Like IPL, Indian selectors should have a research team
and player availability. Also ensure adequate supply of Indian talent to satisfy the 7 in 11 rule.
The objective is to have a combination capable of winning. Indian selectors are driven by national glory, franchises do it for a positive balance sheet and creating value that can be monetised.
Indian selectors may take a long-term view and build. Franchises have short-term goals — make the knockouts, then think ahead.
Yet, there are differences not limited to the staged drama of rising financial bids and whispered consultations on mobiles before raising the paddle.
The difference is the process behind selection. To assess players, Indian selectors depend on gut feeling, judgement, performance and stats.
Indian Premier League (IPL) selectors subject players to rigorous examination. Scouts scour the cricket landscape searching for talent, senior players are solidly researched and everyone is put through strict filters.
The outward focus of auctions is player price but this is a matter of market forces, of demand and supply. There is merit in the way the IPL does DNA checks on players. Videos are analysed, stats stripped down to minutest detail.
For batsmen, strike rates are not enough, what matters is context, state of game, conditions, response under pressure, ability versus pace, capacity to strike big and hit long.
Bowling is not only economy rates but variations, yorkers, slow-bouncers, back of the hand stuff, disguised spin and raw pace.
In IPL’S market, death-over specialists are priceless.
The same logic should apply to India team selection. Just as the India team has a dedicated video analyst, selectors too must be assisted by a research team giving them inputs.
Equipped with a 360-degree idea of players, selectors could then make more informed choices.
The IPL auction also flags other important selection issues. Clearly, emotions play no part and harsh treatment to aging senior stars confirms this game is only about results.
The IPL has changed Indian cricket in many ways — about time its impact is also felt on the selection process.