How to improve standard of domestic cricket in India?

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The BCCI ought to reconsider Ranji format: Aakash Chopra More... The BCCI ought to reconsider Ranji format: Aakash Chopra SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Rajasthan's astonishing run from the Plate division to actually winning the Ranji Trophy in the season gone by was of the spirit-lifting variety. As a senior professional, Aakash Chopra was at the heart of that famous conquest. The 33-year-old top-order batsman's eyes light up as he recalls the triumph. But then, Chopra also believes that the structure of the country's domestic cricket requires radical changes for the system to produce quality cricketers in the longer version of the game. Someone with innings building skills, Chopra lays emphasis on technique and temperament at the crease; he has 9,881 runs in 144 first class matches at 46.82 with 27 centuries. His numbers for India in Tests 437 runs in 10 matches at 23 with two half-centuries may be less impressive but the compact Chopra did hold one end up even as his opening partner Virender Sehwag cut loose at the other during India's inspiring campaign in Australia in 2003-04. Chopra, who was in the city recently with the Rajasthan team to take part in the Buchi Babu tournament, said he felt the BCCI needed to reconsider the present format for the Ranji Trophy that is divided into the Elite and Plate groups. He told The Hindu: Å¢t present, we have 27 teams in the Ranji Trophy. And the teams in the Plate division, unless they qualify for the knockout stages, get to play only five matches per season. If a player suffers an injury and misses out on a couple of matches, his season could end with just three games. The remedy And what is Chopra's remedy? Ã…Â¥o away with the Elite and Plate sections. Have only one grade and split the teams into three groups of nine sides each. This way, every team plays a minimum of eight matches. And more games will present more opportunities to emerging players. Chopra said the Ranji Trophy season was cramped and ended too soon. űresently all matches, except the five-day final, are played over four days and there is a recovery period of only three days between the games. This is not enough since one day is spent in travelling. There is not enough space to interact with and groom the younger cricketers and practise with them. We should have at least a day more between matches, he said. Ūn the present scenario, just imagine travelling from Dharamshala to Chennai. In fact I would go on to say that all the matches must be of a five-day duration with a minimum of five days separating the contests, he added. The former India opener said Duleep Trophy, once a premier domestic competition, was now a greatly devalued tournament. Ūt is being played on a knockout basis and if a team loses in the first round, it gets just one match. The Duleep Trophy serves little purpose now and should be scrapped. The one-day league tournament crowds the calendar and all the travelling is not worth it considering the quality of cricket on view. I believe the Challenger series serves the purpose. And there is no point in having a second domestic Twenty20 competition either since we already hold the IPL, he said. Chopra drove home the point that the present domestic structure produced better one-day and Twenty20 cricketers but not players for the game's longer version. ŵhere has been a serious decline in the quality of Ranji Trophy and I do not know from where we are going to find good cricketers for Test cricket in the future. And this phenomenon sweeps all through the country. Symbolic of this is Mumbai, the most successful side in domestic cricket. The only cricketer with any ability, in both batting and bowling, that I saw from Mumbai was left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh who was willing to flight the ball, he said. Preparing sporting tracks for domestic matches was of paramount importance, the opener said. ŧlat tracks that offer nothing to the bowlers dominate the cricketing scene in the country. We should have pitches with good, consistent bounce. Otherwise, how would it be possible to assess the performances? For instance, it is harder to score a hundred at Mohali where there is always something for the pacemen than a century on a placid track. Chopra said the popular and lucrative Twenty20 format could not produce Test cricketers but added the Indian Premier League provided a platform for the younger cricketers to mix with international stars. ŵhe star players, given their international commitments, do not participate in domestic cricket but the budding cricketers get to spend plenty of time and learn from them during the IPL. So they get rid of the ÃÂwe factor'. This has been a positive. The Delhi-based cricketer insisted that all domestic cricketers should be under a contract with either the BCCI or the State associations to usher in greater cohesion and responsibility from both sides. He called for parity in pay between those playing in the Ranji Trophy and the domestic cricketers in the IPL to motivate the emerging cricketers. And he said the State associations they receive a significant amount as grant from the BCCI every year should be penalised 10 to 20 per cent of what they get if they failed to produce cricketers at the junior, â' or senior levels or remained stagnant in the Ranji Trophy without aspiring to climb higher. Chopra has powers of concentration at the crease. He is not lacking in ideas either.

[rkt.india]

3 group Idea is not that good than my idea.

[anotherhawkeye]

Agree. We don't need more matches between mediocre teams. Need to keep Ranji simple and expand duleep trophy.

[keyboardist]

Great article. Liked it.

[jairamesh]

or we could do what County Cricket, import large number of South Africans to shore up the quality of domestic scene, and hopefully even pluck two or three for the internationals.

[MCcricket]

IPL has it's pros and cons, major gains , marketing, getting private companies to own teams, making IPL into a spectator sport, also intense competitiveness, also BCCI still controllling the tournament.Major gains talent scounting, nurturing, rewards, financial gains, international player participation.Building brand value, teams being followed worldwide, player exposure. I think Ranji cricket also should be promoted and statewise teams could be sponsored, private companies playing their own roles, bringing in more money, higher level of competition , building infrastructure, building brand value for the state teams, making it more international tournament, taking the best from County, IPL.For most part the standard needs to be raised, better wickets, nepotism in selection, accountabilty , talent being identified , nurtured, India is a big country, either talent is not identified or potential talent is not nurtured owing to the dynamics and size of India.Same thing could be followed for most sports.

[keyboardist]

An anthology of Indian First Class Cricket tournaments http://www.thecricketist.com/2011/09/first-class-domestic-championships-of.html

[1983-2011]

What's the point of Indian domestic tournaments? As India hobbled from one match to the next with all the poise of a punch-drunk zombie on the recent tour of England, unable to buy either a win or any pride, there was a school of positive thinkers that honestly believed the scale of the humiliation was, in a warped, roundabout kind of way, ÅÂ good thing for Indian cricket. This, after all, wasnÃÕ so much a wake-up call as a shake-up call the alarm bell equivalent of getting punched in the solar plexus and dunked in a bucket of water, all the while having a combination of chalk-on-slate screeches and SimiÃÔ Kiki voice playing at full blast in the background. Surely, the optimists said, the trauma would lead to lessons, and to important decisions. While it was too much to expect Indian cricket to go for a Cricket Australia-inspired Argus-style independent inquest into the state of the game who knows what skeletons might tumble out of those closets the debate itself couldnÃÕ be put off any longer. Players fitness was an issue as, by association, was the Indian teamÃÔ crammed international schedule. Most importantly, with numbers 3, 4 and 5ÃÔ average age slowly but surely creeping up on their gargantuan batting averages, a succession plan needed to be put in place, and the underlying theme to all post-tour analysis was the need to close the gap between domestic and international cricket. The BCCIÃÔ approach to crisis-management, however, is to completely and steadfastly ignore the crisis in the hope that, sooner or later, it will slink away. In this case, itÃÔ not domestic cricketÃÔ problems but domestic cricket itself that will disappear. Today, the 2011-12 domestic season officially opens with the Irani Cup. One of the most-watched Irani games in recent years was the 2003 clash between Mumbai and Rest of India, which was pretty much the Best of India. The XI that took on the Ranji champions that year was Bangar, Sehwag, Dravid, Laxman, Ganguly, Yuvraj, Parthiv, Kumble, Harbhajan and Balaji. Mumbai, with Sachin, Jaffer, Kambli, Agarkar and Powar in their ranks ran them close, but Dravid and Laxman specials helped Rest chase 340 in the fourth innings of a low-scoring match against an attack that ran out of ideas, but never heart. The squad picked for this yearÃÔ Irani clash has reduced it to a joke. And if this match is, indeed, the stage-setter for the season ahead, weÃÓe in for generous doses ofdark humour. The point here is not to go maudlin about the good old days when domestic games used to be played in front of packed houses, when Mumbai versus Delhi was Arsenal versus Spurs. The astonishing success of the Indian Premier League and the resulting influx of Twenty20 cricket have changed the landscape of Indian cricket forever. And in this new landscape, the BCCI obsessed as it is by its new and glitzy money spinning leagues needs to decide what purpose tournaments such as the Ranji and Duleep Trophy serve. In its current form, itÃÔ no breeding ground for international cricketers. The pitches browner than brown, flatter than flat turn disciples of speed into devotees of line, length and energy conservation; they nurture flat-track bullies. The format, which encourages teams to play for draws, has outlived its utility in a result-oriented world. And with the IPL propelling players into the limelight and, in many cases, into national colours, thereÃÔ no incentive anymore for young cricketers to go through the grind, to make 48-hour train journeys and play in empty stadiums. The charm of it all has worn off. The embarrassment that was the England tour left Indian cricket at the crossroads: club or country, business or sport, money or cricket. If the men who run the game get rid of their blinkers for a moment, they might realise there are decisions to take. http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/59/2011100120111001023852915c1b9ba70/The-big-question-before-Irani-tie-What%E2%80%99s-the-point.html

[Pagalpanti]

Whats startling is where was all these talks before England series? It has always been like this since IPL began in 2008, but we were doing well? So no one questioned, which means fault isn't there in the system. It was a case of going to a tour unprepared and players taking fitness issue lightly. The same domestic system has produced some prodigious talents like Dhoni, Kohli, Rahane now and many more, although we've had only few decent bowlers but that has always been the case its nothing new.

[Sooda]

People with foresight were questioning, the likes of Chandan on this board and Akash Chhopra to name two. Sadly no one listens. The quality players that come through do so despite rather than because of the system

[yoda]

People with foresight were questioning' date=' the likes of Chandan on this board and Akash Chhopra to name two. Sadly no one listens. The quality players that come through do so despite rather than because of the system[/quote'] Well when you keep questioning all your life, you are bound to be correct sometime. Like the saying goes, even a broken clock....

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Glorious Ranji : Ranji Trophy needs to get its due importance; make it popular More... Ranji Trophy needs to get its due importance It is Ranji Trophy time again. Once the most-awaited domestic competition that provided the stage for the accomplished and the aspiring to display their prowess, sadly lacks the appeal and importance it enjoyed. With the plethora of international matches on offer for the cricket fans each season, Ranji Trophy's charm is clearly lost. Matches are played to empty galleries. Barring the players, officials and a few from the staging association who have no choice but to stay around, cricket lovers are hard to find for these games at most urban venues. For those who are not tired of repeating the worn-out cliché “Cricket is a religion in India,†should come to any of the domestic cricket matches and try counting its devotees. The infrastructure is for sure improving in every state but the quality of pitches, rather the lack of it, often proves a dampener. Bowlers toil on lifeless wickets and batsmen's run-making ability stands magnified on flat pitches. All it takes is one tour of England, South Africa or Australia for things to fall in perspective. FINANCIAL BONANZA It is indeed a financial bonanza for the lesser mortals to be part of first class cricket. Driven by commerce, the international calendar ensures that India's regulars are seldom available for Ranji Trophy. Harbhajan Singh has played just two matches in nine years for Punjab. After being on National duty for long, most cricketers are obviously happy to gain an exemption from turning up for Ranji Trophy matches. There was a time when Sachin Tendulkar would not miss a single opportunity to be available for Mumbai. Sunil Gavaskar has headed straight from the airport to the stadium to be part of Mumbai's campaign. In recent times, too, there have been exceptions. Rahul Dravid takes pride in turning out for Karnataka whenever possible, as does V.V S. Laxman for Hyderabad. Virender Sehwag played crucial roles in key encounters, once each in away games against Railways and Haryana in the chances he got to play for Delhi in past few seasons. Sourav Ganguly has come out of retirement to play for Bengal. Suresh Raina will assist Uttar Pradesh. But glaringly absent is the commitment of most players. Fatigue is an understandable reason for the leading names to give Ranji Trophy matches a miss. Ever heard of players skipping an IPL season or even a game due to fatigue? Since the players in the National team these days come from more states than ever before, their non-availability impacts quite a few teams. There were seasons when Mumbai contributed its cream to the National team but still managed to be better than the opposition. These days, when its players are on National duty, Delhi, Mumbai, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and to an extent Uttar Pradesh feel the pinch, in varying degrees. In the past decade, it is creditable that without the services of Tendulkar and its pace spearheads in most matches, Mumbai has won the Ranji Trophy five times! In fact, between 2002 and 2005, a starless Railways claimed the title twice. On the flip side, Railways also became the first defending champion to be relegated to the Plate division. In contrast, Rajasthan battled it out from the Plate division this year to become National champion! Rajasthan's triumph proved that reputations do take a serious beating and the underdogs sometimes nose ahead of the favourite. Baroda's remarkable consistency also reinforces the point. No doubt, the non-availability of stars brings down the difference in strengths between a reputed and a lesser team. It does make things more competitive but only at the cost of quality. For India's overseas record in Tests to improve, the Board needs to give importance to the quality of pitches and competition in Ranji Trophy. It is time to give the National championship, the due it so richly deserves.

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Don't fall short as hosts, BCCI tells state units More... Don't fall short as hosts, BCCI tells state units Published: Wednesday, Nov 2, 2011 By Deba Prasad Dhar | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA With the Ranji Trophy season due to start on Thursday, the Indian cricket board has urged its affiliated associations to upgrade facilities at their alternate venues. While the BCCI is convinced that conditions at the Ranji Trophy's main venues are at par with the board's norms, it has serious reservations about the back-up grounds even at India's top cricket centres. Board's secretary Sanjay Jagdale has already laid out a mandate for all the state associations that will host the Ranji Trophy this season. Jagdale is concerned that many alternate venues still lack trained ground staff to handle rolling and crease markings at drink intervals, factors which invariably delay the game. He desires that every state association must assign an official who will not only supervise ground preparation but also ensure that basic equipment are in place before the teams and match officials arrive at the venue. Quite notably, Jagdale has also addressed the poor quality of practice wickets at alternate venues. However, as far as the playing wickets are concerned, the BCCI wants each association to follow guidelines given by its Pitch and Grounds Committee. In recent times, senior domestic cricketers have had issues with the quality of practice turfs at Delhi's Karnail Singh Stadium. There are stories galore of 'unmanageable' practice surfaces being dished out at non-regular Ranji centres. A veteran domestic cricketer, sharing his experience of playing a zonal Twenty20 match at Cuttack's Sunshine Ground last season, told DNA: "Even having a regular knock session was dangerous there. The outfield was the worst I've ever seen. So much so, that we had to be content hitting full tosses at nets. Getting balls to bounce at nets could have caused serious injuries. Among the other directives, Jagdale has mentioned that the players dressing room and space allotted to match officials should be big enough and have the basic facilities. He also expects the associations to provide logistic support to video analysts during matches as is the BCCI's norm. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the board has decided to settle the issue regarding affiliation to the Bihar Cricket Association. In all likelihood, the state might be allowed to participate in the Cooch Behar Trophy Tournament in December.

[rajmarie]

Maybe BCCI also request that every Ranji games be held on sporting wickets to increase the quality of the match.

[Trichromatic]

Ranji Trophy: 'Fifteen glorious years'

It is hard to describe what I felt when I was picked in the Bombay team in the 1958 -?9 season. I had scored heavily in the inter-collegiate and university tournaments but such was the strength of the Ranji side that I wasnÃÕ sure of finding a place. I felt honoured when the call came. I made my debut in the quarterfinal against Madras, after Polly Umrigar, our skipper, pulled out due to injury. I scored an unbeaten 30 in my only innings, and we won by 10 wickets. The experts were impressed with my 89 in the semi-final against Services, and 85 in the final against Bengal, and from then on there was no looking back. Read More...

[Yoda-esque]

Wow! What dominance!! Mumbai

[Cricket_Guru]

this tourny should be advertised more than IPL

[Cricket_Guru]

what is this? BCCI is copying PCB

[Cricket_Guru]

as i said in earlier thread. it needs to be advertised by media more than IPL.

[Sir john]

following it from 2003 when baroda wins zak was the hero of that win.