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In a state of slumber
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A section of the players are sore over are by HCA’s attitude
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PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL
Back from success Hyderabad cricketers in a happy mood after a successful stint in English minor counties
The after-shocks after the Indian Cricket League (which successfully lured six Ranji cricketers) are still being felt in Hyderabad cricketing circles. The latest to join is P. S. Niranjan, the leg-spinning all-rounder. It is always debatable how far
these cricketers could have gone up at the national level. A development which forced many to feel that Hyderabad Cricket Association officials would come up with practical measures to ensure that the sport and their own image would not suffer. But, it seems that HCA continues to be in state of slumber.
One of the Hyderabad cricketers who had come back from a successful, four-month stint in English minor county is bluntly told by HCA that the performances there do not matter. The question is that considering that there is very little action – at the most three or four three-day games before the big matches for State seniors team, is the experience of playing about 40 games in English county irrelevant?
Definitely, the four cricketers (S. Anirudh Singh of Andhra Bank is not in contention for Hyderabad teams lot since he has joined the ICL) Sangani Kiran Kumar (Andhra Bank), Mohd Faiz Ahmed (The Hindu), M. Srinivas (SBH) and Mohd Ghouse Baba (Andhra Bank) have not gone on a picnic to England. They were there by virtue of professional contracts for the last few years – which get renewed only if they perform –that is by playing serious cricket. By all means, it cannot pale into comparison with the HCA league cricket back in city.
“All that we sincerely hope is for the HCA to conduct selection matches before finalising the Ranji squad,” says Ghouse Baba. “We are not saying that since we played in England, we should be picked straight away,” chips in Kiran Kumar, who last played a Ranji match in 1997. Anirudh Singh, who led Hyderabad in Ranji last season in V.V.S. Laxman’s absence, points out that the minor county cricket is not a joke.
“It is a hard grind out there playing in different conditions. It is sheer performance that matters and you will be thrown out if you fail consistently. And given this fact, why should those playing there should be treated with such contempt,” says the southpaw who scored 1074 runs with six centuries and two fifties in the Benwell & Walbottle League. “We are really grateful to our employers for giving us permission to play the county cricket,” they say in gratitude.
Quite naturally, all of them reiterate that age should not be criterion. And they are banking heavily on a possible recall to Hyderabad Ranji squad given the fact that there are seven vacant slots now up for grabs. Well, the way the so-called future stars and the current stars of Hyderabad cricket under-performed so badly.
V.V.S.
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