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.

What makes matters worse for these domestic players, who are stamped as ‘Test players’, and ignored by the league on this very pretext, is that they are now being looked right through even for a selection to the higher berths, in spite of prospering in the Ranji Trophy. These players are pigeonholed to play a certain brand of cricket and nobody is willing to give them a fair run to showcase their talent in the shortest format. Their agony is doubled when they see their peers, some of them not even good enough to play for their state, stealing a march over them and enjoying plum IPL deals. Quite a double whammy!

Pity, they are contemplating a change in their batting style, becoming a tad too flashy, brazen, restless, and ever so aggressive, even if it means going for cheap in the ‘lacklustre’ longer format. But, even as they do get swept off by the winds of change, they continue to feel as insecure as they did a few years ago. Nothing, not the IPL, not even the Ranji Trophy, has succeeded in making these rather brilliant players feel safe.

A place in the Ranji side is as unpredictable as the outcome of the next innings, for past laurels can only take a player so far. While the pay packets for Ranji players have gotten better, their chances of getting a promotion haven't. My question, though, is larger – Why has playing in the IPL become so important? So much so, that it is either as good as playing for the country or not playing cricket at all. Think over.

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.

That reminds me of a match at the Karnail Singh Stadium a few years ago. There were stud marks on the good-length area on the eve of the match. The players were asked not to wear spikes while playing and, as expected, the match got over in five sessions with spinners ruling the roost. A debutant got a five-for and with that he cemented his place for the next few games and years. While everyone was aware of his abilities, the figures told a different story. The team lugged him around till he bowled straight into the keeper's gloves a few times in another first-class game and made a laughing stock of himself and the team. One under-prepared track not only made a mediocre cricketer last a few games but also blocked the way for talented youngsters from getting a look-in.

If underprepared tracks are misleading, the tracks, as good as roads, are equally flattering, as batsmen, in this case, make merry. What’s worse is that it's not the nature of the track but the intent which is at fault on most occasions. The tracks for the Ranji Trophy semi-finals and finals this year got noted for the bounce and seam movement for the bowlers. The track in Delhi might not be the best surface in the country, but, if prepared properly, can assist the seamers and last a good four days. The onus is on the match referees to start pulling up the hosts for not preparing a sporting wicket which should be followed by a stern action from the BCCI. The danger of getting banned or huge financial penalty will work as a deterrent for the curator to not give in to the unreasonable demands of the team management. The chalta hai approach has gone on for way too long and it's time to change the thinking. The rest shall follow.

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.

And hence, the format was changed to Elite and Plate in which good teams played against each other on home and away basis. Now, you could learn to play the moving ball in Delhi’s winter and also tackle the turner in Chennai in the same season.
If just a couple of changes in a format could reap exceptional results for domestic four-day matches, then why the delay in implementing them in the shorter formats? At the moment, domestic Twenty20s and fifty-over matches are being played within the Zone and the top two teams qualify for the knockouts. Obviously then, the lapses of the old format are still plaguing the development of these shorter games. The first round of domestic one-day matches gets over in 7-9 days, which is as gruelling as it can get. At times you play on two consecutive days, like we did here in Kanpur. Or you could be playing on alternate days, as it’s done in the North, but the rest day is consumed by travelling from Chandigarh to Patiala.

When the Elite-Plate format has worked well for us, why the fixation with matches between teams within the Zone? It seems that while we have successfully adopted one format, we are still afraid of letting go of the other one. If we want to continuously evolve as a cricketing nation, we must keep evolving at all levels. If shelving a few tournaments or formats is the way forward, then so be it.

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.

Back then, the Duleep Trophy was held on a league basis, which meant you played at least one game against each of the remaining four zones. This was then altered a bit by involving a foreign team to raise the level of competition, and having two groups of three teams. Even then, it meant at least two league games, with the top team from each group making it to the finals.

The format has now changed completely, with the exclusion of foreign teams and the tournament being held on a knock-out basis. The finalists from last season, along with a team picked randomly, get a bye to the semi-finals, while the remaining two teams play a quarter-final. While, in theory, a bye is a fitting reward for the defending champions and runners-up, it may not actually be the best situation for the players involved. By playing one less match, their batting and bowling statistics take a hit. One wants to have as many innings under the belt to pile on the runs or increase one’s tally of wickets. But in this case, if your team did well the previous season, you get fewer chances to play.

The knock-out matches, with the exception of the final, are four-day games, which in most cases means the match gets decided on the basis of the first-innings lead, unless the track is under-prepared which is very unlikely at this level. A four-day knock-out match doesn’t exactly challenge the teams enough and also mean that you might end up getting only one opportunity to showcase your skills, which may be insufficient and also dull to watch.

Just to make matters tougher for the players, there are only three days between the end of the Ranji final and the first Duleep Trophy game. The players who feature in the finals are, quite understandably, a tired lot and seldom find the enthusiasm to raise the bar so soon. Also, since the team has only one or two practice sessions together before the match, the chances of these talented individuals working as a team are not too high. Obviously then, the emphasis is on personal performances with very little regard to the demands of the team.

The Duleep Trophy is a great concept, but to ensure that its importance is not wasted on the players, the tournament needs an overhaul. More matches need to be played in order to give everyone a fair chance to make a mark, while a longer gap between the Ranji and Duleep Trophy games would ensure the zones play as teams.

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.

But what is the big deal with these Kookaburra balls? Aren’t they all of the same size, same weight and same shape? Yes, but once you use the Kookaburra; you’d know the difference immediately. The new Kookaburra ball has a more pronounced seam than its SG counterpart and for some reason swings a lot more in the air too. It goes without saying that the pronounced seam ensures more seam movement off the surface too. But the flip side is that the moment it gets old, the seam gets embedded in the surface and ceases to both swing and seam. Now, you must hit the deck hard to get purchase, for releasing the ball would only mean getting punished.

On the contrary, SG Test balls assist swing bowlers for the entire duration if the shine on one side is maintained. The seam doesn’t fade away either, which helps the spinners to get purchase. Quite obviously, and unfortunately though, if you’ve always bowled with the SG Test ball, you’d automatically become a release bowler relying on swing, which most of our bowlers do.

Also, the Kookaburra plays to its full potential on surfaces best suited for it. Hence, the track should be prepared extremely hard with a lot of bounce. No wonder, Kookaburra flourishes on the hard surfaces of Australia and South Africa, while on home tracks of Karnail Singh and Kotla, both lacking the hardness, it spells doom. Also, not leaving too much grass on the track is vital, for it makes the new ball almost unplayable.

The question being – is playing with the Kookaburra, only once in a year, enough to fine-tune the muscle memory? Of course, one needs to play with this ball more often to really mould the game to suit its demands. It’s unrealistic to expect a player to remember its nuances when you don’t use it regularly. If you follow the scorecards of Duleep Trophy since this ball got introduced, you’d see the middle-order batsmen blooming while the openers scratching around, for handling the new Kookaburra is the toughest bit. Batting gets remarkably easier as the ball gets older. That may not particularly be the best assessment of a player’s calibre.

Isn’t it grossly unfair to expect a bowler to bowl with a different ball, handing it to him just before the match, sparing him no time to acclimatize. Isn’t it same as telling the batsman to use a different bat, minutes before he goes in to bat? It’s a general consensus among the players that if we need to use this ball, we must use it more often. Hosting every alternate round of Ranji Trophy with the Kookaburra ball won’t be a bad option.

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.

We, on the other hand, realised our mistakes. We tried to undo our errors with the second new ball and managed a mini-comeback to restrict the East Zone from posting a mammoth total. 428 was by no means paltry, but at 284/2, one would have expected them to exceed 500 with ease. They failed to, and in spite of mounting the pressure, East didn’t bat us completely out of the game.

If Central Zone had the resources, East Zone had the resolve. They made up for their lower batting order failure with a spirited bowling effort. The Kookaburra ball behaves in a very peculiar fashion, it swings and seams (if the conditions are conducive) while it’s new. Both the shine and seam disappears the moment it gets old and it becomes hard toil for the bowlers (more about the Kookaburra ball in my next column). East’s bowling was not even half as threatening as ours but their discipline and hunger to gain the first-innings lead made all the difference. They bowled their heart out and with a lot of discipline, to gain a slender lead, which everyone thought was enough to book a place in the semi-finals.

But Pankaj Singh and co. had other plans. They ran in hard, hit the right areas consistently and made the ball swing and seam. If Pankaj bowled with a lot of pace, RP Singh bowled with a lot of control. Then Umesh Yadav came and blew away the rest, for his pace was too hot to handle for the lower order. Orissa Cricket Association deserves a special mention for making a track which had something in it for the bowlers even on the last day. The bounce was consistent (slightly higher than the slow/low tracks we find in most other venues) and there was enough movement off the surface if you pitched the ball in the right areas. The grass remained green till the last day and wasn’t there just to keep the surface together.

We wouldn’t have clawed our way back into the game if the track had been docile. Kudos to the curator! This particular game showed, once again, that talent without resolve is simply not good enough. And if talented men put their mind to matter, even the inconceivable can be achieved.

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.

This is one of the new innovations the BCCI has made in the current first-class season. While they had installed six cameras to cover every first-class match a few years ago, the referral system for run-outs and stumping decision is introduced this year. It required an upgraded software and better-trained analysts to make it work smoothly (recording, rewinding and replaying it in real-time needs expertise) but the BCCI must be given due credit for both spending the money and the making the effort. It takes a few minutes (approximately three minutes for a decision) at the moment, but any batsman worth his salt would tell you that it’s better to wait for a few minutes than to take the long walk back.

The BCCI has also introduced a couple of new rules in the last few seasons, which unfortunately aren’t half as helpful as the referral system. One such rule is about the ‘comfort break’. In the past, players could go off the field for up to 8 minutes without getting penalised but it’s not the case anymore. These so called ‘comfort breaks’ are a no-no. Even ‘nature’s call’ isn’t a valid excuse to get a substitute. The umpires won’t stop you from going off but won’t allow the substitute either. And that led to a funny incident in an Under-16 match. A kid desperately wanted to relieve himself but the umpire categorically denied the substitute. His coach was adamant too, didn’t allow the poor guy to come off the field, for it would have meant fielding with 10 players. The young kid, left to his own devices, couldn’t control anymore and relieved himself on the boundary rope. All that for a rule!

But here’s the catch—you can go off to get medical attention. Nowadays, players don’t go out to relieve themselves but go on the pretext of getting taping done. This rule has encouraged players to lie and that’s where the problem lies. Any rule which leads to cheating needs to be looked at closely. Yes, the players had abused this rule to go off the field to rest immediately after finishing their spell. But it doesn’t really need a rule to stop players from doing it; on-field umpires can and should take control of the proceedings.

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.

If a points system promotes a dull game, isn’t it flawed? The easiest way of winning a match is to bat for the longest time possible and then hope for the opposition to buckle under the mountain of runs. If time and the number of runs are the only concerns, who will care about the scoring rate? And why would anyone declare in order to set up the match for a thrilling finish?

My suggestion is to take a leaf out of the English system where you get points for taking wickets and scoring runs and not for taking the lead. For example, the batting team should get a point each for every 75 runs scored after 125 runs with a maximum of five points. However, they would get points only till the 125th over which means that they should score 425 runs by then at a healthy rate of 3.40 runs per over. Similarly, the fielding side would get a point each for taking two wickets, with a maximum of five for 10 wickets. So if the team batting first opts to bat for more than 125 overs, only the fielding side will have a chance to gain points after that which would encourage teams to declare.

The same applies in the second innings but with another five points for winning the game. This will ensure that teams set up the match to have realistic chances of a result. But the rider is that the losing team will hold on to its bowling and batting points. In the current scenario, a loss means zero points, which discourages teams from taking risks. With so many points on offer, losing teams will have the chance to make up for those extra five points in the following games.

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.

Hyderabad were blown away for 21 in the first innings against Rajasthan and then subsequently in the match and quite justifiably got no points. You can penalise a team for playing poorly, but can certainly not reprimand them for not giving any quarters to the opposition. In fact, playing poorly can also fetch you one point, if you concede the lead.

This could well be a classic situation to throw away the match too. If both teams were tied on the same number of points and one team needed the points to either get promoted or stave off relegation, it was worth allowing the opposition to either overhaul the total, or throw away wickets to concede the first-innings lead. This would at least ensure one point which is definitely better than none. Undoubtedly then, there is an obvious flaw in this rule, for it may force people to change the natural course of the match in order to gain a point.

You might say that since both teams didn’t get a point, nobody lost out. But little do we realise that it allowed Hyderabad to come even at the points table and are now joint third at the top. A point for each team would have steered them clear of rest. For now though, Rajasthan & MP pay for the absurdity of certain bizarre rules.

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.”

It’s not like he does not respect Dravid’s accomplishments. In fact he seems to be in awe of him and his achievements but is perhaps too scared to follow in his footsteps, for it demands sincerity and discipline of the highest order. He confesses it’s too much hard work for way too long. When something similar or perhaps better, in his eyes, can be achieved with slogging then why tire yourself, batting for countless hours? In any case, who wants to go back to school again, was his thinking.

But is this how the next generation is thinking? The more I interact with the younger lot, especially the ones who have had a taste of the money and fame brought by the IPL, the more certain I become that the best Test cricketers India will ever see, are the current lot.

And it’s not just the attitude but also the approach towards the game which vindicates my point. In another junior cricket game, two openers had been batting together. One, had an IPL deal, and the other was searching for one. The guy who hadn’t got the IPL contract was technically more solid than the other. But he was the one who’s throwing caution to the winds, for he not only wanted a contract but was also desperate to change people’s opinion of him. To be called a player suited only for the longer format isn’t something to be proud of; in fact today it is actually considered offensive.

The scales are heavily tilted in favour of the ones playing in the money-spinning IPL with regard to both money and recognition, and in some cases even selection. And if nothing is done soon enough to change that rather warped perception, at the risk of sounding cynical, this current set of players might be the last group who will see India at the top of Test rankings.

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.

The first case I’m looking at is that of the highest run scorer in the domestic Twenty20 competition, Chetan Sharma. His batting is tailor-made for the slam-bang format, but quite obviously lacks the temperament and technique to last in the longer version of the game. In all likelihood, he won’t be able to fulfill the 60% representation criteria and would have to ask the Board for special permission which he may or may not get. Assuming that not everyone gets the special permission, what would be the yardstick for such permissions, I wonder. And if everyone would eventually be allowed, then why seek one?

Now, is it really necessary to be a good player in all formats to earn your living? Not too long ago, it was the other way around. People who weren’t well-versed with the Twenty20 format were treated as second-class citizens, given that a domestic player is identified with his IPL franchise and if you don’t have one, you merely exist as just a cricketer. Now, if you aren’t playing in the longer format (which means you aren’t earning well, in any case), you can’t also play in the format you prefer and make money. The world doesn’t exist peacefully in extremes, for there has to be room for everyone.

If playing domestic cricket was so vital then why did we include the clause that every franchise must hire two Under-22 cricketers, in the first place? In fact a lot of franchises were also encouraged to take India Under-19 cricketers on board, if not for the current season, then for future editions. Jaidev Unadkat was one of the players distributed amongst eight franchisees by the draw of lots. One look in the IPL was enough for him to jump the queue and get picked for the India-A team which toured England. Mind you, he played his first first-class match as an India-A cricketer in England. Now, he’s the fourth-choice medium pacer in Test cricket, but it may not have happened if he was to play 60% of domestic games before getting a go in the IPL.

Finally, the case of obtaining a presumably simple NOC from the state association - why would Mumbai allow young left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh to play in the IPL? I wouldn’t; if I was heading the organisation, for he is one of the few guys who still flights the ball and is suited for the longer format. There is a real threat of him losing his way to suit the demands of the Twenty20 format. But what if he isn’t given the NOC? Will someone pay for the financial losses he would incur?

What do you make of this? Your opinion.

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?

But this cutback has an even bigger impact on the earnings of these domestic performers. Being on the list of contracted cricketers would have ensured their eligibility for auction at the IPL, meaning money based on their market value. But just to add to their woes, their maximum salary was already decided earlier based on the year of their first-class debut and not performances. While some players might still cobble something together with the new order, players like Pankaj Singh and Rahane, perceived inept for the T20 format, might suddenly find themselves in a fix. Now, they would be lucky to get a half-decent deal from a franchise.

And if things weren’t already looking sordid enough, the major part of a domestic match fee, which comes from the BCCI’s annual revenues, has also come down massively in the last couple of seasons. It started with a player getting nearly Rs. 37,000 per day which has now been slashed to about Rs. 22,000 thousand. The earnings of domestic players are taking a hit every year, but not many bother, except the players, who’re at the receiving end.

Your thoughts?

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.

He also takes his pupils to a summer camp in Rishikesh every year. While the kids pay for their travelling expense, Tyagi takes care of everything else including the boarding and lodging. They stay in a basic dharamshala and the day starts at 5 am with yoga. Then they run in the hills, followed by some strengthening exercises using their own body weight in the evening. It may be preferable to choose a place with modern facilities, but since that’s not financially feasible, a get away to Rishikesh during the peak summer season is the next best thing.

The coach also takes great care in preparing the practice tracks in Hanumangarh. It would always have a good covering of grass and decent bounce to keep the pace men interested. Slowly but steadily his efforts have started bearing fruit - most of the fast bowlers representing Rajasthan at various age group levels now come from Hanumangarh. In fact, there are so many of them, they have started lending bowlers to other districts.

I am told that there was a time when nine out of the playing XI were fast bowlers in the district’s team. Deepak would either open or bat at number 3 for his side, which did well in improving his batting skills, but obviously meant trouble for the team. They would regularly dismiss the other side for a paltry total, but would get out for an even lower total. The district got relegated twice to be in the lowest division. Nobody, though, seems to complaining.

If one man’s dedication and passion can do so much, a collective effort towards a particular goal could easily do wonders. What say?

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.

I remember somebody asked me on Twitter, in September, if I had seen any new, young, raw talent, and I mentioned Chahar's name there. I have admired the way he bowls, the talent he possesses, the attitude he has, and the way he carries himself. He is a good promising kid with a bright future, and with his head in the right place, and priorities sorted out. He brings with him a lot of hunger to succeed. You just have to throw the ball at him, in fact he will snatch it from you. He has that Ishant Sharma attitude.

There was something in the track for the bowlers, but definitely not so much that somebody should come and take eight wickets on debut. The track had no such demons, the kind there were, for instance, for our game against Orissa in 2008-09. It was nowhere near that track. Our score of 220 for 2 by stumps tells the story.

Chahar, though, bowled really well. That nobody had seen him before helped, as did his ability to swing the ball both ways. I won't say he is rapid, and you don't expect a swing bowler to be rapid. If you had to draw a parallel with somebody, he would be like a Praveen Kumar or a Manoj Prabhakar, someone who had good control over swing, and a really good wrist position that got the ball to swing. They aren't rapid either. He is built like them too, not too tall.
Similarly Chahar has a brilliant wrist position that allows him to bowl with the seam upright. Like we say in Delhi, uske haath mein swing hai [his hand has the swing]. The outswingers got the edges, the inswingers got them lbw and bowled.

The ball that he bowled to get DB Ravi Teja was a beauty. He is an opener, and he knows how to play the new ball. But if you haven't played Chahar before, there is a chance you will get fooled by the inswinger. His stock ball is the one that goes away, and swings appreciably, and the inswinger comes in like a banana. That's what happened with Ravi Teja. He was caught on the crease, completely clueless, and dead plumb. It was as if he had planned to leave the ball because it started way outside off, but it came back and thudded halfway up his pads. That was one of his best deliveries today.

Chahar is a good, young kid with a lot of energy, so much energy that you have to tell him, “Boss there is something called rest. You can't be bowling all the time. Running all the time.” Once he got the five-for, that celebration was special. It felt extra special knowing that his father had given up his Air Force job just so that Deepak could play cricket.

His family is from Agra, and it was during his father's Jaipur posting that Deepak started playing cricket. You feel good for the kid when you know so much is riding on his performance. His family lives in Agra, and wasn't there to witness his debut, but I am sure he will give them more opportunities to watch him perform well.

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.

These teams not only consistently fail to surprise people by causing a few upsets, but also fail to produce quality players, which in my opinion is a much bigger crime. When all the state associations get a huge share of BCCI money every year, it’s only fair to expect them to improve the state of cricket. And let me assure you that it’s not only the teams from the Plate division who are guilty of not doing enough, the teams in the Elite are to be blamed equally for the poor show. In fact, some Plate division teams spend more time and effort to upgrade the facilities and have put a proper structure in place to ensure progress. And that’s why we are increasingly seeing good players coming from small towns and teams.

In my opinion, there are two ways of improving the fate of cricket in a state. The easier route, albeit taken by a lot of teams, is to hire professionals and expect them to take the team to the next level. But this is only a quick-fix, which is guaranteed to backfire in the longer run. Assam followed this to the T and the professionals helped them qualify to the Elite division last year, but the sustainability at the top would depend on the other eight players now.

While there’s nothing wrong with the first approach, it’s mandatory to supplement it with serious work at the grass-root level. Eventually, home-grown talent must take over from the seniors and take their team forward. Rajasthan is following the first path by hiring professionals but also spending both time and money on cricket development. There’s serious effort to have state-of-the-art academies in every district, running a 12-month program, something a lot of teams in the Elite division can also adhere to. It may take some time for the young kids to make a mark but it’s just a matter of when and not if.

But there are certain associations who neither spend money on hiring professionals nor on cricket development. How they are spending the money received from the BCCI is anybody’s guess, for they haven’t even developed a decent ground in so many years. And these associations must be taken to task by slapping a financial penalty for non-performance, both with regards to the results and producing/nurturing talent. Nothing hurts people more than the money being taken away from them.

Your thoughts?

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.

To my utter disbelief and pleasure, the set-up in the Central Zone is very different to the one in the North. Firstly, and more importantly, the matches here are played at an international venue, which in turn means state-of-the-art facilities for all players. Instead of going for the easier option of having two grounds and only day matches, they’ve opted to have only one ground and even have a match under lights. And since just switching on the floodlights turns a cricket match into a spectacle, the stadia too saw a modest turnout. Enthusiastic fans turned up, maybe not in huge numbers, but they did turn up to catch a glimpse of the stars and cheer for their favourite teams.

That apart, there still are potent issues lurking in the backdrop – for instance, the timing of the ongoing domestic Twenty20 tournament [the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Twenty20 tournament], being held only a week before the all important first-class season. Right now the players are practicing their throw-caution-to-the-wind skills with the white ball but are expected to switch gears in just about five days for the longer format. Most teams though, have identified the Ranji Trophy as their preferred tournament and the one that they have set their eye on, and are hence preparing accordingly. A catch-22 of sorts - players have to up the ante in Twenty20, to make sure they catch the eye of the IPL scouts, and also, get back in the groove, well in time for the longer format. It may mean playing a slightly different brand of cricket in the first round of Ranji Trophy, but then, so be it.

And then, can anyone explain why the knockouts of the Twenty20 tournament have been planned a good five months later in March? Having the league phase in October and knockouts after such a long gap makes little sense. It not only takes away the continuity but also the charm of the tournament. It’s like watching a thriller and then asking the audience to wait five months for the climax. And from the organizer’s perspective, it’s nothing short of shooting yourself in the foot. Also, what about the Twenty20 specialists, who after this tournament, may not find a place in the Ranji mix, and would be left in the lurch for four months?

Wouldn’t it be better to find a two-week window either at the end of the season or at the beginning and finish this tournament in one stretch? By having it in two halves, separated by four months, is as good as devaluing its importance and robbing it off the thrill, the format is known for.

Till next time ... goodbye.

"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.

This is the story of two successful 50-overs domestic tournaments which promised and delivered, yet fizzled out in due course of time. The reason isn’t hard to pin down - this year’s edition of the Challenger trophy is played at a time when India is locking horns with Australia in a Test series, meaning that the best 16 players would not be available to participate in the tournament. The timing of the tournament has defeated the very purpose of its inception. Since playing under lights is no longer a catch for the domestic player, post the IPL, the only lure is to compete with the stalwarts, an opportunity the Challenger Trophy offered. After all how difficult would it be to find a four-day window to hold one of the most important domestic tournaments?

And then the case of the Corporate Trophy which involved more teams this year; however bigger is not always better. All the teams played three consecutive 50-over games in three days, with the top team in each group making it to the knockouts. How does one expect the quality of cricket to be good when you play every day? Obviously some of the games became a drag and failed to produce quality cricket. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if some of these teams choose not to take part next year.

The point is simple – genuine efforts must be made to sustain a potentially successful property; not only to safeguard its sanctity, but also to keep both the players and the viewers hooked. And if the calendar doesn’t allow a show, dump it, otherwise it becomes obligatory and lacklustre.

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.

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.

"If you don’t have a good enough team to compete then you must hire professionals to make one" © Cricinfo Ltd

A couple of years ago, Wasim Akram, when asked about Indian domestic structure, remarked - “To improve the standard of cricket, India must reduce the number of teams playing in the Ranji Trophy."

He went on to observe that India "were sacrificing quality for quantity". Well, I beg to differ with him on this. While I acknowledge that it is imperative to have a strong domestic set-up, one also needs to understand the dynamics of this country. We are a nation of a billion people with cricket as our religion. Obviously then we need a bigger platform to accommodate its students.

Wasim’s comments perhaps stem from his appreciation for the strong Australian and South African domestic models with only six teams apiece. While the set-up has proved to be a success in these countries, in India it might well filter out talent from the heap rather than identifying and nurturing it. Let’s face it, a total of 27 teams in the Ranji Trophy amounts to just about 297 playing members from a pool of thousands across the length and breadth of the country. Trimming these figures down would well mean snatching away of crucial opportunities.

Quality, undeniably, is a huge concern, and the BCCI has by and large taken measures to ensure just that. State teams can now field up to three professionals in the playing XI. The onus is on the state associations to make use of this opportunity along with the funds provided by the BCCI.

Talking quality, teams in the Plate League are often criticised for the lack of it. Some feel that they deserve to be kept in that division for their sheer non-performance. At one level it’s absolutely just that they bear the repercussions of not improving as a state team but at another level their poor standard isn’t good for the health of the game in India. Also if the teams in the Plate League don’t progress, the Zonal one-day matches, which are currently in progress, would also lose its relevance.

I’d stick to my suggestion of having three groups of nine teams. Instead of just a couple of teams swapping places, a good idea would be to have three teams getting relegated and promoted every season. Teams who don’t show any signs of improvement in terms of results and producing good cricketers should not only be relegated but also be slapped with a financial penalty. The process is quite straight forward: if you don’t have a good enough team to compete then you must hire professionals to make one. Assam did exactly the same thing in the ongoing first-class season and was successful. They not only topped their group but also qualified for the quarter-finals. With that they have ensured a place in the Elite League for the next season. It’s time for others to follow suit.

	Each domestic team should play at least eight first-class games © Cricinfo Ltd

Six different trophies, three different formats, all crammed up into a five- month window - India’s domestic season runs at a breakneck speed. To make matters a wee bit tougher for the players, only a three-day breather is granted between first-class matches (in the league phase) and even lesser between the shorter formats.

Perhaps, one wouldn’t have whined over this ‘cricket congestion’ if it had served the purpose it had accidentally set for itself. One would assume that a choc-a-block schedule like this, might amount to teams and players getting a lot more games to showcase their talent. Unfortunately though, this isn’t exactly how it transpires on the ground.

Would you believe if I were to tell you that quite a few teams/players play only five first-class matches in these five months - a match a month? And those five matches get over in five straight weeks. All hell would break loose if one gets injured or goes out of form during these five weeks. There’s hardly any scope of recuperating from an injury or regaining form in such a short time. Odds often stack up when time runs out.

To this crisis, add another five matches each of 50 overs, yet another set of pressure-laden Twenty20s and the team’s fortunes of an unyielding season get sealed.

This is pretty much the story of those teams playing in the Plate division, which unfortunately do not qualify for the knock-outs in all the three formats. There are eight such teams in the Plate division which is nearly a third of the total number of teams (27) playing in the Ranji Trophy.

But things are quite different for the teams that make up the Elite division. More number of teams in this division (15) mean more matches, and more matches in turn mean more chances of displaying and polishing one’s skill. Six teams out of 15 in the Elite division qualify for the knock-outs as opposed to two from 12 in the Plate division. Also, players playing in the Elite division get noticed a lot more which in turn brightens up their chances of getting a place in the Zonal side for the Duleep Trophy. All of this puts the this division players on a higher pedestal, something which perhaps has hitherto not been taken into account.

In my opinion, talent without opportunities is as bad as having no talent at all. In order to give everyone equal number of outings, we must change the existing system of distinction between Elite and Plate division.

My suggestion would be to divide the 27 teams into three groups/divisions of nine teams each instead of the existing two. This set up would ensure each team play a minimum of eight first-class games. The winners could be decided through knock-outs. This revamped order is sure to consume more time and hence might even take a toll on the Duleep Trophy. Yet, it would be an idea worth a thought. After all, the Duleep Trophy is also a knock-out tournament and only one team can play three games, i.e. the team playing the quarter-finals also ends up playing the finals. The rest play either one or two games at the most.

Counterparts in Australia and South Africa host 10 first-class games for each team, while the number shoots up to 16 in England. The idea is simply to provide the players with a) equal and ample opportunities to showcase their talent, and b) a less complicated roaster which leaves the players the time to recover and get back.

	Getting young and enthusiastic spectators involved with players is a must © Cricinfo Ltd.

Dear readers,

Isn’t it a pity that there weren’t even 100 people at the ground to watch Rahul Dravid bat during Karnataka’s match against Delhi? Well, enough has been written and talked about the interest a domestic game generates or the lack of it. Not many people turn up to watch a Ranji game despite some of the international players playing and more importantly representing their own state which I guess should mean something. After all we see fierce loyalty by the same people towards their team during the IPL.

What needs to be done?

We have seen that free entry into the stadium isn’t translating into numbers and hence a different, more aggressive approach is required. It starts from publicising using different mediums and radio seems to be the easiest and cheapest way of spreading the word. The domestic matches, at least in the games where international players are available, should be built into personal clashes.

How about watching Praveen Kumar bowling to Virat Kohli? Or Suresh Raina batting against Irfan Pathan?

Then the scores should also be aired in the evening. The idea is to make people aware about the guys who’re representing their state at the highest level. Once the sense of belonging happens, I have no doubt in my mind that people would start turning up for the matches too. I’m not claiming that the numbers will be huge but at least there won’t be empty stadiums.

Incentive

How about having a contest and the selected few get an interactive session with the players at the end of the match? One could also organise so that the best supporters get a training session with the team in between matches! Distributing team merchandise and autograph bats could also help in attracting kids.

Beginning

It would be unrealistic to expect people to miss their school/office and sit through four days of a Ranji Trophy match. Hence it should start with making all domestic one-day matches a day-night affair. By doing that one could make it to the ground even after their school or a day at office. Once they get to know their local stars they’d automatically follow their performances for the rest of the season. And some of them might turn up to watch the longer version too.

Players doing their bit

We, the players from Delhi and UP, did a Pulse Polio campaign during our Ranji Trophy match in Lucknow. The event was widely covered by the local media which in turn created the right buzz for both the cause and the match in the city. Players were forthcoming in their support for the event and there’s no reason that they won’t do the same if it helps promote domestic cricket. It’s just a matter of creating right platforms.

The focus, in the beginning, should be on bringing people to the ground. Initially this might cost the association some money but will have long term benefits including making money out of it.

Hi guys,

The Baroda-UP match in Ghaziabad had a sizeable crowd at the ground. The same scenes were repeated during our game against UP in Lucknow. While it’s great for the local public to get the opportunity to see their stars from close quarters without spending money, the players also feel good to finally have an audience. After all, cricket is played for a couple of core reasons and one of them is to entertain people.

Personally, I prefer having all the first-class matches at Test centers because that’s where players will eventually be playing international cricket once they graduate from the domestic level. But we have seen that, at Test centers, regardless of the players involved in the match, people don’t turn up. Perhaps it’s because they get ample opportunities to see international stars on a regular basis in both international and IPL games and hence they don’t feel the need to watch them again in the non-glamorous domestic matches. But for the people in smaller towns, it seems like a God-sent opportunity and that is made clear through their actions.

They come in big numbers and create enough noise throughout the day to make their presence felt. I remember one such game in Rohtak. There were at least 5000 people in the ground and the buzz around the stadium was unbelievable.

The only drawback of playing at smaller venues is the quality of facilities provided to the players. In Rohtak and now in Lucknow, the practice surfaces were way below par. No one in their right minds would have toyed with the idea of having a hit in the nets were a first-class game not looming large the following day. Bowlers do not bowl at full throttle and are asked not to bowl short because they could hurt the batsmen.

While the outfield in Rohtak was pretty good, the ground in Lucknow was quite uneven. On such outfields, safety is at the top of the priority list when the ball is hit in your direction, and making a good stop or affecting a run-out become secondary concerns. Let’s not forget the importance of a good playing strip, which is also an area of concern in smaller venues due to the lack of first-class games played on the strip.

Another thing that goes unnoticed is the standard of the dressing rooms. The dressing rooms and the toilets at most of the smaller venues are not good enough to host a first-class game. Also what about the basic civic amenities for the people who come to watch? These things need to be kept in mind to ensure that players are not hesitant to play at smaller centers and the spectators get value for time spent watching our matches. It’s only when all these things are taken care of that the game can reach out to more grounds and cities.

Cheers.

Hello friends,

Imagine this - There are two nets and about 15 batsmen queuing up for a few throw downs. Quite chaotic, you might think. Before you start racking your brains let me tell you that it wasn’t some kind of competition or a coaching session. It was the scene at the nets every morning of our T20 tournament. There were four state teams playing in the two morning matches at two adjacent grounds but at the same venue. All teams shared the facilities right from the dining area to the lavatories. Only the dressing rooms were not shared as makeshift dressing rooms (a covered seating area) were erected for two teams at the adjacent ground. The scenes at the nets were quite interesting both on the eve of the match and every morning.

Firstly, batsmen were not allowed to use spikes while batting for the fear of ruining the surface. Well, would they tell the same batsmen not to wear spikes during the match? Then, since there were only two nets to accommodate players from four teams, none of the batsmen would get more than a few balls for throw downs. Is it the ideal preparation for a match?

Yet, a set up like this definitely helped in building up the camaraderie between players from different states. Sharing the same net for throw downs meant that a bowler from Punjab was bowling to a player from Delhi and Haryana along with bowling to a batsman from his own side.

You might wonder why the batsmen didn’t have a hit in an open area? Why were they crammed up in just two nets? The early morning dew makes the outfield quite wet. And of course, bats tend to spoil if played with a wet ball. Please don’t get me wrong I’m not blaming the hosts because there’s only so much they can do. The infrastructure is not meant to accommodate so many cricketers at the same time.

Then every state team had five matches in six days. At times the team which played the game in the afternoon, finishing at 5pm, was back at the ground at 8.30am the following morning to play their next game, staring at 10am. The teams which had back to back morning matches had it easy but only just. The morning match would finish at 1pm, with the next match scheduled for 10am the following day, sparing less than 24 hours for the player to rest and recover.

Also, we all realise that a T20 game doesn’t require as much effort as a fifty over game. But then why don’t we see other T20 leagues and tournaments around the world getting over in a week? Another problem along with high fatigue levels, perhaps leading to injuries, is that there’s hardly any time to recover. The loss which should hurt is not that bitter and the win is not that sweet either! After all there’s another game to be played in less than 24 hours. How long can you mull over a loss or celebrate a win?

Nevertheless, I’m tempted to call this T20 tournament a ‘carnival’ not because it lacked the seriousness of a tournament but for the environment it created. Ninety players from six states assembled every day, ate together, shared stories and renewed friendships. One rarely gets an opportunity like this.

Ciao

Dear Readers,

As promised here are the answers to some of the questions you'd asked.

Posted by: Chintan Shah on February 24, 2009 11:00 AM

Hi Aakash,
I’m a big fan of your articles on Cricinfo. I was trying to find your book in local bookstores but could not get it. Maybe I didn’t try enough, but I would surely buy it soon.
My Question to you is about our domestic cricket scheduling. County cricket has four tournaments just like we do, they also have a two-tier approach, plus they have Twenty20 tournaments too which we do not – in our domestic circuit - thanks to the IPL. Why can’t we have a schedule just like them? The counties play four day-games in a week and play a one-day match over the weekend, that way both the Ranji Trophy and Ranji one-dayers can be held together. Similarly, the Duleep Trophy needs more matches, it simply cannot be a knockout tournament.

Dear Chintan,
We used to follow a similarly formatted schedule earlier i.e. playing a one-day match a day before the longer version. But all this changed when the Elite and Plate divisions were introduced in the Ranji Trophy. The old zonal system continued for the one-day tournament, though. Hence, it isn’t possible to hold both formats in the same week. I won’t be surprised to see the Elite and Plate divisions introduced soon in the shorter format as well.
Yes, I completely agree that there could be more matches in the Duleep trophy.

Posted by: Angi on February 24, 2009 11:20 AM

Dharamsala is a beautiful place - wonderful scenery and locations.
I'm a bit curious to know one thing: when did you first debut in the Ranji Trophy? I mean, did you represent your school teams first and then some clubs - basically, how did you get noticed?

Dear Angi,
I made my first class debut in 1997 against Services.

Yes, one needs to play for the school team, then some club and eventually in age-group tournaments for the state. One must do well enough in the age-group tournaments to get noticed and picked to play for the state team at first-class level.

Posted by: Vikram Kewalramani on February 24, 2009 12:31 PM

Hey Aakash,
Love your book. I live in Canada but I made sure that I got one sent to me as I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts.

According to you, what is the difference in pre-match preparation between a Test player v/s an above-average Ranji player for the same game? (Let’s say a Laxman versus a Mithun Minhas.) Or to compare Apples with apples (how do you/ Gambhir differ in preparation versus a Rajat Bhatia/ Minhas? )
Thanks,
Vikram

Dear Vikram,
Many thanks for your feedback and I appreciate the effort you made to get hold of my book; and I’m glad that you liked it.

In the end, it’s all about what works for each individual. There are no fool proof methods of preparing. As they say, if you’re not prepared to succeed you must be ready to fail. Hence, prepare we must.

Posted by: Raghu on February 24, 2009 3:18 PM

Aakash, saw your scores in the tournament, looks like you’re on a purple patch, hope you continue making the big runs.

Here's my question - I am sure its hard to adjust to a higher level of the game when you take a step up but how difficult is it for a player to adjust to a lower level of the game after having played at the highest level? For instance you have played in the best of the grounds and against the best bowlers in the world in Australia, so how difficult is it to adjust to the not-so-great grounds and face lower quality - if I may say so - bowling in domestic cricket.

Dear Raghu,

Well, it doesn’t take me a lot to adjust to domestic cricket because I’ve been around for a while. I played quite a few seasons in this circuit before making it to the top and therefore it doesn’t come as a surprise. Yes, the difference does seem more blatant when you’ve played at the top.

Posted by: Ravi on February 24, 2009 4:19 PM

As usual, a nice article from you Aakash. Nowadays I’ve got so habituated to reading your articles, I am checking for one everyday when I logon to Cricinfo.

You’ve hit the nail on the head regarding scheduling. As you said the elite/plate should be introduced here to bring out the best out of the players. But why is it that players get selected in the ODI team based on their performances in four-day games instead of the shorter format?

Dear Ravi,

Yes, there’s some food for thought in what you say. As I’ve said earlier, I won’t be surprised to see the Elite and Plate division system introduced in the shorter format as well.
Yes, it does seem a little unfair to select players to represent India in the shorter format based on their performances in the longer format, but that’s where the selectors come in. They’re the ones who decide whether someone is suited for the shorter version or not. Since they’ve played at the highest level, they generally tend to get it right.

Posted by: Denzil Correa on February 24, 2009 4:54 PM

Hi Aakash,

I am a near regular follower of your blog and most articles on Cricinfo. I would like to know whether players’ opinions are taken into consideration while deciding the itinerary. In international cricket, the two member boards sit and decide the itinerary. Who decides the same for the domestic matches?

All the best for your one-day campaign. If possible, can you explain how teams qualify for the Ranji one-dayers?

Thanks

Dear Denzil,

The top two teams from each zone qualify for the Knock Out one-day competition.

Posted by: Aditya on February 24, 2009 4:57 PM

Hi Aakash,

Beautiful post again.

I had a question for you: Just like you discussed about cricket balls in your two previous blogs, can you give us insights into a batsman's gear such as bats, pads, helmets, etc? I know there are English and Kashmir willow bats. Which ones are better and why?

Keep writing,
regards,
Aditya

Dear Aditya,

The bats made from English willow are much better in comparison to the bats made from their Kashmiri counterpart. The difference lies in the climate in which the tree is grown. The climate in Kashmir gets hotter in the summer and hence the wood gets dry as compared to the region in which the trees are grown in England. The wood from England is less dense and has more moisture when compared to the willow from Kashmir which is more dense and dry, and hence makes the wood heavier, which isn’t ideal for a top quality cricket bat.

Posted by: Satyanand on February 25, 2009 4:10 AM

Hi Aakash ,
I have always wondered why the domestic matches are not popular ,whereas the IPL seems to be such a success. If we ignore the four foreign players per team , it would basically boil down to a majority of Indian players.

Most Ranji matches nowadays are playing to empty stands . Any thoughts on how to improve the attendance? For one, I think the State/Club youth teams can be encouraged to watch and learn from the matches (at least).

Dear Satyanand,

At the risk of sounding bizarre, I think that we might have to make the Ranji trophy matches day-night affairs. It wouldn’t be a bad option to start the game under lights at 3pm. This would mean that the second half of the day's play would be at prime time and I’m sure that people in this country would like to watch live cricket even if it’s a domestic match.

Posted by: Akash on February 25, 2009 11:41 AM

Hi Aakash,

Very good one mate.

A request for your next blog: is the money earned through domestic cricket sustainable? Can all domestic cricketers earn enough for sustenance of their families or they have to alternative work during off season......after they retire ...etc?

Dear Akash,

The BCCI must be given credit for pumping in the money for domestic cricket. Nowadays if a player plays an entire season of domestic cricket he makes enough money to maintain a decent lifestyle. Besides that, most first class cricketers are working for one organization or another and are therefore drawing a comfortable monthly salary from their employers as well. So they don’t really have to work in the off-season, but they are required to turn up for the matches their respective organizations play during the off-season.

I'm sorry for not being able to answer all the questions as that's a slightly difficult task on the blog. So in the meantime please browse my website which is called www.cricketaakash.com and feel free to ask questions and give feedback.

Cheers.

Posted by: Raghu on February 24, 2009 3:18 PM

Aakash, saw your scores in the tournament, looks like you’re on a purple patch, hope you continue making the big runs.

Here's my question - I am sure its hard to adjust to a higher level of the game when you take a step up but how difficult is it for a player to adjust to a lower level of the game after having played at the highest level? For instance you have played in the best of the grounds and against the best bowlers in the world in Australia, so how difficult is it to adjust to the not-so-great grounds and face lower quality - if I may say so - bowling in domestic cricket.

Dear Raghu,

Well, it doesn’t take me a lot to adjust to domestic cricket because I’ve been around for a while. I played quite a few seasons in this circuit before making it to the top and therefore it doesn’t come as a surprise. Yes, the difference does seem more blatant when you’ve played at the top.

Posted by: Ravi on February 24, 2009 4:19 PM

As usual, a nice article from you Aakash. Nowadays I’ve got so habituated to reading your articles, I am checking for one everyday when I logon to Cricinfo.

You’ve hit the nail on the head regarding scheduling. As you said the elite/plate should be introduced here to bring out the best out of the players. But why is it that players get selected in the ODI team based on their performances in four-day games instead of the shorter format?

Dear Ravi,

Yes, there’s some food for thought in what you say. As I’ve said earlier, I won’t be surprised to see the Elite and Plate division system introduced in the shorter format as well.
Yes, it does seem a little unfair to select players to represent India in the shorter format based on their performances in the longer format, but that’s where the selectors come in. They’re the ones who decide whether someone is suited for the shorter version or not. Since they’ve played at the highest level, they generally tend to get it right.

Posted by: Denzil Correa on February 24, 2009 4:54 PM

Hi Aakash,

I am a near regular follower of your blog and most articles on Cricinfo. I would like to know whether players’ opinions are taken into consideration while deciding the itinerary. In international cricket, the two member boards sit and decide the itinerary. Who decides the same for the domestic matches?

All the best for your one-day campaign. If possible, can you explain how teams qualify for the Ranji one-dayers?

Thanks

Dear Denzil,

The top two teams from each zone qualify for the Knock Out one-day competition.

Posted by: Aditya on February 24, 2009 4:57 PM

Hi Aakash,

Beautiful post again.

I had a question for you: Just like you discussed about cricket balls in your two previous blogs, can you give us insights into a batsman's gear such as bats, pads, helmets, etc? I know there are English and Kashmir willow bats. Which ones are better and why?

Keep writing,
regards,
Aditya

Dear Aditya,

The bats made from English willow are much better in comparison to the bats made from their Kashmiri counterpart. The difference lies in the climate in which the tree is grown. The climate in Kashmir gets hotter in the summer and hence the wood gets dry as compared to the region in which the trees are grown in England. The wood from England is less dense and has more moisture when compared to the willow from Kashmir which is more dense and dry, and hence makes the wood heavier, which isn’t ideal for a top quality cricket bat.

Posted by: Satyanand on February 25, 2009 4:10 AM

Hi Aakash ,
I have always wondered why the domestic matches are not popular ,whereas the IPL seems to be such a success. If we ignore the four foreign players per team , it would basically boil down to a majority of Indian players.

Most Ranji matches nowadays are playing to empty stands . Any thoughts on how to improve the attendance? For one, I think the State/Club youth teams can be encouraged to watch and learn from the matches (at least).

Dear Satyanand,

At the risk of sounding bizarre, I think that we might have to make the Ranji trophy matches day-night affairs. It wouldn’t be a bad option to start the game under lights at 3pm. This would mean that the second half of the day's play would be at prime time and I’m sure that people in this country would like to watch live cricket even if it’s a domestic match.

Posted by: Akash on February 25, 2009 11:41 AM

Hi Aakash,

Very good one mate.

A request for your next blog: is the money earned through domestic cricket sustainable? Can all domestic cricketers earn enough for sustenance of their families or they have to alternative work during off season......after they retire ...etc?

Dear Akash,

The BCCI must be given credit for pumping in the money for domestic cricket. Nowadays if a player plays an entire season of domestic cricket he makes enough money to maintain a decent lifestyle. Besides that, most first class cricketers are working for one organization or another and are therefore drawing a comfortable monthly salary from their employers as well. So they don’t really have to work in the off-season, but they are required to turn up for the matches their respective organizations play during the off-season.

I'm sorry for not being able to answer all the questions as that's a slightly difficult task on the blog. So in the meantime please browse my website which is called www.cricketaakash.com and feel free to ask questions and give feedback.

Cheers.

	'The SG Test ball doesn't swing much when it's new' ©AFP

A couple of years ago the BCCI decided to use Kookaburra balls in the Duleep Trophy to give our domestic players a feel of this type of ball, as at the international level, except for the Test cricket played in India and England, this ball is commonly used.

We, in India, use the SG Test ball and England plays with either a Duke or a Readers ball (these two are quite similar to the SG Test balls used in India). But even that is restricted only to the red balls because the shorter formats all over the world are played with the white Kookaburra ball.

It was exactly the same in the Indian domestic circuit till the introduction of the Kookaburra ball for the Duleep Trophy. The longer format, before this move, was played with the SG Test ball and the one-day matches with the white Kookaburra ball.

Every time the Indian team tours overseas we hear a lot about the difficulty our players face in getting used to the Kookaburra ball in the Test matches. One might just wonder what the fuss is all about. After all it's the same leather ball; the size, shape and the weight are exactly the same, regardless of the brand. All this is true, but let me assure you that there's a huge difference in the way different balls behave in the air and off the surface.

I'll start with the SG Test ball first, which has a more pronounced seam and which remains pronounced for almost the entire length of the innings. The pronounced seam helps the faster bowlers release the ball in an upright seam position, as it doesn't wobble much after the release, and it helps the spinners grip the ball better and also get purchase off the pitch because the seam enables the ball to grip the surface.

The SG Test ball doesn't swing much when it's new but as soon as one side (half) of the ball becomes shinier than the other, it starts swinging appreciably. The good thing for the bowlers is that the shine lasts longer and hence helps both the quicker bowlers as well as the slower ones. The quicker men get swing in the air and the slower bowlers get the essential drift.

Though the Kookaburra ball also has a pronounced seam, it fades away rather quickly. The new ball does all kinds of things in the air and off the surface but once the seam gets embedded in the surface (which happens too quickly for the bowlers' liking), it ceases to move quite as much. The lack of a pronounced seam not only makes it difficult for spinners to grip the ball but it also denies them purchase off the surface because the ball, instead of gripping the turf, just skids along. Finger spinners are the worst hit in this case and hence have to put a lot of revolutions (we call it work) on the ball to get something off the track. Wrist spinners face no such problem as they don't rely on the seam to grip the surface to get the desired amount of spin. One can always put more work on the ball with the wrist as compared to the fingers.

Now, there's a particular way to bowl with different balls. The faster bowlers who release the ball instead of hitting the deck are fairly successful with the SG Test ball. Since the shine stays for longer and so does the pronounced seam, the ball swings and seams the whole day if one can release the ball with an upright seam on a regular basis.

On the contrary, the Kookaburra ball doesn't swing even half as much once it gets old. One must hit the surface hard to get something out of it. The typical swing bowlers are easy picking as the ball doesn't do much in the air or off the surface once it loses its shine.

In this blog, I've tried to explain the basic difference in the two different brands of balls used in Indian cricket. Now, how much of it has helped i.e. has it helped and how is it handled at the ground level... I shall tell you some interesting facts and tales about that in the next post.

Till then, goodbye.

P.S. I wanted to share a small detail with you guys. The reviews of my book Beyond the Blues are out and the initial signs are very encouraging, almost all of them have written good things about the book. I'm assuming that it's true. Tx.

	Where would Saurashtra be without Shitanshu Kotak? © Cricinfo Ltd.

With the Ranji finals starting tomorrow I can't help but think of two relatively unknown names who lead Uttar Pradesh into the finals. Both Shivakant Shukla and Parvinder Singh played the innings of their lives when their team needed it the most. This is what intrigues me about team sport - different people standing up and bailing the team out at different difficult times. But the sad part is that everyone's contribution is not acknowledged in a similar manner. This is the story of people who are always the best men.

Last year, Parvinder Awana from Delhi took a hat-trick against Maharashtra when we were desperate for a wicket. He got a lot of crucial wickets at times when we needed them the most. But his overall season tally didn't match up with the best in the country, nor was it good enough to get him into the North Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy. His hat-trick wasn't the only time he made a crucial contribution, the wickets against Tamil Nadu in a must win game for Delhi, crucial second-innings wickets against Baroda in semi-finals were as important to Delhi's success as Gautam Gambhir's, Rajat Bhatia's or my centuries were.

And he wasn't the only one. A lot of people played a significant role to ensure the team's success, but only a few were rewarded individually. It's because they make up the supporting cast, and aren't the lead actors that they aren't given a share of the limelight. They are expected to be contented with the collective success.

When we talk about Saurashtra's resurgence as a team, we only talk about Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja being the main contributors. Yes, they have been doing really well, but there are others too. The team wouldn't have done wonders without Shitanshu Kotak's consistency with the bat and Sandeep Jobanputra's relentless aggression with the ball. There are others too. But since only two are tipped to play for the country we tend to forget the rest and their invaluable contribution. It's just the outside world I'm referring to because the teams value their contribution and hold them in high esteem.

The same thing happens in international cricket too, but not nearly quite as often as in domestic cricket. Perhaps some of these guys are never going to play for the country, but they are the pillars of their team and immensely important to first-class cricket in India. These are the guys who ensure that one doesn't drop the guard even against a lesser known individual.

Some of us are really blessed because whenever we perform we get picked to play at the next level, well most of the times at least. But that isn't the case with everyone. For starters they're competing with the known names of Indian cricket for a spot in the zonal side. And even when they do get picked they rarely get the desired batting position or enough number of overs to bowl, and that is if they make it to the final XI. In theory, they got an opportunity and are rewarded for their performances but in practice it isn't the same all the time.

Bhatia is one such example. He was the country's best allrounder last season, and was picked to play in the Challengers this season. In theory he was rewarded, but let me tell you how it panned out for him in practice. He played only one of the two matches his team played (because they didn't make it to the finals), and his team needed well over 6.5 runs an over when he walked into to bat with four or five top-order batsmen already back in the hut.

It was his big chance and he didn't want to goof up, but his options were really limited. He couldn't bide his time because doing so would mean the asking-rate would keep rising, but getting out while trying to up the ante would ruin his only chance to make an impression. Well, some might argue that it was a tailor-made situation for him to make a mark for himself. That may be true, but just one opportunity after six years of hard toiling in the domestic circuit, and that too, in far from ideal circumstances doesn't sound that appealing to me. It would be good to spare a thought for these guys.

Personally, I can't thank these guys enough for playing their role to perfection to ensure that a few of us eventually play for the country.

Cheers