Karnataka to bank on young talent next season, says Roger Binny

Bengaluru: The famed Karnataka senior cricket team’s trophy cabinet is empty. Their last winning performance came in 2019 when they topped the Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare competitions. The need of the hour, according to KSCA president and former India all-rounder Roger Binny, is to rebuild the team, infuse young blood and weed out the dead wood.
In an exclusive interview with TOI, the 1983 World Cup winning hero spoke about what ails Karnataka cricket and the way forward.Excerpts:
Looking back at the Ranji Trophy season
At the moment, I feel Karnataka cricket is at its lowest point. I have never seen Karnataka struggle the way they did this season in the Ranji Trophy. Except for the match against Jammu and Kashmir, they didn't look good or convincing. Poor selection and poor team management need to change. We need to get people in the system who can help improve things. The captain looked indecisive himself. Cricket is a team game, it is not about individuals.
On team camaraderie
In the past when I played for Karnataka, there was a time when there were six Test cricketers. We used to play the world championships and come back and play for Karnataka. The atmosphere was terrific on the field and in the dressing room, which we lack now. That is a concern and we need to get the team back together. There are distractions like the IPL now, but that is no excuse. You have to keep Karnataka in your heart. The senior players have to take care of the youngsters who come into the team and give them good advice.
On juggling national duty and state cricket in the past
We probably did not play as much cricket as the current generation does, but we took great pride in coming back and playing for the state. We ensured the team did well. That was our mindset. Unless we were injured, we were always available. Karnataka was a priority for us.
Focus on age-group cricket and structural change
This year, I had told the selectors that we need to build a young team. A lot of age-group cricketers are good. We have to initiate them into the senior team. We can’t say they are too young. Sachin Tendulkar and L Sivaramakrishnan debuted for India when they were 17. The younger generation needs to be given opportunities. The fast bowlers need time to mature but that is not the case with batsmen. We have different formats. We should have a team for Ranji Trophy and another for white-ball cricket. Judging by what happened this year, that is what we should do.
Will K’taka focus on building a team and not win trophies in the next few years?
Definitely. Going by the performance this time, it is important to build the team. By doing well in the first couple of matches next season, we should not forget what happened this season. We have to work on Ranji Trophy, get youngsters in. We have batting talent but it needs to be groomed. Players who were given 5-6 chances should not be given a long rope. If a person has not scored runs, let him go back to the league and fight his way back into the team. Let there be competition. This season, some players took their place in the team for granted. That should not happen. You have to stick it out there, you cannot play T20 shots in Ranji Trophy. That's what happened in both the innings in the quarterfinals (against Uttar Pradesh). That must change. They have to take the blame and not make excuses.