Prior to their biggest assignment in India’s most testing Ranji Trophy competition, the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) visited Sri Lanka in a month long tour to suit themselves under typical conditions.
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| Captain Manohar Sharma (Pic by Amila Prabodha) |
Captain Manohar Sharma, who happens to be a former first class cricketer, and the observer of the MPCA touring party, complimented the Sri Lankan cricketers for their high degree of competitiveness which gave his players the opportunity to set a positive approach to the domestic tournament in India. “During the whole of the tour we played against a total of 16 Sri Lankan national cricketers which is a great achievement from our point of view. It was really a great and rare opportunity for our players,” Sharma told the Sunday Times.
The MPCA played two four-day games, two 50-overs matches and three Twenty20s against a Sri Lanka Cricket Development side, SSC and Chilaw Marians at several locations in Colombo. During the recent past, the MPCA has made it a point to visit an overseas country with a great cricket background. They were frequent visitors to Australia and Canada but according to Sharma the MPCA had a two-fold intention from their inaugural tour to Sri Lanka.
“Our tours usually happen weeks prior to the Ranji Trophy so we have ample time to identify the strengths and weaknesses of our players. Last year we visited Australia and had a wonderful experience. But to be honest the Sri Lankan experience was far better than the previous tours that we have made,” explained Sharma.
The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, whose home is the Central Province of India, is the second largest state of the country. The MPCA, which was earlier known as the Holkar Cricket Association and Madhya Bharath Cricket Association, covers 49 districts and is associated under eight Divisional Cricket Associations. Two international cricket venues and ten more cricket grounds are being managed under the MPCA.
 Their cricketing fraternity and the facilities prove to be much larger than the structure of Sri Lanka as the quality of cricket takes similar tones. So far the MPCA has contributed 11 Test cricketers to India and they are on the verge of producing more to the national grid with their strong structural base. Already nearly five players have been identified as prospects for the national team.
“India’s first Test captain, Colonel C.K. Nayudu, was the first MPCA cricketer to reach the national level and the list runs until Naman Ohja. In the present playing team there are players such as Devendra Bundela, Mohnish Mishra, Syed Abbas Ali and Jalaj Saxena who are playing at the top level.
“One of them is playing for the Rest of India side which is a great achievement from the MPCA’s perspective and others are in the Challengers Championship, which is one of the top competitions. We have been contributing with our fullest effort steadily towards India’s progress and it will continue to grow. Exposure at an international level at this juncture will be a feather in the cap of the players,” added Sharma, who went on to say that Sri Lanka has a lot to offer other countries with their rich cricketing background.
According to Sharma, India have almost ten competitions domestically to help players peak and reach the elite level. Among them are the Ranji Trophy, the Duleep Trophy, the Irani Trophy and the cash rich Indian Premier League (IPL), which is one of the two Twenty20 competitions in India. Sharma is of the view that the IPL is not a spoiler of the sport, as it has been sometimes rated by top cricket critics, but named it as a good platform for players to display their skills and entertain spectators. But according to his revelations India has got a strong and steady development programme for Test cricket and the number of four-day competitions conducted throughout the year bear the truth.
Commenting on Sri Lankan cricket, Sharma said, “We saw Sri Lanka emerge World Cup champions in 1996 and since then they (Sri Lanka) have earned a very good name as world beaters. No doubt their perfect domestic structure (as I have been told), and the nice conditions that suit cricket make them a dominant side in the international arena. We have seen the Sri Lankans performing internationally, at the IPL and domestic tournaments of other countries. They have a very balanced development plan, which is far more similar to India as far as I’m concerned. The IPL is just another tournament with a different flavour.” |
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