Did India’s loss against Zimbabwe in the opening match of the ongoing tri-series hurt you? While a few people might argue that it didn’t matter because it wasn’t our full strength side anyway, the rest are bound to feel a little deflated.

Wonder why we didn’t field our best side? Well, the reasons are simple - a. This series was not considered important enough, which I too think it isn’t. b. There’s a grueling international season lying ahead and this is the only possible window to rest our key players. Fair enough!

But are the viewers too demanding in expecting the Indian team to win all the time? Perhaps, yes. While it isn’t possible to win on every occasion, the least a fan can expect, and a team can do is to give itself the best chance to win. After all, the spectators are the real stakeholders of the game and have every right to feel cheated.

For me, the upshot of these matches isn’t going to be of much consequence. It is unreasonable to expect of a string B team to win you every single outing. The focus should be more on testing and watching the younger brigade performing at the highest level, especially ones who’ve proved their mettle in domestic cricket and the IPL.

Obviously, there’s a glaring difference in the standard of our domestic cricket and international cricket. With two consecutive World Twenty20 debacles, we now know for sure that even the performances in the IPL aren’t the best yardstick to judge a player.

So, what’s the best way to know whether a player is ready for the highest level or not? Should we have more ‘not-so-important series’ on a regular basis, in which we rest our seniors and try out youngsters? My answer to this question would be a resounding no. Every India cap must be earned and handing it out so cheaply would only devalue its importance.

The answer to this puzzle is to have more and more India ‘A’ tours. And we have to go only so far as Sri Lanka for inspiration. Sri Lanka is a small country with an even smaller cricket playing population. Their domestic structure is not even half as good as ours. Despite many such limitations, the Sri Lankans have always managed to not only put up a competitive team at the highest level but also produced some real greats in the game. The reason for their success and a healthy supply line is their ‘A’ Team structure.

Sri Lanka ‘A’ has always had an extremely busy calendar comprising as many as five international tours. Unlike India, which has a completely new team every time, the nucleus of their A side remains the same for a reasonable period. All their A team players have been contracted with the board too.

We have also managed to send a few A teams on tours in the last decade and the results have been quite encouraging. If Gambhir first impressed the selectors with his good showing in the Caribbean, Kohli came into the limelight after scoring heavily in Australia. I was also given a chance on the back of some good performances for India ‘A’. But the frequency of these tours is getting reduced with every passing year. Unfortunately we are giving more importance to Under-19 cricket which is obviously not paying dividends. How would you explain not even a single player from the India Under-19 teams which played in last World Cup making headlines in domestic cricket?

Perhaps it is time to move on from our obsession with age-group cricket to some serious cricket. The over importance and emphasis given to age group cricket is only encouraging players to forge their age and giving us a false belief that our youngsters are the best in the world.

Domestic tournaments based on the IPL could unearth the next generation of Indian T20 stars © Indian Premier League

Karnataka was the first to do it; a year later, Maharashtra followed suit. Soon more states will have their own Premier Leagues based on the IPL model, albeit a lot smaller. These leagues have a lot to offer, both to the IPL franchisees and the players involved.

First the IPL teams

So far the IPL teams have been picking players on the basis of their performances in the domestic season. Since very little T20 cricket is played in a year, the selection was seldom based on their showing in this format. Hence, they had to rely on feedback from their scouts or senior cricketers. But now these leagues are giving the franchisees an opportunity to watch little known players in competitive match situations. These leagues are also bound to unearth a few T20 specialists.

Players benefit

It is a given that not everyone who plays cricket will play for India. And that’s where the IPL has raised the hopes of a lot of aspiring cricketers. Unlike the 15 places for India, there are over 100 places up for grabs in the IPL. These leagues are giving a lot of lesser known, yet talented players, an opportunity to showcase their skill and of course make some money. I know a lot of good players, who’ve unfortunately not had a chance to play first class cricket, but get paid Rs. 500 per match to play in the local circuit. Since they are not employed, these matches are their only source of income along with their share of the prize money i.e. if their team wins the tournament. They resort to coaching in different academies for a paltry amount when local cricket is not happening. These players would definitely stand to gain a lot from these leagues.

But there’s always a flip side to such stories. While on the one hand, these leagues are giving youngsters a platform to perform and impress, on the other hand there’s always a risk of 14-15 year olds getting too carried away with T20 cricket. I admit that T20 is here to stay and eventually every player will have to play in this format, but I’d rather have youngsters learn the basics before embarking on this journey. In my opinion T20 cricket should be out of bounds for Under-16 kids. Till the age of 16, let them play longer formats which would help them develop proper technique and temperament.

I know it’s like saying McDonalds, because junk food is bad for health, should be banned for kids. But there’s a fundamental difference between McDonalds and cricket. McDonalds is selling its product, and if they succeed in it, good for them.

But cricket is not a commodity. The aim should be to develop the game and build quality players. My concern isn’t only limited to domestic premier leagues. Most age groups and school tournaments are also turning into T20 games in the capital and these are worrying signs. The kid who plays two consecutive dot balls gets sworn at by his peers and coaches alike. This training at the grass-root level is all set to ruin the basic foundation of these cricketers.

One might argue that having an age-limit would not allow the next Sachin Tendulkar to come to the fore. My answer to that would be that not playing in one format wouldn’t hurt his growth as a player and also someone as talented as him would not take time to adapt. We might lose a year in the bargain but if that saves thousands of cricketers, it’s worth the loss.

"Which teams will have a field day can hardly ever be determined on the basis of the playing XI" © Getty Images

So, which is the best Twenty20 side in the world? Didn’t last night’s game pretty much answer that question? Ironically though, I’d still be wary of putting my money on the winner. Isn’t Twenty20 cricket all about a given day and not so much about a particular team? Success and failure is anyone’s call. Which teams will have a field day can hardly ever be determined on the basis of the playing XI. Hence, both Australia and England should be kept on the same pedestal for their brilliant showing in the tournament.

But how can we possibly throw Pakistan out of the race? Runners-up in 2007, winners in 2009 and semi-finalists in this edition, Pakistan have proved to be one of the most consistent sides in a format where inconsistency is the only consistent thing. If you don’t believe me, ask our Men in Blue. Australia, England or Pakistan - three editions in four years and we still cannot be 100% sure about which team rules the roost in this format. Is it the nature of this format or is there more to it?

Before going into the reasons, here are a few statistics to lay the ground for my argument. India, for instance, play no less than 30 ODIs and more than four to five Tests in any given year. The more the number of matches, the more it helps a player hone his skill and become a specialist. On the contrary, the ICC has put a cap of seven [international] Twenty20 matches a country can play in a year, barring the World Cup. Oddly enough, the reason for this cap is to discourage teams from taking Twenty20 too seriously and hence safeguard the 50-overs format.

Well, if that be the case then how does one explain three World Twenty20s in four years? On the one hand, the ICC prohibits teams from playing more matches and on the other hand, expects them to compete at the highest level almost every alternate year. Isn’t it ironical?

Australia was the best side in the world for over a decade not just because they won three World Cups in the interim but for their consistency over a period of time. We could gauge their quality because they won against all oppositions, both home and away. But is there a similar platform when it comes to Twenty20 cricket? The answer is a resounding no.

It isn’t a secret that the more you play, the better you become. If the teams play more Twenty20 cricket, they’d identify Twenty20 specialists at the highest level and not in club or franchise-based domestic tournaments. A player might be devastating, batting at No. 4 for his franchise, but might prove a dud at No. 7 in international cricket. These players would then have specific roles assigned to them on the basis of their expertise. Eventually they’d start working like a well-oiled unit, quite similar to how most teams operate in the other two formats.

No longer do we pick the best Test players for 50-over cricket automatically. Then why are we still picking our best ODI players to double up as Twenty20 players? The reason is pretty straight forward - we are still in the phase of trial and error.

It's about time the ICC either takes this format seriously and allows teams to play more games or leaves it - with the exception of the World Twenty20 - for just the clubs to compete. For seven matches in a year is neither here nor there.

"I’m sure that the charm of the World Twenty20 won’t be wasted on the followers only if the timings and the venue is more appropriate" © Getty Images

Why compare the ICC World Twenty20 tournament with the IPL at all? Anyone who knows and understands his cricket would give his right arm for the bigger, mature and more accomplished contest of the two. Of course, grumbles about the Twenty20 World Cup being a bit humdrum are growing. No doubt, the ICC version comes across as the plain-Jane of the Twenty20 format, especially after a dekko at the swankier IPL. The reasons though, could not be cricketing but purely commercial and logistical.

Timing
The World Twenty20 is happening on the heels of the IPL, which is certainly quite an overdose of this format. However much you like the sport and the format, there’s bound to be some viewer fatigue. Devout followers will still watch, but even they would choose their games. People who started following the sport only because of the IPL are most likely to give it a miss.

And it’s not just the timing of the tournament but also the timings of the matches which are detrimental to its following. To cater to the Indian audience, matches start at 9.30 am local time. But is it fair to expect the locals and tourists to flock the stadium? For example St Lucia, where India played their league matches, is a small tourist destination. How can you expect the tourists to wake up and be at the ground at 8am for the morning match? With hardly any live audience the atmosphere in the stadium goes for a toss. Unfortunately even starting that early isn’t solving all the problems. The second game starts at 11 pm IST and which means the match goes on till 2.30am. Regardless of how good the match is, most of the Indian audience will turn off their TV sets after midnight during weekdays.

Following
Since the IPL is an Indian tournament with Indian players involved in every game, a decent turnout in every stadium is guaranteed. But that’s not the case in the West Indies. Yes, they might come in droves to watch their home team in action, but one cannot blame them for not turning up to watch an India-Afghanistan game.

For me, another thing that is not exactly working for the World Twenty20’s is that all the matches are day games. The idea of donning coloured clothing and playing with the white ball was to add to the visual appeal. And that appeal can truly manifest itself if the matches are played under artificial lights. While you can have an odd day-game in coloured clothing, having all the games during day time is a dampener.

What we should be talking about is the cricket, not the paraphernalia. Obviously, we’ve been somewhat blinded by the glitz. But if comparisons are inevitable, then the World Twenty20 sweeps it away hands down - firstly, there’s no bigger honour than representing your country and no bigger charm than rooting for your country. Secondly, the quality of cricket played in the World Twenty20 is definitely a lot better than that of the IPL, for obvious reasons. The clash is always amongst the equals and you’re always bowling to or batting against a quality bowler which is equal to quality cricket.

I’m sure that the charm won’t be wasted on the followers only if the timings and the venue is more appropriate.

	Mohammad Nabi does what he is comfortable doing - going aerial © International Cricket Council

I’d first met Mohammad Nabi in England in the summer of 2007. I had driven from Stoke-on-Trent to Arundel to play a three-day match for MCC against Sri Lanka A. If you’re playing league cricket in England, first class matches are fairly hard to get by and hence I was excited about the prospects. After all, it was my first first class match in England. It was Nabi’s first class debut as well. Nabi had preferred to not speak much until I arrived, for he wasn’t too fluent in English. We ended up chatting a lot during the course of the match.

He was spotted by the MCC during their visit to Afghanistan and was given a scholarship for the summer. MCC sponsored his stay in England and also gave him opportunities to play cricket at a decent level. He was made to go through a rigorous fitness regimen during the weekdays and would get to play matches for a local club in London on weekends. In between, there were a few matches for MCC like the one we were scheduled to play in a few hours.

Nabi was anything but nervous on his first class debut. I realized that I was more keyed up for the match than him. After all it was my only first class game in the summer and my lone chance to send out a message to the touring Indian team. For him though, it was just another game of cricket. And voila, Nabi knocked everyone for six, and literally. He opened his account with a whopping six on the scoreboard and carried on in the same vain to score 43 with three sixes before trying one too many. I’m pretty sure not many players can boast of getting off the ground in their first class career with a six. If that was not enough, he opened his account in the second innings with a six too. A record of sorts there.

I happened to be at the other end this time around. He came in and was visibly struggling against some disciplined fast bowling. He scratched around for a while before exploding. He dispatched the fast bowler way over the midwicket fence to get going. It didn’t take long for Thilan Samaraweera, Sri Lanka skipper, to put most of his men on the boundary ropes. This is when I told Nabi to just take singles and milk the bowling. But his reply left me bewildered.

“I will hit fours and sixes if you tell me to, but singles are not my cup of tea”, Nabi told me rather naively. He simply couldn’t do it. Perhaps, he was never taught to, and nobody around him ever batted an eyelid on his inefficiency. I realized he needed to be left alone. Eventually, he holed out in the deep for 18, inclusive of two sixes.

I felt sorry for him since he had built up his game differently. More so, because no one had ever told him the importance of rotating the strike. Taking singles might be an art but not too difficult to acquire. I’m sure that if you could hit fours and sixes with ease, taking singles wouldn’t be too tough either. But he needed guidance and perhaps so did every cricketer in Afghanistan.

I chatted with him a bit more after the end of the days play. He told me how most Afghanistan cricketers actually live on the Pakistani side of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. They would cross the border to play cricket on concrete surfaces, long to become a part of the mainstream cricket and how they narrowly missed out in their last attempt.

I’m happy to see Afghanistan finally managing to breakthrough and appear on the map of world cricket. I am even happier to see Nabi in the team. I’d be backing him to hit his quintessential sixes and also hoping that he’s learned to rotate the strike since the last time we met.