It's great to have S Badrinath and Dinesh Karthik back in the team © Cricinfo Ltd

The first game of the Ranji Trophy is always big for any team, but for us at Tamil Nadu, the season has already been under way for a while. We've played in the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup and the KSCA Diamond Jubilee Tournament. I'm not sure how it is for teams playing in Central Zone or North Zone, but for us here in the South, especially Tamil Nadu, we've already been playing together for a while.

In the last season this wasn't the case, as we had some seniors in the side and they didn't always play the warm-up tournaments. But this year we have a completely young side. The addition of Badri [S Badrinath] and Dinesh [Karthik] has been a boost for us: it's always good to get cricketers of that quality back in your side.

There's been some talk about the change in the points system, but it doesn't make that much of a difference. Simply because I believe only outright wins should fetch points. You cannot judge a team accurately on the basis of the first-innings leads they have secured. Giving a point to a team that has not conceded an outright win is not that great an idea. When an outright result cannot be reached, the points should be shared between the two teams.

Having said that, Tamil Nadu only won one game outright last season, and it was not the greatest position to be in, having to worry about being relegated to the Plate League. But it wasn't just us. Even champions Mumbai had failed to score a point in their first three games. It's all about the mindset. One victory can change the course of the entire season. For us it was that game against Baroda in which we pulled off an extraordinary win. Almost all the guys who are playing now were part of that team, and I think we would look back at that game at the start of this season.

In a four-day game you have to be extremely focussed on all four days to pull of a win. That's why I again come back to the points system and say it's not the greatest.

Playing with two divisions has its advantages and disadvantages. In one way it's good that all the best players are playing against each other. But it's not that great because good players playing the Plate League don't get the recognition they deserve. Putting all the weaker teams in one group does not help them much. Players in those teams will benefit only when they play against better cricketers. If it's mixed, zone-wise like before, that might benefit the good cricketers who play for the weaker teams.

For me, personally, the last season, my first, was a very important one. Tamil Nadu were experimenting with a few spinners and I'm quite happy that I was part of a side that made some positive strides. Bringing in youngsters was a major priority for Tamil Nadu.

Having done that we got some results. I won't say we did very well, but doing well enough to stay in the Super League, given that we were building a young side, was very important for most of our cricketers.

This season is even more important for me because it gives me a chance to look at things from a new perspective. Firstly, it gives me a chance to build on what I have done in the last season. Also the second season is often tougher in some ways than the first, as there is pressure to deliver if you've succeeded in the first season.

Another dimension that plays a part is the Indian Cricket League (ICL). This has put many state teams on hold. Maharashtra are playing ten new cricketers, Hyderabad have a lot of fresh faces. Many experienced domestic cricketers have gone to the ICL, which gives a chance for talented young cricketers to come to the fore. It's bound to happen that some of these youngsters will perform and establish themselves. From the BCCI's point of view it's not a great move, but inadvertently it's given the youngsters a good platform.

	There are many players like S Sharath who have fine first-class records but never got to play a Test © Cricinfo Ltd

With the selection process being the way it is, one outstanding season is enough to pitchfork a player into the big league. This, though, sometimes denies him the opportunity to polish his skills, which can help at international level. How the likes of Surendra Bhave, S Sharath, Amarjit Kaypee and S Sriram, who had fantastic first-class records but didn’t get to play a single Test, must be feeling.

The start of a season is full of hope and expectation for any player or team. For players progressing from the Under-19 and Under-22 levels to Ranji Trophy, the first aim is to get over the pressure of proving themselves, then settle in their team. Players who are already established at first-class level set themselves goals in terms of runs or wickets so that they can graduate to at least the India A teams.

Top teams in the Super League prepare with the aim of winning the Ranji Trophy, whereas weaker teams hope they have a decent season and don’t get relegated.

Teams in the Plate League go in with the aim of finishing the season in the top two, so that they get promoted to the Super League, where performances are noticed by the selectors. Competition in the Plate League is considered substandard, unlike in England where players performing in division II of County cricket often catch the selectors’ eye.

This season, there is a change in the points system, the major difference being an extra point each for winning or losing on first-innings basis. The idea of awarding the team trailing on first-innings in a drawn game with one point was mine. I feel this gives a team some incentive for holding on to a draw even if they have lost on first-innings. Earlier, after trailing in the first innings, a loss and a draw had the same implication for the losing team, so the second innings meant little to them. This also distinguishes a team that has shown the tenacity to draw a game from one that has lost outright. An outright win will fetch teams five points, as opposed to four last season.

Since the 2003-04 season, the BCCI has ensured that the players are earning a substantial amount in match fees. The youth can now look at taking up cricket as a profession. If they can manage to do well at the first-class level over a period, they can make enough money to provide for their future, even if they do not play for the country. The welfare of the cricketers is being addressed well, what with the provision of physios, trainers, qualified coaches, video recording, concessional airtravel facilities and, above all, the pension schemes for retired players.

Let’s hope that the players understand that to avail of these facilities over a period of time, they should make sure that cricket flourishes. Each one of us has to take the responsibility of playing the game in the right spirit and keep the image and virtues of this great game untarnished.