Saturday, September 09, 2006

Moin-ud-dowla: a road map to Test cricket for ICC associates?

The Moin-ud-dowla Gold Cup tournament is played over 3 days in a 2-limited-overs-innings-a-side format. The first innings is of 90 overs and the 2nd innings has 40. Excepting a final addition of totals the two innings are treated independently i.e. remaining wickets, overs or time from one innings do not carry over to the next. The one day wide rule is firmly in place.

I read a report where Bengal captain Deep Dasgupta explained some of the rules at the press conference and I must say I like the present format as it facilitates evaluation of talented one day specialists and young club cricketers that may become future first class and Test prospects.


Most of the young talents unearthed at club level are only exposed to the limited overs format by the time big opportunities start knocking at their doors.This is true even for some established Test nations like India and Pakistan. The Moin-ud-dowla format (I do not know if we have a proper name for it), while ensuring a result, can allow budding cricketers to build their stamina, improve concentration and maintain intensity over long periods.


There are a few associate countries of ICC that have a future in cricket but are yet to institute a first class format in their domestic infrastructure. They can implement this present format adopted at the Moin-ud-doula tourney for their apex domestic cricket tournament and maybe chart a path of progress to five day cricket.


Perhaps they will need to expand that limited-overs rule of one bouncer per batsman per over and increase the margin of error for an off-side wide. Wait, wait - some more much required alterations are already rushing to my mind.....
[Cross posted on Caught Behind]

1 comment:

Karthik Narayan said...

boss its a nice blog... but angshu honestly tell me, why didnt u pick up the phone??