Harsha's plan (-worma)

As Prem had been pointing out for past few days, now Harsha has a look at the problems in our domestic games...and his research says its not the absence of stars (or not *just* that). What is found missing is positive cricket (or an intent of positive cricket), good pitches (not the 'good pitches' phrase as used in ODI cricket implying a true batting beauty) and better trainers and physios for domestic teams.

It is only when you play positively on good pitches that you get good cricketers. There are two elements to it: good pitches and positive cricket. By the look of it, it is a combination that is eluding us and the BCCI don’t seem to have noticed it either for I haven'’t heard anyone say that six rounds into this year's Ranji Trophy we have had some pathetic cricket.

There’s more trouble. Lakshmipathy Balaji hasn’t been playing (a fact that seems to have escaped some demonstrators in Chennai!), and we have seen virtually nothing of VRV Singh either. Ashish Nehra has vanished and seriously Munaf Patel remains the only contender for a new ball bowler’s slot.

Speaking of pacers....it would be really interesting to know what's up with Balaji - on whom I last read a cricinfo piece by Anand Vasu saying he's recovering and looking forward to the Ranji..but is still missing from TN squad and Nehra - who was last heard saying he is targetting the Pak ODI series for the comeback, which would mean high time for him to start playing domestic matches now?

And as for sporting pitches...the simple solution, IMO, would be to mandate Saurav Ganguly to play in all our domestic matches...for these days he cannot seem to come accross anything but a sporting pitch :-)