Vitality of domestic cricket for international players

After Australia’s clean sweep in Border Gavaskar Trophy, the legends, the flag bearers of the Indian Cricket Team were highly criticised. BCCI questioned the ‘super star’ culture that prevailed within the team and held it responsible for the negligence shown by players. Hence, after the series, international players were asked to participate in domestic cricket like regular cricketers. Elite players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant were too forced to play Ranji Trophy for their respective states. Veteran Sunil Gavaskar proposed the idea and it seemed to be a fair call as it will be beneficial for the country in the long run. Now, the real question is: Why should international players participate in domestic cricket? 

In this article by ZAP cricket, we share a detailed note on why there is a need for players to play board matches. 

Match practice 

Regular participation in domestic cricket can provide ample match exposure to the players which net sessions can never cover. Performing skill in a net and in a match is vastly different. True test lies in a match and to best prepare for international matches, the closest substitute is playing in a domestic match. It helps in building the right temperament. Moreover, a batsman or a bowler can calculate better when he is playing in a match. 

Boosts confidence 

Scoring runs or taking wickets in a match helps a lot in gaining the right confidence and that confidence goes a long way. A player can never gain that confidence in net sessions. Hence, to get in the right frame, one has to participate in domestic cricket. However, all this is possible only if proper workload is managed. An exhausted player can never bring his A game to the match. Thus, managing a cricketer’s workload is extremely important. With increasing commitments in franchise cricket and international matches, it’s hard to create a balance.

Skill development 

Playing matches in varied conditions and at different venues can help in polishing one’s skill. Hence, participation in domestic cricket can help a player in tuning their skill to the finest level. Once a player knows how to acclimatize to different conditions, he/she can modify the game as per their need. 

To break the superstar culture 

Another major reason why it was extremely important for international players to participate in domestic cricket is to break the ‘superstar culture’. BCCI has formulated new guidelines to ensure equality and positive team culture. There were instances when few players were given special treatment and that brought a lot of disruption within the team. Hence, to bring everyone on the same page, it was important to level each and every player.

Reflects dedication of the players 

Participation in domestic cricket reflects a player’s dedication towards the sport and not towards its perks. A player who is regularly playing domestic cricket is actually very keen to improve his/her skillset. Hence, it is a direct reflection of one’s intentions towards the sport and towards the nation.

Learnings from IPL

IPL is a testament of how regular participation can help in improving the skill level. Today, India’s T20 side is Invincible and a lot of credit goes to IPL as it has provided the right exposure to young players. Similarly, if these players play ample amounts of One Day cricket and days cricket in domestic matches, they can become even better at the world stage in this format as well. 

Exposure to young players 

When elite players like Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma participate in domestic cricket, a lot of exposure is gained by young members. For instance, when Virat Kohli played a Ranji Trophy match at Arun Jaitley Stadium, young members in Delhi’s team felt his presence was very motivating. They learnt a lot from the senior player and that experience will help them in the long run. 

In summary, playing in domestic matches can be beneficial for International cricketers in terms of skill enhancement, match readiness, and contributing to the domestic cricket ecosystem.