Need for the Ranji trophy to be revitalized

Rajasthan team winning the Ranji trophy 2011- 12

The glitz, glamour and the razzmatazz of the IPL is over and now it is time for some international and domestic action. India will be travelling to the  emerald island Sri Lanka. Meanwhile after some months, the premier domestic tournament Ranji trophy will commence. Having said that, Is the Ranji trophy of any importance? If you are anybody associated with the BCCI, then Ranji trophy does not matter as much as it used to till the cash rich Indian Premier League was launched. Clearly the priorities of the board have changed as far as the Ranji trophy and the Duleep trophy are concerned. The board is busy making money out of the IPL. The Ranji trophy till a few seasons ago was the one platform where the players could demonstrate their talent as well as character in a Ranji match and could have a chance of being considered for national selection. Since its inception in 2008 the IPL has become an easy option for the fringe and domestic players to get instant recognition and fame besides making moolah out of it by playing for a month and a half.

The major downside to the IPL is that the young Indian players at a very young age are influenced by the money and the glamour associated with the IPL and are reluctant to represent their state teams at the first class level. Add to it the fact that the selectors have started considering one odd impressive performance in the IPL as basis for selection in the national team. Imagine the plight of a domestic cricketer who is not considered by the franchisee for the IPL when he notices the fact that however impressive his performance at the first class level, he is going to find it difficult to be considered for a call at the national duty when one odd performance at the IP catches the eye of the short sighted selectors who directly draft these IPL players into the Indian team. There are loads of players who have consistently scored heavy runs at the first class level or have taken truck load of wickets year after year but they have been ignored for the Indian team and some good performances in a T20 format like IPL have been preferred. It begs the question why is the Ranji trophy being organized after all.  There was a time until the arrival of the IPL when good performance in the Ranji and the Duleep trophy were rewarded with national births. Players like Sachin Tendulkar,Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly who went on to become great cricketers were all a product of the first class system.

Another downer to the players being selected from the IPL is that in a T20 match a player with mediocre skill can also have a huge impact on the outcome of the game within a  couple of overs. A batsmen can smash the bowlers in the IPL but when it comes to playing the longer format of the game and for sustained period of time, then he is found wanting. The skill and the temperament  to adapt to different conditions  with the passage of time during a test or a first class match cannot be  developed by giving priority to the IPL over first class domestic tournaments. This is where the BCCI will have to keep aside their own selfish motives and    prioritize the Ranji trophy and the Duleep trophy tournaments. The selectors should reward consistent performances at the first class levels over the IPL performances. A player after proving himself at the first class level for a sustained period of time can deliver good performances when he is selected at the international circuit. Until very recently the players used to get peanuts for representing their state teams but the BCCI very rightly had taken a firm stand  by increasing the pay scale of the first class cricketers manifold. This has encouraged the first class cricketers to a certain extent but clearly it is not enough. Even the crowds at the Ranji matches are very sparse and they need to be brought in large numbers to bring  the dying first class matches to some much needed life. The players like Sachin Tendulkar and other senior players also need to play some of the matches when they are not on national duty. Clearly these players also do not make any concerted efforts to play in the Ranji trophy which will subsequently make the domestic matches more competitive and will bring in more spectators  to the stadiums.