Dav with Kerala Players | KCA Facebook
Kerala coach Dav Whatmore, who is one of cricket’s most successful coaches in the world, has heaped praise on India's prowess in the domestic First-Class cricket, rating it as top-class in comparison to Australia and England after having highly impressed with the quality of cricket in the Ranji Trophy.
Having associated with Kerala side since 2017-18 season apart from India U-19 side and IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Whatmore is familiar with the cricketing scene in India. He has also observed the game at different levels in several countries across the world having worked in Australia, England, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe.
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Whatmore, who coached Sri Lanka to World Cup triumph in 1996, has lauded the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) for implementing the format of the Ranji Trophy at their domestic circuit, as so many new talents have been coming out of India’s premier tournament.
The Australian cricket coach, who has recently helped Singapore to win the Asian Cricket Council Eastern Region T20 tournament a few days ago, also added that Ranji Trophy could do well with the implementation of the Decision Review System (DRS).
Whatmore told Sportstar, “It (First-Class cricket) is as good as in any country, including Australia and England. The BCCI has got it right with the format of the Ranji Trophy. I am happy with the current system of five teams qualifying for the quarterfinals from the top two groups.”
On the DRS in the Ranji Trophy, the coach said: “I think it will come eventually. It would be expensive, but if there is one organization that could afford it, it is the BCCI.”
However, the Australian was not impressed with the way the Plate Group is handled in the tournament. He further explained, “I am not sure if the present system of one team from the Plate qualifying directly for the quarterfinals is right. The BCCI should also think about the obviously inflated statistics of the players from the Plate Group. Maybe those matches should not be considered first-class.”
Praising India's strength in depth in the domestic circuit, the 66-year-old revealed he spotted talent in Punjab's Shubman Gill and Mayank Markande last season.
Dav continued, “It is great to see so many new talents coming out of the Ranji Trophy every year. I remember being impressed by Shubman Gill and Mayank Markande when I first saw them in the Ranji Trophy (during Kerala’s match against Punjab last season).”
Whatmore, who has been residing in Chennai for the last three years, was also impressed with Tamil Nadu’s good structure in the game. He signed off by saying, “You see cricketers making money from playing there. The city has a great culture in cricket.”
(With Sportstar Inputs)