Ashes spot not on Bailey's mind

Australia captain George Bailey has said it is "ridiculous" for him to think about an Ashes spot in the Australian summer on the basis of his one-day form in India - 318 runs in four innings. He also said he felt "frustrated" during his 98 against India in the washed-out Ranchi ODI and said Glenn Maxwell took the pressure off him in cracking 92 off 77 deliveries.

Although he's played 33 ODIs and 19 T20Is, Bailey has not made it to the Test side, and has a first-class average of 38.29 from 96 matches. His scores so far this series have been 85, 92*, 43 and 98 but he denied having one eye on an Ashes berth. "No, both eyes on the ball. That's very important. I think there's probably eight guys who have got a chance of playing in that Ashes team. It's so far away. It's just ridiculous to look at it. There's guys who will be at home playing Shield cricket, we've got Australia A games when we get back. It's a completely different format. Completely different surface. I don't think there's anyone out playing in these games thinking about that series."

Despite his superb ODI form, Bailey said he didn't feel at his best in Ranchi."I was dropped twice. I was a bit frustrated out there and found it quite difficult," Bailey said. "I think Maxy's innings was absolutely superb. We've seen his hitting before and we've seen how he can take games away late in an innings. But to come in with the team under pressure, with the ball still doing a little bit, I thought he summed it up. He still hit the boundaries and sixes but he hit them off the balls that he needed to hit. He didn't take any risks. They were smart shots in his areas. He took the pressure off me. When you've got someone scoring at the pace he was, it put the pressure right back on India. It was a great knock."

Bailey and Maxwell - who was put down twice as well, though off difficult chances - put on 153 in 22.4 overs after Australia had been reduced to 32 for 3 at one stage by Mohammed Shami. The fast bowler got the new ball to move around initially, but Bailey said Maxwell's arrival changed things. "I thought Maxwell found it conducive to strokeplay. It was still a good batting wicket. Probably what it did that the other wickets haven't done is it swung and seamed and spat a little bit, particularly at the start. From the moment Maxwell strode to the crease he made it look like a different wicket."

Maxwell hit 11 boundaries in his innings, two of them reverse-swept to the deep -cover boundary off R Ashwin. Bailey said he had no reason to ask his partner to take it easy as Maxwell had worked on the shot in the nets. "He practises that as much as I've ever seen anyone practise it. No more so than I see Shane Watson practising the straight drive. If that's a shot he's put the time into - and we've seen him put that time into it - then he has absolutely every right to play it. As long as the circumstances are right. I think the field that he had and the plan that he had was spot on. And he executed them both very well."

Australia were positive about defending 295 before the rain came down with India 27 for 0 in 4.1 overs, Bailey said. "We were confident but I'm sure India probably were as well. Given the way the series has gone... strong batting line-up, I'm sure they would've been. We just felt there was enough movement in the wicket, particularly early on. Looking at our scorecard it would suggest that new batters found it difficult at the wicket. It was hard to get started. We were hoping if we could get a couple of wickets you could make that quite challenging. And certainly the pace that Mitch (Johnson) was getting it through early on, it looked like that was going to be quite difficult to play at different stages at the game.

"Certainly 50 overs we were confident and happy to back. I think the way Duckworth-Lewis is set up, I think if it had become a 20-over game it probably would've suited India quite a bit."

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'Deceptive' Shami earns praise

Mohammed Shami, the India fast bowler, has drawn praise from both captains, MS Dhoni and George Bailey, for his performance in his first game of the ODI series in Ranchi. Bowling consistently around the 140 kph mark, Shami ran through the Australia top order with a first spell of 6-1-21-3, accounting for Aaron Finch, Phillip Hughes and Shane Watson.

"Shami is deceptive," Dhoni said after the game was washed out with Australia having posted 295 for 8. "He bowls quicker than you would think. What was important was he bowled full and the wickets he got, he was hitting the bails. That shows he was bowling the right length on this pitch. And at the death he was getting the yorkers in pretty consistently."

Bailey, who revived Australia after Shami's burst in the company of Glenn Maxwell, also said the fast bowler did a fine job. "He bowled very well," Bailey said. "He's someone we haven't seen in the series and he was a little bit quicker than what we expected. He certainly got a bit of movement off the seam. That's something to be pretty aware of for the rest of the series. That's obviously what's going to be coming at us."

Shami himself did not think there was too much help from the pitch, although he did generate some bounce and movement off the seam and in the air under overcast skies. "Nothing special in the pitch," Shami said. "We were bowling first and there will be something for the fast bowlers when the wicket is fresh. There was not much bounce or carry. It was a little better before the rain but once it rained, the pitch slowed down a lot.

"The plan was not to give any room to the batsmen and make them play at the ball. The pitch in the beginning was assisting fast bowlers and we bowled accordingly."

Shami also said he had been spending more hours in the gym to increase his pace, but added that speed was also an outcome of the conditions. "How fast we bowl mostly depends on the conditions available," he said. "If there is some assistance, you get inspired to bowl quicker. As we saw today, if there is some swing, some movement, you put in the extra effort."

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Nasir unfazed by survival challenge

Bangladesh were nearly out of the contest when the sun finally made its appearance on the third evening of the Mirpur Test. By the end of the day's play, they were behind New Zealand by 137 runs. Survival has become their only option in the two full days remaining in the match, but it is a task they have not been too successful at in the Shere Bangla National Stadium.

The mind goes back to some of the recent failures when faced with survival in the second innings. It has happened at least once every year for the past six years except in 2009. But their arrival at the recurring scenario this time was due to their inability to capitalise after getting the big wicket of Ross Taylor early.

The wicket of Taylor in the fourth over of the morning was half the job done, if Shakib Al Hasan's statement from the second evening was anything to go by. They were targeting Taylor and Kane Williamson, but were blindsided by Corey Anderson's century. New Zealand's lower order had already showed what they are capable of in Chittagong with Trent Boult and BJ Watling putting on a big stand. This time, Watling was joined by No. 10 Ish Sodhi, and the pair have added 84 for the unbroken ninth wicket stand.

On the face of it, that last partnership sapped the remaining energy from the Bangladesh bowlers who lost their rhythm. But in their assessment later on, there was plenty of confidence.

"We have to bowl them out first," Nasir Hossain said. "We have to keep them within a 160-run lead. If we then score around 300 or 350 in the second innings, we have a chance to win the Test match. If we can bat long, we can force a draw. We have two days left but because this is Test cricket, there are changes in the tone of the game every session."

Nasir also hoped that the wicket remained as good as it has played the first three days. "They have only one spinner so if the sun is out, we will be in an advantageous position. They have four seamers, so the wicket is still fresh because it has been under covers.

"Pressure is quite natural, nothing comes easy at this level. We have to bat well in the second innings. We have to avoid the mistakes that we made in the first innings."

But the past doesn't inspire such confidence. Out of the nine previous Tests at this venue, on eight occasions Bangladesh have been defeated. Their chase against West Indies last year went bust when they were bowled out for 167 chasing 245. The most irresponsible of those third or fourth innings failures was the one against West Indies in 2011.

Most of the Bangladesh batsmen will have to curb their natural aggressive instincts, something that has caused their downfall in each of those eight past occasions. Nasir was buoyant about this team's chances but no one took him seriously.

When asked whether he would change his batting style in the second innings given the difficult state Bangladesh are in, Nasir countered, "How can you be sure we will even lose five wickets?" drawing laughter from the room.

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England top order must revive old habits

Alastair Cook has put the onus on England's top order to lay the foundations for another Ashes success, well aware they are unlikely to be able to afford the same stuttering batting displays which characterised the home series.

England did not reach 400 once during the previous series with their highest total being the 377 they made at The Oval. Australia, by comparison, went comfortably past that mark twice but the counter to that is they suffered more match-defining collapses. However, while it may appear quibbling after a 3-0 scoreline, Australia is not a place so forgiving of underweighted batting displays.

In 2010-11, England began with a disappointing 260 at the Gabba and were under immense pressure when Australia replied with 481, but then went on a run-scoring surge which was only interrupted by the Mitchell Johnson-inspired reversal at the WACA. A world record 517 for 1 to save the Brisbane Test was followed by first-innings totals of 620 for 5, 513 and 644 in the three matches England won by an innings to take the series 3-1.

"Clearly top-order runs out in Australia are vitally important," Cook said at Heathrow airport ahead of the team's departure. "Last time we saw that big runs make a massive difference and set the game up. Sometimes in England 240-250 can be a good score with the overhead conditions, but the majority of the time in Australia 400 is the bare minimum. That's the job of the top order to make sure we do that."

Cook was central to England's run glut three years ago with a monumental 766 in the series followed by 544 from Jonathan Trott at No. 3. In the recent home series the pair managed 570 runs between them without a century; Cook's reduced output could be partly put down to the strains of captaining in an Ashes series, but Trott had his technique unpicked by Australia's quicks and his response to that will be one of the early themes of the return contest.

"You'd love to score runs every time you bat. I could have done better, a lot better," Cook said. "As captain you want to lead from the front. I did quite a lot of the hard work and if you don't go onto make big scores as an opener there's always a few low ones around the corner against the new ball."

"I had a good time last time in Australia. It would be great to repeat some of those feats. I enjoy batting in those conditions, the ball can be flying past your ears quite a lot, it is a real test of the skill you need to play fast bowling. We are going to get plenty of that over the next two months. The first 15-20 overs with the Kookaburra ball can swing more than the Dukes, but get through that stage, in the afternoon sessions, it's fantastic to bat."

Despite the concerns about the top three - Joe Root, despite his 180 at Lord's, also found life tough (which is not a sin) in his first stint as a Test opener - England depart for Perth as favourites to make it consecutive away Ashes victories and four in a row, the latter not achieved since the 1890s. England have not always been at their best when billed as frontrunners but Cook believes his side, who spent last weekend in the Midlands for a team bonding trip that he termed "interesting", are comfortable with the tag.

"When you win the last three series, and the last series was just two months ago, that's a fair description," he said. "Last summer was the first time we'd gone into an Ashes series as favourites and I thought we coped with that pretty well, the outcome suggested we did.

"If you look how many sides go to Australia, winning there is no mean feat. Speaking to the lads over the last weekend, everyone is excited by the opportunity we have. As an Englishmen you know it will be like. It will be quite hostile at times."

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New Zealand T20 shifted from Sylhet to Mirpur

The venue of the only T20 international in the Bangladesh-New Zealand series has been shifted from the Sylhet Stadium to the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur due to construction work at the original venue. It will be played as per schedule on November 6.

The change was brought about in order to complete the construction of three important structures at the Sylhet venue. The ICC has given the BCB time till November 30 to finish the construction of the main pavilion building, the media centre and the scenic hill.

While the full construction of the pavilion building has been completed, there is some work left in the media centre and the hill that is being spruced up for a seated audience and a green bank.

Sylhet was earmarked as one of the venues for the 2014 World T20, but became the focus of attention along with the Cox's Bazar Stadium as the pace of work at both venues since June this year has been slow.

"Our priority is to complete this important World T20 venue ahead of the deadline given by the ICC," BCB's acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said. "Therefore we felt that to ensure uninterrupted work at the stadia in Sylhet, it was best to hold the Bangladesh-New Zealand match elsewhere."

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New ODI rules harsh on bowlers - Raina

Suresh Raina has said the combination of two new balls and only four deep fielders was putting tremendous pressure on bowlers in ODIs, but added there was no choice for them but to adjust and learn to cope.

"I think it's tough for the bowlers," Raina said in Ranchi ahead of the fourth ODI against Australia. "We have to admit that. When five fielders are inside (the circle), and if a regular bowler can't keep it tight, it will be very difficult for a part-timer. There's pressure on bowlers on what line and length to bowl. They have to be very sure of what their plans are and how they have to bowl to each batsman.

"You can bowl two bouncers, but there are four other deliveries to bowl also. The ball doesn't reverse much because it's quite new. The ball is only 25 overs old at the most. Even spinners don't get that much turn. But whatever it is, we have to adjust to how things are. We can't give excuses. We just have to bat well and bowl well. No doubt it's good for batsmen, and we have no complaints. We have to play by the rules that the ICC makes, and as players do our jobs."

Raina also backed the beleaguered Ishant Sharma to rebound strongly, after the fast bowler conceded 30 runs in the 48th over of Australia's chase to lose India the Mohali ODI. Ishant has been the most expensive specialist bowler in the series, going for 7.87 runs an over. "It can happen to any bowler in the last few overs," Raina said. "Ishant has practised well in the last two days. I hope he stays strong in his mind, and if he stays positive, we'll definitely see a good performance from him. He has worked very hard in the last two days. I hope he will come back strongly against Australia tomorrow."

Twice in three games, the home batsmen have been unsettled by Australia's quick bowlers, especially Mitchell Johnson, but Raina denied the visitors had gained any psychological advantage over India. "I wouldn't say we are under pressure. We won the first game (T20) in Rajkot, then they won in Pune, and then we won again in Jaipur and they won after that. It's a good contest. We are both young teams.

"Sometimes our batting clicks, sometimes our bowling does. But whoever does well on the day, whoever has good plans and positivity and can feel good about themselves is important. Everyone talks about so much cricket happening, but it's important to see how you're feeling, how mentally strong and tough you are.

"Johnson bowled well no doubt, and he had luck on his side. There's no doubt the batsmen have to do well in the middle order - Yuvi paa (Yuvraj Singh), (Ravindra) Jadeja and myself. We'll have to take responsibility and bat well."

Raina has made 39 & 17, Yuvraj 7 & 0 and Jadeja 11 & 2 in the series. In Mohali, it was MS Dhoni who revived India from 76 for 4 with his ninth ODI hundred. Dhoni accelerated gradually to play several powerful strokes at the death, and also brought out his trademark helicopter swing, a shot Raina said belonged completely to the India captain.

"That is a Mahi-bhai exclusive. It's very difficult to play that shot. You have to pick the length early. He has played it for many years. When someone is bowling yorkers at 140-145 (kph) and the ball is aimed at the toes, you have to put the entire load on the back and turn the bat. Other players have their own quality shots, but the helicopter shot suits only him, and it won't suit others. He always clears the rope with it because he has that kind of strength. All players try to hit low full tosses to midwicket or over the bowler's head, but you need to practice that shot a lot."

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Hughes wants to build on strong openings

Phillip Hughes is pleased with the consistency of his opening partnership with Aaron Finch so far in the ODI series against India. They put on 110, 74 and 68 in the first three matches and Hughes said they would have liked to have made larger stands.

"Aaron's very good to bat with," Hughes said on the eve of the fourth ODI in Ranchi. "Standing at the other end, I've got the best seat in the house when he goes off. We've had a really good relationship over the last five to ten years actually. We roomed together at the academy and always kept in touch. Aaron's just a fantastic guy and cricketer. I love going out to bat with him.

"The one disappointing thing is that we'd like to make the partnership bigger and try and take the game on even more. We've been quite consistent in the first three games and we've spoken about not looking too far ahead. Hopefully we can keep posting totals on the board and setting the guys that come in through the middle order."

Australia's captain George Bailey has built on the starts Hughes and Finch have provided. He is the second highest run-getter in the series after Virat Kohli, with 220 runs. Hughes said Bailey had been "outstanding".

"He [Bailey] is really leading from the front," Hughes said. "He is a real good character and we all love playing under George. He has been very consistent in the one-day format in the last 12 months. Again in this series, he has batted really beautifully, great to see the leader lead from the front."

Hughes has made 47, 83 and 22 in the series. When Australia lost all four Tests in India earlier this year, he had tallied 147 over eight innings at an average of 18.37, falling repeatedly against the India spinners. Hughes said Australia had moved on from that failure.

"The Test series a few months back wasn't as successful. For us to lose that series 4-0 was extremely disappointing. I suppose the wickets are different and it's a white ball. But there are a couple of things that I obviously picked up and worked on. That was the first time that I had toured India on an international tour and Test series. It's a nice thing to have toured and come back and score a few runs."

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting had called Hughes "clearly our best young batsman in the country," and said he should be given a long run in the side. Hughes started the recent Ashes in England with an unbeaten 81 at Trent Bridge but was left out after following that up with a duck in the second innings and making 1 and 1 at Lord's. Hughes was grateful for Ponting's praise.

"That's the first I've heard of it. It's great when a great player of Ricky's calibre comes out and says that and supports you. It's a fantastic feeling. For me personally it's just about being as consistent as possible and continuing to keep performing. I'm just grateful to be in this one-day side. I want to keep putting consistent scores on the board and hopefully set up wins for Australia."

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South Africa must recall old lessons

It was finding a way to win in the subcontinent that was a key part to South Africa's rise to No. 1 in the world and now they need to recall some old lessons

Ten years ago yesterday, South Africa lost a Test match in Lahore. A week later they had been defeated in the series, after a drawn game in Faisalabad. They only went back to Pakistan once after that, four years later. Then, they won.

Graeme Smith, who was in his 16th Test, "does not remember much" about the 2003 defeat except that it was a "big turning point in our path as a Test team." That series was not the start of South Africa's remarkable unbeaten run on the road - that only started after they lost to Sri Lanka in 2006 - but it was a tour in which they discovered some what it would take to compete on the subcontinent.

"Any time you lose you learn lessons," Smith remembered. "We thought about a lot of things after that, things like what kind of cricketers could have made more of an impact. Those losses helped us with the successes we had away from home afterwards."

The most noticeable difference between the personnel South Africa employed for the two series is the type of spinner they used. In the first, it was Paul Adams, who was their leading wicket-taker despite the defeat. In the second, it was Paul Harris, who was also the chief destroyer in victory.

The composition and form of the Pakistan team they faced on both occasions was different but it's still worth noting that while Adams went for 3.38 runs to the over, Harris conceded only 1.96. Harris' job was primarily a holding one and if conditions and circumstances conspired for it to be more than that, he happily accepted.

If South Africa believe in learning from the past, that will tell them something. In Abu Dhabi, only Morne Morkel succeeded in keeping an end quiet for extended periods of time while the person who was supposed to do it, Robin Peterson, was the most expensive and least effective.

South Africa seem intent on not replacing Peterson but if they retain him, they need to issue clear instructions that he should concentrate on drying up runs. Smith said Imran Tahir's "attacking ability will come into consideration," especially if Dale Steyn is ruled out, which suggests that if he is used he may operate alongside, rather than in place of Peterson.

Whatever combination they go with, South Africa need a designated donkey bowler if they want to "find a way to make a greater impact with the ball at different times," as Smith said. He recognised that was what Pakistan did in Abu Dhabi. "Pakistan's spinners didn't dominate but they played crucial roles. They held the game and we weren't able to break free so they were always ahead of the game," he said.

If South Africa can find someone to do that, it will the first step towards squaring the series. The next, and perhaps more important, will be in the batting line-up.

When South Africa lost to Pakistan in 2003, they were bowled out for 320 and 241 in the match they were defeated in. When they won four years later, their first innings score was exactly 450. It does not even need revisiting that history to know that big totals set up wins and Smith knows that. He previously said South Africa need to look at posting scores of "above 400," in the UAE and today reiterated that. "We need to be posting more solid totals," he said. "We need to Pakistan work harder for the things that they get in this Test match."

While South Africa have accepted they were outplayed in the first Test, they also believe they allowed Pakistan to dominate. They have not identified a clear reason for their lack of fight but Smith expects the bulldog in them to be back for the must-win encounter. "We lacked a little bit of an edge," he admitted.

Smith is "looking forward" to South Africa regaining some of their razor-sharpness but conceded it will take immense character from a side that will be missing one of its heartbeats. Hashim Amla will sit out this Test as he waits for his second child to be born and Steyn could also be ruled out, depending on the severity of his hamstring tightness.

"It's a challenge to be without your best players," Smith said. "When you play sport you have injuries and obstacles that come your way and that's why you need to have a squad of players that can perform." South Africa's replacements have included heroics from JP Duminy - in Australia in 2008 - and Faf du Plessis - also in that country last year. Whether they have the depth to do it again will be seen over the next five days.

Smith thinks they do. "There is still confidence in our ability. We know we have won all around the world and we know we can win in different conditions." Pakistan 2007 is an example. Then, it was an indication they were on the up. Last year they reached the top and this is the series that was thought to be their biggest obstacle to staying there. Should South Africa overcome the hurdle, it will prove the lessons they were taught in the past have been learned.

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India's SA tour gets go-ahead

India's tour of South Africa later this year is all but confirmed, with a formal statement expected in the next 24 hours. The month-long tour is likely to comprise two Tests and three ODIs. The decision follows an assurance from Cricket South Africa that it will suspend its CEO, Haroon Lorgat, from dealing with matters related to India and the ICC pending an inquiry by the world body into allegations against him.

The allegations relate to Lorgat's role in the statement issued by David Becker, formerly the ICC's legal head, that the BCCI's flouting of the FTP could have legal implications. In his statement, released to the media last week, Becker had said it was "improper" to allow a member body to "blatantly disregard an ICC resolution".

The issue was touched upon during the ICC Executive Board meeting in London over the weekend and the BCCI's demand for an ethics committee inquiry against Becker and Lorgat gained a lot of support. Many ICC Full Members are believed to have expressed their reservations over Lorgat being a part of ICC proceedings.

Though an ICC spokesperson couldn't be reached for a comment, it is understood that Lorgat will be suspended from two of the most important responsibilities in his job profile but would continue to take care of all the domestic affairs at CSA as well as dealing with other ICC members.

The decision, which is expected to be made public through a joint statement by the two boards, will end a story that has been playing out for several months. It severely tested the relations between the BCCI and CSA, which have been on best terms since the end of apartheid in the early 1990s.

The origin of the issue was the schedule for India's tour of South Africa, which was announced by CSA on July 8. However, it immediately fell into problems because the schedule had not been endorsed by the BCCI. And though there was no official statement, the sticking point seemed to be CSA's appointment of Lorgat as its chief executive despite a series of run-ins between Lorgat and the BCCI during his tenure as ICC chief.

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Is Duleep Trophy no longer relevant?

With tournaments like Champions League T20 nudging Duleep Trophy towards the margins of India's domestic calendar, the once-popular event is facing an identity crisis

The last time the Duleep Trophy was shared, before this year's edition, was 16 years ago when the 1997-98 final between West Zone and Central Zone in Chennai lost three days of play due to rain. The common strands between then and now are the weather and the four-match format of the tournament.

However, the significance of the tournament to India's domestic calendar has changed. Sixteen years ago, the Duleep Trophy was the last hurdle on the domestic circuit to earning a national call-up. In 2013, the tournament is struggling to find a slot in the domestic calendar that allows at least the zonal stars to participate. The tournament has clashed with the Champions League T20 for the last few years, and had the status of the Duleep Trophy not devalued, it would have seen domestic stars in whites rather than the coloured clothing of their franchise.

In such a scenario, one of the semi-finals this year was decided by a coin toss, followed by a final that saw just 10 overs played over five days - the last thing the tournament, already in the midst of an identity crisis, needed.

Amay Khurasiya, who led Central Zone in that final 16 years ago, feels it's time to realise the declining worth of the Duleep Trophy.

"If there are so many avenues for a person to get selected for India, then some avenues are going to dip in terms of significance," Khurasiya, who is now the director of Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association's academy, told ESPNcricinfo.

The Champions League matches were mostly held in cities that were unaffected by rain. A match scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad was moved to Jaipur following heavy rain. Yet that facility was not extended to the Duleep Trophy final that was held at the same venue where, 72 hours earlier, the semi-final had been washed out.

Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI's general manager - game development, told Mumbai Mirror that October was the only slot available and the tournament could only be held in the southern part of India because other venues around the country were involved with the Champions League or the India-Australia series.

TC Mathew, the Kerala Cricket Association president who is also a member of the BCCI's senior tournament committee, also cited the same reasons.

"First and foremost, we must understand that the rains were expected to subside in October," Mathew said. "And it wasn't raining every day, so the question of informing the Board of our (KCA) inability to host the final after the semi-final disaster didn't arise.

"At the same time, I don't think the Board was in a position to shift the final at the eleventh hour because of the volume of cricket played around the country. At the end of the day, when Kerala has seen rains more than 180% of the average annual rainfall, despite putting in all the possible human effort, we couldn't have more than 10 overs in the game."

The BCCI finds itself in a conundrum of scheduling too many tournaments in limited span of time, with recent additions such as the Corporate Trophy, IPL, Champions League and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. With a prolonged Ranji trophy, which now assures each team of at least eight games per season, there are questions over whether the BCCI should let go of the Duleep Trophy that, until recently, used to be a marquee event. Khurasiya isn't averse to the idea.

"In an era when a four-over spell or an eight- or ten-over burst with the bat can catapult a youngster into the national team, Duleep Trophy has almost lost its value," Khurasiya said. "Nothing lasts forever. With times everything changes.

"You need to have vision. If something's not worth it, you better not continue with it. No doubt plenty of avenues have been created for cricketers to get noticed. At the same time, too much of cricket is also not good if it's affecting the quality. And I suppose the quality is being affected these days."

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