BOMBAY, 16 May 2003 — The Indian season has finally come to a close with the Ranji finals being won by Bombay.
This year, the new format was tried out and the feedback about it has generally been good though there were some reservations about the points system. The BCCI president, on the ball as always, has plans to call for a meeting of the captains and coaches to find out first-hand how the format worked and the areas of improvement needed to make it even more competitive. Perhaps, with most captains and players away playing in the leagues in England, it may not be possible to have the meeting soon, but the fact that he was planning it shows how tuned he is to Indian cricket.
On the other hand, this exercise of finding out how good or bad the new format was should have been undertaken by the Indian Players Association, but there’s been no move from them to ascertain from the players, perhaps because none of the ordinary first-class players is a member of the association. Apart from a high-voltage launching ceremony, the Players Association has done little to ease the worry that it was formed only to protect the interests of the international players. Even here with the association taking a stand that it will not interfere in the contract row between the players and the BCCI and ICC makes one wonder what exactly is the association if it’s not going to help in solving the problems of the players.
When it was formed last year, it was during the contracts imbroglio with ICC and BCCI, and if that is one area from where it is going to stay away then what is it going to actually exist for? To be sure, the office-bearers are busy people with their own careers and so it is not easy for them to be running around, but then an honorary position makes it like the BCCI itself where everybody is an honorary official, but at least the BCCI is running the game in the country. If the association has to succeed then it has to have paid officials who will be accountable and they only have to look at the ACA, the Australian body and the PCA, the English Players Association to realize how paid officials are doing such good work for the players they represent. It is still early days and no judgment can be passed on the Indian players body, but there certainly is room for more action from them to show that they did not come together only for one problem but are there for other problems too.
The Duleep Trophy is another area where the players view is important, for reports are that there was no sense of belonging to a zone as in the past and the players all played for themselves rather than for the team they were chosen for. So how can this be solved is where the players body will come in useful. But they have to work quickly, for any decision on the new format will have to be taken soon before the new season gets under way in October later in the year. It may be a good idea to have a foreign team participate in the Duleep Trophy as the sixth team to generate more interest in the competition and also give our players a taste of what foreign competition is about.
It could be the Bangladesh team or Kenyan team or even the champions of the English county league as they will be the only team free in our season. Participating in our domestic competition will give teams like Bangladesh and Kenya more exposure to the longer version of the game and it will also show that we as neighbors are doing something to help develop the game in these countries. Of course, this is where a dialogue is necessary with our players to check with them if this will improve competition or not.
Clive Lloyd, the former West Indian skipper, came up with a revolutionary idea of allowing teams like Bangladesh and Kenya to import a couple of former Test cricketers from other countries who are not playing for those countries anymore like Mark Waugh, but who are still good enough to play and help teams they play for. It’s an idea that will not find any takers at the moment, but just as foreign coaches have come to be accepted all over the world, so also this idea may find favor sooner than later. If that happens, perhaps West Indies may also join those wanting overseas players to play for them!!! Certainly, the way in which they have bowled and fielded against the Australians in the current series shows that West Indies cricket is in a real sorry state and needs as much help as the weaker countries do. It was good to see players like Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Agarkar represent their sides in the Ranji Trophy and make it more competitive. What was most heartening was to see Sehwag turn up for Delhi and not rush off to play in England. It showed that the young man has got his feet on the ground and has not forgotten that it was playing well for Delhi and North zone that got him into the Indian team. He perhaps has no idea how much of goodwill he has earned from his teammates and supporters just by staying on and showing his loyalty to the team that he began his career with. They will all be willing him to do well for his adopted county Leicestershire in the championship in England and also in his future career. Inspite of attaining such fame, the young man has shown that he has his feet on the ground and may he always remain so and be a great role model for the kids in the country. Well done Viru, God bless you.
