Good morning!
With the World Cup group stage coming to a nice, slow anti-climax, there’s another cricketing underdog story that’s hit the headlines. Jammu & Kashmir have improbably made their first Ranji Trophy final.
J&K don’t have a legacy of winning like the state teams they are facing. They beat Mohammad Shami’s Bengal (2x wins, 15x finalists) in the semis, and will most likely face off against KL Rahul’s Karnataka (8x wins, 14x finalists) in the final – and they might be favoured there.
And yet, there are parallels to the WC’s underdog stories, particularly the associates.
To be clear, J&K are by no means underdogs anymore. They’ve got some fearsome batters, and Auqib Nabi has taken over the mantle of least appreciated domestic cricketer in India after Karun Nair’s struggles in England last summer. But, it wasn’t written in the stars.
They lag behind the bigger states in terms of infrastructure – they have just two grounds in the state, the same number they had back in 1957. The arrival of Bishan Singh Bedi in 2011 as coach and mentor was the first turning point – he instilled a culture of winning – they made their first quarter final in 2013/14, their second in 2019/20, and they’ve not looked back.
J&K don’t have the facilities or the budget to compete with the big dogs. According to one story today, they don’t even have a state association yet (they’re awaiting government approval). With association-hood comes access to more funds from the central cricketing authority.
Any of this ringing a metaphorical bell? A lack of formal recognition, leading to a lack of funds and an inability to improve internally & self-sufficiently?
But, there is one big difference. J&K get to play quality sides every year in multiple formats. One of their big morale boosting wins was over Mumbai (40x winners) in 2014. It gave them the belief to kick on after their first quarterfinal appearance the season before.
The associates don’t get that regular competition. Kenya didn’t play a lot after their 2003 semifinal appearance, and they’ve dropped off. It took Ireland a decade to get their Test status after upsetting Pakistan in 2007 – by then their golden generation had tapered off. The current group of Dutch and Nepali cricketers show great promise, but how do they improve in the two year gap before the next World Cup?
Another facet I found interesting about the J&K win was how it’s been covered by the media. Unlike player-profile style associate coverage at this tournament (and most tournaments), the Ranji finalists got deep dives into their infrastructure, their administration, the through-lines of their success, and – yes – a team profile too.
It’s more rounded. It gives me more of a reason to take an interest. It’s not just about profiling their best player (there’s nothing specific on Auqib Nabi I’ve seen), but about explaining the ins and outs of J&K cricket – which I find fascinating instead of trying to memorise details about yet another player I barely care about.
But, maybe that’s just me – after all, I wrote an entire essay on improving associate coverage last week! I’ve put the stories together in today’s edition. Let me know if you prefer this style of reporting, or the player-profile style that dominates the media’s coverage of associate nations.
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🏏 Cricket Roundup: The few flaws in IND’s batting, PAK improvise to rebound, & J&K are in their first Ranji final!
IND beat NED by 17 runs, PAK beat NAM by 102 runs, & SA beat UAE by 122 runs.
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Jack Paynter on ZIM’s long redemptive arc, from a failure to qualify in 2024 to making the Super 8s in 2026.
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Dan Liebke has a hilarious insight into the AUS view; we don’t care about T20s, but why aren’t we winning them?, 🔒 Sam Perry (ironically) has the more serious take on whether AUS needs to start caring, & 📊 Tanvi Bhaskar tries to explain why AUS failed beyond “not caring enough”.
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Alagappan Muthu on how the associate nations have closed the gap this WC, 🔒 Samreen Razzaqui on Andrew Leonard, the commentator who’s been championing their case for over a decade, & Raunak Thakur on the experience of watching NEP live at a Wankhede stadium taken over by Nepali fans.
Jammu & Kashmir beat Bengal by 6 wickets to make their first Ranji Trophy final.
🗞️ Quick News: ECB will spend £45m on grassroots cricket, & Lancashire’s problems.
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The ECB has announced that £45m of the Hundred’s sale revenue (£520m) would be used to improve grassroots cricket for marginalised cricketing groups; women, ethnic minorities, and disabled players.
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Tanya Aldred reports on the ongoings at Lancashire County – a new pitch/stadium, disgruntled fans, poor performances, and a management committee that’s focussed on making money (for now).
That’s it for today!
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