lay isnt there. He also understands that temptation will be there

The 2016-17 season of the Ranji Trophy will begin on October 6 in uncertain times for the BCCI, which has been put in the dock after its failure to implement several key Lodha Committee orders.While this may not directly affect the 28 teams and 700-odd players involved in this season, it is impossible to zone out the events that have caused the board much embarrassment this year. Add to that the teams concerns of playing the tournament at neutral venues, a move adopted after a recommendation by the technical committee led by former India captain Sourav Ganguly.Chaos has been a constant in the build-up to the season. The board announced the Ranji Trophy schedule on September 2, a little more than a month before its start. There was a push to play the tournament with the pink ball and BCCI president Anurag Thakur even confirmed the move on September 10 although the board had shelved its plans for a day-night Test this season. Several sides then confirmed that they hadnt received the pink ball for training, which forced the board to continue with the existing SG Red ball.To add to this, logistical nightmares sprang up, not entirely of the boards making, with several sides being allotted new venues for their opening games. Political tensions along the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border because of a water dispute forced Karnatakas opening match against Jharkhand, in round two of the tournament, to be moved out of Chennai to Greater Noida. Tamil Nadus clash in Belgaum in December may also be shifted out. The first-round match between Saurashtra-Rajasthan in Chennai was shifted out of the state because of unforeseen issues. It is in this scenario that the ten teams in Group C and nine each in Groups A and B will battle to be domestic champions.The 17 curators in charge of preparing surfaces across the country - up from 10 used last year - will have a tough job of trying to find the middle path. Several curators admitted they were hesitant to prepare either a green surface or a turner for the fear that matches would not last four days. The only difference this season, though, is that with neutral venues teams will not have a distinct home advantage, compared to the previous two seasons when associations were guilty of producing surfaces with varying degrees of dryness and grass cover to suit their needs.Twenty-eight matches finished within three days in 2015-16 compared to 20 in 2014-15. The number of outright wins, too, increased from 56 in 2014-15 to 63 in 2015-16 with the same number of matches played in both seasons (115). While result-oriented games are not a bad thing, there has been a sense that the tailored pitches added an artificial competitive edge to Indias premier domestic competition.Its a little different at the international level, though, since you are looking for wickets and to win matches, former India captain Rahul Dravid said last year, after Odisha were bundled out for 37 against Bengal on what players later described was a paddy field. At the Ranji Trophy level, we are looking to prepare the players for the international stage. What I have seen recently, these wickets are poor. I really dont think its good for Indian cricket because if you think about them its a waste of time, energy and money. The reason for the Ranji Trophy is not only to decide the winner in the end. It also has a job to develop and prepare cricketers for the international stage. And if we keep playing on bad wickets like these, we are not going to develop and produce good cricketers.That said, surfaces in different parts of the country have specific characteristics. It is a given teams will encounter swing in Lahli, spin in Chennai and bounce, to an extent, in Mohali. The problematic bit is when sides try to go out of the norm and tailor tracks according to their needs. Last season, Saurashtra prepared dustbowls to suit their spin-bowling strength, and Ravindra Jadeja picked up a mind-boggling 37 wickets in the first three games.The weather poses another challenge for curators. With winter slowly setting in in early November, lack of sunshine and fog could hinder curators in the northern part of the country, like previous seasons. With conditions suiting the fast bowlers, spinners have been largely redundant. Sample this: Murali Kartik, the former India left-arm spinner, equated pitches in north India to the grass courts at Wimbledon. He bowled all of 71 overs in seven games in his final Ranji Trophy season, in 2013-14; ten of those were seam-up. It raises the question of whether there is a case to be made for docking points from teams for under-prepared surfaces, instead of adopting neutral venues. A few coaches have also suggested that the system of home and away matches could continue without a toss being non-mandatory, in which case a visiting captain could choose to bat or bowl. This was trialled during the recent English county season.Moving away from surfaces to teams, the usual suspects - Mumbai, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu [under new coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar] and Delhi - look strong favourites once again, while Uttar Pradesh and Punjab will be the dark horses. Chhattisgarhs addition as the 28th side will add some mystery for sides in Group C. The new entrants have proved competitive in their two preparatory tournaments - they finished runners-up at the Buchi Babu Invitational tournament in Chennai and won the Bapuna Cup organised by the Vidarbha Cricket Association in Nagpur. Chhattisgarh will be eager to take that form into their maiden first-class season, after a decade-and-a-half long battle for recognition.With India set to host England, Bangladesh and Australia after the New Zealand series, players on the fringes of the national side will have the added incentive of trying to catch the selectors eye in the immediate future, should replacements be sought at different stages. What better way to serve notice than by performing at venues far different from the ones theyve grown up on? Nmd Norge Shop . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Nmd Xr4 Norge . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. http://www.nmdnorgesalg.com/nmd-r1-sko-norge.html .Y. -- Canadas Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse have another World Cup gold medal after winning the two-women bobsled race on Saturday in Lake Placid, N. Adidas Gazelle Tilbud .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. Nmd Sko Salg . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton says he will have to fight off the temptation to challenge Washington cornerback Josh Norman on Monday night just for the sake of ego.And vice versa.Knowing me and Josh, its a highly likelihood it will be there, Newton said Wednesday of that temptation. But I have to control that beast more than anything.Newton and Norman squared off in practice as teammates the past four seasons before the Panthers (4-8) rescinded the franchise tag on him in April.Their competitive nature came to a head during the 2015 training camp when the two got into a scuffle. It happened after Norman intercepted a Newton pass and began returning it down the left sideline.Newton went after Norman in pursuit, harder than one would expect for the quarterback in a training camp practice. Norman responded by stiff-arming the franchise quarterback in the helmet.Both players wound up in a pile with teammates and ended with linebacker Thomas Davis shouting about how stupid the whole thing was.Both players later talked about how the incident brought them closer, but Newton said it wasnt worth revisiting this week.Its irrelevant right now, he said. I gain nothing, you gain nothing besides a meaty story leading up to [Monday]. A week after this, nobody will remember it. So next question.But Newton did talk about how he has to be smart against Norman, who often was paired against the oppositions best receiver at Carolina to take away half the field.His play last season earned him his first selection to the Pro Bowl.Josh, his competitive nature, thats his edge, Newton said. We all have something that another person may not bring to the table as much as we do, and Josh needs that. I realize that with me being around him for the four years he was here.He needs somebody to challenge him so he can get in the groove.Newton said he and Norman last year developed a competitive nature that went beyond practtice.dddddddddddd. It involved seeing who had the best hands in activities such as video games, cards and basketball.We just always competed, he said. Thats what you have to have as an athlete of that magnitude.But Newton, who has completed only 42.8 percent of his passes in the past four games and struggled to a season-low 37 percent in Sundays win against San Diego, said he cant let that competitive nature flow into the game.Youve just got to take what the defense gives you, go where the reads take you, said Newton, who was given a rare day off on Wednesday to rest his arm and body. With that given, having that smart mentality, smart not conservative, that will get me a long way.Carolina coach Ron Rivera agreed Newton has to resist the temptation to challenge Norman if the play isnt there. He also understands that temptation will be there.You want to play against the best and you want to have a good challenge, and thats what Josh is, he said. Josh is a tremendous challenge.That was the one thing about him last year for us: He loved that challenge. He loved us putting him on the best receiver on the team. He loved going up against the Odell Beckhams, guys like Dez [Bryant]. Julio Jones brought out the best in him. Likewise, he brought out the best in Julio.Carolina wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. said Monday will be a big game for Norman because its a chance to prove himself against his former team.The Panthers rescinded the franchise tag because general manager Dave Gettleman couldnt see a long-term deal happening and felt he could do more with the $13.95 million Norman was set to get.Whenever you go against your old team you get a little fire under you, Ginn said. Hes going to come out fiery. Hes going to play as hard as he can.Weve just got to match his intensity, no matter who hes checking. ' ' '