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Get the idea: When a batsman repeatedly advances down the field, the fast bowler reacts by bowling to a bouncer. The brief response is both a message and a warning from the angry player. It is unusual for the BCCI to issue a warning, but the harsh tone of the “behave or else” message suggests it means business. The public rebuke and threat of “serious implications” confirm that there is a problem with domestic cricket and there is a way to fix it.
The problem is this: with little to gain, established players do not want to play red-ball cricket and skip the Ranji Trophy, the national championship. Some seniors turn up to the odd match for match practice at the start of the season, but when the IPL approaches, they declare themselves ineligible. Discomfort develops, muscles tense, hamstrings tighten and the lower back becomes stiff. This ‘we’re not fit’ playbook is fooling no one.
Players missing Ranji is something that happens every year – the drama repeats itself every year and everyone knows the truth. The comedy of sudden injuries usually lasts from December to February, but by early March all the injured are in good shape, in top health condition and ready for the commercial circus of IPL. Ravi Shastri, with the front foot style of him, summed it up when he described IPL as the best physiotherapist in the world. The fact is that IPL matters a lot more than Ranji. He is financially rewarding (where else would Sameer Rizvi, a red ball non-entity, get? $8 million rupees for 6 weeks of work) and is the fast track to the national team. For any player, choosing IPL over Ranji is logical and sensible. While the IPL ahead of Ranji makes a lot of sense from a player’s perspective, if we look at the bigger picture, the situation is
disturbing. Ranji and traditional four-day games form the basis of cricket, and Indian players, even IPL stars, come out of this system. Additionally, state associations invest time and energy into talent development. It is unacceptable, therefore, for players attracted to the IPL to avoid the system that somehow “created” them.
That is why the BCCI, while cracking the whip on the absent stars, reminded them of their responsibility to respect Ranji. From a practical point of view too, the BCCI is right to act tough. Without senior players, the overall quality of domestic cricket declines, especially when regular players in the Indian team are busy with international cricket. Also, think of state associations picking a team in the hope that players will be available only to find out at the last minute that they are preparing for the IPL and want to avoid the risk of injury in “pointless” red-ball cricket “.
This season, the players’ IPL-first attitude erupted because Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Chahar and others chose to train with their IPL teams while Ranji was on the field, leaving no doubt about their stand on the matter. Interestingly, players are not legally required to play Ranji. Those centrally contracted with the BCCI commit their availability to play for India and, for this, receive an annual remuneration. Therefore, appearing for Ranji, when he is not busy with India matches, is a moral obligation or for reasons such as getting game time/match practice/solving technical issues or to regain form.
For players who do not have central contracts the situation is more complicated for two reasons. We do not have national contracts, so it is difficult to force a player to play in a specific format. And if a youngster decides to focus solely on white-ball cricket and plays with Vijay Hazare and Mushtaq Ali, is it right to ask him to play for Ranji?
Some have suggested that players should be allowed to play IPL only if they play a certain number of domestic games. It may not work because it would close the door on young talent (discovered by the team’s scouts) who are not yet in the system. And the mistake in proposing to make Ranji mandatory for IPL is this: What happens if a good T20 player (e.g. Shahrukh Khan,
Sameer Rizvi, Lalit Yadav, Varun Chakravarty) are not good enough to be selected for Ranji? There is no easy way out. For the handful of centrally contracted players, the position is clear: they will have to play and not disrespect Ranji, and follow the example of Cheteshwar Pujara and Umesh Yadav. For others, it is a difficult decision and players would be motivated only if Ranji becomes more attractive and lucrative.
PS: BCCI’s warning came very late, just before the last round of the Ranji league. Despite the stern message, only Shardul Thakur returned to play.