The Hindu : Sport : Time to improve the selection process

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Tuesday, Nov 21, 2006
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Time to improve the selection process

Only a CIC can solve Delhi's problems, writes Makarand Waingankar

October and November are India's festival months, but are the months of challenge for aspiring cricketers. The hype and passion this game generates put immense pressure on these youngsters to perform, and yet one is not sure of getting the opportunity to play for either the State or the country.

While travelling across seven cities in the past three weeks, I saw more frustrated teenagers and parents than satisfied ones. Whether you play for the country or State, unless the rule permits, only 11 can be picked for a team from thousands who dream of playing.

Can the selection process be improved to reduce frustration among the players? There has been enough debate about the selection process and the composition of the selection committee, but that is at the national-level. At the State-level, the process of selection is so faulty that a consistent performer rarely gets a look in.

Favouritism

Nepotism is quite evident when some of the State teams are selected and ironically, those who sit in judgment criticising the selection process are the ones indulging in favouritism while selecting the State teams.

Mumbai's cricket culture has never encouraged nepotism, as it is keen to encourage talent. If a talent is noticed, the selectors grab it and the boy is in the Ranji squad even if he is just 17.

Can this be said of Delhi or some of the other major State associations? For years, Delhi has been making a mockery of the selection process. It is to the credit of the Delhi players in the Indian team that have not allowed the selection process to affect them. They are aware of the fact that the only thing they can do is to keep performing. Nothing else is in their hands.

What is intriguing is that the President of the DDCA, Arun Jaitley, is unable to put an end to some baffling selections. In Mumbai, the day Sharad Pawar was elected President of the Mumbai Cricket Association, he formed a Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) and entrusted it with the task of appointing selection committees, coaches and support staff.

Initially, there were objections because most of the members in the CIC were not elected members of the MCA, but to Pawar all that mattered was that they were former Mumbai cricketers of repute. Having been made responsible for the decisions, the committee went about handling issues in a professional way, though its decisions may not have pleased everyone every time.

Successful formula

It is a formula that has worked well for Mumbai cricket. Why can't Jaitley also form a committee without involving the power-hungry officials? Only a CIC on the lines of the MCA can solve the problems Delhi cricket is facing.

At the National Cricket Academy, a lot of Delhi teenagers impressed the coaches and the Talent Resource Development Officers who are now known as Match Referees. Where have these youngsters disappeared? When Delhi has a tremendous record in junior cricket, there is no reason why it should struggle in the Ranji Trophy.

Though the selection process may be one of the reasons for the poor standard of India's domestic cricket, Imran Khan feels that too many teams playing first class cricket is also a major problem in India.

He suggests that there should be not more than six teams in the Elite group so that all sides get to play tough matches the way it happens in Australia.

In fact, the BCCI's technical committee had recommended that the Elite group have only 10 teams, but later one team was added from each zone to make it 15. Opting for 10 teams in the Elite group may be the most advisable solution.

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