Now that the excitement and intoxication of the IPL has ended, it is time to pay attention to the nitty-gritty of domestic cricket and address the serious flaws that exist in many state associations including Hyderabad. At present Hyderabad cricket is facing multiple organ failure. There are many problems that need to be tackled. But where should the treatment begin? Everybody can see the problems but they also know that cleaning the Augean stables will be a Herculean task.
In Greek mythology King Augeus owned a huge stable in which he housed thousands of cattle. The stables had not been cleaned for 30 years and Hercules was given the task of cleaning the place. This he accomplished by diverting a river’s waters. But who will be Hyderabad’s Hercules?
Former international cricketer Noel David believes that one single person may not succeed but a lot can be achieved if all likeminded people come together and work sincerely.
Speaking to siasat.com he stressed on the importance of developing unity. “Many of the problems are being created because parties involved are pulling in different directions. This selfishness of just looking after one’s own interest and disregarding the cause of Hyderabad cricket is the root of all ills,” said Noel.
“For example, see the way our teams are being selected. Getting a spot in a Hyderabad team, starting from the junior levels right up to the top, has become so easy. A player does not have to fight for his place any more. If he makes the right moves outside the field, he will be selected even if he does nothing noteworthy on the field. How long will this go on? Can Hyderabad rise to its previous glory if team selection is done like this?” questioned Noel.
“Hyderabad colours have become cheap. Anybody can get a Hyderabad cap. When we were playing, it was so difficult. We had to prove ourselves repeatedly at every level. And finally those of us who did get the call to represent Hyderabad felt so proud that we had been given the honour. But that does not seem to be the case now. Selectors are under pressure to take this boy or that boy because of factors that have nothing to do with cricket. Many underhanded things happen outside the cricket fields which we all know,” lamented Noel.
“No doubt, earlier too, there was a quota. A certain number of players had to be picked because of external pressure. But this was a small number. Perhaps two out of the 15 players were quota players. The remaining 13 were picked on merit. The selectors had a free hand. Administrators and office bearers had little say in selecting the team. The selectors were professionals and they did their jobs in a competent and fair manner. That is why Hyderabad used to do well in first class cricket,” stated Noel.
“And what a great flow of talent we had in those days. Some legendary players emerged from Hyderabad. Starting with the days of Ghulam Ahmed sir, then M.L. Jaisimha, P. Krishnamurthy, Syed Abid Ali, Kenia Jayantilal, D. Govindaraj, then Narasimha Rao, Shivlal Yadav, Arshad Ayub, Azhar, Venkatapathy Raju, V.V.S. Laxman, Pragyan Ojha and many others who unluckily did not don the India colors although they fully deserved to do so. During the Indian team’s tour of the West Indies in 1971, there were five players from Hyderabad in the Indian team. But now where is all the talent going? Down the drain if you ask me,” opined Noel.
“Now why are we not qualifying for the top echelons of the Ranji trophy? Is anyone asking? Why has our standard plummeted so much that we have become the laughing stock of Indian cricket? Is anyone concerned? Our Moin-ud-Dowla Gold Cup tournament used to kick start the Indian cricket season. Great names such as Ashok Mankad, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, G.R. Viswanath, Marvan Atapattu, Roy Dias and many others used to play in the Moin-ud-Dowla. Sadly this tournament has come to an end and no one cares to revive it,” Noel bemoaned.
“The task of repairing the situation should be started by the club secretaries. They should unite to elect the right persons when the elections are scheduled to be held in September this year. They must keep the good of Hyderabad cricket in their hearts and sink their petty differences. If they come together and elect people with a desire to serve, a great beginning will have been made. I know that my comments will not go down well with people in powerful positions. But I am saying all this for the good of Hyderabad cricket. I will continue to raise these issues until things improve. People who speak the truth are never liked. However, if Hyderabad has to get out of this stagnation at the bottom level, then the stark reality must be faced and addressed. Only then can we expect some positive growth in Hyderabad cricket,” concluded Noel David.
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