Revolutionary change?

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For nearly a decade, Kerala has wanted playing in the Elite Division in Ranji Trophy Cricket and with each passing season, the State has made it a notch closer.

Now, the BCCI technical committee’s recommendations for doing away with the discriminative Elite and Plate system in domestic cricket has received overwhelming reactions from the fraternity in Kerala.

If the BCCI working committee accepts they have 27 teams split into three groups, playing eight matches a season, Kerala might play against Elite teams such as Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Mumbai and Delhi.

The Kerala Cricket Association has expressed its whole-hearted support for the new system and considers this move a change in the right direction.

“It will be a revolutionary change in domestic cricket. The plate group teams will have the opportunity to show and improve their class against the elite, which is welcoming,” said KCA secretary T. C. Mathew.

It was in 2003-04 that Kerala last played in the Elite Division when they faced Mumbai, Delhi, Andhra, Baroda, the Railways, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

Kerala had five draws and two losses that season.The season marked the debut of Sony Cheruvathur, one of the senior most members of the present State Ranji team.

The medium pacer with over 100 first-class wickets also believes it is a fair recognition for domestic cricketers.

“As a first-class cricketer, I prepare a whole year for just six matches in a season. But in this format, there will be eight matches, also against better oppositions, which is a progressive change,” said Sony.

“When you play against champions Rajasthan or Mumbai or Tamil Nadu, you face a higher level of competition, which naturally demands more from you,” he said.

K. N. Ananthapadmanabhan, Kerala’s leading wicket taker with 310 scalps and now serving as an umpire had also played that season.

He took 11 wickets in a match against the Railways, which included 7/104 in the second innings. “It will bring uniformity to the zone level team selection.

Now when a player scores a double century or takes seven wickets in a plate group it is still not considered at par with a similar achievement in the Elilte,” he said .

One of the drawbacks mentioned by the experts is that there will be a prolonged season. Currently, the season is at most two months, but in this format it could go up to four and it might clash with other tournaments.