The Challenger trophy is no longer challenging
The Challenger Trophy in India was meant to give young players a chance to play against members of the national side, but with the India players preparing for the England series, and crowds poor, the Challenger Trophy is no different from any other
Dustin Silgardo
25-Feb-2013
The Challenger Trophy in India was meant to give young players a chance to play against members of the national side, but with the India players preparing for the England series, and crowds poor, the Challenger Trophy is no different from any other domestic tournament, Aakash Chopra says in the Hindustan Times.
Even though, this tournament is a step ahead of the Deodhar Trophy (Inter-Zone limited-over tournament), it still is a far cry from what it used to be or should be. It's more like class X students mixed together and then randomly put into three teams to play against each other. It would only mean playing against the player from your own section (who otherwise would always play with you), while still playing school-level cricket. If one needs to improve or test the standard of upcoming players, it is imperative to play them against better quality opposition.
Dustin Silgardo is a former sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo