Is BCCI's anti-ICL stand world cricket's new apartheid?

Friday July 25, 03:16 AM


While India play Sri Lanka and the rain in Colombo, on what seems like another batsman obsessed pitch, the juniors are out in Australia putting in some impressive performances against their peers. Cricket never stops, does it? It only moves elsewhere!

Rarely has a nation put out such vastly different teams within days of each other as India have in Sri Lanka post the Asia Cup. Eight out of the eleven in the first Test were not present in Pakistan and that tells me two things: one, that India must possess great depth in their cricket and two, that there ought to have been some rusty players in Colombo.

But these are different days in Indian cricket and there is now a fully functional cricket academy which means that there is a facility for players who haven't played cricket to get back into rhythm under a very good coach and fitness trainers. The NCA is, at the moment, one of the most valuable resources the BCCI could have built up. Just imagine otherwise. With the monsoon having set in, there would hardly have been any practice or training facilities around, a call would have to be sent out for volunteers. Instead, the players will be as ready for competition as they could have been.

Harbhajan gets his spot back straightaway and that is good and bad. It is a vote of confidence in his ability, which has never been doubted anyway, but it would have been nice if there had been competition forcing him to fight his way back. But there is none in Indian cricket when it comes to Test matches and that is why it might have been a better idea for the emerging nations to play three or four day games as well, for that would have told us of the quality of Piyush Chawla, Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha in the longer format.

Instead, Piyush Chawla will probably have to sit at home because in an unfortunate announcement, the BCCI has announced that Indian players cannot play for county sides in England that have ICL players on their staff. I wonder if I am the only person who is wondering if there is a new apartheid in world cricket. I can go so far as to understand one body not picking players who have played for another set-up. But not to take the field in the company of those that have played the ICL, in a third country, seems cruel and unfair. Even at the height of South Africa's isolation, Bishan Bedi bowled to Barry Richards in county cricket, Sunil Gavaskar batted with Graeme Pollock in a world eleven and nobody raised a hue and cry over it.

I think we need to be a little more generous. A little more understanding. It will help Indian cricket if VVS Laxman gets some more good cricket under his belt before Australia come to India; for Piyush Chawla to bowl a lot more overs and experiment and bowl more leg breaks. For just as Zaheer Khan benefitted from a lot of bowling, so too could young Chawla who needs to grow quickly since Anil Kumble doesn't have a lot of time left. I think we have missed an opportunity.


Terrific combination

Zaheer, indeed, is the player to watch out for in Sri Lanka. He has spent far too much time off the field in his career but he gives the impression of having come to terms with it and by not rushing back, he is giving himself the best possible chance of success in the time that he has. In England last year, he played a huge role in India's first series win there for years (under Rahul Dravid, it is often forgotten!) and I believe by using him wisely, we will get a lot more out of him. Luckily there are people to fill his slot. Ishant Sharma and Sreesanth in form, for example, would make a terrific combination.

I would also like to see a few serious challengers emerge for the middle order slots in the next year. Yuvraj Singh must feel disappointed at not being in Sri Lanka but the way out is to be hard on himself and return to where he belongs: the first cab off the rank. While Rohit Sharma is an obvious candidate, I would like to see a closer look at S Badrinath who has done almost everything asked of him. This may be a fantasy thought but won't it be great if India's current Test side could take on this in a five day game: Robin Uthappa, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Badrinath, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel, Piyush Chawla, Pragyan Ojha, Sreesanth and RP Singh.