Kumar Sangakkara might not have a problem in paying $110k, but the Indian recruits are likely to feel the pinch © Indian Premier League

This was perhaps in the offing. Kumar Sangakkara’s ban for a match didn’t really take me by surprise. After being penalized twice in five games for the same offence, the third faux pas just had to be dealt with severely. Yet, it would be too naive for us to take this slip-up as just that. Had it been the case, the mammoth fine of $140,000 would’ve undoubtedly served as a good enough deterrent. Perhaps, there is more to the story than what meets the eye.

Since it takes only four minutes to finish an over, 80 minutes should be enough to finish 20. Two strategic time outs of 2.5 minutes each should then settle the innings at around 85 minutes in total. This time span becomes lesser, if you happen to have spinners in the side, bowling at less than three minutes an over.

But what’s transpiring on the field is quite the opposite. As many as four captains have already been fined once for slow over-rate. This tells us that the estimations aren’t as clear-cut as they sound, at least not in this format. While T20 runs at its own rapid pace, there’s always the danger of a captain going with the flow. But if the captain allows that to happen, the team is doomed. He needs to break the momentum at regular intervals to ensure that the opposition doesn’t run away with the game. And that’s where the problem starts.

Most bowlers take a few extra minutes at the start of a spell, to warm-up, get the run-up and think right, which they make up for in the following overs. Unlike 50-over cricket, where bowlers get to bowl longer spells, in T20, bowling changes are introduced after every couple of overs, which in turn is not always easy on them. While most bowlers mark their run-ups in advance, it’s only natural to be 100% sure every time they start a new spell. Because one no-ball followed by a free-hit can change the complexion of the game. Also, most teams have at least three-four quick bowlers who take a lot more time than the spinners. In ODIs, longer spells from spinners make up for the extra time consumed by the quick bowlers, but four-over spells in T20 are not enough.

To add to a captain’s woes, the noise in the stadium makes it almost impossible for him to convey messages to his out-fielders. But you can also not have the fielders in the right place. Hence, the field change too consumes another couple of crucial minutes. I won’t be surprised if Sangakkara has had a quiet word with the DJ in Mohali to avoid further penalties.
Slow over-rate might have an explanation or two; unfortunately it doesn’t have any real solution, except of course running between the overs and even the deliveries.

While a fine is perhaps the only way to book the guilty, the flip side of it baffles me. The third offence not only led to Sangakkara's ban but also another whopping fine of $250,000. Sangakkara might not have a problem in paying $110k ($20k for the first offence and $40k & $50k for the other two), others in the team, especially the local Indian recruits are sure to feel the pinch shelling out $30,000 each. Some of them are earning no more than a few lakhs for the entire tournament and if they happened to be fined twice, they may take home nothing. One more offence and these players will have to pay from their pockets to play in the IPL. Most franchisees would happily pay the fine, but it’s only a gesture. Since they are not forced to pay, one cannot really hold it against them if they decide otherwise.

"That small-looking thing in the hands of someone as huge as Hayden deceived everyone" © Mongoose

Matthew Hayden allowed his Mongoose bat to run a riot against Delhi Daredevils at the Ferozshah Kotla. Whenever he hit the bat, it stayed hit. But haven’t we already seen Hayden doing exactly the same thing with a regular bat? So what is really the difference between a regular and a Mongoose bat? For starters the blade is remarkably shorter than the regular bat, in fact, 33% shorter to be precise. But it weighs exactly as much as the regular bat. The weight which is taken away from the top is redistributed in the remaining half. It bears a striking resemblance to the bat we use during fielding drills. That bat is a lot lighter than the regular bat which is perhaps one of the reasons for using it. Hitting hundreds of balls during fielding drills takes a toll on the arm and that’s why most people prefer using a smaller bat. Also, since you mostly have to hit a stationary ball, the lack of blade isn’t a concern. A competitive match doesn’t give you such luxuries.

My first look at the Mongoose bat made me believe that the bowlers would easily get through under the bat. Bowling yorkers would prove to be an easy way to get rid of the dangerous man. Perhaps, even the Delhi bowlers thought along similar lines and bowled yorkers. But Hayden had it all planned.

Obviously we didn’t take into account the length of the handle which is remarkably longer to make up for the shorter blade. Looks can be deceiving and that small-looking thing in the hands of someone as huge as Hayden deceived everyone.

Another thing that baffled me was how effective this bat would be on the slow and low subcontinent tracks. Yes, the bat has a bigger sweet spot but what about the balls hitting the bottom of the bat? But my doubts were put to rest when I spoke to the director of the company which produces these bats. According to him the Mongoose bat has three times more wood at the bottom than the conventional bat which allows the batsman to hit even the yorkers and the low full tosses with a lot of power. And it was visible on Friday.

The Mongoose bat not only gives you more control over the willow but also increases your bat speed. The bat speed comes in quite handy when you’re trying to play an aggressive shot.

But the clincher came when the director confirmed the bat is made for playing in Twenty20 cricket and not in the other formats. And the reason for this is the missing top half of the bat makes playing the short-pitched deliveries slightly difficult. It also doesn’t give you any back-up in case of uneven bounce. You either hit the ball or run the risk of getting hit on the body. Obviously then, Hayden is willing to punt in order to hit bigger and better.

Also this bat is not for the people who bank on using the pace of the ball. Hayden’s batting wagon wheel showed that no runs were scored behind point on the off side which suggests that if you have a Mongoose bat in your hands that’s not the area you should be targeting. But that’s a small price to pay for being able to hit the yorkers and low full tosses because not many people are going to provide width in this format.

What would happen when both Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi qualify for the Champions League? Who would Ishant Sharma play for? © AFP

While the entire nation immersed itself in a predictably swanky opening ceremony of the third edition of the IPL, another Twenty20 national championship kicked off the same day, minus the glitz, glamour and the hoopla. I’m talking about the prestigious Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy - the national Twenty20 tournament which is already bearing the brunt of being the IPL’s poor cousin.

While the first round of this tournament took place just before the start of the season, the knockouts are currently being played alongside the IPL. Even as all seems good in the IPL camp, the qualifying teams of the national Twenty20 tournament have trouble in the making. The domestic teams have to now make do with the not-so-prominent players as the regulars have flipped sides to cash in on the IPL for obvious reasons.

So we already have a situation there with the players having chosen their franchise/club over their state. Ironically though, the choice wasn’t entirely theirs. The question of them missing a few IPL games didn’t arise as states happily fielded a second-string team. Delhi is one of the worst hit with as many as 13 players from the regular playing XI missing. While this gives others the opportunity of representing the state side, it somewhat devalues the importance of both the state cap and the tournament.

But there’s another equally important issue lurking in the background. The team which wins the domestic tournament should ideally feature in the Champions League for the concept of the Champions League is to feature the top Twenty20 teams from different countries. The teams playing in the IPL do not represent the whole of India, while the state teams playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy certainly do. And the team who tops have every right to claim their spot in the coveted Champions League.

The real problem though will come to the fore if and when the winners of the national Twenty20 are included in the Champions League. Imagine this - both Delhi and the Delhi Daredevils qualify for the Champions League: who would Sehwag, Gambhir and co. represent then? Ideally, they should put their state ahead of their club, but I’m not sure if their contracts with the franchise give them that luxury. And if they play for the Daredevils and not Delhi, won’t they be letting the people of the state and more importantly their association down? After all it is the state association which provides cricketers the platform to showcase their talent. Eventually though, I suspect everyone will make peace with the fact that all is well as long as they represent Delhi.

But what would happen when the Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi qualify? Who would Ishant Sharma play for?

Dirk Nannes among others faced a similar situation in the first edition of the Champions League. While most cricketers chose to play for their respective state/province/county, Dirk Nannes chose to play for Delhi Daredevils instead of the Victoria Bushrangers. His decision didn’t go down very well with both the Victorian players and Cricket Victoria alike.

Indian players may be facing a similar situation, if not in this Champions League, then in the near future. Are we ready to deal with this?

	In the current scenario, the Deodhar Trophy gets over in four days and as many as three teams may get to play only a match each © Cricinfo Ltd

For a cricket-crazy nation, there is perhaps nothing that can qualify as ‘too much cricket’. A game of cricket keeps everyone happy, right from the organisers, the media to the spectators. The players too get a fair deal of exposure with some good money flowing in anyway. No wonder then that it’s raining cricket all the way - a story best told by the current domestic calendar with over seven trophies squashed in a meager six months.

Good sense prevailed, when the BCCI decided to temporarily dump the Deodhar Trophy, owing to lack of time. The right wing then stood up to defend the honor of this prestigious tournament. ‘How could one of the oldest and the most exalted tournaments be scrapped?’ Well, it didn’t. The Deodhar Trophy is currently being rushed up in four flat days as opposed to its regular two-week long schedule.

Sample this – the IPL ends on April 25, while the ICC World Twenty20 starts five days later. This roster may have well managed to save a clash between the two events; it has unfortunately taken a toll on the domestic tournaments, the Deodhar Trophy being the worst hit.
Now with only a total of nine days left between the finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the beginning of the IPL, the only way out for Deodhar was to convert a hitherto league based tournament into a knockout.

Not too long ago,the Deodhar Trophy was held on a league basis wherein all teams got four games each. Four opportunities meant that the winner was the team which played well throughout the tournament and the top performers were the ones who performed consistently.
In the current scenario, the tournament gets over in four days and as many as three teams may get to play only a match each, which in my mind is not enough to judge a team or a player. One off day in the field means the end of the tournament. Does it really give the players the opportunity and the platform to stake their claims? Aren’t we already devaluing what used to be an important tournament?

The Deodhar Trophy, despite being reduced to a knockout tournament, is slated to finish on March 9 while the IPL starts on the 12th. The IPL teams in turn would be left with only 2 days to get together and strategise their game plan. This certainly, by no means, can suffice for meticulous planning before an event of this huge a gravity.

The coach/captain’s decisions and strategies would then be influenced by reputations and gut feeling which is not the right way to progress. There would apparently be very little time to have a proper plan in place in which everyone has a defined role to play. And if one tries to do that, like John Buchanan did last year, it would be thrust upon the players with no room for negotiation or debate. This isn’t an ideal preparation, in turn affecting the quality of cricket played in the IPL.

Point being this - Are we sacrificing quality for quantity?

The first edition of the Champions Twenty20 League may give us some indication with this regard. Not even a single Indian team made an impact. Indian teams were outplayed on their home soil and it was New South Wales from Australia who went on to win the tournament. While we take a lot of pride in the standard of cricket played in the IPL, which is actually of high quality, our teams’ debacle at the international stage must not be ignored. After all, our teams fielded as many as four overseas cricketers as opposed to none by the overseas teams. So what was the difference? Well, all the other teams were playing together as a team throughout the year, which made up for the lack of world-class players amongst their ranks. They played as a team wherein everyone knew their roles, knew about each other’s weaknesses and strengths and looked out for their mates. On the contrary, Indian teams got together only a few days prior to the tournament and it showed. They lacked the cohesiveness of a team and were relying heavily on individuals to pull them through.

Aren’t we doing the same thing once again? We may not realise it because all the teams are equally affected by the lack of preparation but we must learn from our experience in the Champions League. The need of the hour is to either create a proper window for every domestic tournament or else do away with a couple in order to enhance the quality of the remaining tournaments. It’s the quality that attracts people to the sport and not the quantity.

	Technique is perhaps one of the most important things that distinguish a good cricketer from a great cricketer; Tendulkar's great innings told us just that © Associated Press

Only the God of cricket could have made a daunting 200 look so effortless. The game of numbers isn’t one for Sachin; he has gone well past that. That evening on the 25th February, Tendulkar didn’t just break an overwhelming record, he narrated cricket’s lost story. The double ton, perhaps, brought back, the passé ‘technique’ into the game. My admiration of Tendulkar’s masterclass didn’t just stop at the record, but the manner in which he pulled it off.

You would assume that a certain amount of slogging is almost mandatory to score a double century in fifty overs. But Sachin proved that it can be done by playing good cricket and knocking some skillful cricketing shots. The reason why Sachin doesn’t need to slog his way to big runs is his impeccable technique.

Ironically though, talking technique has almost become blasphemous in modern day cricket. No longer is it only about the number of runs you score, the strike-rate at which those runs are scored is equally important if not more, especially in the shorter formats. Perhaps, there is seemingly nothing wrong about thinking in terms of strike-rate because that makes for entertaining cricket. Innovation is not an aberration anymore but a norm.

While most cricketers playing international cricket are capable of changing gears and adapting to the new demands of the game, a whole crop of youngsters trying to break into their respective state under-16, under-19 teams are not. To a young mind, the easiest way to score quickly is to take the aerial route and play adventurous shots. The impression a youngster carries is that technique restricts you from playing all the shots and hence slows you down. Little do they realize that in reality, technique empowers you to play almost every shot in the book or perhaps more. It’s the technical dexterity and not slogging which enabled Sachin to score a double century off merely 147 balls.

I see that the role of a cricket coach more important now than ever before. He ought to help a youngster find the right balance and ensure that he doesn’t sacrifice technique for adventure. But are these coaches well equipped to ensure that a youngster doesn’t go astray? The answer is an unfortunate No. Only a few cricket academies in the country are run by qualified coaches. Others are merely organized net practice facilities which would rarely produce good cricketers. We may not be able to organize the cricket-academy sector but we can always ensure that the coaches working with the state teams at all levels are qualified coaches. After all the BCCI organizes coaching clinics on a regular basis producing Level 1, 2 and 3 coaches. These coaches in turn should be absorbed by the state associations.

I watched a Ranji Trophy probable bowling big no-balls and all that the coaches around could possible tell him was a feeble ‘stop overstepping’. No one would tell him how to do it. Poor kid kept bowling for nearly an hour with no success. I felt sorry for the boy because it wasn’t his fault. It’s the duty of the coach to rectify mistakes, but sadly, they couldn’t. If this being the state of affairs at the First class level, pity how things would be at levels below Ranji. The way forward is most certainly a sound lesson in technique, for you can break a rule only when you know it.

Technique is perhaps one of the most important things that distinguish a good cricketer from a great cricketer. And the God of the Cricket told us just that.