Kanga League needs better planning

Mumbai has held pride of place through most of Indian cricket's history, and the Kanga League, which began in 1948, is the heart and soul of Mumbai cricket.
Vijay Merchant, who toured England with the Indian team in 1936 and 1946, felt the need to play on uncovered pitches, and mooted the idea of launching the monsoon league.
Playing conditions in the Kanga League have always been tough, with mud flying thick and fast, the bowler jumping over small puddles on his run-up, and the fielder with ball already in hand pretending to search for the ball in the tall grass and effect a run-out when both batsmen are confused about a run.
It has always been intense cricket nevertheless. Madhav Apte, who played the Kanga League for 55 years, says, "What one learnt was how to adapt. There were different conditions every time you played. I joined Fort Vijay club mainly because I wanted to open with Merchant and watch him tackle situation."
The great cricket writer Sir Neville Cardus once wrote about Sir Jack Hobbs that there could be an error of judgment in gauging the length and line of the ball but there never will be an error of grammar (technique). The Kanga League corrected grammar of batsmen.
Sunil Gavaskar hardly missed a game even when he was busy with international cricket. After scoring 221 in the last Test in the 1979 series against England, he rushed to play the Kanga League match for Dadar Union.
Nari Contractor looks at the Kanga League from a totally different perspective. He says, "It's a tournament that prepares you mentally and technically before the start of the season. Not only do you play in all sorts of conditions, but you have to adapt to perform. And that helps you during the season."
All the old-timers feel the camaraderie that the Kanga League matches offer builds your character and teach you to be loyal to the game, and just as importantly, to play for the team. Contractor is peeved about the announcement of cancellation of matches, "There was no announcement in the newspapers even on the morning of the match that the matches were cancelled. We would all meet at the ground with an umbrella in one hand and the kit in the other, have a chat over a cup of tea and biscuits when it was raining, and if the match was called off, go to the hotel to have lunch together before going home." Apart from Contractor Parsi Cyclist had three India players in Polly Umrigar, Rusi Surti and Farokh Engineer.
A former Mumbai player Mehli Irani who played Kanga League 50 years in a row till he was 68 says, "Kanga League taught me discipline. Parsi Cyclist were playing Dadar Union. Ramnath Keny was dropped by the Dadar Union captain Madhav Mantri because he was late by five minutes and Keny was a Test player."
Such was the enthusiasm that players would come from the border of Gujarat to play. Iranis of Dahanu would start early in the morning in bright sunshine, only to find heavy rains at Azad Maidan. Oh, no they would say and curse in language that would make everyone laugh.
Nari Contractor has one valid point. "Climatic conditions have changed. It rains heavily in July and August. Why not play in June and September? You will get at least eight Sundays."
If Mumbai's batsmen have scored 31 percent of India's runs, it's the Kanga League that is, to a great extent, responsible for it. The MCA has to plan better by inviting suggestions from those who played the tournament for decades with passion.