Sometime in the mid-90s,while reporting one of Mumbais early season Ranji Trophy games,I found myself waiting endlessly for the then India star Praveen Amre. As Amre headed towards the dressing room after over an hour at the nets,the usual Can we chat for a while? request was floated. Yes,we can. But first I need to hit a few more balls, he replied while inadvertently baring Mumbai crickets much-celebrated batting greed.Not finding anybody to throw balls,Amre waved at me. Finally, I said under my breadth. But little did I know that the promised interview was still an hour away. To cut a long story short,the Amre piece that day was written while braving pain from a sore shoulder,finger blisters and crampy calf muscle.Other it could happen only on the Ranji circuit incidents include a not-too-pleasant pre-lunch sight of cricketers in bare essentials running for cover after a sudden invasion of privacy. With the dressing room doubling as the media dinning area in Rajkot once upon a time,such mutually uncomfortable encounters were quite common. Though times,and dressing rooms,have changed,the informality of domestic circuit matches hasnt. The barriers that come up around cricketers while playing for the country disappear when they represent their local association.The relaxed atmosphere goes a long way in shaking off the celebrity aura. The games big stars sharing a joke with reporters lazing next to the boundary rope or a handful of fans in the stands is a common sight. Long photo sessions with stars after stumps is a perk thats the prerogative of those rare supporters who actually turn up for domestic games. But can nostalgia and romance sustain the countrys premier domestic tournament? Every season,tears are shed about the Ranji games being played in front of empty stands even as suggestions to sex-up the domestic circuit are floated annually with renewed vigour. But the big question is: does Ranji Trophy need a jam-packed stadium to survive? Not really,since gate money is the least significant revenue source in the economics of Indian cricket. About a decade back,domestic cricketers were the starving cousins,from some drought-affected village,of the deep-pocket international stars. But the BCCIs equal distribution of wealth means a domestic cricketer with a cemented place in the side would have about Rs 12 lakh to Rs 15 lakh in his kitty at the end of the year. And with a strong on-field show certain to draw the attention of selectors,there are enough incentives up for grabs for a highly competitive contest of cricketing skills. Lack of stars is a problem area that Ranji Trophy often finds itself dealing with. But over the last five years things have improved. Imaginative scheduling has seen the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan turning up for Mumbai at the later stage of the tournament sometime back. Even without the stars,if theres the will to watch good cricket,there are enough intriguing contests and interesting stories waiting to be discovered on the domestic circuit. The stalwarts who lose their way take the Ranji road back into the national side. Test discard Yuvraj Singh is in Meerut these days,playing for Punjab. He has to contend with the likes of UP bowlers,and his former Team India mates R.P. Singh and Piyush Chawla,in a bid to find his touch. Getting the first glimpse of a future star is another reason to give the old man and the dog some company. In case Rajasthan pacer Deepak Chahar,of 8/10 fame,makes it big,just imagine the plight of the grand children of those at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on November 1,2010. But its impossible to understand the complex mind of an average Indian cricket fan. Even an imposter in an India shirt is a star for them. Those aspiring to wear the national colour dont impress them. The only way they will fill the stands for a non-India cricket game is when there are cheerleaders on field,superstars dancing in the stands and when they are presented with a format that guarantees a thrill a minute. They will beg,borrow and steal to get tickets for these games. They will get insulted and assaulted to get into the stadium. They will use dirty urinals and go without water during the game. But throw an invite to sprawl on the lawns and enjoy a Ranji game for free and there will be no takers.Maybe,Ranjis informality breeds contempt.
sandeep.dwivedi@expressindia.com
