The catching-up game...

Cricketers all around the world look up to Australia to set the gold standards on how to play the game. This is true at the International level as well as the domestic one. Australia's cricket ethic at the domestic level is unmatched and proves to be a perfect platform for those pursuing the International dream. Most other countries do not play the domestic contests with equal vigor and competitive attitude. The reasons are not unknown, but the problem lies in executing the much needed changes. For comparative purposes, since I'm not well versed with domestic outfits in other countries, its only fair to keep this discussion limited to some of the shortcomings of the Indian domestic structure.

Competitiveness: Nowhere are the Ranji matches in India as competitive as any of the Pura Cup games. Reason, mostly the quality of players representing the teams. Not many those play the international format get to play in the domestic circuit as well (due to the overbooked schedule of our Indian cricket team). This leaves the younger bunch with no experience or guidance from the veterans and they don't actually get to raise the level of their game.

Pitch: Indian pitches are batsman-friendly, we produce lovely players with a bat in hand, but we still keep hunting for a pace attack capable of taking 20 wickets in a Test match. The nature of the pitches need to change, the batsmen need to test themselves, the bowlers need to be encouraged, this will lead to an overall talent recognition. Australia has mixed pitches all around the country, and so they keep finding talents that have gone through the complete litmus test.

Professionalism: Of course the feeling of playing an International encounter is well cherished by everyone, but do we show the same enthusiasm and attitude while playing at the zone, club or city level? Others will say otherwise, but I have seen some Indian domestic matches played without much professionalism and spirit. Money might be one concern, and if that is a concern, then the Board needs to look into it.

Mindset: The mindset in India is to get an education that will secure a job, and then think about how to get a particular salary. We’re used to that kind of a life, and that’s how we bring up our children. Parents need to realize that cricket now offers a decent standard of living and earning potential, and not just for international cricketers. They need to stop thinking they are taking a huge gamble with their child’s life if they let a child pursue sport as career. It is possible to get a degree in Engineering by merely passing the exams and not really learning the concepts in depth, and also get a job based on that degree. Similarly, a cricketer can waste the opportunities in the nets and in training, and with some talent still play professional cricket. One has to work purposefully hard at training, at educating oneself in the right cricket ethics, because one is being paid to play, and at the same time it is a privilege to play first-class cricket.