IPL AUCTION 2018

IPL auction and the collateral damage

by Gokul Gopal • Last updated on

Coaches believe that looming auction comes as an added incentive for the players to perform. © BCCI

Strike-rate can be a dreaded word, especially if it is a young batsman eager to make his mark. One such cricketer is involved in a lengthy chat with J Arun Kumar, the Hyderabad coach, discussing about what he had done in a game recently. After a few dot balls he felt the pressure and and looked to up the ante and in attempting to do so, gave away his wicket. The coach's advise to him later was simple - don't look too far ahead and lose grip of the current. It is one of several lessons of cricket that this young batsman will pick up in his cricketing journey, but how he applies them is what will define him and help leave a mark.

Definitions and impressions matter a lot in cricket, especially with the grand Indian Premier League auction looming close, where teams are either looking at rebuilding squads or starting from the scratch. The light-footed horses have left their stables as the talent scouts go looking across the length and breadth of the country in search of value additions, X-factor players or the next big one in Indian cricket. Making an impression in front of these vanguards can take you places but it's also a double-edged sword as one can lose objectivity and that very thing which defines him as a player.

"It depends on each individual. There is pressure, of course," says Arun Kumar, who has been part of the Kings XI Punjab coaching staff. "The first thing I told them was 'please don't have any baggage of the IPL or performance pressure on yourselves or to win'. They'll be carrying all these additional baggage in their mind. So the freer the mind, the calmer you will be. You can be a little calculative about your game. I've told them to not think about all these. The more you think, you're adding pressure, it'll restrict your own game, the body can get a little stiff when you have too many pressures on yourself. I don't know how many are (willing to follow it) but I've told them don't look at IPL because it will hinder your performances here or the team will suffer because you are looking at individual goals. If IPL happens it happens but you can't plan so much in ahead.

"This is like a preliminary round for IPL selections. Having said that, we're not putting the pressure on these boys. It's just self improvement, how you acquire the game sense. You have a brilliant example of (Ambati) Rayudu, who takes the game very close and a quick burst of 20-30 in the last 10 balls he plays. Everyone's picking up these finer points by also watching, not only our team but also other teams, how the best players of IPL or T20 players handle it. They are very happy to educate themselves just watching cricket, watching the seniors play. This will help. Maybe not everyone will play the IPL but for the coming years it's a huge prospect," says Arun Kumar, advising the young cricketers to view it as a learning experience and not to lose heart even if they aren't picked by any IPL team.

KP Bhaskar, the Delhi coach, echoes Arun Kumar's thoughts while adding that the looming auction comes as an added incentive for the players to perform. "There is a lot of excitement with the boys, it's inspiring them and everybody is willing to showcase their talent. There's a lot of involvement and everybody is trying to give more than 100 per cent. Why should there be any pressure? Most of the players have played in the five-day format or four-day format," Bhaskar says. The advise I give the boys is that everybody can't be a Gayle but then you can try to be a Virat Kohli. He gets those runs in as many balls as Gayle does. If you start playing cricketing shots and pierce the gaps, you'll start performing as well."

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With a big auction coming up this year, which involves more players coming into the pool, scouts have bigger and broader visions for seeking out for players. Invariably, there is an increased need among cricketers to land in their radar, which not only brings in pressure but also other factors playing positions, opportunities in the XI, the quality of oppositions, the scope for performance and the fear of failure.

"Scouting in cricket or in the IPL is about the value you attach to the player, how much would you go for him, what you think a player would go for, which are the other teams that are looking at the player," says a former India batsman who has been part of an IPL franchise's support staff and doubles up as a scout. "You got to keep a tab on what's going on around in the world. You got to be in sync with cricket, especially T20 cricket, because there are so many leagues happening around the world, like the CPL, Big Bash or PSL. The weightage of performance makes a big difference. For a foreign player, what he does in Asia is a very crucial factor because IPL is a completely different ball game to the Big Bash. For a local player, how he performs for his state, his consistency and how he plays in pressure situations are all factors that are considered," he adds.

With such values being attached and plenty of intricacies involved in bringing a player into a franchise's scheme of things, it's make or break time for a lot of cricketers, several of whom are insecure about what the near future holds in store for them. Veteran cricketers are on their toes, out-of-favour Indian players are going through a nervous wait but more than that, there is a greater degree of pressure on those cricketers who are yet to establish themselves.

But the pressure to perform in this tournament is unwarranted, says AR Srikkanth, analyst of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, who mentions that the Syed Mushtaq Ali is not the sole criteria for IPL selection.

"We don't look at one or two particular innings and decide whether he is a good player or not. If he is a good player irrespective of whether he has had a good tournament or not, if we have him in mind, we will back him. Syed Mushtaq Ali, players and all not getting enough opportunity is just a roll of the dice and you would do your homework much earlier rather than picking them seeing one or two games.

"Players are professional and mature enough when it comes to how to handle and carry themselves on the field." ©BCCI

There is a lot of insecurity about playing positions, especially among those who bat down the order or chip in with a couple of overs as they have limited time to showcase their skills. But the small amount of time out in the middle will be sufficient as long as the player capitalises on it, reckon the coaches of the domestic sides. A crucial cameo, bowling one or two quiet overs, contributing with a crucial wicket with the ball or through fielding - all these are equally important as the big knocks or the rich bowling hauls, as they can determine the outcome of the game.

"Even the IPL franchises or the guys who are on talent hunt or scouting, they are also looking at what kind of cricketers they will need at different times. Suppose you need a cricketer who bats lower down the order but he'll be on the fifth gear straightaway, give you a quick 20-25. They also watch for such cricketers and see if he's doing the job for the state team. If he's consistently doing that, that's when he'll get picked. It depends on each franchise what they are looking at. They are very calculative and do their homework well. It doesn't matter if this guy gets only 25 runs but how he gets those 25 runs is important. It's not about the big 50s or 60s - lots of guys would do that because they have more balls to play. These guys get 60 balls out of 120 while the openers get 60. It's what they do in those 60 balls that matters," Arun Kumar says.

Bhaskar too has something similar to say regarding the roles of those down the order. "In the end, it's the top three or four of the batsmen who play the bulk of the overs. Whatever opportunities that you get, you need to perform and score those runs. Franchises will make a note of it. Many of these players have a reputation. They come into the team with a reputation to handle. One or two of them might perform extraordinarily and get into the IPL squads. But many of them, people are aware who's what and who does best where. The franchises are having these talent hunters, those guys are watching and they have a fair idea. They do their homework, they know the backdrop and they have the information about who's what. If you're able to perform with whatever limited opportunities that you get I'm sure that's good enough for them to notice," says Bhaskar.

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Talks are rife that domestic competitions that are keenly followed by franchises are hotbeds for players to put self over the team in order to place themselves in the spotlight for IPL selection. But, more than earning brownie points, such efforts are counter-productive and the selfishness won't go unnoticed, and would only hinder the prospects. A 12-ball 28 or a tight spell even without picking up a wicket might hold a higher weightage as compared to a run-a-ball 60 or an expensive two-wicket haul.

"I think players who are mature and professional enough won't look at things the way we think them to look at. There's a big difference between players who want to play professional cricket and the others who just want to feature in some premier tournaments, do the job and go away. Players are professional and mature enough when it comes to how to handle and carry themselves on the field. These things don't get much of a heed," reckons Srikkanth.

"With the kind of competition, especially in the shorter formats, you can't be selfish and play a run-a-ball kind of an innings. The boys are aware of all these. They know that they have to perform. Their adaptability and situational awareness are more important. I don't think anybody will try to perform in a manner where the team's goal is compromised. T20 is a kind of format where you need to score more than a run-a-ball. Can you take these franchises for a ride? I don't think so. You need to give your best. At the same time the manner in which you get your runs, I'm sure the people will find out," says Bhasakar, insisting that there is no scope for self over team.

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All said and done, hearts will still be broken, as is the wont of the IPL and the auctions. Collateral damage is inevitable and several cricketers would have already been disappointed after a pruned list for the upcoming auction was announced. In this 'survival of the fittest' battle, many more will be eliminated, with only 182 players out of the short-listed 578 available to fill the squad strength of all the franchises. For those who fail locate the ladder steps, how they come back from the snub, and how strongly they do that would define them in the years to come. An impression can be changed and strong characters can emerge even if the domain of activity is one that involves harder falls. But for now, it's time for some of those falls amidst some ascends.

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