Is Public Relation missing in Assam Cricket?

Public Relations and Cricket are two different things, but Public Relation in Cricket is the need of an hour for Assam Cricket. Cricket is a widely played sport in India, we have been playing it much before our independence as well. India played the first test cricket in 1932, which means 15 years before the independence but there are a few states in India that lacks the intensity to develop a cricketer who can represent the nation. Assam is one of them,  there are players who have represented the state in Ranji Trophy, represented East Zone and various other National tournaments. Then why not the national side?

Public Relations play an important role to develop an image of any particular brand or organization. If we think of those state in India who has done excellence in Cricket, the states which will always remain in the top of our mind are Maharastra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Punjab etc. It’s not because those state has produced legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Rahul Dravid, Kapil Dev, Yuvraj Singh etc. It’s because they have been doing good enough to continue the image of being superior.  Just imagine a state like Maharashtra has 3 teams which represents in Ranji, but at times it get difficult to frame a playing 11 for a state like Assam. I won’t blame the association as well as the administration for the failure; I rather think that Assam Cricket Association needs to think out of the box to promote their players. 

If I take a recent case of Assam Cricket, Riyan Parag represented India U-19 and won the world cup under the leadership of Prithvi Shaw. Riyan contributed both with the ball and bat, but the young all rounder was not even in the minds of any of the eight IPL franchise when they were building their core team. U-19 stars like Prithivi Shaw, Subman Gill, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shubham Mavi, Manjot Kalra got an opportunity to play in the IPL but this was not in the case of Riyan. Former Assam Ranji Captain Abu Nechim represented Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore but the opportunities that were given to him weren’t enough to prove his worth.  What do you think Assam Cricket Association should do in this matter?  Or do you think players will have to start building their own image in front of the selectors?

 Why Public Relations for a Cricketer?

PR is necessary for a cricketer because a cricketer cannot blow his own trumpet, there has to be someone who will keep on talking about his performances and keep on getting coverage’s in the media. Here are a few things a strong PR team can do for an athlete.

·         Get them recognized for doing the right thing.

·         Build a solid plan and help them understand that true PR strategy involves more than pure publicity tactics. Building brand presence requires a lot more than "red carpet appearances" and "photo ops."

·         Effectively manage them through crisis situations.

·         Teach effective strategies for getting media in their corner, as well as proper interview techniques.

·         Build and execute an effective social media strategy and enable athletes to engage their fans and other key communities in the right way, while building a strong following via the right social media vehicles.

·         Manage their online and "offline" reputation, what they do "off-the-field," meetings with sponsors, media interviews, public appearances, etc.

      To sum up, I would like to add that there are some athletes who just don’t get enough credit; their contribution needs to be highlighted as well. Here a Public Relation Officer plays a vital role.  So does in the case of Assam Cricket Association, who needs to understand the importance of the publicity which their players requires, as cricket is not just about scoring runs and winning matches these days.

     

       Subhankar Banerjee   

       Founder & Director

       Seven Sense Communication

       9706494608