Sheffield 16-Aug-2010 130
It is an open secret that for the quality of cricket to improve, the concerned state cricket associations have to be proactive at the grassroots level with an objective of spotting the right talent, grooming them and giving them the necessary support to grow and mature as professional cricketers.
In a challenging cricket environment where the demands have doubled, during offseason as much as it is the responsibility of a modern cricketer, that much is the onus of the respective state cricket associations to ensure that the players are physically prepared to compete against the best in the business and are mentally agile to go through the grinds of a long season under testing conditions.
Most of the state cricket associations follow the tried and tested route of conducting pre-conditioning camps and arranging a series of practice matches against local clubs however the best teams in the country; Mumbai, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Punjab, Bengal, Hyderabad distinguish themselves from the rest through their local league cricket structure which is the lifeblood of any state team.
It not only puts new talent into the pipeline but also gives the experienced campaigners to acquaint themselves with simulated match situations before the beginning of the actual season. Though Hyderabad and Bengal have not been consistent Ranji Trophy performers in the recent past yet their system cannot be questioned as it continues to produce talents that force the national selectors to make a note of; Pragyan Ojha and Wriddhiman Shah being two such names.
The robust league structure is weaved into the DNA of their cricket system which prepares a player subconsciously for the bigger stage much before he makes his debut for his club team. Inviting teams from outside the state, gives a chance to the upcoming cricketers to compete against new teams and in the process develop their virtues as a professional. Moin-Ud-Dowlah Trophy (Hyderabad Cricket Association), JP Atray Meet (Punjab Cricket
Association), Buchi Babu Memorial Tournament (Tamil Nadu Cricket Association) are few of the prominent league tournaments that have been regular fixtures in the cricket calendar for more than three decades just before the start of the domestic cricket season in India.
Orissa Cricket Association needs to be congratulated for sending state teams to participate in some of these all-India tournaments in recent years and for having started the Basant Biswal Memorial Cricket Tournament which recently concluded its second season.
These moves can be seen as a step forward for Orissa cricket and now the onus lies on the administrators to understand and archive the key points that have been the feature of various prominent leagues’ longevity and credibility. The learning’s can help the state association to amplify the scale of Basant Biswal Memorial Cricket Tournament at a rapid pace so that the present generation of budding cricketers get the right amount of exposure and mature at a younger age for bigger deeds on the field. The focus now
should be to ensure that the present prospects do not lose out on
the developments around the world so that the state produces its fourth international cricketer in the near future.
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(The writer is currently a student of Msc in Sports & Leisure Management at The University of Sheffield, UK)
