Tendulkar suggestions shot down

The Marylebone Cricket Club’s world cricket committee, which suggested some radical changes to the laws of cricket following its two-day meeting here, wasn’t too impressed with Sachin Tendulkar’s suggestion of playing a first-class (Ranji Trophy) match on two pitches.

Tendulkar, during a recent event, had come up with the idea of playing first innings on grassy pitches and second innings on rank turners so that Indian batsmen are well equipped to play on fast pitches when they travel abroad and still be able to play on wickets at home that aid spin.

The radical proposal, however, found no takers on the MCC panel which felt it would dilute the competitiveness of first-class cricket.

“We talked about that,” said Mike Brearley, the chairman of the MCC. “We talked about the conflict between using first-class matches as training and on the other hand, the fact that they are proper games of cricket in a proper competition, proper feeling that you’re in a real match. Those two things can be in conflict. I personally think the committee would have probably said the same that we felt that (it) went too far in turning first-class cricket into turning mere practice for international cricket,” said the former England skipper.