Confessions of an ex-Ranji player

One day in the year 1993, Rahul Sharma left Japan and arrived in Hongkong to set up base here. That day, walking through Tsim Tsa Tsui and trying to find his way around, he heard a sound which was very familiar to his ears - that of a cricket bat striking a ball. Having played in the Ranji Trophy for Delhi from '85-'90, he loved that sound and stopped to find out just what was going on inside the Kowloon Cricket Club. As it happened, the cricket sixes were in full swing on that gloriously sunny day.

That year, he was a mere spectator peering in from the roadside, wondering how he could start playing at this club. To cut it short, he soon did, and from then on till '97, when the last of these annual extravaganzas were held, represented HK as it's ace batsman. He had the pleasure of seeing his team beat the likes of South Africa and India. And although he claims to have felt a bit queasy at giving his countrymen the stick, the Indian community had no such qualms and cheered him on vociferously.

They're still cheering his achievements, which never seem to flag. HK has a vibrant and competitive cricket tradition, with various teams slugging it out for the Saturday and Sunday league cups every season. Rahul Sharma captains one of the KCC teams and the apt description which comes to mind is that he is to his team what Sachin is to the Indian team. Every year he notches up 1000 runs plus. He modestly admits to having 84 100's to his name. For the last 3 years running he has been HK Sunday league batsman of the year and Saturday league bowler of the year. He has also been Cricketer of the Year three times in the last seven years. He has managed to take his team, Templers, to second place, pipped only by the obduracy of Pakistan Association, who, he avers, play cricket with the same passion as their national counterparts.

Listening to him I understand how Sachin must be feeling every time he gets out cheaply and knows he'll come back to find 10 pairs of slumped shoulders. It's an honour to carry the team on your shoulders, and very few men are made for it, but as Rahul says good naturedly, 'Sometimes, I just want to say give me a break, guys!'

The secret of his success? He's the only ex-Ranji player in HK and he puts it down to that. 'Send the under-19 Indian team to HK and they'll thrash us without trying too hard,' he says. ' If you have played domestic cricket in India the mindset is different. You're tougher, your will is stronger.'

Unfortunately, beyond that he doesn't have too many kind things to say about the cricket scene back in India. He springs a nasty surprise by saying that HK grounds are better than any at home. 'The facilities, the grounds, the infrastructure, the support at junior levels is way, way below what we have here, and HK is not even a Test-playing country! If a player had to dive on one of the grounds there, he'd get third degree burns! So how can you expect a player to field like the Australians or the South Africans?'

He goes on to say that even while fielding, a player very often turns his face away while stopping a bouncing ball. 'That's because the uneven ground can deflect the ball on to your face, so you have to be careful.'

The state of affairs is depressing, even without touching upon issues like match-fixing. Ajay Sharma is an ex-compatriot and friend, so my delicately phrased question: 'Is he a bookie?' is skirted. What he does confess to is having wondered how Ajay Sharma could have afforded a lifestyle that, while not flamboyant, seemed to be way above his means.

Trying to give an explanation for his suspicions, he thinks it all boils down to an inadequate pay-for-performance structure at all levels. 'A handful of the top guns make crores while state players make peanuts. How long can a man be passionate about the game if he's not making enough to support himself? The board has to take care of domestic players better, particulary those who come from not so affluent backgrounds. But the present board members don't love the game, they lust after power and visibility, so we can't expect anything to change.'

That is why he refuses to blame the players for anything that goes wrong. Bad management and bad coaching leads to bad cricket. If Ajit Agarkar is suffering from physical problems now, it's because the board is stupid and blind. There is tremendous talent in India but it's either not tapped properly, or if a bowler of potential comes along, like Agarkar, than he is not nurtured correctly from day one to ensure that his career is not hampered by repeated injuries.

The coaching at school and state levels is particulary galling to Rahul. 'How can I look up to a guy who hasn't played at inernational levels? Uptil last year the HK coach has been David Tryst, who is now the NZ national coach. What I learned from him was invaluable. Compare that with the coaching they provide at the National stadium in Delhi. It's pathetic!'

The value of good coaching is extended even to traditional Indian strengths like spin bowling. It's no secret that while we have no world class pace bowlers, our spinners too have declined in prowess. Rahul feels it would be tremendous to have Bishen Singh Bedi as the national coach for spin bowling, and perhaps even a spin academy along the lines of the MRF pace academy.

He ends on a wistful note, 'One day, I wish the Indians can learn to be like the Aussies. Their management is outstanding, and the players are one dedicated lot. We have the resources, what we need now, is just that little push to get things moving in the right direction.'