dated August 1, 1951: Don't interfere with the Ranji Trophy

From the Editorials: ``It is good that State Cricket Associations are against the proposal to drop Ranji Trophy matches this year in view of the M.C.C.'s forthcoming tour. Bengal and Maharashtra have also recommended that the All-India Schools Cricket Tournament should not be given up. This tournament gave us a Vijay Manjrekar recently, and may discover talent in the future too.''

``Those wanting to stop Ranji matches this season argue that a tour by a foreign team absorbs almost all the interest of players and spectators alike. To some extent this is unfortunately true: but the interest never drops so low as to warrant giving up the matches.''

``When teams from abroad tour England or Australia, the County Championship and the Sheffield Shield contests staged regularly there are not given up. Matches of such sort are, indeed, the backbone of cricket in a country, and to replace many State teams by a few zonal combinations cannot be considered a step in the proper direction.''

``This holds good not merely for All-India, but also on a local basis: if it is suggested, for example, that Madras League matches be replaced by `zonal' ones there would be right vehement protest. Inter-State matches rouse a type of enthusiasm which no zonal match can hope to emulate. The Bombay Quadrangular and Pentangular matches, too, evoked keen enthusiasm, but was felt that being based on communal considerations, they were not in accord with the spirit of cricket.''

``The Ranji Trophy was then instituted, linking our National Championship with the name of the greatest of Indian cricketers. At a time when it is just catching on all over the country, it would be a pity if the tournament should be given up even for a year. Ranji Trophy matches remain the best basis on which the suitability of Indian players for participation in Test matches can be assessed. The abandoning of the Ranji matches even for a year would be a retrogade step, and public opinion in India will not stand for it.''

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