Past perfect, future tense for Mumbai cricket

For the first time in two decades, Mumbai cricketers’ tryst with the national championships has ended abruptly thus nullifying the chances of the India hopefuls in the team.

Absence of qualitative leadership, complacency and inconsistent selection procedures were the major factors that led to the flop-show. Batting which had been Mumbai’s forte was in a shambles as well, much evident during their four-wicket humiliation suffered against Vadodara in their ownbackyard.

The presence of just three batsmen in the zonal top ten this season is a grim pointer. Skipper Vinod Kambli, who was the top run-getter in Ranji Trophy last season with 880 runs had to be content with just 215 to finish tenth in the zone.

The debacle complements the murky affairs of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). That only 20 per cent of time was devoted to cricket during the 22-odd managing committee meetings provides ample evidence of the MCA’s lackadaisical approach. If that wasn’t enough, the MCA lords preached politics to Sunil Gavaskar to shoo him away. Though they succeeded in their venture, Mumbai cricket lost out on a treasure trove of cricketing expertise.

While the sport flourished in the country and teams grew in stature, Mumbai remained satisfied in reaping the benefits of a system which was fast losing sheen owing to neglect. Mumbai’s biggest asset was its bench strength.

Despite losing out the stars to the national team, the reserves stood equal to the task and ensuredthe dominance. The steady stream of quality players had its origins in the local circuit where the superstars competed with the greenhorns. Local cricketing folklore is replete with instances when the likes of Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar have strutted onto the field for their respective clubs hours after their return from international tours.

If a busy international calendar now has denied the participation of the India stars in the domestic circuit, a similar fate befell Mumbai leading to the absence of quality players. The introduction of the Super League in the Ranji Trophy extended the domestic schedule, paving way for lesser participation in local matches by the Mumbai players. Moreover, some of the big names in the side also turn up for the minor counties in England during the off-season here. And by the time they return, they miss out on one of the premier events — the Kanga League.

If the MCA’s scheduling of the local events lacks foresight, they have compounded it further by falling prey tothe limited-overs variety. Barring the Times Shield which is similar to the Ranji Trophy, the rest of the tournaments — Police Shield, Comrade Shield, Talim Shield and Purshottam Shield — smack of the limited-overs flavour.

It is high time that the MCA shelves it petty political idiosyncrasies and draws upon the huge reserve of ex-stars, who have shown their mettle at the national and international arena, to thrash out definite solutions in keeping with the times. Till then Mumbai’s future remains tense despite a perfect past.