First Ranji Trophy success should help Gujarat to produce quality players
As a former Mumbai player, I am bitterly disappointed with Mumbai losing the Ranji Trophy final but at the same time, feel happy for the Gujarat team for finally getting across the line. In my experience as a player the three states where there was a mad passionate love for the game was Gujarat, Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.
Sure the game is followed all over the country, but nowhere is there the same kind of passion as in these three states.
Like Karnataka’s win in 1974 changed the outlook in that state and they started not just producing champion players but also teams that won in all kinds of conditions and all formats of the game.
Karnataka always had great players and frankly with the talent that they had, they should have won before they actually did in that season but when it came to the crunch they were found wanting. That win galvanised them, made them believe in themselves much more and they haven’t looked back since. They continue to produce brilliant players with Lokesh Rahul and Karun Nair bidding fair to be the next big ones.
Hopefully, Gujarat which has given Indian cricket good players, will now go on like Karnataka to give great players too. It is here that the administrators need to do the job they were specifically chosen for and ensure that the win is not just celebrated but also the message spread far and wide so that the popularity of the game will only grow stronger in the state.
Earning a living
Gujarat also used to have fine players earlier but since cricket had not become the kind of great career option that it has become now a lot of the good players left the game early to concentrate on earning a living outside the game. What has been a bit disappointing is to find that some players were not allowed to play Ranji Trophy because they needed to be kept fresh for international competition. This is incredible as most of the players come to the international arena after doing well in Ranji Trophy.
Yes today, the IPL gives an easier entry into the Indian team since its televised more than the Ranji Trophy matches but good international players are those who do well in their domestic first class cricket. The crucial thing, therefore, is to ensure that when the fixtures are drawn up a clash between international cricket and domestic cricket — especially for the knockout stages of Ranji Trophy — is kept minimal. It can be never ideal but as much as possible first class cricket is left undisturbed will be better for the country since most players come up through the domestic first class scene.
The one player who has gone on to become a great Test player straight from limited overs cricket is David Warner. He got the chance to play alongside Virender Sehwag, who advised him to keep playing the same way even in the longer format of the game and see what a success Warner has become without losing his attacking flair.
Only a few weeks back, he became only the fifth batsman to score a century before lunch on the first day of a Test match. He then followed up with another blistering knock where he got the second fastest fifty in Test cricket. But of course players like Warner and Sehwag are rare and that’s why they are difficult to plan anything against.
Every single plan from A to Z goes out of the window when these players get going. Warner is in terrific form and Australia are back to winning ways. The Aussies come down to India next month for a four-Test series and if Warner scores loads of runs and takes the matches away from India, then one Mr Virender Sehwag will have a lot to answer for!!!