India Should Initiate an Argus-Like Review in Test Cricket

The Argus review was done in Australia a few months back, and the committee has suggested a number of moves, some of them ratified by the Board so far. Based on this, the performance of the Australian team seems to have improved.

If a similar review was done for Indian cricket after their poor performances in England and Australia, what would we find?

1. The fact is that there have been a number of bowlers blooded by India in the post-Srinath era. There are middle-order batsmen and spinners in this list as well. Barring a handful, none of them have gone on to be consistent in their approach, quite a few have been injured, while most of them have lost their way.

Other than giving them their first chance, has the Cricket in India given them any direction? Not much.

Have they received any opportunities other than the odd match or two as part of the senior squad? Nope.

2. Similarly, quite a few bowlers have been given chances in the ODI squad. They have been part of the regular circus undertaken by the BCCI on tours and series at home. But again, no one takes care of these players once they are out of the team.

How many times have we heard that failure is the stepping stone to success? Neither Laxman nor Sachin Tendulkar made it big in their first few attempts. It was over time that they matured into the greats they have become now.

3. The amount of money being paid by IPL franchises to the players is much more than what the BCCI pays as per their contracts. This obviously shows where the players' priorities lie.

Can the BCCI take care of this disparity and ensure that the players are compensated well if they represent the nation? National pride aside, compensation plays a big part in the individual's interests.

4. The top-20 list of batsmen and bowlers who have done well in the domestic tournaments still shows veterans who are no longer considered for national selection.

The other players have been given few chances, but there is no one in the BCCI who can vouch for the greatness of these cricketers. Or can they?

The pitches being used on the domestic circuit are either completely supporting the bowlers or the batsmen—there is no place for bounce or seam on these pitches.

5. Cricket academies where the younger players are groomed are no longer serving their purpose. Kiran More remarked that the NCA was a joke. Karsan Ghavri added that he had never seen a youngster bowl 140 kilometers per hour in the Bowling Academy.

But the MRF Pace Academy still manufactures bowlers who are good in their art and have represented India for a decent period of time, the latest being Varun Aaron. The first bowler from these stables was T.A. Sekhar, who is a current coach in the academy.

Can the BCCI formalize this Academy so that more bowlers come out of this production line to play for India?

6. Can the administration of the state cricket association be separated from the cricketing aspects? There used to be a concept of TRDO (talent scouts) earlier in the domestic circuit. Cricketers like MS Dhoni and Irfan Pathan are examples of players who have been identified by such scouts. Can these scouts/officers be re-initiated?

7. How much domestic cricket is being watched by the selectors? Can one get more accountability being drawn out of the performance of first-class players?

Will a player like Bhargav Bhatt, a leading wicket-taker, get more chances to peddle his wares? Or will he get demoralised like Mithun who, after getting his chance at the senior level (and making a decent performance), is back at the bottom without knowing what he needs to work for his chances once again?

Communication and feedback to the players is an important aspect that must be included. 

Rahul Dravid had no clue that he was coming back to ODI after being dropped for a long while. Similarly, Murali Karthik has no idea why he is still out of the favor with selectors.

8. Will there be a clause in the contracts of players where individual performance will have bearing on the compensation he receives? It should be a reflection of the player's presence in the next year's contract as well.

Only then will the players get a feeling that they are being watched for their performance and compensated accordingly.

9. Will Duncan Fletcher get a say in the selection as well as the injury management of players so that players like Sehwag and Zaheer, though they were not fit enough after injury, are not fast-tracked to the playing squad? How will Varun Aaron's injury be taken care?

Obviously, these points were collected after reading the comments of ex-players, bloggers and other columnists.

If one talks to other players like the Argus Review did, one could come up with an even bigger list.