How good is India’s domestic first-class cricket? Opinion stands divided. One group, notably MCG heroes Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, think it’s great because tough conditions persuade the best out of players. Others, including some ignorant Aussies, find it ordinary, lacking quality and competitive edge.

What’s undisputed is India’s domestic system is bigger in size and scale than anywhere else. Numbers support this view: 37 teams compete in the Ranji Trophy (compared to six in Australia and 18 in England), with nearly 1,000 first-class cricketers involved. Senior players play in the Ranji, Duleep, Deodhar, Vijay Hazare, Mushtaq Ali tournaments and the IPL.

The size is staggering but doubts about quality plague domestic cricket. Pitches are not always the best, some teams are ordinary and umpiring standards can be dodgy. The serious critics believe the scale of first-class cricket allows mediocrity to flourish and fails the Rahul Dravid test of producing cricketers capable of winning matches for India.

The transition from Ranji to international cricket is a huge step up which many successful domestic players fail to negotiate. Amol Majumdar, Devendra Bundela and Mithun Manhas are among Ranji’s all time top ten run scorers who didn’t play for India while Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Badrinath got just two games each. Last year, Rajneesh Gurbani and Jalaj Saxena were sensational but neither is in the frame for India selection.

PROFESSIONAL OUTLOOK

Recent evidence suggests domestic cricket is changing -- for the better -- thanks to the IPL. The players of today are more skillful, fitter and with a mindset that drives ambition. Cricket is ‘professional’ as teams recruit players from outside the state, appoint expert coaches (example: Dav Whatmore in Kerala) and invest in infrastructure and support staff.

Tactically too, India’s cricket is more nuanced: teams play with intent to win, ultra-spinning pitches (square turners) are consigned to the dustbin and captains opt for a three-man seam attack. Green tops are common, Lalhi in Haryana, is an extreme example where matches often end within two days.

Domestic cricket could be stronger if given respect and attention. At times the BCCI treats it like a ‘compulsory duty’ instead of appreciating its real value and uniqueness.

The BCCI scrapped Duleep Trophy, then reinstated it, scheduling matches in the middle of the monsoon. In a move similar to demonetisation, ‘home ‘ Ranji matches were banned. The tournament thus became a travelling circus with nomadic players on the road for months, playing matches with zero connect with local fans.

PERTINENT QUESTIONS

That dramatic changes are today ordered from the administrative office at Wankhede’s Cricket Centre, with the BCCI Technical Committee (led by Sourav Ganguly, no less) left in the dark defies reason.

The absence of top players from Ranji is another reason for the low quality of play. Kohli last played for Delhi in November 2012 and young Khaleel Ahmed has had just one game this season for Rajasthan. Legitimate questions are raised about MS Dhoni skipping domestic matches, Shikhar Dhawan giving Ranji a miss and Yuvraj turning up only sporadically for Punjab.

The decision to introduce an Elite Group (comprising new states) poses a fresh challenge: how to rate Karanveer Kaushal’s historic first Vijay Hazare Trophy double hundred, Milind Kumar’s 1000 runs from nine innings for Sikkim or Dheeraj Dhapola’s 40 wickets for Uttarakhand.

Rather than go the half-empty or half-full glass route, let’s accept that India’s first-class structure will throw up champions like Jasprit Bumrah and Mayank Agarwal but it remains a work constantly in progress.

(The writer is a senior sports administrator and views are personal. He tweets @AmritMathur1)

First Published: Jan 02, 2019 19:55 IST