How class based does cricket remain?

Cricket, along with the railways and the education system, is one of the many aspects of the Indian culture passed down from British times. But much like British times, cricket seems to be one of those things that is still separating its participants on class lines i.e. the rich and the poor, the urban and the rural and most of all, the batsmen from the bowlers.

This essay first clarifies its position on why it is clear from historical data that bowlers and batsmen are, more often than not, divided in their background in terms of the affluence of families and the rural/urban centers they were raised in and how it is usual to find that especially fast bowlers are from a different strata of society than most batsmen. In this context, let us first take the examples of a few Indian cricketers, past and present, who have followed the prescription to the letter.

The Indian team has seen many Princes grace the scorecard in its long history. From Ranjitsinhji, an imperious figure both on and off the field and after whom the Domestic First-Class tournament is named after, to the bespectacled Maharajah of Vizianagaram, an avid fan of the sport who did much for its promotion but was widely regarded as one of the worst international cricketers of all time, to the recently deceased Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who incidentally was also partially blind, India has seen its richest segment participate in the sport of the masses. Yet, for the purpose of this essay, the importance of these men is that they were all batsmen. In the current team, we have Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, Sourav Chandidas Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, and Vangipurappu Venkat Sai Laxman who are from rich backgrounds with a high educational attainment. So now what about the alternate version of this theory?

For this, we must go to South Africa, a country where the divisions on the lines of race and class are as deep-rooted as those of India. Their recent lot of fast bowlers, Makhaya Ntini, Mfuneko Ngam, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Marchant de Lange, are all from rural backgrounds with little to no coaching. In the words of former cricketer Peter Kirsten,” They are mentally tougher and not as pampered as other players in their early days. And they are also hungrier.” It is now an observable phenomena that rural players are selected, more often than not, as fast bowlers. The current lot of South African batsmen are from the more renowned schools in urban centres. Graeme Smith, Mark Boucher, Abraham Benjamin de Villiers and Jacques Rudolph are all from reputed sports universities in cities such as Johannesburg, Pretoria and East London.

Even in India, with its limited stock of fast bowlers, we have seen that most of them come from a rural environment, with names such Mohammad Nissar, Kapil Dev Nikunj, Zaheer Khan and India’s latest, Umesh Yadav having all come from rural backgrounds. Even the man who made Bradman look ungodly during the Bodyline series, Harold Larwood, was a coal worker at the age of 14 and later took to club cricket to earn a living. And this trend is foreseeable in almost all Test playing countries.

We have thus seen that there does indeed exist a divide in the location of the centres from where cricketers possessing different skills originate. To some extent, this has been observed in most cricketing countries but for the purpose of this paper, has been proved with reference to the situations in India and South Africa.

So now the question must be asked, why does this divide exist? Is it the attitude or the lifestyle that contributes to this bifurcation of talent and physical ability? Are there some key aspects that can only be trained with the help of coaches? Does a rural atmosphere create more robust bodies capable of handling the loads of fast bowling as compared to a more sedentary urban setting? Since these are all qualitative in nature, this paper will seek to answer the question with the help of a more quantitative aid, i.e. the cost of training and equipment required.

To put it bluntly, batsmen often require specialized equipment which includes items used for personal protection, clothing, apparel such as shoes and other accessories according to personal preferences, while bowlers need only buy clothing and shoes. An entire cricketing set can cost up to and over $200 in the market depending on quality of manufacturer. In a country like India, where the average Per Capita Income is $1,371 (International Monetary Fund, 2010), this represents a considerable investment. While considering costs, we also see that the cost of enrolling a child into a reputed educational institute or a coaching centre becomes prohibitive. When training a fast bowler, however, most former cricketers agree that it is best not to coach youngsters as it inhibits their natural athletic movement which may cause injuries. For example, the likes of Makhaya Ntini and Kapil Dev had actions that were deemed to be anatomically strenuous but had relatively injury free careers since it was a motion that their bodies were naturally suited to. Sri Lanka is a prime example of countries telling their coaches not to interfere with bowlers natural actions and that has given them bowlers such as Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga. The world leading fast bowlers of Pakistan are often given no formal training and they continue to churn out fast bowlers of repute. Hence, it can be observed that fast bowlers require lesser finance to train for and perfect their art, thereby making it suitable for those either with lower incomes or in places where adequate infrastructure for training might not exist.

So finally what can we conclude about this inherent division of labour in our game? Even though every day rules, regulations and formats are being changed, the defined roles of participation from the different groups in a population continue to remain the same. And being a sport which is meant for the masses, isn't that what counts, that every part of our national heritage and segment of population, whether it be from the bustling metropolitans of India to the innumerable rural centres of Bharat, be represented on a cricket field?

Zimbabwe Cricket’s New Beginning

There has been a lot of action this week around the world of cricket, with domestic seasons in the Southern hemisphere now in full swing and the international calendar on its relentless march to nowhere in particular continuing to serve up a number of matches.

The Australians won the first Test match against their Trans-Tasman rivals in another of those infuriatingly short two match series. Another Aussie debutant, James Pattinson, brother of English international Darren, took a five-for to completely rout the Kiwis in the morning session of the fourth day’s play, leaving a target of 19 runs to go ahead 1-0. He is the third Aussie to pick up a five-for on debut this year, and the fifth in about 6 weeks of cricketing action and the fourth in the same time period to go home with a man of the match trophy. This continues what has been a fine season for greenhorn bowlers around the world.

Pakistan and India continue to pile up the wins in their respective series against opponents who are looking more outclassed by the match. Ravi Rampaul’s record rear guard action notwithstanding, the West Indies looked completely at sea against a stronger opposition at home. One can only hope they can bring some life back into this series starting with a win in tomorrow’s encounter.

The greatest news of this week, however, is the conclusion of the Stanbic Bank 20 series, Zimbabwe’s domestic T20 competition. Having come back into the test fold this year, Zimbabwe have turned up with some good performances with certain individuals appealing for worldwide attention. Brendan Taylor, leading from the front, has shown he has the ability to score in any situation and at any pace required by the team. Tino Maoyowo and Hamilton Masakadza have proved to be a tough opening partnership to get rid off while bowlers such as Brian Vitori have shown there is much depth in the current setup.

The domestic competition has given the Zimbabwean youngsters a way to learn from world-class professionals such as Ryan Ten Doeschate, Chris Harris and of course no T20 competition can be complete without Chris Gayle. Being deprived of such communication previously due to political instability, it is a good tonic for these youngsters to find out how the professionals go about their business. For the Mountaineers, who won the tournament final against the Mashonaland Eagles, the Zimbabwean squad players will have hopefully picked up many tricks of the trade and hopefully Zimbabwe cricket can look towards a growth curve to match that of South Africa after readmission.

The greatest thrill of this competition for me was one that has been predicted since the birth of T20. As cricketers have to give way to younger players on the national levels, it is good to see someone such as Chris Harris, man of the match in the finals, with all of his 42 years, still out there enjoying cricket and winning trophies. Harris, as some may remember was a New Zealand international who was part of an XI of bits and pieces cricketers that occupied the team sheet around the turn of the millennium.Who knows, with a batting average of 70.66 and a bowling average of 23.11, he might fancy his chances for an IPL contract. Seeing him out there for the Mountaineers gives hope that years from now, we’ll still be able to see cricketers who we have grown up watching still plying their trade and us loving them for it.

Ranji Round-up

For those following the current round of India’s domestic First Class tournament, these are heady times. For those not following India’s domestic First Class tournament, this would be the time to jump in. The fourth round of matches has given rise to a flurry of activity that must surely be of great interest to the Indian cricketing fraternity.

First up, is Sourav Ganguly, the man whose spot has yet to be filled in the Test squad for the last 3 years, has announced his return with a century against Haryana. Though he couldn’t help his team gain the first innings lead, his innings must surely send some warning signs to the current crop of players lining up to take his spot, more so if any of the selectors happened to see him caress 20 fours and a six on his way to 135. Could we see him taking the field alongside the famed trio once again? Or is it just the misguided delusions of a nostalgic fool? Reason points to the latter, but the heart wants something more.

Cheteshwar Pujara is finally back on a cricket field and this would certainly be not so good news for Kohli, who is the favourite to hold the position come Boxing Day in Melbourne. Having looked good in his first few games, Pujara must be kicking himself for getting injured at a time when the slot was so nearly his. His first outing wouldn’t help him a whole lot, as he scored 9 runs in an hour and 3 minutes, but at least he’s back on the field, and after nearly a year’s worth of inactivity, he would be satisfied to finally be able to play some cricket.

India’s current leading wicket taker in Tests however, has no such reason to smile. Harbhajan Singh is now out of the Punjab team facing a Railways side at Mohali. With Ashwin and Ojha having performed more than commendably at home against the WIndies, it could be a long time before we see the spinner turn out for India. Though the reasons for the exclusion were not clear, it is certain to be a performance based decision by the selectors as Singh, with 406 Test wickets to his name, picked up only 4 wickets in the first 3 games and did not contribute significantly with the willow either.

But some good news to round off today’s action as Zaheer Khan came back to pick up four wickets across two innings as a part of the all round destruction of Orissa by Mumbai. Being conditionally picked for the tour Down Under, Zaheer looks set to lead the attack once again. Also, Irfan Pathan has found some form with the ball, picking up his third five-for of the tournament against Delhi. Could he too be on his way back into the Indian Team?

Ponting and Tests need to fire

Sorry that it’s taken an eternity for this post to finally be up, but I believe fate and a hammerhead yak have conspired against me.

I was absent, for Cardus was in Wankhede recently pretty much demanding a little known Mr. Tendulkar to score a 100 runs along with about 32,999 other Indians. When this did not happen, they too blamed the fates and a hammerhead yak for having conspired against the man and stopping him from getting a 100^th international century, a feat so elusive it has yet to occur in the known history of space and time. Thus, if he were to get those six measly runs, this would make the occasion as rare as the Big Bang and the creation of life.

But that was last week, when my word puncher and electricity would not let me reach out to you. This week carries a different agenda. As you may have noticed, Test Cricket has become edge of the seat stuff again, with the series of South Africa Vs. Australia and the last match of a dead rubber between India and the West Indies providing close finishes. One must remark that this only happened as the bowlers were able to battle it out on even terms with batsmen again and look how much joy that has brought. Thus, it can only be hoped that the series between Australia and their Tasman rivals can keep the momentum going and put bums on seats. This needs to keep the interest levels high for what must be the main event of the Australian summer, a clash of no.2 Vs no.4 (doesn’t say much considering there are only 10 ranked teams, but still).

But the more immediate question on everyone’s minds must be whether this is Ricky Ponting’s last summer in International colours. In a game now consisting of players with new age sensibilities and well moisturized profiles, his steely glare, iron jaw and constant scowl are a throwback to the days when cricket was a sport played by unpleasant, sweat encased, bearded men. And surely, even though it has been predicted for a long time coming, seeing this man walk in to the sunset would be more bitter than sweet.

This is where cricket is not just a sport but a dramatic rendition of those in the spotlight.The series, which starts tomorrow, would be followed by cricket enthusiasts over the world not for a 100^th hundred, but for an emotional glimpse into what could be the final days of a batsman, who in his prime, was second to none.

FOUR DAYS OF DESPAIR, ONE OF JOY!

Just when the fading glow of hope started to vanish completely, there was an unexpected flicker which gave many a reason to believe that Test Cricket has many more innings to come. The third test between India and WI’s was turning out to be a lifeless event, till fifth day came to the rescue and what a day it turned out to be! Well, you talk about drama, suspense or excitement, we witnessed it all.

                         With WI’s batting on 81/2 at stumps on fourth day, there was not much people would have expected from the upcoming day. Ojha, however turned things around when he took the first five wickets leaving the Indies struggling at 112/5. The ball was turning big, and the Indian spinners capitalised on the strip. There wasn't much in it for the seamers as it was evident from the fact that all ten wickets belonged to the spinners. Ashwin after a brilliant performance with  the bat followed it up with four wickets in the 3^rd innings(9^th of the match). India were set a target of 243 with 64 overs left to be bowled.

                        Sehwag got right into the act and a repeat of the famous Chennai test against England was on the cards. Toying with the field en route his 60, India were favourites at the moment. The day had more drama to offer, though. Sehwag fell, Sachin and Dravid followed as India was left in a desperate need for partnerships. Kohli looked determined to get India across the line and till he was on the crease, an Indian victory was the most probable option. However with his departure , four possible outcomes lay before us. The game could have headed in any direction, and it came down to the last over with none other than the performer of the match given a chance to add another star to his credits. What happened next is difficult to explain as India were unable to score 3 runs from 6 balls, giving Darren Sammy a reason to smile.Officially, the match ended in a draw but I would like to believe it was a win for the WI's and a loss for the Indians.                           Despite being adjudged the MoM, deep down somewhere Ashwin would be thinking “ Why did I hesitate to run two?”. Let’s just hope that the public does not remember him for this error, as he was undoubtedly the Player of the Series.

               

Cricket or Commerce?

Test Cricket lived up to its billing as the pinnacle of the 3 forms of the game as Australia managed to crawl past the line against South Africa in the second of the two matches. Lots to like about what went on in the field, Philander and Cummins making memorable debuts, Cummins being the fourth bowler to pick up a man of the match award on his debut in the space of a month, Ponting, Haddin, Clarke performing under pressure, et al. But there was disappointment in the length of these matches. I wouldn’t call this a series, as a series would imply that it was a long fought war in which each team went through troughs and peaks and the team with the least troughs won out. This “series” was not even up to the modern convention of being composed of 3 matches. How did it come to pass?

Sandwiched into a calendar, a third match was instead replaced by two T20’s, and this has stopped us from witnessing the most entertaining rivalry of recent years in the longer format reach a satisfying conclusion. This is completely related to the commerce of the game, and the fans might cry themselves hoarse over how cricket has sold its soul for a quick buck. But it is the only way forward. If Hockey had been made into a sport with high pay packets, it might still have been the eminent sport of our country.

The fact we most need to realize is that cricket (sadly) is not the only sport in the world and that’s why broadcasters need to play around with timings. If the games aren’t short enough, then they might not get covered. If the games are too short, then the people paying for advertisement slots do not get their return on investment. Tests, which can be on either of the two extremes, make it a very risky business proposition. The first match of Australia Vs. South Africa was entertaining, but it left a lot of people with a lot of money invested in a difficult place.

This is why the ODI’s are current favourites of the men with the money as they are comparatively risk free. The alternative is to create pitches which last 5 days and that has produced games that have led to speculation about the death of Test matches. The common argument is that people can no longer spare five days to watch a Test Match. The truth, according to this fan, is that we now watch more cricket than we have ever had, and it is the dilution of the sport as an event that has led to the declining interest in Test Matches. In an age of gluttony, Tests are the biggest meal of them all. No wonder that we are shying away from them at an increasing pace.

As much as I hate to admit, the only way to ensure Test Cricket survives is through increased profitability and that means handing it over to our not so beloved administrators and let the ad men try to sell the game. This means we will be sidelined and pushed and prodded into an inconsequential mass whose needs and wants will not be catered to. The choice is this, do we allow this takeover of the administrators as principal stake holders of our game or do we let the game’s revenues fall and allow it to die prematurely? The choice is not an easy one to make, but is one that is creeping up on us.