Cricket unlimited

With the onset of the MDFA Trophy and the FIFA World Cup just around the corner, it is understandable that all eyes are fixed on the beautiful game of football. However, cricket remains as relevant as ever elsewhere in India. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022-23, colloquially referred to as SMAT, is the premier domestic T20 cricket tournament in India organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

In 2018, thanks to BCCI,Nagaland became one of the nine new teams that were made eligible to participate in domestic tournaments, including the first class competitions Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. It opened an unparalleled opportunity for cricket players in Nagaland. Unlike in the past, when cricket was played in Mokokchung solely for the love of the game, today, cricket players in Mokokchung, including girls, have a highway of opportunity and platform to compete at the highest level.

One mistake we tend to make while appreciating professional games and sports is that we only focus on the players and ignore the avenues offered by the game itself, like technicians and support staff. Today, there are a number of BCCI trained umpires and score keepers from Mokokchung, for instance. There are also a number of players from Mokokchung who are now representing the state of Nagaland in various BCCI sanctioned tournaments.

While it is true that there are amble opportunities for talented sportspersons to pursue their career in any given discipline of their choice, the fact remains that cricket is the most lucrative of them all, at least in India. Even if a cricket player doesn’t make it to the international level, playing at the domestic level is worthwhile as far as livelihood is concerned. Unlike most other sports in India, cricket is big money and the players in the domestic level also earn good money. It is like they pay you for playing the game you love to play. For instance, when it comes to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, BCCI pays Rs. 17,500 per game for every game as per the latest pay scale. From the 2021-2022 season, BCCI pays every playing XI cricketer with 41-60 matches INR 60,000 per day, while the reserve players get 30,000 for a day. On the other hand, players with 21-40 matches get 50000 a day and non-playing players are entitled to earn 25,000 per day. Even the support staff members are paid handsome salaries.

The point here is that there is unlimited scope for Mokokchung young cricket enthusiasts, something that the older ones can only be jealous about. While all other games and sports disciplines need to be promoted in equal measure, it won’t be a misplaced idea to encourage our young cricket players to dream big. Unlike in the past, the opportunities are plenty today. Times have changed. With proper mentoring and handholding, Mokokchung can aspire to produce as many players as possible to represent the state, to begin with.