The 103-Test veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh who has always raised a question of playing Ranji Trophy on neutral wickets, is now in favour of it. Harbhajan has given the blue print and a series of suggestions to the Board of Control for Cricket in India to improve the domestic cricket.
“Earlier, I was only playing international cricket, and had little idea about the issues in domestic cricket. However, the experience of doing so for the last four-five years has given me a fair idea of what needs to be done to improve it,” Harbhajan told TOI from Jalandhar.
“I’ve given my suggestions in this regard to the concerned people in the Board. I won’t be able to attend the conclave due to personal commitments, but my views will be put forth by our representative,” added the Punjab Ranji skipper.
On taking ten wickets in a game to spin out Tamil Nadu on a rank turner at Dindigul. Bhajji said, “It was perhaps the best venue that I’ve played in domestic cricket. There were around five to six thousand people who turned up to watch that match, and the ground was beautiful, lush green. However, when I saw the wicket before the match, I realised that it was unfit for a first-class game. Any batsman could’ve been hurt on that. The match finished before lunch on the second day. I didn’t enjoy taking wickets in that match at all,”
“It’s a real concern. The game shouldn’t be about ordinary spinners or bowlers taking wickets. It should be about skill, fighting till the end. Domestic cricket has to be about producing champion players, who can do well in any conditions. Let’s make fair wickets which give a chance to everyone. For this reason, I feel that we can have a system where players from the South play in the North Zone, or say a Punjab team plays at various grounds in Gujarat. There’s no point in playing on doctored wickets.” Harbhajan added
Neutral venues may kill the local interest in the tournament, to which Harbhajan said, “Is that more important or is it fine to produce bowlers who’ll struggle to take wickets abroad, or batsmen who don’t know how to construct an innings, because they simply haven’t batted that long.”
Harbhajan also wants the BCCI to use Duke balls instead of SG balls in domestic cricket. “The SG balls go out of shape pretty early, and you’ve to change it frequently. The Duke, as I saw in England, retains its shape and doesn’t need to be changed till the new ball is due” Bhajji suggested.