The availability of some of the biggest names for Ranji Trophy is more an exception rather than rule.
A revamped Indian domestic cricket season may have already begun with the Irani Cup late this September but it will gather steam only with the commencement of the Ranji Trophy early next month - November 2nd to be precise.
This might sound a bit like euphemism for a tournament that is witnessed by no more than the proverbial three men and a dog, but the performances in Ranji, for all practical purposes, remain the biggest yardstick for a player wanting to graduate to the highest level.
There are a number of factors that have the kept the spectators away from domestic action but the two primary reasons attributed are -- excess cricket and non-availability of star players. The reality is these two problems are inter-related.
The advent of Twenty20 and the emergence of the money-spinning IPL have further crammed an already hectic schedule, making it almost impossible for the core group of international players to take time out for domestic cricket.
That some of the biggest names in Indian cricket -- including Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli among others -- would be available for at least the opening round of Ranji fixtures this year is more an exception rather than rule.
In such a scenario, a more result-oriented tournament may regenerate some much-needed interest in the Ranji Trophy. And for that to materialise better quality pitches is a primary requirement. Though the Pitches Committee will depute 10 members, from the earlier five, for a more effective way of ensuring good surfaces across all venues from this season, it remains to be seen how efficient the process will be.
There may be reservations about the functioning of the Board of Control for Cricket in India on several issues but it is also a fact that cricketers' voices and matters concerning the game are increasingly finding more resonance within the corridors of power.
That the BCCI wasted little time in endorsing the restructuring of India's premier domestic event as recommended by its Technical Committee, then headed by former India captain Sourav Ganguly, was a strong indicator of that trend.
It's no brainer that for India's cricket to be in good health it requires a competitive domestic structure. The Ranji format has undergone three structural changes - from the long-existing zonal system to Elite and Plate divisions in early 2000s to the one that is set to unfold from this season - in just over a decade and one can safely assume that the latest make-over appears more effective and competitive than the previous ones.
To recap in brief, 27 teams from the erstwhile Elite and Plate divisions have been divided into three pools of nine teams each. While the first two groups will have top 18 teams, the third one will comprise of lower-rung sides. Three teams from the first two levels and two from the other will enter the knockouts. The two bottom-placed teams from the stronger groups will be demoted while the top two teams from what is essentially a weaker gathering will join the superior outfits.
On the face of it, there doesn't seem to be much of a change from the previous set-up in the sense that earlier also six teams from top-flight Elite and two from Plate made it to the knockout stage and promotion and demotion of teams worked in a similar manner.
So what's different about the new format then?
There has been an earnest effort to cut out any perceivable unfair advantages that teams enjoyed previously. To begin with, having groups of equal number of teams means, unlike earlier, equal number of matches for each team and hence an even opportunity to qualify for the knockouts.
Then, each team gets to play same number of home and away matches providing for a level-playing field. Though the home and away concept has always been in vogue, the numbers always fluctuated depending upon which team you drew to play in a particular season. The new system gets rid of that anomaly.
As the Mysore and Shimoga experiences have proved in Karnataka, taking games to smaller centres, where the romance with Ranji is still alive, is one sure way of attracting crowds to matches. Present Technical Committee chairman and former India captain Anil Kumble, who as a special invitee assisted Ganguly in drafting the changes, also looks at home and away format as a means to spread the game.
"We believe the home and away format gives that incentive for the State associations to organise four home matches in the centres they want. As the president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, it gives me an opportunity to take the game outside of Bangalore and develop it in the smaller centres," Kumble had said then.
In an effort to encourage teams to go for outright wins, the committee has also fixed six points for winners excluding a bonus point for innings or 10-wicket victory. The points for first-innings lead remain three, ensuring that win is rewarded far better.
The sharp decline (see the table) in the number of outright results in the last three seasons can directly be blamed on the largely batsman-friendly squares. A format, which encourages teams to embrace safety-first (taking first-innings lead) approach, has been further rendered monotonous by lifeless pitches. The changes to the format have honestly tried to address these two major issues and only time will tell how effectual the measures taken are.
A revamped Indian domestic cricket season may have already begun with the Irani Cup late this September but it will gather steam only with the commencement of the Ranji Trophy early next month - November 2nd to be precise.
This might sound a bit like euphemism for a tournament that is witnessed by no more than the proverbial three men and a dog, but the performances in Ranji, for all practical purposes, remain the biggest yardstick for a player wanting to graduate to the highest level.
There are a number of factors that have the kept the spectators away from domestic action but the two primary reasons attributed are -- excess cricket and non-availability of star players. The reality is these two problems are inter-related.
The advent of Twenty20 and the emergence of the money-spinning IPL have further crammed an already hectic schedule, making it almost impossible for the core group of international players to take time out for domestic cricket.
That some of the biggest names in Indian cricket -- including Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli among others -- would be available for at least the opening round of Ranji fixtures this year is more an exception rather than rule.
In such a scenario, a more result-oriented tournament may regenerate some much-needed interest in the Ranji Trophy. And for that to materialise better quality pitches is a primary requirement. Though the Pitches Committee will depute 10 members, from the earlier five, for a more effective way of ensuring good surfaces across all venues from this season, it remains to be seen how efficient the process will be.
There may be reservations about the functioning of the Board of Control for Cricket in India on several issues but it is also a fact that cricketers' voices and matters concerning the game are increasingly finding more resonance within the corridors of power.
That the BCCI wasted little time in endorsing the restructuring of India's premier domestic event as recommended by its Technical Committee, then headed by former India captain Sourav Ganguly, was a strong indicator of that trend.
It's no brainer that for India's cricket to be in good health it requires a competitive domestic structure. The Ranji format has undergone three structural changes - from the long-existing zonal system to Elite and Plate divisions in early 2000s to the one that is set to unfold from this season - in just over a decade and one can safely assume that the latest make-over appears more effective and competitive than the previous ones.
To recap in brief, 27 teams from the erstwhile Elite and Plate divisions have been divided into three pools of nine teams each. While the first two groups will have top 18 teams, the third one will comprise of lower-rung sides. Three teams from the first two levels and two from the other will enter the knockouts. The two bottom-placed teams from the stronger groups will be demoted while the top two teams from what is essentially a weaker gathering will join the superior outfits.
On the face of it, there doesn't seem to be much of a change from the previous set-up in the sense that earlier also six teams from top-flight Elite and two from Plate made it to the knockout stage and promotion and demotion of teams worked in a similar manner.
So what's different about the new format then?
There has been an earnest effort to cut out any perceivable unfair advantages that teams enjoyed previously. To begin with, having groups of equal number of teams means, unlike earlier, equal number of matches for each team and hence an even opportunity to qualify for the knockouts.
Then, each team gets to play same number of home and away matches providing for a level-playing field. Though the home and away concept has always been in vogue, the numbers always fluctuated depending upon which team you drew to play in a particular season. The new system gets rid of that anomaly.
As the Mysore and Shimoga experiences have proved in Karnataka, taking games to smaller centres, where the romance with Ranji is still alive, is one sure way of attracting crowds to matches. Present Technical Committee chairman and former India captain Anil Kumble, who as a special invitee assisted Ganguly in drafting the changes, also looks at home and away format as a means to spread the game.
"We believe the home and away format gives that incentive for the State associations to organise four home matches in the centres they want. As the president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, it gives me an opportunity to take the game outside of Bangalore and develop it in the smaller centres," Kumble had said then.
In an effort to encourage teams to go for outright wins, the committee has also fixed six points for winners excluding a bonus point for innings or 10-wicket victory. The points for first-innings lead remain three, ensuring that win is rewarded far better.
The sharp decline (see the table) in the number of outright results in the last three seasons can directly be blamed on the largely batsman-friendly squares. A format, which encourages teams to embrace safety-first (taking first-innings lead) approach, has been further rendered monotonous by lifeless pitches. The changes to the format have honestly tried to address these two major issues and only time will tell how effectual the measures taken are.