Make first-class cricket great again

Another first class season in India has just gotten underway. It sets the ball rolling for so many dreams, aspirations, targets and ambitions for those select few crossing that sacred boundary line. The whole world of cricket can open for you from here on.

Alas, it is getting increasingly harder for a cricketer who solely plays first-class cricket in India, and by that I mean one who is not involved in the IPL. First class cricket no longer holds the same prestige or value as it did a decade ago.

It's a bit of shame really because anyone who plays for a state team in this country is a professional cricketer. It is really hard to do anything else if you are on the first class circuit. It requires a lot of time, dedication and effort over a four-month long season that includes a lot of travel, most often to small cities and towns around the country where facilities and conditions can be very questionable. But, as a professional, you are expected to pick up and deliver the goods for your team, wherever it is that you are playing.

In my years as a professional cricketer, I have realised that more than the actual game you play on the field, the preparation one has to do to play takes away most of the time. This preparation can itself be broken down into physical, mental and technical work. All three have their significance and one cannot exist without the others.

I remember my pre-season practice of sitting down by myself and jotting down notes, which invariably began with something like: 'Where would I like to be at the end of this season?' It was a target to set and chase of course. I'm sure many cricketers have a mental map of where and what they want to do in the months ahead. Realistically, the quest to chase these goals starts from the point where the last season ended. Were there any technical difficulties? Injuries? What were the opportunities that were lost, especially against good opposition? For example, playing against Mumbai always got the best out of me, and it was fitting that my highest first-class score came against them. I got a 250 and I got it from when TN were 50 for 5. Better still, I got it in Mumbai.

Ask any first-class cricketer and he will tell you that playing domestic cricket over a period of time is not easy and the challenges are far greater than just what lies within the boundary lines. Your dreams and aspirations are not connected to just your efforts and performances. They are finely woven into the fate of your team. You can have a brilliant season, bat or bowl really well, but then if your team doesn't make it to the knockouts or qualify, all of your achievements will lie forgotten. Speaking from experience, that pain can be unbearable.

Then again, there's an unmistakable charm of playing domestic cricket. It's just purely about the game, nothing more, nothing less. With IPL and international cricket, there is media, money, fame and other factors at stake which influence the game in a big way.

I'm a firm believer that no matter how talented or brilliant a cricketer one might be, it is important for him to go through the grind of first-class cricket atleast for one season. It will definitely make him recognise the value of each and every cricket game. Most of all, it will help them hold respect for all the first class cricketers around the country, who are toiling away in the heat and cold, in harsh playing conditions, sometimes with no sight of that light at the end of the tunnel.

It is here that the selectors' role is often misunderstood. It's not just about having an eye for special talent, which of course is a part of the job, but it's also about building a process and a system which will create a pipeline of players for the national side. Recognising performances in first-class cricket is a big part of the selection process.

It's therefore sad to see Mayank Agarwal left out of the national side for no fault of his, whereas Rohit Sharma, who has been found wanting anywhere outside the sub-continent against the red ball, finds his way