The IPL is into its second week. We are already having an overdose of preaching from the pulpits of coaching Gurus of various teams on their preparations and their secret strategies. Though I did express my intention to deal with both the short term and long term preparations, I have decided to concentrate on the more foundational part and leave the short term to the Gurus pontificating from the coaching manuals.

As distinct from preparation for the game ahead, the preparation for the season and preparation for the long term development of the game requires Cricket administrators exercising their vision with the help of experts, much in the manner of a political leadership framing policies for a country and implementing them with the help of experts and bureaucrats.

It has been said over the years that 'a minute spent in organizing saves hours'. One could say that it is only a truism but nowhere is it more truly exercised than on the cricket field. Here it is not saving hours which