THE 'A' tours, which were very infrequent in the past, seem to have found favour with modern administrators. Judging by the number of tours Test playing countries embark on, one could easily understand the importance tagged to them. The 'A' team concept in the past was more recognition-oriented than real breeding. Players who have come close to selection, or just missed out and may be nearing retirement age, were generally the types who were selected.
Going back to 1985, when England 'A' toured Sri Lanka under the then very highly rated Mark Nicholas, they had a few players who were past their best. Derek Randall and Tim Tremlett were the most notable ones out of the lot. True, there were also budding players in that team, namely David Lawrence, Jonathan Agnew, Derek Pringle and Steve Rhodes to name a few.
However, the point I intend to emphasise here is that in the olden days teams lacked clear direction and objectives with regard to 'A' team tours.
However, with cricket becoming technical and competitive, administrators, coaches and even selectors have insisted and even been looking forward to regular 'A' tours to identify and blood available talent for the betterment of the senior team. In the light of this backdrop, the tour of Pakistan 'A' to Sri Lanka, which is on currently, couldn't have come at a better time for both teams.
If you were to look at this tour through a Sri Lankan perspective, I personally think that Sri Lanka could do well with a few more quality players in their ranks, especially a quality spinner. The current tour by Pakistan 'A' has given the selectors the opportunity to blood a variety of them. We have seen the full repertoire of available spin in the series so far. The quality of them on display is something entirely different and as such this column will not touch on the merits of selection, but only the policy behind it.
The same example could be applied to the batting and bowling departments too. And if the experiment and exercise has been fruitful, in short I am sure, a few players are bound to make the grade in the not too distant future. I believe the policy of both India and Pakistan too cannot be any different from the Sri Lankan model. This fact was confirmed and conveyed by both coaches, Mudassar Nazar of Pakistan 'A' and Hemantha Devapriya of Sri Lanka 'A'. They were quite clear with their position that this 'A' tour was not about winning or losing. It was more to do with exposure to players with potential.
Though we haven't had frequent visits from an India 'A' team here, I am very sure that the likes of Harbajans, Laxmans, Yuverajs and Khans have risen through this very system. I personally feel it is a good principal to follow. The selection and the process could be determined by the respective countries depending on their needs.
As for Sri Lanka, I get the feeling that the players who should be considered for 'A' tours are the hopefuls rather than the already tried and tested ones who are in need of some salvaging. Whilst one could argue the merits and demerits of a system, what one needs to look at is the benefit a country would stand to derive. Naturally countries with abundant talent would always look at blooding newcomers during such tours whilst certain countries, where the filtering process is weak, would look at more opportunities to the already tried players.
Another beneficial aspect of 'A' tours is the very close bond countries are bound to forge. With Test championships and various other tournaments played around the year, it is not always possible for senior teams to pay reciprocal visits. In that scenario, 'A' tours will prevent isolation and would create greater understanding too. With three giants in the Test arena in the sub-continent, namely India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka with Bangladesh too now a fully fledged Test member, the respective Boards should encourage more 'A' tours and that too reciprocally and regularly. It will quite definitely stand to develop the game in the respective countries too. In this situation, a country such as Bangladesh, with 'A' tours from India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, could gain so much and these would serve as an ideal evaluation ground for that country's selectors. The benefits of such tours are immense and priceless.
The only drawback, if at all, would be the amount of money one needs to put into it. But with so much at stake at the senior level it is imperative that you reinvest your returns solidly. If you don't, it will only serve as a detriment, and that too a gradual one, which may not be easily arrested.
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