Will Sachin's 14-A-Side School Format Work?

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    • Publish Date: Oct 10 2016 1:22PM
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    • Updated Date: Oct 12 2016 12:37PM
Will Sachin's 14-A-Side School Format Work?

One of the first to endorse Sachin Tendulkar’s new blueprint for Mumbai school cricket was Vinod Kambli, his famous onetime batting partner. “It’s a brilliant idea. I could see where it was coming from,” the former India batsman said. The sands and the grass blades of the Mumbai Maidans were witness to many a batting feat between the duo, including the celebrated, record-breaking 664-run stand in a Harris Shield semi-final some 28 years ago, and today Kambli wonders what could have been if the same rule was in vogue during his school days.

“We will never know what the rule would have done to our cricket, but it could have only been for the better. The 14-a-side matches, with 11 best batsmen and 11 best bowlers, can only make the contest riveting. In my school team, all 14 were as good as anybody else. They could not play because only 11 players were allowed. You never know how… some of those extra players may have made it big. It gives the selectors extra options,” Kambli, who claims to be still following the city school circuit, told this paper. Apparently, Tendulkar had the germs of this plan for a long time, and opened up for the first time during his felicitation in 2013. But like every revolutionary idea that meets with resistance from the establishment, this one too had its share of problems finding acceptance — in this case with the mandarins of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). But it was adopted elsewhere.



Haryana adopted it
The Haryana Cricket Association (HCA) instantly adopted it and reaped the benefits too. Haryana became the under-14 champions of North Zone after experimenting with the plan. “I don’t know why Mumbai did not see merit in this. We had a few discussions with Sachin and then brainstormed internally. We wanted to make sure there was no age-fudging. We tightened the age verification process. Viru (Virender Sehwag, the Haryana captain then) too gave his inputs, and we managed to win the U-14 championship last year. More than that, it has given us a wider pool of talent,” Anirudh Chaudhry, the secretary of HCA, said.


GENESIS OF THE IDEA
According to Tendulkar, who has risen through the ranks of school cricket, the genesis of the idea lay in his concern for the non-playing members of a side which gets knocked out in the first round. “Their year would be over without even bowling an over or hitting a ball in the match if their school gets beaten in the first round. My aim is to provide a platform for every player in the squad,” Tendulkar said, elaborating his idea. “The best 11 bat and the best 11 bowl.” The maestro’s arguments did not convince the MCA, which either sat over or rejected the proposal. But Tendulkar is not the one to give up. The MCA recently gave its clearance by which time, of course, the Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA) had started working on it. They had a few meetings with Tendulkar in his house before deciding to adopt it in the Harris Shield (for U-16 boys) and Giles Shield (for U-14 boys) from this year “We could not have allowed the Master’s idea to gather rust. We have initiated the move to adopt this at the school level. It will need a few tinkering in scoresheets, but we are ready to introduce it from this year,” Nadeem Memon, MSSA’s cricket secretary, said. Dilip Vengsarkar said it should be used only in the knockout games. “It can be tried out on an experimental basis. The MCA has suggested this for the knockout stage. When I take my academy to England, we play nine games in a two-week tour and ensure everyone gets a chance to bat, bowl and field,” the MCA vice-president said.

 


REPLICATION ELSEWHERE
The format could find its replication outside the MSSA jurisdiction as well. The Thane-Kalyan-Vasai-Navi Mumbai schools, which don’t feature in the Harris and Giles Shield tournaments, plan to emulate it. “We are not part of the MSSA. It ends with Mulund. We have our own tournaments. Now that the MCA has okayed it, we will try to hold it in our region. It will give a lot of motivation for everyone. The extra players wile away time playing with their mobile phones. Now, they will be on their toes because they can be called upon anytime,” Mobin Shaikh, the coach of wonder kid Pranav Dhanawade, said. The boy who took the world by storm with his marathon 1009 in a school game, thought exactly like Tendulkar. “It is great news for those players who sit out. They would get to play, even if for one match. The match experience always holds one in good stead,” Dhanawade, who has graduated to U-19, has felt. “I would be interested to know how it works.” Actually, the whole of Mumbai would be interested to know how it works.


 

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Comments

Brenda Marshal PADUA HIGH SCHOOL-MANKHURD

Yes. Sachin''s 14-A-Side School will format work.

Himanshi Dhawan Saffron Public School

I think that it''ll will not work. As we all know "Too many cooks, spoil the broth". This will involve many players in performing a single action. So, it''ll be quite disappointing if a good player doesn''t play well on a particular day. So, I''m not in favour of this.

Vishnu Varthan J Bethel Mat Hr Sec School

Sachin idea is really nice and its 14 A format will really works.

Kashish Verma Bharti Public School Swasthya Vihar

Yes I am sure,it would work.

Bhavana Jaison Atomic Energy Central School No 2

By this format all the players will be able to deliver their best . Good plan which encourages young players where they get a chance to show case their talent in the field .

Ritvik Baweja Bal Bharati Public School

This plan will help to bring out more fresh talent to the sport, also it will help for a wider selection as the captain can select the best players to bat and bowl.

saishalini Bethel Mat Hr Sec School

yes this idea will surely work and bring out the talents of all the members in the cricket team and make them prove in front of the country.

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