Selectors must ensure all cricketers play in domestic circuit
The general misconception floating around in cricketing circles is that the game has changed a lot
By Woorkheri Raman
13-Jan-2001
The general misconception floating around in cricketing circles is
that the game has changed a lot. There is no doubt that a few
improvisations have come to stay but as Sir Garfield Sobers said the
game as such has not changed much. What has distinctly and definitely
changed is the attitude of the modern day cricketers at least as far
as the domestic circuit is concerned. It has to be said with sadness
that the change is not for the better. It has been written in this
column sometime earlier that the attitude of the administrators is
disappointing with regard to domestic cricket. I must hasten to add
that some of the cricketers also are guilty of being indifferent when
it comes to playing premier tournaments like the Duleep, Deodhar etc.
A few well-established Indian cricketers have opted to rest in one or
two of the Duleep Trophy matches as they have been playing
continuously. It does help these cricketers to recharge their
batteries before they get onto the field the next time around be it a
domestic or an international fixture. What was inexplicable and
incomprehensible was the don't-care attitude displayed by the new
entrants and some fringe cases in the Indian team. It did seem that
playing the premier tournament was more of a chore they could do
without as far as they were concerned. A case in point was the Duleep
trophy match between the North and South Zones played recently in
Vijayawada. As many as 17 cricketers who have played for the country
were on view but the overall commitment and indifference of most of
those was pathetic. Chandu Borde, the chairman of the national
selection committee was present and it remains to be seen as to what
attitude he adopts when it comes to the selection of a few of those
cricketers.
It was a shame the way some youngsters went about things in that
particular game. Quite obviously they do it in all the matches they
deem insignificant, which unfortunately are the domestic tournaments.
All these modern day cricketers recognise and want to play are just
the international fixtures and nothing else. The much-hyped about
cricketer, Ritender Singh Sodhi, pulled out at the last minute citing
reasons which was were not convincing enough. One wonders if he lost
his bottle, as the pitch at Vijayawada was a sleeping beauty. It is
not that the pitches were any different even in the past but the
approach of the cricketers then was totally on a different angle. It
is unfair to compare cricketers from different eras but that should be
applied to only the ability and skill aspects.
Readers would remember that the Indian team management felt that the
players were short of long duration match practice during the first
half of the Test match in Bangladesh. At the moment there is every
opportunity for the aspiring players to play enough matches before the
Test series against Australia commences. The Duleep trophy, which is
played on a league basis, would have the right type of matches for the
players to try and iron out their shortcomings. Yet the reluctance
shown by the majority of the cricketers is incredible and the same
reasons may be cited if and when things go wrong in the next Test
series. The popular belief was that John Wright, the coach of the
Indian team was supposed to have told some of the senior cricketers to
have a break. Borde dispelled this during a press conference, which
only makes matters worse.
On comparison none of the big wigs of yesteryear in Indian cricket
ever opted out of any of the domestic matches if they were fit to
play. Even today, Tendulkar has shown high level of commitment by
turning out for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, which is not really
emulated by many of his colleagues. For that matter, cricketers all
over the world do play in their domestic circuit if they are not on
national duty. The grind is tough for all the top international
cricketers but the tragedy in Indian cricket is that players who have
just wet their feet in international cricket just about participate
for their state and zone sides.
The selectors have to devise ways and means to ensure that all
cricketers play in the domestic circuit. Borde who is currently
watching domestic cricket along with his colleagues should not
hesitate to read the riot act to bring a sense of discipline into the
cricketers. Otherwise nothing is ever going to change, as the
cricketers have no qualms in treating the stepping stone to stardom
with disdain once they get to the top. After all, cricket today is
probably the best profession in India and for professional cricketers
to stay away from the arena is nothing but sheer sacrilege.
A pragmatist will certainly tell you that it is better to try and
rectify the attitude of the cricketers rather than hope for the
administrators to get into the act of rectifying the flaws in the
system. The question is "Who is to bell the cat"?