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Does India need a Caste-Based Quota for team selections?

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
A lot has been written about the frankly racist caste system that exists in Indian society, but it occurred to me the other day that its impact on cricket has received relatively scant attention.

In the entire time India has been playing test cricket there have been barely any Dalits and Adivasis selected. I wonder, is this under-representation caused by the extended impact of the racist caste system?

Adopting a quota system similar to that of South Africa would help remove structural barriers and ensure more diversity and help to eliminate racism in Indian culture and sport imo.
 

trundler

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Upon googling this, I came across rancid explanations that invoked the caste doesn't matter/I don't see caste gaslighting tactic. Pertinent issue raised, sledge.
 

TestMatch

U19 Cricketer
Here's a good article on the topic IMO: https://www.thehindu.com/society/why-we-need-reservations-in-cricket/article24656456.ece

I'd imagine India is years away from even considering this a problem. To solve it, you'd probably need quotas administered from the top, and more games and scouts on the grassroots level, combined with lots of political agitation drawing attention to the problem. Can't see that happening any time soon.

From South Africa, we also have a lot of academic studies showing the negative psychological impact caused by quotas. Players view themselves as "quota pickets", doubt themselves, and get stigmatized by teammates. So maybe it's best if your quota system is secretive and never publicly acknowledged by your board.

It's funny how many teams have similar issues. A lot of WI cricket friends of mine are always joking that Guyanese players are quota picks, or that selectors favor Barbados and/or the bigger islands.
 
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weldone

Hall of Fame Member
More important is to do it in Ranji teams and IPL teams first imo - I am more for entry-level reservations. Not sure where I stand on National team cricket reservations: one can argue it's more exit-level than entry-level.

Similarly, I support reservations for who can study for a Medical degree but don't support reservations for who can become doctors (they still have to pass the exit exams).

Etc.
 

Daemon

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Yeah my uneducated opinion is similar, though more infrastructure and investments in those communities would probably be a bigger help. I wonder whether the Plate League will help in this regard.
 
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CricAddict

Cricketer Of The Year
Except for L Balaji, Dinesh Karthik and Robin Singh, I think every Tamilnadu player who has represented India has been a brahmin. There has been a couple of Tamil movies highlighting the brahmin partiality in Tamilnadu cricket.

The recency of these names do show that the situation is improving though. Also, the scouting for IPL is helping as well.
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Read the title as Castle-Bravo quota (seriously). I don't think India's hydrogen bomb program was quite that successful.
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
Sledger has started a movement here that will lead to fans breaking down the doors of the BCCI in the name of equality
 

h_hurricane

International Vice-Captain
2 days have passed and sledger hasn't caught anything on his bait yet. Pretty disappointing attempt tbh. The face tells the story.
 

duffer

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
A lot has been written about the frankly racist caste system that exists in Indian society, but it occurred to me the other day that its impact on cricket has received relatively scant attention.

In the entire time India has been playing test cricket there have been barely any Dalits and Adivasis selected. I wonder, is this under-representation caused by the extended impact of the racist caste system?

Adopting a quota system similar to that of South Africa would help remove structural barriers and ensure more diversity and help to eliminate racism in Indian culture and sport imo.
Bro, they aren't called quotas in India. They're known as reservations and are widely adopted. Whether they exist in cricket or whether caste influences selection at any level, I have nfi.
 

duffer

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Lol, can't believe I gave a serious response to this. I'm drunk as right now...
 

Migara

Cricketer Of The Year
Except for L Balaji, Dinesh Karthik and Robin Singh, I think every Tamilnadu player who has represented India has been a brahmin. There has been a couple of Tamil movies highlighting the brahmin partiality in Tamilnadu cricket.

The recency of these names do show that the situation is improving though. Also, the scouting for IPL is helping as well.
And most of Tamil non-brahmins who plyed international cricket are from Sri Lanka. Vinothan John, Muralitharan, Russell Arnold, Angelo Mathews form that group. There were two more, but I suppose (Jayaprakashdaran and one more of Jaffna origin). Joseph Ravindran Ratnayeke was from a Burgher - Tamil mixed marriage.

I almost forgot West Indies too. Kalicharan, Ramdhin and few others.
 
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SillyCowCorner1

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And most of Tamil non-brahmins who plyed international cricket are from Sri Lanka. Vinothan John, Muralitharan, Russell Arnold, Angelo Mathews form that group. There were two more, but I suppose (Jayaprakashdaran and one more of Jaffna origin). Joseph Ravindran Ratnayeke was from a Burgher - Tamil mixed marriage.

I almost forgot West Indies too. Kalicharan, Ramdhin and few others.
As a Guyanese, I am free to say that our fore parents came from east india
 

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