Hello friends,

Imagine this - There are two nets and about 15 batsmen queuing up for a few throw downs. Quite chaotic, you might think. Before you start racking your brains let me tell you that it wasn’t some kind of competition or a coaching session. It was the scene at the nets every morning of our T20 tournament. There were four state teams playing in the two morning matches at two adjacent grounds but at the same venue. All teams shared the facilities right from the dining area to the lavatories. Only the dressing rooms were not shared as makeshift dressing rooms (a covered seating area) were erected for two teams at the adjacent ground. The scenes at the nets were quite interesting both on the eve of the match and every morning.

Firstly, batsmen were not allowed to use spikes while batting for the fear of ruining the surface. Well, would they tell the same batsmen not to wear spikes during the match? Then, since there were only two nets to accommodate players from four teams, none of the batsmen would get more than a few balls for throw downs. Is it the ideal preparation for a match?

Yet, a set up like this definitely helped in building up the camaraderie between players from different states. Sharing the same net for throw downs meant that a bowler from Punjab was bowling to a player from Delhi and Haryana along with bowling to a batsman from his own side.

You might wonder why the batsmen didn’t have a hit in an open area? Why were they crammed up in just two nets? The early morning dew makes the outfield quite wet. And of course, bats tend to spoil if played with a wet ball. Please don’t get me wrong I’m not blaming the hosts because there’s only so much they can do. The infrastructure is not meant to accommodate so many cricketers at the same time.

Then every state team had five matches in six days. At times the team which played the game in the afternoon, finishing at 5pm, was back at the ground at 8.30am the following morning to play their next game, staring at 10am. The teams which had back to back morning matches had it easy but only just. The morning match would finish at 1pm, with the next match scheduled for 10am the following day, sparing less than 24 hours for the player to rest and recover.

Also, we all realise that a T20 game doesn’t require as much effort as a fifty over game. But then why don’t we see other T20 leagues and tournaments around the world getting over in a week? Another problem along with high fatigue levels, perhaps leading to injuries, is that there’s hardly any time to recover. The loss which should hurt is not that bitter and the win is not that sweet either! After all there’s another game to be played in less than 24 hours. How long can you mull over a loss or celebrate a win?

Nevertheless, I’m tempted to call this T20 tournament a ‘carnival’ not because it lacked the seriousness of a tournament but for the environment it created. Ninety players from six states assembled every day, ate together, shared stories and renewed friendships. One rarely gets an opportunity like this.

Ciao

Dear Readers,

As promised here are the answers to some of the questions you'd asked.

Posted by: Chintan Shah on February 24, 2009 11:00 AM

Hi Aakash,
I’m a big fan of your articles on Cricinfo. I was trying to find your book in local bookstores but could not get it. Maybe I didn’t try enough, but I would surely buy it soon.
My Question to you is about our domestic cricket scheduling. County cricket has four tournaments just like we do, they also have a two-tier approach, plus they have Twenty20 tournaments too which we do not – in our domestic circuit - thanks to the IPL. Why can’t we have a schedule just like them? The counties play four day-games in a week and play a one-day match over the weekend, that way both the Ranji Trophy and Ranji one-dayers can be held together. Similarly, the Duleep Trophy needs more matches, it simply cannot be a knockout tournament.

Dear Chintan,
We used to follow a similarly formatted schedule earlier i.e. playing a one-day match a day before the longer version. But all this changed when the Elite and Plate divisions were introduced in the Ranji Trophy. The old zonal system continued for the one-day tournament, though. Hence, it isn’t possible to hold both formats in the same week. I won’t be surprised to see the Elite and Plate divisions introduced soon in the shorter format as well.
Yes, I completely agree that there could be more matches in the Duleep trophy.

Posted by: Angi on February 24, 2009 11:20 AM

Dharamsala is a beautiful place - wonderful scenery and locations.
I'm a bit curious to know one thing: when did you first debut in the Ranji Trophy? I mean, did you represent your school teams first and then some clubs - basically, how did you get noticed?

Dear Angi,
I made my first class debut in 1997 against Services.

Yes, one needs to play for the school team, then some club and eventually in age-group tournaments for the state. One must do well enough in the age-group tournaments to get noticed and picked to play for the state team at first-class level.

Posted by: Vikram Kewalramani on February 24, 2009 12:31 PM

Hey Aakash,
Love your book. I live in Canada but I made sure that I got one sent to me as I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts.

According to you, what is the difference in pre-match preparation between a Test player v/s an above-average Ranji player for the same game? (Let’s say a Laxman versus a Mithun Minhas.) Or to compare Apples with apples (how do you/ Gambhir differ in preparation versus a Rajat Bhatia/ Minhas? )
Thanks,
Vikram

Dear Vikram,
Many thanks for your feedback and I appreciate the effort you made to get hold of my book; and I’m glad that you liked it.

In the end, it’s all about what works for each individual. There are no fool proof methods of preparing. As they say, if you’re not prepared to succeed you must be ready to fail. Hence, prepare we must.

Posted by: Raghu on February 24, 2009 3:18 PM

Aakash, saw your scores in the tournament, looks like you’re on a purple patch, hope you continue making the big runs.

Here's my question - I am sure its hard to adjust to a higher level of the game when you take a step up but how difficult is it for a player to adjust to a lower level of the game after having played at the highest level? For instance you have played in the best of the grounds and against the best bowlers in the world in Australia, so how difficult is it to adjust to the not-so-great grounds and face lower quality - if I may say so - bowling in domestic cricket.

Dear Raghu,

Well, it doesn’t take me a lot to adjust to domestic cricket because I’ve been around for a while. I played quite a few seasons in this circuit before making it to the top and therefore it doesn’t come as a surprise. Yes, the difference does seem more blatant when you’ve played at the top.

Posted by: Ravi on February 24, 2009 4:19 PM

As usual, a nice article from you Aakash. Nowadays I’ve got so habituated to reading your articles, I am checking for one everyday when I logon to Cricinfo.

You’ve hit the nail on the head regarding scheduling. As you said the elite/plate should be introduced here to bring out the best out of the players. But why is it that players get selected in the ODI team based on their performances in four-day games instead of the shorter format?

Dear Ravi,

Yes, there’s some food for thought in what you say. As I’ve said earlier, I won’t be surprised to see the Elite and Plate division system introduced in the shorter format as well.
Yes, it does seem a little unfair to select players to represent India in the shorter format based on their performances in the longer format, but that’s where the selectors come in. They’re the ones who decide whether someone is suited for the shorter version or not. Since they’ve played at the highest level, they generally tend to get it right.

Posted by: Denzil Correa on February 24, 2009 4:54 PM

Hi Aakash,

I am a near regular follower of your blog and most articles on Cricinfo. I would like to know whether players’ opinions are taken into consideration while deciding the itinerary. In international cricket, the two member boards sit and decide the itinerary. Who decides the same for the domestic matches?

All the best for your one-day campaign. If possible, can you explain how teams qualify for the Ranji one-dayers?

Thanks

Dear Denzil,

The top two teams from each zone qualify for the Knock Out one-day competition.

Posted by: Aditya on February 24, 2009 4:57 PM

Hi Aakash,

Beautiful post again.

I had a question for you: Just like you discussed about cricket balls in your two previous blogs, can you give us insights into a batsman's gear such as bats, pads, helmets, etc? I know there are English and Kashmir willow bats. Which ones are better and why?

Keep writing,
regards,
Aditya

Dear Aditya,

The bats made from English willow are much better in comparison to the bats made from their Kashmiri counterpart. The difference lies in the climate in which the tree is grown. The climate in Kashmir gets hotter in the summer and hence the wood gets dry as compared to the region in which the trees are grown in England. The wood from England is less dense and has more moisture when compared to the willow from Kashmir which is more dense and dry, and hence makes the wood heavier, which isn’t ideal for a top quality cricket bat.

Posted by: Satyanand on February 25, 2009 4:10 AM

Hi Aakash ,
I have always wondered why the domestic matches are not popular ,whereas the IPL seems to be such a success. If we ignore the four foreign players per team , it would basically boil down to a majority of Indian players.

Most Ranji matches nowadays are playing to empty stands . Any thoughts on how to improve the attendance? For one, I think the State/Club youth teams can be encouraged to watch and learn from the matches (at least).

Dear Satyanand,

At the risk of sounding bizarre, I think that we might have to make the Ranji trophy matches day-night affairs. It wouldn’t be a bad option to start the game under lights at 3pm. This would mean that the second half of the day's play would be at prime time and I’m sure that people in this country would like to watch live cricket even if it’s a domestic match.

Posted by: Akash on February 25, 2009 11:41 AM

Hi Aakash,

Very good one mate.

A request for your next blog: is the money earned through domestic cricket sustainable? Can all domestic cricketers earn enough for sustenance of their families or they have to alternative work during off season......after they retire ...etc?

Dear Akash,

The BCCI must be given credit for pumping in the money for domestic cricket. Nowadays if a player plays an entire season of domestic cricket he makes enough money to maintain a decent lifestyle. Besides that, most first class cricketers are working for one organization or another and are therefore drawing a comfortable monthly salary from their employers as well. So they don’t really have to work in the off-season, but they are required to turn up for the matches their respective organizations play during the off-season.

I'm sorry for not being able to answer all the questions as that's a slightly difficult task on the blog. So in the meantime please browse my website which is called www.cricketaakash.com and feel free to ask questions and give feedback.

Cheers.

Posted by: Raghu on February 24, 2009 3:18 PM

Aakash, saw your scores in the tournament, looks like you’re on a purple patch, hope you continue making the big runs.

Here's my question - I am sure its hard to adjust to a higher level of the game when you take a step up but how difficult is it for a player to adjust to a lower level of the game after having played at the highest level? For instance you have played in the best of the grounds and against the best bowlers in the world in Australia, so how difficult is it to adjust to the not-so-great grounds and face lower quality - if I may say so - bowling in domestic cricket.

Dear Raghu,

Well, it doesn’t take me a lot to adjust to domestic cricket because I’ve been around for a while. I played quite a few seasons in this circuit before making it to the top and therefore it doesn’t come as a surprise. Yes, the difference does seem more blatant when you’ve played at the top.

Posted by: Ravi on February 24, 2009 4:19 PM

As usual, a nice article from you Aakash. Nowadays I’ve got so habituated to reading your articles, I am checking for one everyday when I logon to Cricinfo.

You’ve hit the nail on the head regarding scheduling. As you said the elite/plate should be introduced here to bring out the best out of the players. But why is it that players get selected in the ODI team based on their performances in four-day games instead of the shorter format?

Dear Ravi,

Yes, there’s some food for thought in what you say. As I’ve said earlier, I won’t be surprised to see the Elite and Plate division system introduced in the shorter format as well.
Yes, it does seem a little unfair to select players to represent India in the shorter format based on their performances in the longer format, but that’s where the selectors come in. They’re the ones who decide whether someone is suited for the shorter version or not. Since they’ve played at the highest level, they generally tend to get it right.

Posted by: Denzil Correa on February 24, 2009 4:54 PM

Hi Aakash,

I am a near regular follower of your blog and most articles on Cricinfo. I would like to know whether players’ opinions are taken into consideration while deciding the itinerary. In international cricket, the two member boards sit and decide the itinerary. Who decides the same for the domestic matches?

All the best for your one-day campaign. If possible, can you explain how teams qualify for the Ranji one-dayers?

Thanks

Dear Denzil,

The top two teams from each zone qualify for the Knock Out one-day competition.

Posted by: Aditya on February 24, 2009 4:57 PM

Hi Aakash,

Beautiful post again.

I had a question for you: Just like you discussed about cricket balls in your two previous blogs, can you give us insights into a batsman's gear such as bats, pads, helmets, etc? I know there are English and Kashmir willow bats. Which ones are better and why?

Keep writing,
regards,
Aditya

Dear Aditya,

The bats made from English willow are much better in comparison to the bats made from their Kashmiri counterpart. The difference lies in the climate in which the tree is grown. The climate in Kashmir gets hotter in the summer and hence the wood gets dry as compared to the region in which the trees are grown in England. The wood from England is less dense and has more moisture when compared to the willow from Kashmir which is more dense and dry, and hence makes the wood heavier, which isn’t ideal for a top quality cricket bat.

Posted by: Satyanand on February 25, 2009 4:10 AM

Hi Aakash ,
I have always wondered why the domestic matches are not popular ,whereas the IPL seems to be such a success. If we ignore the four foreign players per team , it would basically boil down to a majority of Indian players.

Most Ranji matches nowadays are playing to empty stands . Any thoughts on how to improve the attendance? For one, I think the State/Club youth teams can be encouraged to watch and learn from the matches (at least).

Dear Satyanand,

At the risk of sounding bizarre, I think that we might have to make the Ranji trophy matches day-night affairs. It wouldn’t be a bad option to start the game under lights at 3pm. This would mean that the second half of the day's play would be at prime time and I’m sure that people in this country would like to watch live cricket even if it’s a domestic match.

Posted by: Akash on February 25, 2009 11:41 AM

Hi Aakash,

Very good one mate.

A request for your next blog: is the money earned through domestic cricket sustainable? Can all domestic cricketers earn enough for sustenance of their families or they have to alternative work during off season......after they retire ...etc?

Dear Akash,

The BCCI must be given credit for pumping in the money for domestic cricket. Nowadays if a player plays an entire season of domestic cricket he makes enough money to maintain a decent lifestyle. Besides that, most first class cricketers are working for one organization or another and are therefore drawing a comfortable monthly salary from their employers as well. So they don’t really have to work in the off-season, but they are required to turn up for the matches their respective organizations play during the off-season.

I'm sorry for not being able to answer all the questions as that's a slightly difficult task on the blog. So in the meantime please browse my website which is called www.cricketaakash.com and feel free to ask questions and give feedback.

Cheers.

	'The SG Test ball doesn't swing much when it's new' ©AFP

A couple of years ago the BCCI decided to use Kookaburra balls in the Duleep Trophy to give our domestic players a feel of this type of ball, as at the international level, except for the Test cricket played in India and England, this ball is commonly used.

We, in India, use the SG Test ball and England plays with either a Duke or a Readers ball (these two are quite similar to the SG Test balls used in India). But even that is restricted only to the red balls because the shorter formats all over the world are played with the white Kookaburra ball.

It was exactly the same in the Indian domestic circuit till the introduction of the Kookaburra ball for the Duleep Trophy. The longer format, before this move, was played with the SG Test ball and the one-day matches with the white Kookaburra ball.

Every time the Indian team tours overseas we hear a lot about the difficulty our players face in getting used to the Kookaburra ball in the Test matches. One might just wonder what the fuss is all about. After all it's the same leather ball; the size, shape and the weight are exactly the same, regardless of the brand. All this is true, but let me assure you that there's a huge difference in the way different balls behave in the air and off the surface.

I'll start with the SG Test ball first, which has a more pronounced seam and which remains pronounced for almost the entire length of the innings. The pronounced seam helps the faster bowlers release the ball in an upright seam position, as it doesn't wobble much after the release, and it helps the spinners grip the ball better and also get purchase off the pitch because the seam enables the ball to grip the surface.

The SG Test ball doesn't swing much when it's new but as soon as one side (half) of the ball becomes shinier than the other, it starts swinging appreciably. The good thing for the bowlers is that the shine lasts longer and hence helps both the quicker bowlers as well as the slower ones. The quicker men get swing in the air and the slower bowlers get the essential drift.

Though the Kookaburra ball also has a pronounced seam, it fades away rather quickly. The new ball does all kinds of things in the air and off the surface but once the seam gets embedded in the surface (which happens too quickly for the bowlers' liking), it ceases to move quite as much. The lack of a pronounced seam not only makes it difficult for spinners to grip the ball but it also denies them purchase off the surface because the ball, instead of gripping the turf, just skids along. Finger spinners are the worst hit in this case and hence have to put a lot of revolutions (we call it work) on the ball to get something off the track. Wrist spinners face no such problem as they don't rely on the seam to grip the surface to get the desired amount of spin. One can always put more work on the ball with the wrist as compared to the fingers.

Now, there's a particular way to bowl with different balls. The faster bowlers who release the ball instead of hitting the deck are fairly successful with the SG Test ball. Since the shine stays for longer and so does the pronounced seam, the ball swings and seams the whole day if one can release the ball with an upright seam on a regular basis.

On the contrary, the Kookaburra ball doesn't swing even half as much once it gets old. One must hit the surface hard to get something out of it. The typical swing bowlers are easy picking as the ball doesn't do much in the air or off the surface once it loses its shine.

In this blog, I've tried to explain the basic difference in the two different brands of balls used in Indian cricket. Now, how much of it has helped i.e. has it helped and how is it handled at the ground level... I shall tell you some interesting facts and tales about that in the next post.

Till then, goodbye.

P.S. I wanted to share a small detail with you guys. The reviews of my book Beyond the Blues are out and the initial signs are very encouraging, almost all of them have written good things about the book. I'm assuming that it's true. Tx.

	Where would Saurashtra be without Shitanshu Kotak? © Cricinfo Ltd.

With the Ranji finals starting tomorrow I can't help but think of two relatively unknown names who lead Uttar Pradesh into the finals. Both Shivakant Shukla and Parvinder Singh played the innings of their lives when their team needed it the most. This is what intrigues me about team sport - different people standing up and bailing the team out at different difficult times. But the sad part is that everyone's contribution is not acknowledged in a similar manner. This is the story of people who are always the best men.

Last year, Parvinder Awana from Delhi took a hat-trick against Maharashtra when we were desperate for a wicket. He got a lot of crucial wickets at times when we needed them the most. But his overall season tally didn't match up with the best in the country, nor was it good enough to get him into the North Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy. His hat-trick wasn't the only time he made a crucial contribution, the wickets against Tamil Nadu in a must win game for Delhi, crucial second-innings wickets against Baroda in semi-finals were as important to Delhi's success as Gautam Gambhir's, Rajat Bhatia's or my centuries were.

And he wasn't the only one. A lot of people played a significant role to ensure the team's success, but only a few were rewarded individually. It's because they make up the supporting cast, and aren't the lead actors that they aren't given a share of the limelight. They are expected to be contented with the collective success.

When we talk about Saurashtra's resurgence as a team, we only talk about Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja being the main contributors. Yes, they have been doing really well, but there are others too. The team wouldn't have done wonders without Shitanshu Kotak's consistency with the bat and Sandeep Jobanputra's relentless aggression with the ball. There are others too. But since only two are tipped to play for the country we tend to forget the rest and their invaluable contribution. It's just the outside world I'm referring to because the teams value their contribution and hold them in high esteem.

The same thing happens in international cricket too, but not nearly quite as often as in domestic cricket. Perhaps some of these guys are never going to play for the country, but they are the pillars of their team and immensely important to first-class cricket in India. These are the guys who ensure that one doesn't drop the guard even against a lesser known individual.

Some of us are really blessed because whenever we perform we get picked to play at the next level, well most of the times at least. But that isn't the case with everyone. For starters they're competing with the known names of Indian cricket for a spot in the zonal side. And even when they do get picked they rarely get the desired batting position or enough number of overs to bowl, and that is if they make it to the final XI. In theory, they got an opportunity and are rewarded for their performances but in practice it isn't the same all the time.

Bhatia is one such example. He was the country's best allrounder last season, and was picked to play in the Challengers this season. In theory he was rewarded, but let me tell you how it panned out for him in practice. He played only one of the two matches his team played (because they didn't make it to the finals), and his team needed well over 6.5 runs an over when he walked into to bat with four or five top-order batsmen already back in the hut.

It was his big chance and he didn't want to goof up, but his options were really limited. He couldn't bide his time because doing so would mean the asking-rate would keep rising, but getting out while trying to up the ante would ruin his only chance to make an impression. Well, some might argue that it was a tailor-made situation for him to make a mark for himself. That may be true, but just one opportunity after six years of hard toiling in the domestic circuit, and that too, in far from ideal circumstances doesn't sound that appealing to me. It would be good to spare a thought for these guys.

Personally, I can't thank these guys enough for playing their role to perfection to ensure that a few of us eventually play for the country.

Cheers