? It all depends on these two Plate League knockout matches.

But is it fair to have so much riding on one game of cricket? Isn’t beating the fellow teams and topping the league good enough for a promotion? The twelve teams that make up the Plate division get split into two groups of six, and play five matches each over the season. Topping their group, therefore, cannot be a case of good luck, but consistent performance. Unfortunately, that is not considered an achievement enough, and the teams are asked to go an extra step to claim a spot. The team standing first in a given group is asked to play the runners-up of the other group, which means a second-placed team has as much chance of reaching the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals as a first-placed team. Is this justified?

Continue reading "Is it fair to have semi-finals in the Plate League?"

Not many people remember that VVS Laxman and Gautam Gambhir have not been members of India's World Cup teams © AFP

What do the words ‘World Cup 2003’ bring to mind? Perhaps, Sachin Tendulkar’s inimitable knock against Pakistan, Ashish Nehra’s superb 6-for against England, and may be the unfortunate loss in the finals too. Alas! Not many of us, unless we are die hard VVS Laxman fans, will remember that he so unjustifiably missed the bus to South Africa. Just like Gautam Gambhir for the 2007 World Cup. Of course, there would never be a mention of Laxman and Gambhir when talking these mega events, but for odd posts like these, that are in a mood to pay homage to the ‘drop-outs’, who in all sincerity, deserved a place.

Seeing someone getting dumped by the team is an ugly sight, however justified the exclusion may be. If he happens to be a key playerer and, more importantly, a popular player amongst his peers, the emotions are almost certain to run high. There will always be a few in the team who would either be not in the position to show their emotions, or simply not care much. Then there’ll be few who would voice their opinion, hurt and perhaps anger in muffled voices. They don’t have the clout or reputation in the team to be too loud, or run the danger of getting singled out. And finally, there’ll be a handful, may be not more than a couple of guys who will be in a position to influence and may also try to exercise that sway, albeit to no avail. The evening would be soiled by the discussions revolving around the merits of the decision and its repercussions.

Continue reading "The forgotten drop-outs"

The current points system in domestic first-class cricket promotes dull games © ESPNcricinfo

What happens when at least the first two crucial days of a four-day game are completely rained off? For one, an outcome becomes predictable, and so the line of attack is fine-tuned to get the maximum number of points.

Delhi and Saurashtra found themselves in a similar situation in Rajkot, with the gameplan becoming pretty straightforward— win the toss, bat first (for the Rajkot wicket is pretty flat) and then pile on enough runs, while consuming so much time that only a draw is possible with two outcomes. One — the side batting first takes the first-innings lead, or two — both teams do not finish their first innings. Saurashtra went in with this strategy after their captain called correctly. They declared at lunch on the last day leaving Delhi to score at an unrealistic six runs an over to overhaul their total. Since getting the lead was a foregone conclusion, Delhi played for a draw and the batsmen enjoyed a good practice in the middle. Both teams got one point each for their efforts.

Clearly, ‘safety first’ is the top-most priority here, with the emphasis more on stacking up points. Are the teams really playing to win? And more importantly, is a good game being compromised?

A first-innings lead, even of only one run, is worth three points, which obviously isn’t the fair assessment of a team’s performance. An outright win gets five; add another point for winning by an innings or 10 wickets. There’s one point for conceding the lead but holding on to a draw. The first-innings lead is hence of utmost importance; even a win does not reward three more points, unless it’s a massive victory.

Continue reading "Points system for domestic games needs overhaul"

This is the story of a game that was being touted as an exciting encounter, between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The two teams fought tooth and nail for over three days and nearly 300 overs. Batting first, Rajasthan had to deal with incessant showers, poor light and moisture in the track. MP had to deal with the pressure created by the mountain of runs, but more importantly time, for there wasn’t enough to overhaul the total and gain the first-innings lead. Since both teams were tied on equal number of points after two games, it was imperative to not concede the advantage. The lack of an outright result pinched, yet it made for some intriguing play as both the important T’s - technique and the temperament, were tested in the process.

Shockingly though, both teams didn’t get even a single point from the hard-fought dual. The rulebook says that if more than 90 overs are lost in a match; both teams share one point each in case both teams fail to complete their first innings. Fair enough. But if less than 90 overs are lost and the first innings is not completed, you walk away with no points. Despite losing almost a full day to rain, which means 90 overs, teams didn’t lose 90 overs of play in four days. They made up for the lost time by extending the post-lunch session by half an hour and playing till the light permitted on the remaining days. While it was a good effort to get maximum number of overs in, it boomeranged. Perhaps, losing more than 90 overs was a better deal, thanks to a rather mysterious rule. How perplexing it is to know that one gets a point for even conceding the first-innings lead, while in this case the teams got none.

Continue reading "A rulebook beyond reason"

Will we not see another Rahul Dravid in the future? © AFP

“Congratulations Rahul Bhai! D of Dravid stands for determination, dedication and discipline,” I tweeted after Rahul completed his 31st Test century and the second against New Zealand in this series. These attributes may be highly effective, but not attractive anymore, felt a couple of people who commented on the post. And that remark took me back to a conversation I’d had with a 19-year-old kid who is trying to break into the first-class circuit. This player has played for India colts and is indeed a promising youngster. He says he doesn’t want to be like Dravid. “What good is a life dedicated to only cricket and nothing but cricket,” he’d said. “It’s quite obvious that his life has always revolved around the game and despite scoring so many more runs than the others, he isn’t as popular with the youngsters.

“It’s not just restricted to Dravid bhai but all the players who play just Test cricket (obviously he’s unaware of Dravid’s 10000-plus ODI runs). Who knows of Samaraweera and his Herculean test average? But everyone knows of Shahid Afridi and Yusuf Pathan. I want to be like them.”

Continue reading "Is dedication dying?"

If Jaidev Unadkat was to play 60% of domestic games before getting a go in the IPL, would he still have become India's fourth-choice medium-pacer? © Getty Images

As you would know by now that I’m both a purist and a huge fan of domestic cricket and it goes without saying that any move which makes the longer format and domestic cricket significant enough, is welcomed by me. The Indian board is making serious efforts to ensure the importance of domestic cricket isn’t wasted on the players and hence have come out with a rule book with regard to a domestic cricketer’s participation in the IPL. While a ceiling for their earnings via the cash-rich IPL has already been fixed, the new ruling states that one must play at least 60% of the domestic matches played by the player’s respective state side. In addition to that, he must also obtain an NOC from his state association. Only then can he participate in the IPL. While the intent behind the move seems to be both in the interest of the game and the players, the larger impact is worth pondering over.

Continue reading "The new rule book for IPL qualification"

The scrapping of Grade D is a blow to cricketers like Ajinkya Rahane © AFP

At last, the much deferred and overdue fee hike for India’s Test Players has finally happened, that too three times its present amount. For one, the move was imperative to make playing Test Cricket as lucrative as possible, so as to ensure that players like Cheteshwar Pujara with solid technique and temperament don’t sacrifice these attributes for acquiring skills to suit the more rewarding Twenty20 cricket. While a few players have been lucky enough to get this incentive, along with a pay hike in their central contract with the BCCI, a much bigger pool of fringe players has lost out as now there won’t be Grade D to accommodate players like Ajinkya Rahane or Shikhar Dhawan who’re waiting in the wings to prove their mettle. The current list has also been pruned from a whopping 41 to a meagre 24 for this season.

The central contracts list, when they were first handed out, made for an elite group of 20 cricketers. But then came the ICL, which organised a player coup of sorts. A lot of domestic cricketers left the BCCI fold and joined the ‘rebel league’. The board was swift to act and increased the number of contracted players with the introduction of Grade D to reward the performances in domestic cricket. It was, in a way, both telling the players that they were in the loop and also giving them much needed financial security. In fact, even the fee for domestic games was increased substantially. But a lot has changed since then; the IPL arrived with a bang and forced the ICL into oblivion. Subsequently, the Grade D contracts disappeared too. The BCCI’s stance with regards to the abrupt trim is that it is an elite club with a restricted entry which must only be earned by sterling performances. But was it not the case always? Or were the contracts handed out to undeserving players earlier?

Continue reading "Pay concerns for domestic cricketers"

I’m quite fascinated with the interviews teen sensation Deepak Chahar is busy giving, one after the other. People want to know what he eats, or whether he can bowl as fast as Brett Lee, or which IPL team he would like to play for. What no one seems to be asking, though, is where Deepak Chahar comes from. The answer might help us understand the events which have led to the making of the young prodigy.

It’s always easy to form an opinion by just looking at the surface. Since he’s a frequent sight at the NCA, and been playing age-group tournaments for quite a while, it’s convenient to give credit, for once; to the otherwise much criticized system. But you have to dig a little deeper to know the real story.

Chahar belongs to a district called Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. What Sansarpur is to hockey, Hanumangarh is to fast bowling. They have been producing fast bowlers by the dozen and the credit must go to one man who has dedicated himself to the craft—Navendu Tyagi. His passion for the skill compensates for the lack of infrastructure in a small district. He is a hard task master and making players physically fit is his top priority. He ensures that his wards go through a rigorous cardio routine which, at times, includes going for a run at 2 pm in scorching desert heat. He generally accompanies them, either on foot, or on his old bike.

Continue reading "Hanumangarh, India's fast bowling factory"

Deepak Chahar reminds Aakash Chopra of Manoj Prabhakar © Getty Images

Bowling Hyderabad out for 21 came as a bit of a shock for us. When they were three down, I remember a team-mate in the slips told me we might need to bat by around tea. I told him it was too early to say that. Ranji Trophy has taught me otherwise on many occasions.

I told him once the pitch dries out, once the ball gets a little order, there is bound to be a partnership somewhere. They might even bat out the whole day. It never crossed my mind that you can bowl a side out for 21, that too Hyderabad, who are no pushovers. They are no nobodies.

The wickets, though, just kept falling. Everyone just came and kept playing reckless shots. All of a sudden we were batting after the first drinks break. We didn't even have time for it to sink in.

When talking about the sensational events of the first session, it is important to go back two or three months. Of course Deepak Chahar, the right-arm swing bowler, has arrived with a bang with this performance of 8 for 10 on debut, which is phenomenal, but those who have seen him from the Buchi Babu, Moin-ud-Dowlah, or during practice in Rajasthan nets, were expecting good things of him.

Continue reading "A bowler in the Manoj Prabhakar mould"

Dear readers,

What appeared to me for ages as a rather nonchalant approach from the managers towards a plain Indian domestic cricket and its slip-ups is, to my delight, now being replaced by a more informed and involved outlook. For instance, not only genuine lovers of the game but also top honchos seem to be sitting up and taking note of the abysmal quality of teams in the Plate division. “What do we do with them?” is the big hopeless question doing the rounds. While this change of heart is good news, I ask a slightly different question to get a possible answer: “What do we do with the teams that aren’t showing any real progress?” For blaming only the teams in Plate division would be naive.

There are a lot of teams in Indian domestic cricket that are participating but not competing. They turn up season after season only to produce an almost identical performance before fading into oblivion for the next six months. Some teams are more than happy to be just there, without making the effort to stretch the envelope. If they are in the Elite division, their only endeavour is to ensure that they don’t get relegated. Qualifying for the knock-outs and eventually winning the Ranji Trophy never cross their mind. And that’s precisely the reason why only a few teams compete for the top spot and keep rotating the trophy among themselves year after year. And some of the teams in the Plate division have no reason to worry because relegation is not a possibility for them.

Continue reading "Force teams from their rut"

The story of domestic cricket in India isn’t much different from that of small-town India: vying for recognition and hoping to make a mark nationally © Sportz Solutions

Dear Readers,

Nothing gives me more pleasure than penning down my thoughts on the great Indian domestic season. The story isn’t much different from that of small-town India: vying for recognition and hoping to make a mark nationally. With aspirations, come trials, fascinating and enduring. This blog is indeed an effort to bring those many untold yet intriguing stories about first-class cricket to the forefront, and hence give you readers an opportunity to get to know Indian cricket closely.

A good parameter to determine how serious state cricket associations are about a lacklustre, bland, and apparently irrelevant domestic match is simply the intent and the initiative that has gone into organising it. Sample this for instance: in the North Zone, all matches are still played during the day, on a venue with two grounds, accommodating two matches simultaneously. The facilities, whatever little, are of course divided between four teams, with two of them being forced to sit in makeshift dressing rooms made in the form of tents. And if that doesn’t speak enough about the abysmal affairs, all four teams and the staff share only two toilets. Of course, the managers of the show would have wanted to cut down ‘undue’ work and hassle and so have continued to plan such games year after year. What is put on stake though is – a first-class player’s honour, the quality of the show, and the state cricket association’s reputation. Clearly then, neither the game nor the player is the real stakeholder in domestic tournaments.

Continue reading "The Great India Domestic Season"

Essentially a batsman in the traditional mould, Cheteshwar Pujara has also learnt to switch gears and adapt to the demands of the shorter format © AFP

What is tougher to deal with? Your debut match against one of the best teams in the world in front of a packed house, or the knowledge that regardless of your showing in the game, you’d only get one chance, at least for the time being? Just to add to the pressure, you got a ball that kept alarmingly low in the first innings and constantly reminded you of a letdown. You stand at the edge of the cliff; one wrong move and it might just blow up all your dreams. That’s how Cheteshwar Pujara must have felt when he walked on to the field to take guard as India’s No. 3 batsman on the last day of the second Test match against Australia in Bangalore. If there is ever what we call a ‘pressure-cooker situation’ in cricket, that was certainly one of those.

Surely then, the way you embark upon such a situation would inevitably determine the shape your career takes. These situations separate men from boys, and the way Pujara responded showed that he belonged. His feet movement was decisive, his shot selection assured, and above all, the composure with which he played must have calmed a few nerves in the dressing room.

Continue reading "Try Pujara in the shorter formats"

"Genuine efforts must be made to sustain a potentially successful property" © Cricinfo Ltd

A fiery Sreesanth bowled a rather fine delivery, and in his follow-through, tried to intimidate the batsman. Unfortunately for him, the batsman happened to be Sachin Tendulkar who got stuck into Sreesanth. What followed was a flurry of boundaries as the rookie was shown his place in the man’s world. Another game, this time in Mohali; young Piyush Chawla came out of nowhere to breach the master’s defence with his googly. He immediately became a household name and the player for the future. After all he had dismissed Tendulkar.

This is the story of the Challenger trophy on two different occasions. The tournament was introduced to give the best 36 in the country, a chance to play against each other under lights. It was as close as one could get to play an international match against or with the top stars. The Challenger trophy grew in stature as people started flocking the stadiums and even the broadcaster got decent numbers. Since other 50-over domestic tournaments are rarely played under lights and to packed houses, it was a wonderful opportunity for the youngsters. While for the selectors, it was a chance to have a first-hand knowledge of the young and upcoming cricketers in the country.

The Corporate Trophy, another tournament introduced by the BCCI last year, too had a lot of potential and benefits, both on the field and off it. It involved all the big corporate teams in the country, and hence ensured not only a good competition, but also jobs for a lot of cricketers. The tournament rules meant that companies had to start employing players through the sports-quota and not make do with players playing for them on stipend. And for the big corporate houses, especially those who are already involved in the IPL, like Reliance and India Cements, it meant doing something worthwhile outside the IPL.

Continue reading "Don't let domestic tournaments die"

The Mohali pitch has not been kind to the bowlers © AFP

I remember playing a Duleep Trophy match against West Zone at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. It was a classic Mohali track with pace, bounce and enough lateral movement to keep the batsmen guessing and, for once, making the bowlers believe that being a bowler wasn’t that bad a thing. Faster men ruled the match but good batting was also rewarded, for bounce always helps to play shots.

Then there was the second Test match of my debut series against New Zealand at the same venue. While the track wasn’t as lively as it was for the Duleep Trophy, it had enough to keep the bowlers interested. What made the show even more exciting were the spectators who’d come out in huge numbers on all five days of the Test match despite India trailing. A lot has changed since then – the pitch is a far cry from its original spirit, turning potentially competitive games into wishy-washy affairs. The spectators too seem to have got a whiff of the bland show, and hence don’t care much about turning up and supporting their country.

The ongoing Test Match in Mohali seems to have been hit by both problems – a tame pitch and a low-key audience. The track is not even a pale shadow of what it used to be. The much talked about pace and bounce is a thing of the past. Now we witness a low, slow wicket that is not ideal for a fair competition between the bat and the ball. If it wasn’t for the SG Test ball which helps the spinners with its pronounced seam and assists the pacers with reverse swing, bowlers may start mulling over their availability for the venue.

Continue reading "Poor Mohali pitch hurts Test cricket"

It wasn't only the subcontinent batsmen who struggled against short balls © AFP

It was survival instinct that drove players to look for cutting-edge tactics at the recently concluded Champions League Twenty20. The second tournament has been nothing short of a discovery : unsettling yet determined shots, novel field positions and a whole new bag of tricks from the bowlers to hold them in good stead. That's what made the CLT20 a good show. Despite some ordinary cricket, there were also some splashes of brilliance. Here are my observations from the tournament.

Starting with the fine-leg fielder inside the circle
Most teams had the fine-leg fielder inside the ring and pushed the square-leg fielder back to the boundary right from the beginning. This is not how teams have traditionally begun one-day innings, preferring instead to have the fielder beside the square-leg umpire save singles and the fine leg, though slightly squarer, back on the boundary.

There are three reasons to have the square-leg fielder back. First, the balls that end up in the fine-leg region are the ones drifting down leg side but bowlers, especially in Twenty20 cricket, back themselves not to err in line. Second, the batsmen aren't afraid to hit over the top and taking the aerial route over the square-leg fielder is safer than walking across the stumps to play fine or to scoop the ball like Dilshan and McCullum. Third, bowlers don’t mind conceding singles because a single is as good as a dot ball in Twenty20 cricket.

Continue reading "Innovations in the Champions League"

Mahela Jayawardene and Wayamba have struggled in the Champions League © Associated Press

Cricketers from Maharashtra must be wondering what Wayamba from Sri Lanka did to be playing in the Champions League in South Africa. Don’t tell them that Wayamba won their domestic championship because so did Maharashtra. You may want to remind them of the high standards of competition and their obvious lack of quality, but isn’t Wayamba looking like a fish out of water too? So even that argument falls flat on its face.

Apparently, T20 cricket bridges the gap between the good and the bad teams, thanks to its unpredictable nature and small canvas, but even then, Wayamba is looking woefully out of its depth. Obviously, Wayamba is not to be blamed, but the flawed system. Wayamba haven’t gatecrashed the event; they deserved to be there after winning their domestic tourney.

Champions League, supposedly, is a clash between the domestic T20 champions from different nations -- India being the only exception by choosing to put forward the IPL champions. To consider the IPL a domestic tournament of the standard of domestic cricket in the West Indies and Sri Lanka is grossly unrealistic. All domestic tournaments in the world have a fair representation of their states, districts or counties and that’s what makes it the level playing field for everyone involved. In the IPL we have only eight teams representing the country where 27 teams play at the first-class level. And even those eight teams have four overseas players in the playing XI further curtailing the role of Indian domestic players.

Continue reading "Champions League needs better selection process"

Jacques Kallis is one of the many stars turning out for Bangalore Royal Challengers © Associated Press

A quick look at the playing XIs of quite a few of the non-IPL teams in the Champions League is enough to tell the story in no uncertain terms - they are the poorer cousins of their IPL counterparts. Let’s say they are as good as a Bengal or a Baroda, but are as run down as any state team would be, when playing an international outfit. The IPL teams swanking big names and decades of experience are of course better bets.

Logically then, the local teams sans star power should not be a patch on the three Indian teams. Yet not only have they put up a good fight, but have outperformed the IPL teams - none of the Indian teams qualified for the knock-outs in the first edition of the tournament. So what is it that is allowing the lesser teams to hold sway? More importantly, a question begs to be asked — how good are our IPL teams after all?

In my humble opinion, it isn’t the standard but the sheer competitiveness that seals the deal in favour of the IPL. Most teams in the IPL are equally balanced or imbalanced and share similar strengths and handicaps. Teams have the luxury of being able to start slowly, since the league is a lengthy event. So it’s okay to start working as a unit a couple of weeks into the tournament.

Continue reading "IPL teams have the edge in the Champions League"

The Buchi Babu tournament is considered good practice ahead of the first-class season © Sportz Solutions

I wrote this at the Chennai airport while waiting for my flight back to Delhi. It was delayed by half an hour and so it was a perfect time to pull out my laptop and mull over the matters of the past week-and-a-half. Buchi Babu Tournament has been my first assignment in the new season, as a part of a new team, under a new coach and a new board – the Rajasthan Cricket Association. It has also been my debut in the tournament itself, Delhi never having played in it. Obviously, we at RCA are fancying our chances of bouncing back into the Elite division this year, and hence getting into the groove before we hit the crease for the Ranji Trophy matches.

Buchi Babu is an invitational tournament organized by TNCA, hosting 13 state teams from all over the country. Since the first class season is just round the corner, this tournament along with KSCA tournament in Bangalore and Moin-Ud-Dowla in Hyderabad are considered to be good practice sessions for the important matches ahead. State teams use these tournaments to dry run their fringe players and also provide a good enough practice to its senior players in the longer format. After all, once the first-class season gets over, there’s hardly any tournament which is not a limited-overs one.

This tournament also gives you an insight into the seriousness of the association with regards to the upcoming season. While some teams travel sans a proper coach, trainer and physios, others travel with the entire entourage as they would for a first-class game. Some associations have also gone a step further to arrange overseas tours for their state teams in order to broaden their horizons. Personally, I’m not too sure if travelling abroad and playing limited-overs cricket in alien conditions is the ideal way to prepare for a grueling first-class season in Indian conditions. But since playing some cricket is always better than playing no cricket at all, the effort should be lauded. Also, there might be a feeling among the players to go that extra yard to keep up the name of the country, and the association which made an effort to provide them with the opportunity.

Coming back to the Buchi Babu Tournament, this year’s matches were unfortunately marred by incessant unseasonal rains which resulted in only 3 games going the distance in the league stage. Rains, but more importantly the reluctance to tweak the rules to get a result, meant that the two semi-finalists were picked by the draw of lots. This is perhaps the most ridiculous way of ascertaining the winners, sadly though it was the case. Originally the match was to be played over 2 days with 90 overs-a-side which I think provides a big enough canvas for most players to prove their mettle. But once the rains played the spoilt sport, the rules left a lot to be desired.

If the match started on time on the first day, the number of overs wouldn't be reduced regardless of the rain which in effect means that one team might just field without getting a hit. So if there were clouds lurking close by, players would pray that it starts raining before the first ball was bowled. Also if there wasn’t any play possible on day 1, the match would be reduced to 50 overs-a-side. Even this rule had an obvious shortcoming because regardless of the delay on day 2 the overs wouldn't be reduced further. We, Rajasthan, found ourselves in a similar situation against Madhya Pradesh. Since there wasn’t enough time to get the required 100 overs in, both captains agreed to call off the match instead of playing an inconsequential match which would have provided batting practice to only one team.

The problem with a Buchi Babu match is that it is not an all-important Ranji Trophy game. And so there seems to be no intent to give it a much needed face-lift. Redundant rules must be done with to hold on to the reputation it enjoys. The tournament serves as a reality check for most participating teams, and hence the aim is to perform and not warm the benches. Only if the organizers had been swift enough to react to the situation, Buchi Babu would’ve been a better show.

Aakash's twitter feed is here http://twitter.com/cricketaakash

The fourth edition of the IPL is expected to be ‘fatter’, with a larger purse for every team to buy players, and ‘bigger’, with the introduction of two new teams and 14 more matches. Ironically, though, despite the franchises having more money for distribution, the players might end up earning a lot less than what they did in the first three seasons, especially the first-class cricketers.

For the first time, a salary cap has been introduced for the uncapped players (first-class and under-19 cricketers who haven’t played for India yet). Now their IPL salary will be decided by their seniority in the domestic circuit and not by their performance. There were quite a few domestic players, especially the ones who came back to the BCCI fold from the ICL, who were raking in twice or even thrice as much as the new salary cap. These guys came in with a big reputation of being T20 specialists and hence demanded, and also got, mega bucks. Even the domestic cricketers who performed consistently in the IPL got a considerable hike after every season, which was again at least double the amount of what they stand to earn now. And no wonder that, until the new rules came out, they were negotiating a similar deal for the fourth season.

Now the dynamics have changed completely and instead of passing judgment on its merit, I’d put forth the arguments for you to decide.

Ideally, a person must get what he deserves for his services and that should be decided mutually by the employer (IPL franchisee) and the employee (player). His cricketing status with regards to whether he is good enough to play for India should not hamper his earnings in a domestic league. Also, why should the year of his first-class debut matter while taking a call on his capabilities as a player? Is it even mandatory to be a good first-class cricketer to be a good T20 cricketer? And more importantly, how would you explain to the same player, despite doing ever so well, earning X amount for one season and 1/3rd of it the next season, while the earnings of everyone around him goes up every year. Last but not the least, since he isn’t playing for India and perhaps won’t in the future too, he isn’t earning as much and now it will only come down further.

Perhaps, the idea behind the new rule was to ensure that the importance of playing and doing well in first-class cricket is not wasted on the younger lot. This ruling would ensure that players don’t chuck their first-class careers or dreams of playing for the country to make moolah in the cash-rich IPL. Hitherto, astronomical sums exchanged hands and were promised to even the domestic cricketers, enough make them one-dimensional. This new salary cap tells you in no uncertain terms that you have to don the national colours to earn top dollar and there is no alternative. Besides, IPL 4 may now escape the wrath of the cynics, unlike its precursors, blamed for indulging young cricketers in steep sums.

Also, all the contracts going through the BCCI means that there’d be a standard players’ contract and different franchisees won’t have different rules. A lot of teams have been guilty of riding on players’ ignorance of the laws and paid a lot less than they’d agreed on.

IPL lacked a rule book, and hence an overhaul was imperative to ensure a smooth run for both play and commerce. The redrafting may have settled some contentious issues and answered some basic questions, yet in the process, it may have popped up some more questions of serious concern.