*Official* Indian Domestic Season 2004/2005

[V Reddy]

Hyderabad have VVS Laxman, while Railways have as many as 7 batsmen. Both bowling sides are unfancied, but in good form. Rayudu once took their attack apart, but is not in the same form now.
MATCH-UPS:
Pagnis v/s Reddy
JP Yadav v/s Laxman
NP Singh v/s JP Yadav
Harvinder v/s Rayudu

IMO the reason for Hyderabad's success has been the lively pitch at the Gymkhana and Hyd played almost 80-90 % of its matches there only. It would be interesting how this attack would fare on other tracks. I expect Rayudu to be back in the runs as it'll most probably be an away match. Also Raju's retirement has been a blessing in disguise as he has been mediocre for quite a long time while it also gave an oppurtunity for the new talented spinner.

 

[Arjun]

There's the Scorpio Speedster contest, which threw up an interesting result- Abid Khan from Delhi has clocked 138, the fastest so far. But is this the fastest they can go? They need to change their bowling action so that they can deliver the ball a lot faster, without any jerk. As for last year's winner, NSC Aiyappa (previous record-holder, clocked at 135), he has had a decent season, but only one 5-wicket haul.

 

[Arjun]

VERY good news

VERY good news

Indian domestic itinerary revised

Cricinfo staff

January 7, 2005



The Duleep Trophy, the Indian domestic competetion between zonal teams, has been advanced so that the national players and will be held from February 15 to March 12. The Indian board also announced that Bangladesh would take part in the tournament.

According to Ratnakar Shetty, the joint secretary of the board, the dates had been brought forward "in order to give the Indian players better exposure to the longer version of the game prior to the Test matches against Pakistan."

The Duleep Trophy was previously scheduled to be held from February 25 to March 22 in various venues across central zone. Pakistan are scheduled to visit India in the last week of February to play three Tests and five one-day internationals.

The Ranji Trophy one-day knock-out tournament has been postponed by two months and will now be held in Mumbai from April 8 to 14. The other domestic ODI tournaments - the league phase of the one-day tournament, the Deodhar Trophy and the Challenger Trophy - remain the same. However, the dates of the Ranji Trophy semi-finals will now be held between March 18 to 22 while the final is scheduled for March 30 to April 3.

 

[Arjun]

The Ranji OD's are being played in club grounds. This is dumb. First of all, not too many can watch the matches, since these are exclusive places. Even CricInfo is not covering them live, and nor are the TV channels we get. Then, these are just club grounds- there is a big difference between playing in the Sonnet club grounds and the FerozeShah Kotla stadium. Really, one must ask, are OD's taken seriously in India?

 

[c8w]

Maybe new, since the Jharkhand- the state- was created only in the year 2000, so they're a relatively new team. It used to be a part of Bihar, but now, the state has its own team. Tough call, since on CricInfo, both Bihar and Jharkhand are listed as the same team!

It was, as you say, part of Bihar - and that is reflected in the current Jharkhand XI
as well. Most of the players are the ones who formed Bihar in the past - and "Bihar"
isnt playing anymore, so thats natural. Basically its almost the exact same team
with a changed name (except a couple of players, who have defected to other
sides - but that might just be due to them being "pros". For example a very
good batsman, Bihar's best, was Tariq-ur-rehman - he plays office and club
cricket in Bombay too. He "defected" this year as a pro to a different side,
but that might well have happened anyway even if it was still Bihar rather
than Jharkhand).

People like Sumit Panda, Mihir Diwakwar, Rajiv Kumar, Nikhilesh Ranjan etc -
they were all players who came up thru Bihar Under !9, and played several
years for Bihar proper in the Ranjis. This year htey form the core of the
Jharkhand Ranji side - basically the association might well be the same,
with just a different name.

c8w

 

[c8w]

IMO the reason for Hyderabad's success has been the lively pitch at the Gymkhana and Hyd played almost 80-90 % of its matches there only. It would be interesting how this attack would fare on other tracks. I expect Rayudu to be back in the runs as it'll most probably be an away match. Also Raju's retirement has been a blessing in disguise as he has been mediocre for quite a long time while it also gave an oppurtunity for the new talented spinner.

Yes, that had a lot to do with it. Hyderabad had the good sense to play their
matches at home on very sporting pitches, all fo which had a result (and sometimes
within 3 days instead of 4). In this new system, that is the key - you have result
pitches, and if youre a good side, you'll win maybe a little more than you lose,
and that will put you in the semis. Just drawing is useless. This was clearly
illustrated by TN and Hyderabad - IMHO TN is a better side than Hyderabad,
and even proved it this season.TN lost only 1 game this year, Hyderabad lost
2 (and TN killed Hyderabad head-to-head). But TN had only 3 results in 6 games,
Hyderabad had *6* results! TN won 2 outright, Hyderabad won 4 outright - so
TN didnt even make the semis, ending 4th in their group, while Hyderabad
won the group outright, finishing #1.

First match of the season, a long time ago, Hyderabad played TN in Madras. And
TN killed them, just destroyed them - scores were Hyd 163 allout, TN 461/6 decl,
Hyd 190 allout. TN won by an innings and 108 runs - and lost only 6 wickets in
beating Hyderabad by an innings! TN had 5 points, Hyderabad had 0 points.

And then Hyderabad went home, and had *all* its remaining games at home, the
next 5 in a row. They played *all* of them on result pitches, lots of greentops
with huge movement for seamers (which NP Singh exploited beautifully). And
they had 5 results in a row - 4 wins and 1 loss (to Baroda). They beat Punjab
outright, a very big win, but that was because VVSL had returned and he
top-scored in both innings. They beat the minnows Assam by an innings within
3 days to get 5 points, and so end #1 in the group. They played very well all
year long - but the key was that they had the good sense to play all the games
on result pitches, and so you get 4 points instead of just 2 (for first innings
lead).

TN, OTOH, played quite a few away matches, and only 3 at home all year IIRC.
TN played well, dominated several teams - but, often due to pitches (and maybe
a little their bowlnig too), they couldnt win outright. They kept getting first
innings leads. TN basically took the first-innings lead in *every single game*
this season! But they lost one of those games, to Baroda, in a tremendous
comeback from Kiran Powar and Yusuf Pathan. But, after that first win over
Hyderabad, they just couldnt win - the next 4 matches they took the first
innings lead each time, lost a shocked to Baroda, and ended with "first
innings points" the other 3 times. But never the full 4 points. They finally
won their last match against Maharashtra outright at home, on a result
pitch, but it was too late. This left them at 15 points for the season, and ni
4th place eventually.

BTW, are you sure the Railways/Hyderabad game is away? Before the final
game it was sort of presumed that Bombay and Delhi would make the
semis - and on analysing it was found that Hyderabad would play *both*
those teams at home! (This is because we still use the silly outdated system
for home/away - you go on the "last match played between the two sides".
Both Delhi and Bombay, when they last played Hyderabad, played at home...
so this time it would have been away for them. Personally, I think we should
just go with results- that is, the #1 team of a group should host the semis
against the #2 team from the other group. Anyway). I havent looked at the
last time Railways played Hyderabad - will have to look it up. So Iam not
sure at the moment if its a home or away game for Hyderabad - if youve
looked it up and are sure, please let us know and it'll save me some work :-)

c8w

 

[Arjun]

It was, as you say, part of Bihar...basically the association might well be the same,
with just a different name.

Is the Bihar Cricket Association still active? There are still reports of the Railway Minister being the head of that association, and his son happens to be a prominent player.

 

[Arjun]

Upset of the week- Baroda have skittled out the strong Mumbai bating lineup for just 163 and built solid partnerships to reach the target.

In the battle of the all-rounders in the North, Reetinder Sodhi outscored Joginder Sharma as Punjab defeated Haryana in a close match.

 

[honestbharani]

News on the South Zone OD games... TN have won both of their games so far. I haven't followed the other sides. Sorry.

 

[Deja moo]

Is the Bihar Cricket Association still active? There are still reports of the Railway Minister being the head of that association, and his son happens to be a prominent player.

The BCA has been derecognised by the BCCI for quite some time now. Sub-judice now.

 

[Arjun]

The BCA has been derecognised by the BCCI for quite some time now. Sub-judice now.

One can guess why.

News on the South Zone OD games... TN have won both of their games so far. I haven't followed the other sides. Sorry.

Try the CricInfo scorecards, and you'll find some here. Of course, not all the scorecards have been put up.

 

[Arjun]

Where are the cameras?

The scorecard reads- Vinayak Mane, caught keeper Vimal Joshi, bowled Irfan Safi Pathan. It does not tell you the whole story. Did he edge the ball flashing wide outside off, making the typical Asian mistake? Or was it an unplayable away-swinger taking an edge to the keeper?

Then you have Yashpal Singh, the frontline batsman from Services. He has been scoring runs in big innings, maintaining a healthy average of 62. He has quite a few big hundreds, including a few doubles. But how does he bat? Does he swing outside off-stump? Does he slog over leg for a pull shot?

Only television coverage can answer those questions. But where are the cameras?

The only way domestic cricket can be attract more fans than the old faithfuls and fans who live next-door is through television. It will also help the players. They have to play well when they're covered and are being watched by more than the 40-odd spectators in the stadium. It can show fans not just how much the players achieve, but also how.

Balaji was in very good form in 2002-03, but had two disappointing Tests when he made his debut. He was bowling at medium-pace and running in diagonally, and pitching the ball short of a length. Salvi was also among the wickets in the same season, but he pitched the ball further up and sneaked in a few bouncers, which is how he's performed better away from India than Balaji. We have seen them in action, so we know how they play. It will help the selectors as well, when they watch the match, when confronted with selection headaches of a statistical nature.

Somebody may score a rapid 200 or a steady 250, but question may be asked- how many times was he dropped? How many catching chances were there? How many no-ball let-offs did he get? Does he edge the ball or give it the full face of the bat? Was he facing good bowlers? Did the fielding make things tough for him? Most importantly, does the national team need him?Similarly, for a bowler, you need to know how he runs in, how many extras does he concede, whether he attacks the stumps, how fast he bowls (or how much turn he gets), how much variety he can use and how long he can last. The quality of batting also needs to be watched- he's nothing special if most of the wickets come by slogs or wide flashes outside off-stump.

Fans will have the answers, and so will selectors, when they watch the players in action. Statistics may not be the be-all and end-all after all, for solving problems with selection.

 

[Arjun]

The organisation and working of the Ranji OD series resembles that of the assembly of a jeep in three days- they're trying to do something very hard in very little time. The results of such an operation are often catastrophic- the contraption falls apart quickly and the Indian ODI side is at number 8 in the ICC rankings. If they can keep the Ranji Trophy running for such a long time, why not keep the OD form a little longer than it does? It should not cost them much.

 

[Arjun]

Has anyone been watching the Premier Hockey League coverage on STAR? A similar package can be used for domestic cricket, complete with cameras, speedguns, advertisements, though not commentators with Texan accents.

 

[Pratters]

Has anyone been watching the Premier Hockey League coverage on STAR? A similar package can be used for domestic cricket, complete with cameras, speedguns, advertisements, though not commentators with Texan accents.

Yes the Texan accent commentator is horrible and he doesnt know any thing about Indian hockey to commentae on such a match.

I have been advocating an NBA style structure for domestic cricket around the world. It would work magnificently.

 

[Arjun]

Yes the Texan accent commentator is horrible and he doesnt know any thing about Indian hockey to commentae on such a match.

He's hilarious when he tries to translate every line of Priyanka's side-line reports. However, we don't need more Madan Lal or Venkatesh Prasad types either.

I have been advocating an NBA style structure for domestic cricket around the world. It would work magnificently.

What does NBA-style mean? NBA coverage seems to be characterised by lots of colourful signs, loud commentary, lots of ads thrown in (not just commercial breaks), cheerleaders, background music during intermissions- maybe the Sky Sports method would be a better alternative?

 

[Pratters]

I mean some thing in the lines of the NBA. City teams with trades possible, foreign players allowed. I dont give a **** about cheerleaders, loud commentary. Better marketing of the game by ESPN star is also needed.

 

[Arjun]

I mean some thing in the lines of the NBA. City teams with trades possible, foreign players allowed. I dont give a **** about cheerleaders, loud commentary. Better marketing of the game by ESPN star is also needed.

Foreign players? How will that help? You'll end up with average players getting way ahead of the rest of the pack, though the number may be restricted to just one. Moreover, if you have someone like Flintoff, Harmison or Gayle in any side, that side will have a big advantage over most other teams, though it is up to those teams to neutralise the advantage. Besides, Indian domestic cricket needs its own all-rounders and tearaway quicks, not those from elsewhere.

If you have city teams, you would have twice as many FC teams as you do now. They don't need so many. Besides, the Duleep Trophy and Deodhar Trophy should be taken very seriously, since you have fewer and better players in each side. Imagine a West Zone with Sachin, Zaheer and Pathan, South with Laxman, Dravid, Kumble and Balaji, Central with Kaif, East with Ganguly and North with Sehwag, Nehra, Harbhajan and Yuvraj. That would make the competition a lot stronger and remove the extras.

Better marketing will help the game a lot, but given D(p)oorDarshan's monopoly of telecast rights for cricket in India, it is up to them to improve, though the sooner Zee or Ten takes over, the better.

 

[Pratters]

If we have 10 city teams like they are doing it in Hockey, in tier 1 and 10 in tier two, there would be enough teams to have potential players get good matches. Its no coincidence that two oreign players per team has come at the same time as english cricket improving. Australia has far lesser teams and manages to do well.

Better players would mean better competition. Foreign players would be allowed for every country too if we want to adopt it. I am speaking of such a structure in all nations. The best teams may play in a champions league like structure in football.

This should replace the FC cricket which exists right now. That ways.

 

[Arjun]

If we have 10 city teams like they are doing it...has far lesser teams and manages to do well.

There are just 13 State teams in the top tier of Ranji, and 10 in the lower league. If you go ahead with that structure, you would end up keeping 'weaker' states out. These states may have all-rounders and tearaway quicks, whom you don't usually find in top teams.

That "two foreign players" rule may not have done much, as it is just a place for extras from other countries to make merry in an already flawed system- look at the pitches they play in! Not to mention the selections are not that good either. The only reason English cricket is improving is that they have found quality players for crucial roles.

Australia's domestic structure is strong only because there is very tough competition to get into each of the five teams. That makes every player in those sides very competitive- even the extras who carry drinks are tough nuts. This is where the Duleep Trophy is most important.

Foreign players don't always boost the quality of the game. Look at Spain- their best teams are almost full to the brim with quality players from other countries, but Spain's national team is a joke- they have NEVER won a World Cup! That's because the star players are just making merry, but the quality of football has not improved. Australian FC teams are the best in world cricket, yet they don't have foreign players. Instead, the Indian Test and ODI regulars have to play more domestic matches as their seniors did back then- Sunil Gavaskar NEVER missed a match for Mumbai.