Sometimes an emphatic win overshadows the prevalent underlying issues.
In a country like ours, there is an abundance of talent. There are millions of aspirants passionate about cricket. But, are they getting their due?
In the recently concluded quadrangular one-day series, India A emerged as champions. Many conveyed their congratulations to the team. In fact, Sandeep Patil even claimed that the selection of the team was done to provide a steady supply line to the main team in one of his interviews.
This made me mull over his statement. Have Patil and the other cricket lovers actually watched the Cricket Australia’s live broadcast of the matches and examined closely?
First and foremost, most of the India A players were over the age of 25 with some bordering 30. Few of them were even over 30! Do such players fall into the category of “next in line” I wonder.
Incidentally, more than a decade ago, the India A coach K. Srikkanth was much younger than Kanwaljeet Singh, the off-spinner from Hyderabad. In the latest India A tour, though bowlers, especially Shardul Thakur, Dhawal Kulkarni and off-spinner Jayant Yadav bowled in right areas, the batsmen played some atrocious shots in the longer version against Australia A.
In the One-Day Series, the National Performing Squad of Australia comprising of inexperienced youngsters and South Africa A were the weak teams considering all the departments of the game. But, Australia A fielded a good bunch of future international players. India’s luck ran out and was thoroughly exposed in the two 4-day matches that followed.
The very purpose of the BCCI in appointing Rahul Dravid as the coach of India A was to mould the players to withstand the pressures of international matches. Therefore, the BCCI must abide by his report and include potential players instead of tried and tested players for India A.
The A team concept that the ICC is enthusiastically promoting should be for the budding players below the age of 25 with more emphasis on trialling those on the cusp of international cricket. How will 25 plus aged players push the already established internationals?
There was a widespread criticism when Rohit Sharma was retained in the Indian team. But, is there anybody at the moment in the India A batting line-up who is capable of replacing him? India has an abundance of talent waiting to be noticed and nurtured.
Prior to the TRDO system in 2002, Sanjay Bangar made his international debut at the age of 31 due to selectors turning a blind eye to the talented until then. After the system was set in place, a lot of young talent was recognized. The Chairman, Dilip Vengsarkar pushed players with potential to perform for the India A team. This method even led some of them to play Tests before Ranji trophy.
As one selector who was part of the National Selection Committee that picked the India A team to Kenya said, “The time we take to drink a cup of tea was enough for us to pick the team”. Practically, all the players selected with this system went on to play for India and it didn’t take time for Dhoni or Gambhir to establish themselves in the Indian team.
This is a proven method to discover dynamic players. The Director of the NCA, Dilip Vengsarkar, had stated that the hunt for young talent through the TRDOs will be initiated. But the unending Lodha committee versus the BCCI is all we get to read every morning. With the BCCI season barely 3 weeks away, isn’t it time to take action?
In India, cricket is treated like a region. It’s embedded in our culture. There are millions of aspirants waiting for that one chance to represent the country. In circumstances like these, it is absolutely unacceptable that we are letting politics and ego tarnish the spirit of the game. When there are ample opportunities in the system for these young lads to shine, why should one’s ego short circuit the dream of the other?
By the time this column is published, some actions and reactions may have taken place in the BCCI’s AGM. But,what about the overall credibility? Isn’t preserving the spirit and charm of the game as important as the infrastructure? The essence of cricket lies in the passion. As our country has no dearth of passionate players, they must be allowed to exhibit their potential. We must ensure that the game doesn’t suffer nor crush the young aspirants’ dreams.
Actually, there are several former state cricketers who are trying to do just this! These players want to give back to the game and have formed associations to support young cricketers. Age hasn’t deterred their enthusiasm. The great Bishan Singh Bedi who was solely responsible for the effective growth of the game in Northern India has the same enthusiasm at 70 that he had at 17! The battle between parliamentarian Kirti Azad and the DDCA went on for a decade before he succeeded.
The court order has provided former cricketers the oxygen to get back to the game. With their experience, they can help Indian cricket grow in the right direction. Perhaps the office bearers of the BCCI and the members of the Lodha committee can discuss the practicality of the issues. It’s important to not waste time trying to fix what is already broken. Instead, the focus should be to give a fair chance to potential players to bring out their best.
As David Frith has rightly said, “Cricket as a passion is distinctly contagious”. That’s what is needed to ensure that this game doesn’t meet the same fate as others in our country.
