2012 : Changes to domestic cricket approved

[Needforspeed]

So 3 Elite groups. I think the top two from each group and the top 2 from the plate will qualify for the Last 8 of the Ranji trophy. Good to introduce promotion and relegation and the home + away concept.

[saneindian]

Looks like some of the suggested changes have been accepted and will be implemented from the coming season.

BCCI's technical committee, headed by former captain Sourav Ganguly, today approved a major revamp of the Ranji Trophy by doing away with the earlier Elite and Plate Divisions and making it a 27-team tournament. After a meeting that lasted over two hours here, an overhaul of the elite domestic event, which has been struggling for relevance, was approved by the committee. According to the new format, the 27 teams will be divided into three groups and each team will play eight matches in the league stage. The quarterfinals and semifinals will also be five-day affairs now. In the previous format, Elite Division was divided into two groups of eight teams (A) and seven teams (B). The Plate Division was divided into two groups (A and B) consisting of six teams each. "There will be nine teams in three groups A, B and C. Each team will play eight matches in the league stage and there will be promotion and relegation," an official who attended the meeting said on condition of anonymity. The new format brings parity in the number of matches that the teams will play against each other in the league stage. Earlier, in the Plate Division, a side could play five matches at the preliminary level. The top three from group B at the end of the season would be promoted to group A, while the bottom three from the latter group would be relegated to group B. The last two from group B would go down further to group C, from where the top two would be promoted to group B. Besides, the committee decided to make the quarterfinals and the semifinals of the tournament five-day affairs instead of the four-day matches that were played till this season. The final will remain a five-day match as has been the norm.

http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_bcci-technical-committee-approves-changes-in-ranji-format_1701338 As I understand it, the summary: - 3 groups, Elite A, Elite B, Plate C with 9 teams each - Top 3 from ELite B will move to Elite A and bottom 3 from Eite A will go to Elite B every year - Top 2 from Plate C will move to Elite B with bottom 2 from Elite B dropping to Plate C group - Each team to play 8 league matches, one each with all the teams in its group - QF and SF to be 5-day matches like the Ranji finals The article doesn't talk of home and away matches during the league phases. From other DNA article (http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_radical-changes-to-domestic-cricket-mooted_1701141), the proposal was to also have the following: - Group A will consist of winners, runners-up and seven top teams of the two Elite groups from last season. - Group B will have the remaining teams of the Elite groups and top three teams of the Plate Group. - Group C will consist of remaining nine teams in the Plate Group. - The eight quarterfinal knockout teams will comprise three qualifiers each from Group A and B and two from the Group C. - The Ranji matches will start in the first week of November and preferably, they will be held in the weekends. This means one team will have rest every week and no game will be scheduled when an international match is played at a venue. - Six points, as against current five, will be awarded for an outright win and three points each in case of a tie in both innings. - Duleep Trophy will lose its zonal structure. It will be between three teams — Ranji champions and two teams to be picked by the selectors. There is also an option of inviting a foreign team. - The Challenger Trophy will have the winners of the Vijay Hazare Trophy with two more teams picked by the selectors.

[CoverDrive]

tinkering around with groups is not an overhaul. how is this going to improve anything? better pitches needed and for that we need to award higher points for wins

[Needforspeed]

They should have increased the points for outright wins to 8 or even 10. Then teams would have stopped playing safe and aiming for first innings lead only.

[f.b.m]

Why not just scrap the first innings lead rule and give bonus points to the team that took the most number of wickets? Edit: Or award a fraction of a point for every wicket taken.

[Crookbond]

^ I think they want to take one step at a time to see where it goes.

[Needforspeed]

^ I think they want to take one step at a time to see where it goes.

Yes credit where it is due. A step in the right direction. I have a feeling that BCCI is going to have a greater say in the types of wickets prepared too.

[ganeshran]

The first innings rule has to be changed. But with 5 day matches from QF onwards, this would have lesser impact than with 4 day matches on a flat wicket where teams would simply bat out the opposition without going for a win

[vipin]

This is simply cosmetic change. Our domestic structure needs to have quality batsmen facing quality bowlers consistently rather than soradically, and vice versa. Which probably can be done by having the Ranji Trophy as nothing more than a primary level of differentiation. The Elite level should consist of only 5 or 6 teams consisting of the best players from the Ranji Trophy and matched up against each other on minefields of all kind. This way each team gets to play 7 - 8 five day matches on such pitches against (relatively) quality opposition. Infact this elite league could simply be the IPL teams themselves going against each other (without Indian international players most of the time) but with an option to have a few foreign internationals in the team.(Like the English domestic circuit).

[diga]

Full list of recommendations in BCCI Site Anil Kumble's views on the changes in BCCI site

[vvvslaxman]

Aakash chopra is tweeting a lot about it https://twitter.com/#!/cricketaakash

[Crookbond]

The first innings rule has to be changed. But with 5 day matches from QF onwards' date=' this would have lesser impact than with 4 day matches on a flat wicket where teams would simply bat out the opposition without going for a win[/quote']

[Crookbond]

Another interesting change 12-overs per bowler in one-dayers, 2 bouncers an over

[rkt.india]

Want to make sure we play well overseas, says Sourav Ganguly Mumbai: The Technical Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, headed by Sourav Ganguly, met at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, and discussed changes required for the domestic cricket circuit. Present at the meeting was Anil Kumble, member of the Special Committee formed by the BCCI, to give inputs to the Technical Committee. Kumble said that the idea behind giving each team equal number of matches at home and away was to bring in more competition. "Teams will have an equal chance of making it to the top two of their respective groups," said Kumble. "We believe the home and away format gives that incentive to the state associations to organise four home matches in the centres they want. We will start afresh, which means previous hosting history will not be considered." With there being nine teams in each group, one team will be free during every round of matches. While it is logistically challenging, the Technical Committee's suggestion was to ensure that the centre staging a Test match during that period will be the team not involved in action during that round. In doing so, the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th members of the state Ranji team could be a part of the Indian dressing room, freeing up the non-playing members of the Indian team and allowing them to play for their respective states during that particular Ranji game. Kumble's presence in the meeting might have facilitated the suggestion that one bowler be allowed to bowl 12 overs in a 50-over game. "I'm glad it was accepted in today's meeting," said Kumble. "I believe that 12 overs for one bowler in the One-Day matches will not only provide a better contest between bat and ball but also bring in more room for strategising for the captains." On the subject of quality of pitches used in domestic cricket, and the need to raise the standard, Ganguly expressed satisfaction with the debate during the meeting. "The emphasis will be on pitches, the BCCI Pitch Committee will visit every venue to make sure the pitches are good," said Ganguly. "We've suggested some minor changes; overall it's a simple game and let's leave it like that." As was expressed by the Committee before the meeting took place, the purpose of the meeting was to ensure that the Indian team does well overseas. "The loss of eight Tests in a row has not been very good," said Ganguly. "So whatever amendments we made is to make sure we start playing well overseas. India will always play well at home." http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/item/191726-want-to-make-sure-we-play-well-overseas-says-sourav-ganguly

[Sidhoni]

How does introducing more matches in Ranji help in playing well overseas?

[Sidhoni]

No change in pitches?

[ganeshran]

If in the Knockout phase' date=' a result on first innings is not obtained at the end of the fifth day, then the match will be extended into a sixth day. If a result on first innings is not obtained even at the end of the sixth day, then the winner will be decided on the spin of a coin.[/quote'] Much needed rule :nice:

[rkt.india]

This is simply cosmetic change. Our domestic structure needs to have quality batsmen facing quality bowlers consistently rather than soradically, and vice versa.

that is why I favor Duleep trophy to be extended. There is lot of mediocrity in Ranji trophy teams. Duleep concentrates that and brings best of the zonal players to a single team which makes teams better. Look at what happened this Duleep trophy. East zone won it, but when those east zone players play for their respective teams, their teams barely win anything apart from Bengal, but when they came together formed a winning team.

[The Outsider]

Much needed rule :nice:

It doesn't pertain to overall result, but just the result based on the first innings. There would hardly be any instances except rain effected matches where you won't get a result on first innings by the fifth day.

[ganeshran]

It doesn't pertain to overall result' date=' but just the result based on the first innings. There would hardly be any instances except rain effected matches where you won't get a result on first innings by the fifth day.[/quote'] Oh I didnt read it correctly. I thought if the game ends in a draw at the end of 5th day, the match will go to the extra day and be decided by spinning the coin at the end of the 6th day. If its going to be just the first innings result, it doesnt change anything, as 9 times out of 10, the first innings will surely be completed within the first 5 days even on the most flattest of wickets. The fundamental problem is teams not bothering to go for a result since putting up a 600+ score in the first innings pretty much guarantees them a win. After putting up a huge score, they go for ultra-defensive tactics to make sure the other team cant cross them.