Sachin Tendulkar wants challenging wickets for batsmen in first-class cricket; warns against under-prepared pitches

Mumbai: Legendary Sachin Tendulkar wants Ranji Trophy and other domestic matches to be played on “challenging tracks” which will test a batsman’s ability and also raised the “standard” of competition. “Domestic cricket of course, I feel if we could keep more challenging wickets for batters, it would help the standard of playing. We have had a number of opinions on this but I have always felt that (if) you play on good, difficult tracks, your standard of playing automatically goes up,” Tendulkar said during a promotional event. [caption id=“attachment_4444417” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Sachin Tendulkar. Reuters[/caption] However Tendulkar made it clear that “challenging tracks” by no means should be under-prepared where the bowler just comes and takes wickets. “That is what I would encourage the (custodians of) our domestic cricket to do – to keep surfaces which are challenging for the batters but that does not mean the bowler should just come and roll their arm over (to get wickets). For bowlers also, to be able to control their seam or spin, it is a skill and (it) should not happen on its own (with aid of surface),” he added. Recently former Australian leg-spinner Kerry O’Keefe had made fun of India’s domestic cricket but Tendulkar said that no one should be bothered by what outsiders have to say. “I am really not concerned about what XYZ in Australia or in England or in South Africa says. They have got nothing to do with Indian cricket and I don’t think we comment on Australian cricket or (for that matter) any other cricket (ing) (nation) in the world. Let us stick to our domain and have opinions related to our country. It is as simple as that,” he said. IPL has made the transition from domestic to international cricket easier for the young Indian players, feels the icon. “IPL, I think, has had a tremendous contribution, in building character. When you start sharing the dressing room with the leading international cricketers in the world and you spend time together for two months… earlier, when we were playing…. if I had to play Glenn McGrath, I saw him after every four years in Australia. “But now, when you have someone sitting in the same dressing room and practising with you for 60 days, you know exactly what to expect from that guy and it works other way round as well,” Tendulkar said at a promotional event. This year, the 12th edition of the IPL will be held in India and will begin from 23 March, though the detailed schedule is yet to be announced by the BCCI. “Its given exposure to our youngsters, to believe that they can compete against anyone in the world. I think, we are in that fortunate position to go out and dominate world cricket,” added the legendary batsman. According to Tendulkar, who played in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, if a player does well in the tournament, then everyone recognises him. “I have said this before, about 3-4 years ago when all the captains were felicitated in Kanpur, I said that we have the right balance of senior cricketers, someone who are around for four-five years and new faces like Kuldeep (Yadav) and (Jasprit) Bumrah and there are some other incredibly talented guys. “The latest talent I would say would be Prithvi (Shaw). Mayank (Agarwal) has done well. We have the right balance but overall I feel you do well in the IPL, everyone takes notice. Those guys may have done really well in Ranji Trophy or (in the) Duleep Trophy but the rest of the world does not know about it.