India’s batting maestro, Sachin Tendulkar feels that Sourav Ganguly as BCCI President should look to revamp the Duleep Trophy as players in the tournament seem more intent on individual performances than their teams.
Tendulkar felt that there was no feeling of playing in a team for these players in the Duleep Trophy and that it can be reinvented. He even suggested a re-structure that involved playing the four Ranji Trophy semifinalists and two other teams of promising U-19 and U-23 players.
“I want him (Ganguly) to consider looking at the Duleep Trophy…I feel Duleep Trophy is one tournament where one is getting to hear that players are possibly more focused on their own performances and what the next tournament is and they play accordingly,” Tendulkar told PTI.
“For instance, if there’s an IPL auction, or an upcoming T20 tournament or one-day, players end up playing in that mode and not for their team or looking at the need of the hour,” he said.
“This is one change I would like to see because cricket has always been a team sport. It is all about team spirit bonding and playing together as a team. Not as individuals,” he said.
“Top four Ranji teams and there should be two more teams because there would be a number of teams with talented individuals but which did not qualify. You pick these players from various teams, also promote talented age-group players from Under-19 and Under-23.
“If there’s someone exceptionally talented U19 then you can look at those players. Bring them and have this tournament together.”
“So you have got the best of both. You have got four leading Ranji teams who have been playing together,” he added.