tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2008:/firstclass//129 2008-02-19T06:03:32Z Movable Type 3.34 tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2008:/firstclass//129.5709 2008-02-19T03:17:54Z 2008-02-19T06:03:32Z

Three domestic players have displayed rare courage and are still doing a good job for their sides. They are my team-mates: JP Yadav, Santosh Saxena and Kulamani Parida

Sanjay Bangar

JP Yadav: first-class cricket's Lance Armstrong © Getty Images

If we look around, we will find many people on the street going through enormous upheavals in their personal and professional lives, but they battle it out with smiles on their faces. I have been fortunate enough to be closely associated with some such players who have stood up to hardships, both personal and professional, and have shown immense resilience in overcoming their challenges. Sachin Tendulkar’s hundred in a 1999 World Cup match after returning from his father’s funeral, and Anil Kumble’s turning out to bowl with a broken jaw in Antigua have been inspiring and well-documented. But here, I would like to elaborate on how three domestic players have displayed rare courage, and are still doing a good job for their sides. They are my team-mates: JP Yadav, Santosh Saxena and Kulamani Parida. We have all read about how Lance Armstrong won his battle against cancer before he conquered the cycling summit. But very few know that Yadav was diagnosed with a tumour in the area above his heart around the year 2000. He was referred to a cancer hospital in Mumbai by his doctors in Bhopal, where he underwent three cycles of chemotherapy. During this period he had to suffer all the after-effects and hardships of chemotherapy. He lost nearly 15 kgs, and was advised to stay away from the cricket field for one-and-a-half years even if the tumour didn’t recur. ]]> mani (jewel) for his kula (family). The third case is of a boy from a similar poor background who had to deal with consecutive deaths of his dear ones, and yet never lost hope in his life. Saxena’s father passed away when he was four years old. He had four brothers, and his mother resorted to selling vegetables by the road in a hand cart. As he grew older, Saxena started helping his mother in selling vegetables after returning from school. This helped his mother to take a break and look after the cooking. As the years passed, Saxena started playing tennis-ball cricket and his talent was noticed by a club cricketer who then advised him to start practising at MB Union Cricket Club in Mumbai. He was picked by Orient Shipping Group for whom he played on contract basis for two years. He then switched clubs and started playing for New Hind Cricket Club. In one of the club matches, Sanjay Manjrekar was so impressed by his bowling that he fast-tracked him into the Mumbai Ranji side. Life seemed rosy, but that was not be. Saxena lost three of his brothers to untimely deaths in quick succession around the year 2000. He took all these blows on the chin, and performed well for Mumbai. After having taken a job with Railways, he has been a regular member of the Railways team. Today he supports the family of his deceased brothers and lives in an 850-sq ft apartment in the suburbs in Mumbai. Steve Waugh wrote in one of his books that in a cricketer he preferred character over a cover-drive. I am sure every team and every player will find similar examples who can be taken as role models in the real sense. Our ability to challenge our inherent limitations, and then overcoming those challenges through our actions define who we are. Here’s saluting the spirit of such exemplary personalities who have proved that in cricket and in life, character is all important. ]]> tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2008:/firstclass//129.5538 2008-01-25T15:49:27Z 2008-02-19T04:01:04Z

Duleep Trophy is an individualistic tournament, because – whether players accept it or not - everybody focuses on his own runs and wickets, being so close to selection. Playing for a state side comes with a sense of togetherness, with a lot of success and disappointment shared over a period of time

Paras Mhambrey

Players generally value the state team’s success more, but the standard of cricket in Duleep Trophy is better © Cricinfo Magazine

Everyone has a reason for playing cricket. Some play because their friends also play, some start with a single-minded focus of playing for the country. There are various steps one goes through before getting to that ultimate goal. In Mumbai, cricket is big at junior levels: even playing for a school like Shardashram, where Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli played, is a matter of pride. Harris Shield, Giles Shield and other such tournaments are very competitive. After having played at those levels, one moves to age groups and then becomes one of the probables for Ranji Trophy. For a youngster that is a big thing, because that is one step below playing for the state, becoming a first-class cricketer. I remember when I got picked for the Under-17 side, I saw it with a lot of pride. When I was handed the cap with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) logo on it, it was a big thing for me. Every thing since then – collecting newspaper clippings, conversations with friends, et al – was a motivation for playing for Mumbai. With such a journey to playing for the state, one inevitably values every moment and success with the state team. ]]> When a player starts playing for a state, he gets attached to particular venues too. For any cricketer in Mumbai, it is very special to play at the Wankhede, may it be the Ranji final or school cricket final or Times Shield tournament. I remember the first time I went to the Wankhede. Sachin was making his debut, and Achrekar sir [Ramakant Achrekar, my coach and Sachin’s] had picked us up and taken us to watch the game. The first thing that struck me was the lush green ground and I immediately told myself I wanted to play there. When it comes to a team like Mumbai, there is a lot of history attached too. We have won the Ranji Trophy 37 times now, and whenever Mumbai fail to make it to the knockouts, it is considered a big failure. A Mumbai player knows great players have represented the team; there are stories and legends built around and that can be a source of both motivation and pressure. ** Not all players get picked for the national team straight from the U-19s or state side. There are few like Parthiv Patel and Yuvraj Singh who do well at U-19 level and bypass the route. But others have to go through the system and this is where the Duleep Trophy comes in. It gives an opportunity to cricketers who have already done well for their state, but haven’t made it to the national side: there are three games if you make it to the final, someone like Parthiv who has scored 900-odd runs in the season gets a chance to take it to 1200-plus. The timing this year is unfortunately not great. The squad for Australia has already been announced, but the players have to tell themselves there is a Test series coming up in March too. That said, this is better timing than the last two or three years when it used to be played before the Ranji Trophy. So the players would make it based on the previous season’s performance and wouldn’t necessarily carry on from where they had left then. Different players from different teams come to play for a zone in Duleep Trophy. It is very difficult to adjust because the thinking and the attitude are different. For example, Mumbai players who have won Ranji 37 times think differently than some other teams. Then it is difficult to get all the different players to gel as a team for just two or three matches. Players are not comfortable in even sharing rooms. It may work for a senior, because the junior room-mate usually adjusts to his habits. Duleep Trophy is an individualistic tournament, because – whether players accept it or not - everybody focuses on his own runs and wickets, being so close to selection. Playing for a state side comes with a sense of togetherness, with a lot of success and disappointment shared over a period of time. That bonding is missing in the zonal sides. While getting used to players from different backgrounds is a must while playing for India – and just as difficult – but because one wants to play for India for as long as possible, he has to adjust. While playing Duleep Trophy, the attitude is to just somehow get through the two-three matches. Besides, while playing for a national side, when the whole world is watching, selfish players are exposed, something you can get away with while playing the Duleep Trophy. And then there is the pride of playing for a country. There is hardly any pride involved in representing your zone. There are different people from different states, some selfish, some hard to get along with. While any success is cherished, players generally value the state team’s success more. But then again, the standard of cricket in Duleep Trophy is better as the best players from the country are playing there. Individual performances bring more satisfaction here. It still is a big thing to play Duleep Trophy: ask those who played a lot of Ranji Trophy, but couldn’t make it to Duleep Trophy. When one gets that opportunity, he should get over all the issues, and as a professional look at it as an opportunity and step closer to the goal. tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2008:/firstclass//129.5498 2008-01-19T12:13:30Z 2008-02-19T04:01:06Z

Duleep trophy being an opportunity to catch the eye of the national selectors, the team spirit among players collected from different states is often missing. That team spirit, which is central in a state team, is what makes the Ranji Trophy triumph so special

Sanjay Bangar

Winning the Ranji title is a high point of a player's career and something to be really proud of © Cricinfo Ltd

The 2007-08 Ranji Trophy has just ended. As usual the team that claims the title ensures that their name will be etched in the history of Indian domestic circuit, which they richly deserve. I daresay that winning the Ranji trophy is as good as winning a Test match because of the toil that a team goes through for over six months of preparation and performance. Most first-class teams start their off-season training camps in the month of August, when 30 probables are selected. These players have to undergo fitness camps; they go out and play some cricket in south India in events such as Buchibabu Trophy, Moin-ud-Dowla Gold Cup and KSCA Invitational, which are organised well by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) respectively. These tournaments are played in the last two weeks of September and the first week of October. ]]> After proving their mettle in these matches, fringe players get eventual nods for their teams. The actual first-class season begins in the last week of October and it is often noticed that the team that peaks at the right time eventually wins the tournament, as is evident from the finalists: UP and Delhi, who have sidelined major teams like Mumbai and Karnataka at crucial stages of the tournament. Players also have to fight through patches wherein form deserts them in batting, rhythm in bowling, and confidence in wicketkeeping and fielding. After each failure, the toughest part is to spend the evening - when you doubt yourself and your abilities. The players who succeed are the ones who forget about the previous day and sleepless night, and begin the next day with hope and optimism. This trend has to continue over a consistent period of three months. Selectors, who do honorary jobs in most of the states, are also pleased to see players whom they have given an opportunity to, repay the faith placed in them by performing and contributing to the team cause. Administrators, too, have to undergo difficult situations while staging the matches, arranging the travel itinerary, ensuring that Under-19 and Under-22 players are made available for the Ranji Trophy matches, and then rewarding the teams for bringing glory to the associations. Trainers ensure that they engineer the players’ fitness according to the nature of the job. And physios maintain these lean machines through proper care, injury prevention and injury management. Most of the coaches have played the game themselves, and help the teams in preparing well, giving strategic inputs, maintaining discipline, and encouraging players and keeping the team spirit going. The coaches also realise that playing was much easier than coaching, as once the game starts, the coach has no control on how the players deal in match situations. To de-stress themselves, they get into the healthy habit of drinking a lot of water. As only 260-odd players have managed to get an India Test cap in about 75 years of the history of Indian cricket, for a bulk of the players, winning the Ranji title is a high point of their careers and something they can be really proud of. For the finalists of the Plate League - Railways and Gujarat - regaining a place in the Elite League is an achievement, as playing in the Plate League has its own set of challenges. Even though some of the teams are weaker, the playing conditions are tougher, as all matches are played on sporting wickets and teams want to get as many outright wins as possible and qualify for the all-important semi-final stage. Once that has been achieved, the teams can’t slip during the semi-finals as that can spoil all the efforts during the season. Sterner tests lie ahead for players getting selected in the zonal teams, as the Duleep Trophy is one of the tougher competitions on the domestic circuit. As the Duleep Trophy is an opportunity to catch the eye of the national selectors, the team spirit among players collected from different states is often missing. That team spirit, which is central in a state team, is what makes a Ranji Trophy triumph so special. tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2008:/firstclass//129.5389 2008-01-01T15:22:47Z 2008-02-19T04:01:08Z

It's not enough to have talent to succeed at the international level. You need to meticulously plan and work on every detail: throwing technique, running between wickets, ground fielding, etc.

Paras Mhambrey

Where did it all go wrong? Was it the touch down or slow running? © AFP

In the first Test between Australia and India, the difference between the sides was much more than just skills. I enjoy watching Australia play for the manner in which they go about using their skills. Every session is meticulously planned and the plans implemented. They pay attention to small things when they practise: the throwing technique, the running between the wickets, the ground fielding, and minute details like sliding the bat while taking runs, relay throwing etc. More importantly, they implement them during the games. A picture of contrast was Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman not being able to take threes even when the ball reached pretty close to the MCG boundary. Dravid got stuck at one end, strike was not rotated, and the batsmen came under immense pressure. Sourav Ganguly later nearly ran himself out while backing up and not sliding his bat back. And this is not an aberration; many more Indian cricketers have done that at the international level. The stark difference set me thinking about how cricket is taught at the grassroots level in India. There are thousands of coaching clinics that run all over the country and not many of the coaches that conduct these camps actually teach their students these basics. Not many of the coaches are aware of these basics in the first place and are not able to explain the advantages and the disadvantages. ]]> Kayre, damlas ka? (Tired already?)". I would promptly reply, "No sir" and pick up the ball and bowl. By the time the nets would get over I would not be in a state to walk, leave alone field. It did make me fitter, but it also made it easier to fall into wrong habits. The fielding practice would involve a few catches here and there followed by a few drills and the net session would be over. When you reach the first-class level, things improve a bit. At least the teams I have played in work on their basics. The players do realise now that it's not just a fancy thing. For a coach, it's important to explain why a certain thing is being done. For example, although there is a conventional approach of running between the wickets in a straight line, there is another concept where while looking to go for a second you can take a U-turn running in a small semi-circle near the popping crease – something Jonty Rhodes used to do effectively. By going the latter way, a batsman never has to stop while turning, allowing him to keep the momentum intact. Different batsmen respond differently to different methods, but all these things can be tried and results had on paper. It's then easier to explain to a kid and say, "That's why you should take a U-turn, or this is why you should run in a straight line." The coach has to make sure that every drill is not just a chore to be done, but it leads to something that can be used in a match situation. A relay throw, the fielders need to know, helps the fielder who is midway between stumps and boundary to go for either end. Otherwise, the moment the ball leaves your hand from the boundary line, you have no control over it. So while relay throws may take an extra second, they make both ends danger ends. We do try to teach such basics at the first-class level, but sometimes players come to the Ranji level without any knowledge of these basics. Not all of them make first-class debuts at a mouldable age, say 18-19. So it is difficult to undo things like faulty throwing techniques and diving methods. They do practise but when instincts take over in a match situation, they tend to do the same old thing. That there is still a long way to go shows in the over-rates in Indian first-class cricket. Almost every match goes into the reserve half an hour to finish the stipulated 90 overs per day. Generally speaking, the urgency is lacking. Australian cricket, in contrast, is high-paced; you don't see anyone walking in between the overs. And that is not inbuilt; they keep constantly working on that. The solution probably lies in coaching the coaches and also making sure coaches for an age group don't change every year. Currently, a player has to interact with a different coach each year and with different techniques and drills, it is easy to get confused and develop wrong habits. ]]> tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2007:/firstclass//129.5347 2007-12-21T14:45:04Z 2008-02-19T04:01:10Z

One may graduate from clubs to first-class cricket or to international cricket, but sometimes the fondest memories – apart from achievements on the field – emanate from the dressing room, be it a makeshift tent, an old-fashioned dressing room full of history, or a modern one with a gymnasium and all slick amenities inside

Paras Mhambrey

Celebrations inside the dressing room are always special © Getty Images

Almost every cricketer in Mumbai plays in the maidans in the initial stages of his career. One of the most memorable things about that club cricket is the makeshift dressing rooms. A small tent, with about 15 to 20 wooden or plastic chairs, generally serves the purpose of a dressing room. One has to do everything there only, including changing into and out of the whites. During the Kanga League, always played during the monsoons, it usually rains during the matches. The game comes to a halt, water rushes into the tent, both the teams are in the same tent and one has to stand on a chair with the kit. One may graduate from there to first-class cricket or to international cricket, but sometimes the fondest memories – apart from achievements on the field – emanate from the dressing room, be it a makeshift tent, an old-fashioned dressing room full of history, or a modern one with a gymnasium and all slick amenities inside. We spend a significant part of our lives in the dressing room, hence it is important to have the right environment there. And if that is the case, it shows on the field. We come from different ethnic backgrounds and travel a lot with each other, spending months away from home, so obviously we have to bond. We celebrate a lot of festivals in the dressing room: Eid, Diwali, Holi, Christmas, when the whole team gets together. Often we are playing on the New Year’s Day, so while we miss home, we have a small family with us that keeps us going. ]]> The celebrations inside dressing rooms are always special. We recently celebrated Baroda captain Connor Williams’s completion of 100 first-class games, in Amritsar. It makes it special for the player when he knows that the team is out there to support him and acknowledges his achievements. Apart from regular team meetings, there is a lot one can learn in the dressing rooms. When I walked into the Bombay dressing room for the first time, I was in sheer awe. I had always wanted to be a part of that team. And there I was, able to spend with all the seniors I had heard about, seen on TV. I have played under Ravi Shastri, Sanjay Manjrekar and Sachin Tendulkar. Sharing the same dressing room, I got to know about their habits, their superstitions, their approach towards the game, their preparation for the games, and the way they tackled situations. It was an enriching experience that helped me later in my career. Almost every player has superstitions. One of the most obvious ones was Tendulkar’s who used to sit two seats from me. He would always wear the left pad first. There are others who sit in a certain manner, who don’t like to talk out of superstition, but Tendulkar’s left-pad-first was an obvious one. In dressing rooms one also gets used to behavioural patterns of different players. For example if Vinod Kambli got out early, we knew everything in the dressing room would fly around. So the moment he got out, the dressing room would go empty. For the next ten minutes, a bat would fly here, helmet there, and no-one would enter. After sometime, we would come back and settle down again. Tendulkar would react differently. He would just keep his equipment down and be on his own. Some others would abuse themselves out loud for having played a bad shot. But the beauty was that we knew how an individual would react, and would give him his space so that he could settle down. The Indian dressing room was an entirely different feeling. It takes a while there to adjust. Firstly there is a mix of immense happiness and pressure that makes the newcomer nervous. Over the years when one has represented a state, one associates with certain individuals. For example it was not only Tendulkar in the India dressing room, but players from other states too that I had to get used to. Moreover, everyone else has his habits. For every venue, every individual has his own seat and he has been in that position for many years. For a newcomer it can be tricky when he searches for his seat, because he has to make sure he doesn’t sit in a seat where someone else has kept his stuff. And one can tell from looking at the equipment which seat is Tendulkar’s and which is Rahul Dravid’s. And then when one finds a seat for oneself, it is a feeling like no other. Same is the case when teams travel. Players have fixed seats in buses where they like to sit every time, so a newcomer has to be careful with that too. There is an unsaid pact in any dressing room: that whatever happens there stays there. I have not seen many people discuss outside what has gone wrong in the dressing room. That trust in each other is a trademark of any dressing room. At different venues, one encounters different settings. Eden Gardens, for example, hasn’t changed much over the years. Still there are only 15 seats, sufficient only for players. The support staff that nowadays travels with the teams is often seen sitting outside. In Mohali, one dressing room is named after Kapil Dev and the other after Sunil Gavaskar, the former for the home team. The souvenirs and the photographs on the way to the dressing rooms make a player feel special. The Wankhede Stadium has given me the fondest memories of my career. I will never forget the celebrations inside the dressing room after we won the Ranji Trophy in 2003 – I was the captain then. When I sat there after it all, champagne flowing all around, it slowly sunk in that we had won the Ranji Trophy. It is a special feeling because you are there with the people who had made the success possible. Mumbai, the home team, always take the dressing room on the left side at the Wankhede. Last season, when I was Bengal’s coach and we went there to play the final, it felt a bit strange when I turned to the right. The corridor that leads to the dressing rooms is full of photographs of players who have done well for Mumbai. When I saw my picture there, it gave me a sort of satisfaction that I had contributed to the team and that the association recognised it. tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2007:/firstclass//129.5323 2007-12-17T15:27:44Z 2008-02-19T04:01:12Z

Professionalism is the single biggest difference between cricket in India, and say, cricket in Australia, which should be the benchmark for all of us

R Ashwin

Mr immovable: Because the likes of Mike Hussey go through struggle at each level, it's difficult to push them out of their national teams © Getty Images

As a cricketer it’s hard to look at the positives when you are out of the game, but with my injury I’ve been able to watch more cricket and think a bit more about different things in cricket. I have been watching the Australian domestic cricket on TV and this set my mind thinking. I was watching Michael Hussey playing the other day, and realised that there were many people pushing for his place in the team. That’s very much the case in cricket here too, but there is a fundamental difference: professionalism, a term commonly used but rarely defined at the grassroots level. Professionalism is the single biggest difference between cricket in India, and say, cricket in Australia, which should be the benchmark for all of us. 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 realise 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. After all, in India cricket is not like, say, tennis, where individuals have to get their own sponsorships for expensive coaching, and then have to fund their own travel to international tournaments. There are many companies working with cricketers, there are sponsors, and even individuals, who are willing to help those who need it. ]]> has to do. Similarly, there is certain groundwork that each cricketer needs to do, in order to earn and justify the earnings. I call it a player’s cricketing ethics. 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. A first-class cricketer in India now earns close to Rs 1.5 lakh per Ranji match. If he doesn’t justify his pay as much as he possibly can, he is denying someone else this earning. At the same time it is not so serious and tough; the enjoyment factor still has to be there, after all this is sport. But if we’re serious about improving as a cricketing nation, then cricketers need to take responsibility for professionalism. There’s no point just saying that we’ll win the next World Cup, in 2011, or the next one. We need to ask ourselves what we are actually doing to make that happen. Firstly, we need to get our cricketing ethics right, and not just the players who are playing international cricket. We need to start with the kids, in the manner that a country like China starts preparing young children for the Olympics that may happen 8-12 years later. Rather than telling kids, “Perform, or you’ll be dropped”, we need to get a genuine cricket culture going. I’ve heard a lot about the sporting culture in Australia, and I’m sure that has not come about overnight. Similarly we need a change in mindset across the board, and it will take time. Only if all these things happen, will we have a realistic chance of building a cricket team that can challenge Australia. I started with Hussey, and I’ll finish with him. Even with so many cricketers pushing for his place, he plays on, his game keeps developing all the time. It’s because he does not fear for his spot in the side. In India, when a cricketer is under pressure, everyone gets after him – the media, former players, selectors, even his own team-mates, but this doesn’t happen in Australia. That’s because their players have struggled at each level to climb up a very long ladder, and earned respect. That’s because they have strong cricketing ethics, and that’s what we need to emulate, not the end result. ]]> tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2007:/firstclass//129.5294 2007-12-12T20:26:50Z 2008-02-19T04:01:14Z

Become such good and efficient players that you are picked in the playing XI quickly or stay at home as the longer you stay in the bench, the chances of progressing deteriorate, says Sanjay Bangar

Sanjay Bangar

Being a reserve player is no easy job © AFP

The announcement of a team by the selectors for a match or tournament is greatly anticipated by all of us. Usually, in India, be it the national team or a first-class team, a squad of 15 players is named. We all get to see 11 players in action and can judge their skills and character on the field of play. But have you ever wondered what goes through the mind of players who are confined to the bench? Most captains announce the playing XI before the day of the match and explain the role of each player. Players who are not picked are talked into how only 11 can play and how one can make a contribution to the team, or how he has to wait for his chances. However, till the toss and commencement of play, these reserve players have to be in a state of readiness if last-minute changes have to be made due to fitness issues or overnight changes in playing conditions.]]> nimbu paani, salt water, electrol, or any carbo-drink and ensure adequate supply either on the boundary ropes or at the fall of a wicket if the side is fielding, and at any available instance when his side is batting. He also has to play the role of a messenger and communicate to the captain or players in the middle about inputs regarding strategies, field placements or shot selection from the coach, or should I say coaches as there are at least three coaches as a part of the support staff now-a-days. He has to understand and interpret sign convention; a batsman can ask for a change of grip, change of glove, a batting tape, cap, helmet and he makes the signals accordingly. One has to pick it up and respond quickly; players and coaches often let the reserves know sternly if there is any delay, if the players are not well looked after. During breaks, if a player wants to dry his clothing or equipment, the reserve has to keep the stuff in the sunlight or use the dryer, if a washing machine is available. If the side is batting, the batsman might ask the reserve to bring him some lunch. After catering to all these needs, the reserve has to train hard during the breaks, to ensure that he maintains his fitness levels as they are conceived to drop due to over-eating. They have to keep hitting balls to keep the form going, or bowl a few balls to keep the rhythm going, all during a lunch or a tea break and quickly return to the dressing room on resumption of play. Often, during tournaments when there is less likelihood of a player playing, he does not get to bat in the net. A quiet word or reassurance from an understanding captain or coach can make a world of a difference to the reserves as they have to do all these duties selflessly. All this is fine, but fringe players are often the soft target in the next team selection as the easiest way out for the selectors is to axe the player who has not got the opportunity to perform. All I can suggest is, become such good and efficient players that you are picked in the playing XI quickly or stay at home as the longer you stay in the bench, the chances of progressing deteriorate. ]]> tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2007:/firstclass//129.5264 2007-12-07T15:10:17Z 2008-02-19T04:01:16Z

A good coach can help eliminate injuries that are the bane of a fast bowler's life

Paras Mhambrey

With proper guidance fast bowlers can reduce the amount of injuries they suffer © Cricinfo Ltd

Fast bowlers and injuries go hand in hand. They break down much more often than other players, and it has sometimes to do with lack of guidance at younger levels. For a youngster, a Shoaib Akhtar or a Brett Lee running in and bowling at close to 150kmph is an appealing sight. He wants to emulate what he sees; all he wants to do is run fast and scare a batsman. When I was a youngster, I used to watch the India-Pakistan Tests and I only wanted to bowl like Kapil Dev and Imran Khan. At such a stage in one's career, there is a lot of enthusiasm and passion, but the skill isn't developed. This is where a good coach can help and eliminate injuries that are the bane of a fast bowler's life. At a young age, it is easy to get into bad habits, which may result in injuries at a later stage. For example if someone has a mixed action, when the lower body is side-on and the upper body is open-chested, he is only inviting the stress fracture of the back. Many careers have ended before they start because of lack of guidance at the foundation levels.]]> Once a player gets injured, a proper rehabilitation process plays a big part in rescuing his career. When I used to play, there were no physios or trainers with the team: the masseur would do every job. The only advice an injured player would get is, "Take rest." Then he would take rest, stay away for a couple of months, and come back feeling he is okay. But because he hadn't gone through proper rehabilitation, he would break down again and get frustrated and leave the game. When a player is injured, he is desperate to get back to playing cricket at the highest level; he doesn't want to miss a single game. But if there is a physio, he can let him know what extent he can push himself to. The player is usually ready to take the plunge, but he needs a guide to tell him what lengths he go to. I went through a shoulder injury in 1993 and was off cricket for four months. The only person I could go to then was my family physio, Sandhya Waingankar. I would travel all the way to see her by train. It would take me 45 minutes to one hour and sometimes I would do that twice a day. At that time that was all I could do, I didn't have access to anybody else. Things have changed now; we have become much more professional and aware. Nowadays the traveling physio can minimise the impact of the injury in the first few hours, which are crucial. Still, there is a lack of quality trainers and physios who specialise in sport. If a player gets into improper rehabilitation, the amount of stress he goes through affects his performance, and often he gets injured again. If the injury occurs during the season, it's likely he stays out for that season and sets himself up for another. SS Paul is an example of how a player should go about with his rehabilitation. He had a knee injury last season, had to undergo a surgery, and missed the entire season. But I made sure that he travelled with the team. He would go the grounds and dressing rooms, even if he was not playing. That kept him in touch with the physio and the trainer, and also his team-mates. This season he has come back well and looks fit. Once a player has recovered he should make sure he plays some club cricket before he starts playing first-class cricket. There is cricket throughout the year in Mumbai, while that is not possible with many other associations. These club matches give the players a chance to test themselves, and players need to think in those terms as well. It is surely frustrating when a player sees his friends and competitors playing and knows he can't play. But this is something he has to accept and get on with. It has happened many times that a player knows he is just about 80 per cent recovered, but still goes ahead and plays the first game of the season. By doing that, he risks another injury and lets the team down as well. It is a long journey back from an injury, which involves a lot of hard work, patience, medical expertise, and at times frustration. But once you have got injured, there are few alternatives or short-cuts. tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2007:/firstclass//129.5217 2007-11-30T08:02:16Z 2008-02-19T04:01:17Z

To players, only the wicket and playing conditions are of utmost importance. They don’t usually mind staying in substandard hotels, and can compromise on the quality of food served, but if the wicket and playing conditions are poor, they are not happy

Sanjay Bangar

The North-East Frontier Railway Stadium is located in picturesque surroundings in the outskirts of Guwahati. But a busy railway track runs right behind the sightscreen at one end © Cricinfo Ltd

Having 27 first-class teams in our domestic set-up not only ensures that the talent from all the regions has the necessary platform to test its skills, but it also throws up challenges to play cricket at lesser-known venues. These venues are not used to staging first-class matches or rarely get a chance to do so. When a first-class match is played at such venues, it generates a lot of interest among the local people and such games are well-attended by spectators. The local administrators are usually in a state of chaos as they try to shower upon the players their hospitality in a big way. They ensure that proper breakfast and huge lunches are served, which is fine but not healthy for the fitness freaks. At times, chhole-bhature, poori-bhaji, samosas, kachoris are served when all the players want are eggs, cereal or something else healthy. ]]> chappals (slippers) and that spikes were not required while practising at such facilities. However, there are lesser-known grounds where the wicket on offer is of the highest quality and is truly sporting in nature. I have to include Valsad and Surat in that category. But the applause and appreciation for having one of the best first-class venues has to go to Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh. The wicket there is sporting, the outfield like a billiards table - even and lush green - and a clubhouse that makes one believe one is playing in the English countryside. Moncho Ferrer, of Spanish origin but born and brought up in India, is the man behind this. He has developed the ground in the name of a trust called Anantapur Sports Village. One often wonders why can’t a high percentage of the state associations who get anywhere between Rs 2 and 3 crore as an annual grant from the BCCI use the money as efficiently as the above mentioned trust? Proper accountability from the people who run the state associations is required. ]]> tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2007:/firstclass//129.5208 2007-11-28T18:37:28Z 2008-02-19T04:01:19Z

Everything was not all right. In 21 years of my life, I had never had a single fracture, and now when I was playing probably the best cricket I ever have, it just had to happen on my left wrist

R Ashwin

Can't wait to get back in the whites: R Ashwin © Cricinfo Ltd

It happened during the fielding practice ahead of Tamil Nadu’s third Ranji match – I had just returned to the nets after writing a couple of exams. It was the last catch of the day, and as soon as the ball impacted my wrist, I knew something was terribly wrong. I’d fallen down, and could not put any weight on my left hand to balance myself and get up. At that moment, I didn’t want to tell anyone, not even my parents. I just wanted to get an X-ray done and hoped to find out that everything was all right. Everything was not all right. In 21 years of my life, I had never had a single fracture, and now when I was playing probably the best cricket I ever have, it just had to happen on my left wrist. I know injuries are a part and parcel of any sportsman’s life so I don’t want to moan about it. But the timing of it is crucial in my case. Just before that, we had had a pretty strong team meeting – I won’t say it was angry, but it was charged up. The coach [WV Raman] had a few things to say to us about how make things happen instead of waiting for them to happen. Overall, there was disappointment in the team at some of our performances and I found that meeting really inspirational. ]]> There was a day when rains ruined practice and Badri [S Badrinath, the Tamil Nadu captain], myself and the coach [Raman] were working indoors and we spent a lot of time talking about what went wrong, what each of us could do, and I was really pumped up at the chance to do something. I know I’m not exactly one of the seniors in the team, but I felt like it was up to me to take on some more responsibility. There are many people who believe in me and have backed me. I owe it to them - and not just to myself - to succeed when I step onto the field. That’s why, when the injury happened, my first response to Raman was, “Sir, I’m sorry this happened.” He, of course, is an experienced cricketer and explained to me that these things happened and that there was nothing one could do about them. When the time is right and I am fully fit, I’d be a part of the action once again, he told me. Even though I was in severe pain, I didn’t want to rule myself out. It was only when the X-rays showed that it was a proper fracture that I sort of broke down. I’ve felt really down since the injury, and it even felt to me that I had nothing to look forward to until I got fit. When the doctors said it would be about four weeks before I was fully fit, I felt like I’d lost four weeks of my life. But then I resolved not to take things too negatively, and instead use my studies as a diversion. Already, the left wrist is healing well and I can do most normal things – batting and fielding are strictly prohibited – and this has lifted my mood. Now, instead of thinking about the injury and the cricket I am missing, I’m trying to focus on what needs to be done when I come back. I know I have to ease myself back in, and that the most important thing to ensure is that a similar injury does not recur. And when I’m back I want to make a telling contribution. It’s not just about playing and taking wickets, but I have to make an impact on the game in a way that is meaningful for my team. I guess I am feeling so low, because this was the first time after I began playing cricket that I’ve missed out. When I was playing Under-14s I had a bit of a problem with a pelvic slip disc. That left me bed-ridden for about six weeks. I couldn’t even move around then, but it didn’t feel as bad as this. Right now, all I can think about is when I’ll be playing again. tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2007:/firstclass//129.5175 2007-11-21T15:16:58Z 2008-02-19T04:01:21Z

A good coach can be the difference between a winning and a losing side

Paras Mhambrey

A coach has to be a good communicator © Cricinfo Ltd

In modern-day cricket, a team without a coach is like a rudderless ship. Some purists may ridicule the concept, but the game has progressed in such a manner that the captain would be better off with some off-field help. Strategising has always been an important part of cricket, but in this cutting-edge era, its importance can hardly be overstated. If you see a coach working with a player - laptop for company - and wearing a hassled look, it’s because he is trying to work around a problem. Tackling it head-on is impossible because the players have developed set patterns in their younger days. If not taught the right things at a young age, players get into bad habits. A lot of time and opportunities are lost if the coach at the higher level has to undo all that and teach them anew. That’s what makes the role of a player’s first coach critical. ]]> A coach at the junior level has to play other roles too. It's not just about batting, bowling and fielding - it's about understanding the player. India is a vast country; players come from different regions and backgrounds. Different players have different sensitivities and the coach has to be flexible. A coach needs to understand what really influences the player's motivation. Some players come from a poor background and can't even buy their kit. It's the duty of the coach to make sure they don't feel out of place. When we started playing cricket, we used to work with Achrekar sir [Ramakant Achrekar]. He used to treat the players as his own children. His principle was simple: the more cricket we played, the more we would learn. And he would go out of his way to help players achieve that motive. I remember that for [junior level] matches, he would take me with him on his scooter and drive me all the way from Shivaji Park to Cross Maidan [more than 10 km] and back. The common bond was the enjoyment. We enjoyed playing cricket under him and he enjoyed coaching us. That factor is sometimes missing nowadays - because coaching has become more about high elbow, proper technique and biomechanics, etc. We need to retain the enjoyment factor at the young age because the real pressures are yet to follow at that time. The role of a coach at the Ranji Trophy level is different although a thorough knowledge of the game is essential here too. The player who has made it to a Ranji side does not need that much work on the technical side. Here the coach has to be a good man-manager and a tactician. The Ranji sides are a mix of players with different interests. There are youngsters making first-class debuts, there are veterans and there are players on the verge of national selection. So apart from managing the technical side, a coach has to get the diverse players to play as one unit. A Ranji coach has to be a good communicator. I have worked with Frank Tyson for a long time, and having worked with him has helped me realise the importance of communicating well with the players. A Ranji team's coach is also a master tactician. The Ranji season is a long one, during which a team goes through many ups and downs; some teams completely transform during a season. So there is a major role that a coach plays. There has to be an overall pre-season plan, and plans for every match, which have to be very flexible. The coach in that capacity plays a bigger role than at the international level, because it is easy in domestic matches to send a message across if the things are not going well on the field. During international matches, you can see the coach intervene maximum once or twice because once on the field, it's a captain's game. With the advent of the video analysis and other technological advancements, coaching has changed a lot. The laptop is not just one fashionable accessory, but something that can be of great help if used properly. The idea is to find out the shortcoming with a player, sit with him and show him what is going wrong, and then find a solution. That is where technology can help because, for example, if you have the backing data, it is easy to convince a bowler he has been bowling too much on the short side. There was a time when the coach at the Ranji Trophy level would just oversee a training session and give a pep talk before the start of the match. But the role of the coach has undergone a massive change over the years. A good coach, nowadays, especially at the Ranji level, can be the difference between a winning and a losing side. tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2007:/firstclass//129.5151 2007-11-17T00:57:51Z 2008-02-19T04:01:23Z

Sanjay Bangar on his experiences in the trains of India

Sanjay Bangar

Of trains and team bonding © Cricinfo Ltd

Being a Railwayman people often ask me several questions about train travel. How much time have you spent travelling in trains? Which is the longest journey? And so on. I've travelled an estimated 200,000 km by train in 15 years of first-class cricket. Nowadays, because of the BCCI's tie-up with airlines companies, most teams travel by air. It takes away the charm of the journey because in a flight everyone is only keen to get to the destination. The whole pleasure of a journey is lost. Railways is probably the only team to still use trains throughout the season.]]> The Indian Railways is the largest mass transport system operating in the world in terms of travellers per day and every Indian has memories of train journeys. For us cricketers, it's no different. During journeys there's a lot of interaction between players, a fact crucial in a sport like cricket. Long-term friendships are formed when one interacts with colleagues, understanding each other's background, education, siblings and family. These journeys made team bonding much easier. One understands there is more to life than just cricket. Our experience of trains usually corresponds with the progress made in our careers. Earlier when a player used to get picked for Under-15, Under-17 or his University team, he used to travel in second class compartments. When he progressed to the Ranji Trophy almost all players travelled second AC. If one made it to the zonal team (for the Duleep or Deodhar Trophy) the tickets are given by organisers but with no guarantee of berth confirmations. I remember vividly a journey in 2000 when ten players of a Central Zone team were booked in an AC compartment from Kanpur to Delhi after a Duleep Trophy match. But only one ticket was confirmed. It was on that one ticket, with some help from co-passengers that we managed to spend the night in the most awkward conditions. It caused a lot of discomfort to all concerned. You also need to endure some really long journeys. My longest journey has been for 52 hours from Guwahati to Mumbai in 1999. It was after a Duleep Trophy game and I was all by myself, going back home. I spent close to three nights in the train and it passed through so many unknown stations. It was a very lonely experience. Another problem relates to the massive kit-bag and luggage we need to carry to games. The trains usually tend to be jam-packed and there isn't much place to store our belongings. In hindsight one acknowledges the tolerance, humility and acceptance of co-passengers, which made it possible for us to travel. People usually used to grant us special status by making adjustments once they realised we were cricketers. Teamwork also came to our rescue on many occasions. If we had to alight at a station where a train stops for a very short period, we used to form a queue from the seats to the exit and pass on the luggage from one guy to the other. It not only saved us paying exorbitant amounts of money to the porters but also had another big advantage. You could very easily separate a selfish character from a selfless character during these journeys. A selfish character was one who would turn a blind eye once his luggage alighted on the platform. A related aspect is the allotment of room partners when teams are put up in hotels. Most coaches and managers try and work it out on the following basis – either it's a senior with a junior to enhance the learning process, or it's openers sharing a room, fast bowlers being put together, or (in Railways' case) players being grouped according to their zones. It produces some interesting situations when one member of the room has had a great day and the other a bad one. It's tough to party when you've score a big hundred but seen your room-mate failing on the day. It's those times when you understand what a great leveller cricket can be and how failure isn't too far away if you lose focus. tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2007:/firstclass//129.5136 2007-11-14T17:35:20Z 2008-02-19T04:01:25Z

R Ashwin talks about how education has impacted his cricket

R Ashwin

"It would be ideal if the Sachins and Rahuls played domestic cricket for a season at least even after they quit international cricket" © AFP

I had a mathematics exam to write today. It's tough to juggle studies and cricket - if there is a practice session in the morning I go to the nets and completely forget my studies. Towards the end of the session it pricks me a little - the time spent - and I start getting the feeling that I need to get back to my books. Once I'm home, I'm tired and I have to write down things so that I don't get sleepy or bored. I keep writing till I fall asleep. I don't believe in staying up late. By 10.30 or 11 pm I'm out like a light. But I'm up at 4am again to do my work. ]]> It doesn't affect me going into a match. The mental preparation for a game is very important. Once I'm done with an exam it's out of my mind. When I have time to think entirely about cricket I feel really happy and relieved. Already, I feel I'm into tomorrow's game. It's only when I'm out of cricket for a period, like a month, when it's a terrible time in a cricketer's life. In a year I miss out on two or two-and-a-half months of cricket. That's the off season for a cricketer, a time to work on skills, prepare yourself, and I don't get that because I need to study too. To a large extent studies do matter. Not for personal life, but life in cricket. I'm experiencing it now. I'm able to make out the difference in my cricket since I started studying engineering. I can't explain how or why, but once I've started to do engineering my cricket has gone up by leaps and bounds. Initially it was tough to adjust. But once I got used to the on-off way of things, my thinking and my stability in mindset has gone up. I wasn't a very good student till school but that's probably because we were spoon-fed subjects. Once cricket and engineering came together I was not attending all the lectures but had to keep up with the syllabus and do all the learning myself. When you're in form you're happy and want to go out there and play everyday. It's like that with studying. Once you learn something and develop your thinking, you want to study more. That sharp thinking is very essential in cricket. I tell kids that, those who are 10 or 12 years old and come to the nets at Chemplast. You have to take cricket as education. Then you'll enjoy it. If you see it as a game full of pressure, where you have to deliver runs or wickets every day, then cricket and education become separate. After writing an exam today I relish going to the ground because I get the feeling I can be a master at my game. Even if I've studied all there is to study, I get a nervous and twitchy feeling before the exam. Till I get the question paper I'm nervous. This somehow gives me a little bit extra when I'm on the field. I'm able to make decisions on the field just a bit quicker. Bombay getting the better of Karnataka was a huge surprise. They're a relatively young side with players like [Ajinkya] Rahane, [Iqbal] Abdullah and Prashant Naik. I've played with all these players at the Under-17 levels. It's great to see players like this progress along. We're at a stage when India is looking at the next generation and this makes it a very interesting phase in domestic cricket. There are batsmen in the Indian team who may play only for three years or so. Someone performing well in domestic cricket might not get a break immediately, but in two or three years there are going to be spots. Towards the end of the careers, senior cricketers may play only Tests. This means they'll be available for Ranji matches. It would be ideal if the Sachins and Rahuls played domestic cricket for a season at least even after they quit international cricket. It will make people like me understand where I stand against people who have made it to the next level. tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2007:/firstclass//129.5081 2007-11-05T12:10:05Z 2008-02-19T04:01:27Z

Indian fast bowling is in much better shape than it was a decade ago

Paras Mhambrey

The presence of role models like Zaheer Khan is inspiring youngsters to take up fast bowling © Getty Images

One of the biggest changes in domestic cricket from the time I played has been the attitude towards fast bowling. The wickets we played on were tailor-made for spinners, so the quality in fast bowling wasn't good. Most teams, barring perhaps Mumbai or Karnataka, struggled for a good pace attack. It could also have been the reason that they dominated too. Nowadays, though, almost every team has a three-seamer-one-spinner combination. Every state has a couple of young fast bowlers, who somewhere down the line represent the state side and the India Under-19 side. There are talented fast bowlers in states like Assam, not traditionally cricket nurseries, and there are people coming from lesser known places and are representing their states. I see a lot of fast bowling talent overall. ]]> There are youngsters willing to become fast bowlers, willing to put in the hard work, knowing that they won't come across many seamer-friendly tracks in India. Baroda, the team I am coaching now, have seen Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel and Rakesh Patel in recent times. And there are more youngsters into fast bowling. It is good to see that because it was missing a few years back. The fast bowler's workload has increased by about 50 per cent from about 10 years ago. It can be attributed to two factors, one of which is the change in the nature of wickets. You have got to make pitches that encourage the fast bowlers. Not only at the top but at the grassroots level. As a youngster, you should get an opportunity to bowl on at least some seamer-friendly wickets, so that you are attracted towards fast bowling. The other reason is the exposure nowadays. Fast bowlers are everywhere now, and they are an appealing sight. We have bowlers like Zaheer and Sreesanth, characters that inspire. I wouldn't say fast-bowling is glamorous but it appeals to those who are willing to do a lot of hard work. Added to that is the extent of technical awareness, which has completely transformed the art. The biomechanics have become very sound, there are more people who are aware of the techniques. Earlier, there used to be very few people who knew what fast bowling was, what biomechanical structure you needed to be a good fast bowler. Things have developed a lot: the youngsters now know what in-season training is and what off-season training is, what is the exact muscle that they need to work on. The result: we see a lot of fast bowlers in domestic cricket and even at the grassroots level. There is one matter of concern, though: we have very few tearaway bowlers outside the Indian team. To get the really fast bowlers, we need to work with the talent at a very young age. I have often seen coaches emphasising line and length more than the quality. Somewhere down the road we lose out on bowlers with sheer pace because of that. If a kid has the talent but is wayward, that can be worked on. At a young age, the emphasis should be on the talent and the pace and not technique, which can be groomed. I have seen at university selections, in Under-17 trials, even in my playing days, that a genuinely quick bowler who is erratic at the nets would lose out to the other guy who bowls six balls on a good line and length. That apart, fast bowling is in much better health since the time I retired. The three-one combination that most of the teams go in with is here to stay. The major difference is the awareness and, unlike the earlier days, we are not losing out on many prospective bowlers. tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2007:/firstclass//129.5062 2007-11-02T14:36:18Z 2008-02-19T04:01:29Z

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

R Ashwin

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.