TNCA officials bat for positive mentality at club level

CHENNAI: AT a time when three players from Tamil Nadu — R Ashwin, Murali Vijay and Vijay Shankar — are in the India Test team that is playing against Sri Lanka in Delhi, many former cricketers and enthusiasts are sad and angry that Tamil Nadu didn’t do enough to qualify for the Ranji Trophy knockouts.
What was even more appalling was the team’s inability to win a single game. Former India international and Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) coach M Venkatramana felt that fostering a winning mentality in the state’s divisional structure might act as a solution in the future.

“In our times, we had two-day leagues and we still managed to win matches against top sides. The very reason that TNCA made the First Division league a three-day affair was to prepare players for Ranji Trophy.

“Unfortunately there have been no big wins against top sides in recent times. TNCA divided the league into Elite and Plate for adding more relevance. Still, teams go for safe results and don’t try for outright wins. Good surfaces are also a must for bringing about more results.”

A senior TNCA official who did not to want to be named put the blame on club secretaries for preparing tracks that are tailored to their style of play. “When matches are outside Chepauk, we don’t have control over preparation. It is up to the clubs prepare the wickets, and they invariably end up suiting their team’s strength, resulting in many matches ending without an outright victor.”

Another senior TNCA member pointed out that club teams should also look at making sporting declarations for inducing results. Players too must bring about a positive change to their mindset, he added.
“If you don’t experiment and try for a win at club level, how will we win games at the Ranji level? In fact, when Jolly Rovers couldn’t play at their home ground (IIT-Chemplast) this season and shifted to the VB Nest ground, their players failed to adapt. The team was relegated to the Plate group.”

The official extended the same argument to the state team. “I think the Tamil Nadu players are a pampered lot, and they must come out of their comfort zone. What the TNCA wants is that players at least qualify for the knockouts. This is not a big demand since we have a talented team, quality support staff and excellent infrastructure. This is a wake-up call for the players.”

ashok.v@newindianexpress.com