Another domestic season to unfold with promises galore

By Vijay Lokapally

NAGPUR, OCT. 11. The great Indian domestic cricket season will unfold soon, with promises galore from the Board to improve its state of administration with an eye on the welfare of the players, especially those who do not get the privilege of graduating to the international circuit.

There are many who fall in this category, many who begin every season with hope and yet end up in despair because their performances fail to attract the attention of the National selectors. There are some who gain chances more than they deserve and many who get just one opportunity.

Most officials connected with cricket in India have an agenda of their own, and in most cases promotion of cricket happens to be a low priority. They keep talking of improving the state of pitches so that domestic cricket gets a boost in terms of quality competition; they keep painting rosy pictures of enhanced match fee as if that alone would push India's standing in international cricket; they just keep repeating the promises.

Remember the visit by two soil experts from New Zealand a few years ago. The venture reportedly cost the Board rupees thirty lakh but the report by the Kiwis on how to prepare lively pitches has been gathering dust in the Board's office. Every time the Indian team receives a thrashing overseas, the experts wail and talk of ``poor pitches'' at home being the main reason. Nothing, however, has happened on this front for decades now.

Accountability is absent

There is no accountability in any department and that has remained the bane of Indian cricket. Who will question Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya for including corrupt officials in his set up.

How come the same set of senior officials, who made similar promises for the last two years, now discover efficiency overnight? Nothing signifies more than this Board vice-president who would stand on Mr. A.C. Muthiah's left. He can now be seen on Mr. Dalmiya's right, doing precisely the same - craning his neck to find space in the frame.

The fact is that few are interested in domestic cricket. The players fend for themselves and performances do not get noticed because few watch and follow them, not even the very men who matter so much. Last season, not one National selector had the time to watch the Deodhar Trophy. It shows the importance the Board attaches to this tournament. Even Ranji Trophy matches at the zonal level fail to attract the selectors.

The Board itself has been guilty of treating domestic cricket with contempt. Look at the manner in which the Irani Trophy this year was shunted from Baroda to Pune to Rajkot before finally settling at Nagpur as venue. It should thank the Vidarbha Cricket Association for agreeing to stage this non-profitable fixture at such a short notice.

Do performances in domestic cricket count? Not really if you ask Dodda Ganesh. For three seasons the Karnataka seamer has been the leading wicket-taker in domestic cricket but recognition has not come his way. ``There's a big difference between domestic cricket and international cricket,'' was one selector's reaction when asked why Ganesh was being ignored.

Not just Ganesh. Cricketers like Yere Goud, Sanjay Bangar, Wassim Jaffer, Murali Kartik, Sunil Joshi, Rahul Sanghvi, Rohan Gavaskar have been some of the consistent performers in domestic cricket but have not earned the right backing. It is this inconsistency among the selectors which the Board needs to

address immediately. The selectors should be made to explain their selection policy, if there is one.

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