Cricketer Bazaar

Imagine being given a jigsaw, with a few pieces missing. As a consolation, you have some other pieces from other jigsaws. This is the kind of challenge, an international manager faces. His club or domestic counterpart can go shopping for the remaining pieces, as long as he has a fair idea, what they look like. All the international manager can do is cut and scrape the other pieces, and somehow try to fit them in. If only, he could trade his extra pieces for the ones he really needs.

Let us for a moment imagine, there was a market, where you could trade players. Purely hypothetical exercise. Let’s set the trading rules first. First, no money to be involved. There's too much disparity in the financial muscle of the different boards. Players for players only. Secondly, only the players currently involved in international or domestic cricket will be considerd. Finally and very importantly, the trade should make both parties better.

What are the potential trading scenarios?

• Players in the reserves would be readily swapped as long as overall strength improves.( reserve for reserve)
• A team would trade a team regular, if they have a comparable player in reserve , and a bigger need is fulfilled by the player they get in return.( regular for reserve/regular)
• A reserve in your side fulfills a pressing need for another team and gives you the opportunity to upgrade a regular.(reserve for regular)

Does the trading option help cricket. Yes it does. One, it helps teams improve in every dept of the game and become more complete. Therefore, it improves the overall competitiveness of the international game. Second, it ensures that a lot of good players, stuck behind a better team mate, finally get to perform on the world stage. An Adam Gilchrist would have found many takers, before the Aussies finally gave him a chance on Healy's retirement.

Let’s now look at the trade scenario for Mr. Greg Chappell.

The obvious trade pieces - International caliber players, presently cooling their heels on the sidelines. VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Dinesh Kartik, Mohd Kaif, Irfan Pathan, Murli Kartik, Suresh Raina, Wasim Jaffer, Romesh Powar

Immediate requirements - Trade heavyweights - First eleven players , who can be replaced by reserves, to facilitate blockbuster trades. Names in brackets are the guys, who will replace them in case of a trade. Dhoni ( Dinesh Kartik), Sehwag (Anybody will do), Dravid , Tendulkar and Ganguly (I can't see how Laxman would be any worse), Harbhajan(Powar or Kumble). The only untouchables are the trio of pacemen, as we have absolutely nothing in reserve and Yuvraj Singh.

• A quality opener - even Simon Katich would be a major upgrade.
• A fast bowling all rounder - somebody like a Justine Kemp
• An impact strike bowler - how about getting Mashrafe Murtaza or Andre Nel

Will leave it at that now. Let your imagination run wild, and see what possible trades, you can come up with. So my dear readers (the handful , who are forced to read my posts), please, get some comments in.

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