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Is BCCI in it just to make money? Kohli and team should oppose plan of fewer Tests and more T20s

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S Kannan
S KannanDec 17, 2017 | 11:30

Is BCCI in it just to make money? Kohli and team should oppose plan of fewer Tests and more T20s

By a rough estimate, India will be playing approximately 50 days less of cricket.

Modern-day cricket news is not just about what happens on the field. What happens off the field makes bigger headlines, as was the case with Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma’s famous wedding in Italy. Social media is still going gaga over one of the biggest events in 2017, with honeymoon pictures also posted on Twitter.

The good thing for fans and those in the business of news is there is nothing exclusive about the content. The two superstars are putting it out from their own Twitter handles. Amidst all this, a “revolution” of sorts has been proposed at home in cricket.

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First was about how the Indian cricketers stand to make more money as wages if approved by the Indian cricket board (BCCI). The second aspect is how the proposed Futures Tours and Programme (FTP) will “reduce” the load on Indian cricketers. One has to read the fine print to understand what the proposed change in the FTP is all about.

It would be interesting to know if players told the BCCI they wanted to play fewer Test matches. Photo: PTI/file
It would be interesting to know if players told the BCCI they wanted to play fewer Test matches. Photo: PTI/file

Just to jog the readers’ memory, it was Indian captain Virat Kohli who had hinted that the workload on players needs to be reduced. He had also talked of wanting to prepare for the tough away series in South Africa. Yes, he did manage to get a break from meaningless ODI matches against Sri Lanka and flew to Italy for the biggest event of his life. His two wedding receptions in New Delhi and Mumbai in the next 10 days will again make huge news.

Back to the FTP, the cut in number of days from 390 to 306 for the 2019-2023 cycle is rather misleading. If you go just by the number of the days, it is a cut. But then, how can you not add the three ICC properties — the World Cup, Champions Trophy and World T20?

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India last played 19 matches in these three events. By a rough estimate, India will be playing approximately 50 days less of cricket. And the cut is for Test cricket. That works out to an average two-and-a-half Tests per year reduction. The proposed FTP ensures India plays the bigger nations more often and the minnows fewer times, subject to approval from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

One is not sure in which direction the men at the helm of affairs in the BCCI are looking. Chief executive officer Raul Johri, in a recent interview, has talked of a dialogue with the team management and taking their feedback and how “actions manifest from those conversations.”

It would be interesting to know if players told the BCCI they wanted to play fewer Test matches, or that the duration of Tests could be cut from five to four days. By drawing out an FTP which puts more emphasis on T20s, it’s clear the BCCI is looking at maximising TV rights revenue. The Indian Premier League rights is sold for a whopping Rs 16,347.5 crore over five years to Star. There is every reason the BCCI can change the face of Indian cricket by playing more T20 internationals and ODIs and lesser number of Tests.

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To say that Test cricket is not watched is presumptuous. There will be interest in the series when Indian tour South Africa and face the hostile pace attack. Then again, even though the ongoing Ashes series in Australia is turning out to be a domination by the smashing Steve Smith and his side, there is spectator interest.

The BCCI should take blame for playing a country like Sri Lanka repeatedly, in all formats. The Tests were drab even as India won with ease. And it certainly was not the best preparation for the SA Tour. To be sure, the Indian cricketers will probably be tiring themselves out more by playing more instant cricket and less Test cricket.

The amount of air travel will rise sharply and adjusting to new cities more often can be taxing. Within India itself, there is such a huge contrast in conditions. Surely, the cricketers would not be pleased with such schedules, as despite best efforts at staying fully fit and playing competitive cricket like professionals, they can feel a burnout.

Playing 53 T20 international matches shows that the whole emphasis is changing, with 26 of the matches abroad. There was talk recently that one-day cricket is facing a huge challenge from T20s. If one were to go by what the BCCI is planning, it’s not the ODIs but Tests that are under threat.

What has been considered the ultimate challenge in cricket should not be eroded. In Australia, Test cricket has been revolutionised. The pink ball is being used and matches are being played under lights. Yes, tradition is making way for innovations to save the long format of cricket, which has been appreciated by Ganguly.

The impression one gets from beyond the boundary is that the BCCI is only interested in raking in the moolah. Just imagine, more T20 internationals and two months of IPL!

(Courtesy of Mail Today)

Last updated: December 17, 2017 | 11:30
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