BCCI's working committee meet- more questions than answers

[diga]

BCCI's working committee meet- what should be discussed?

The BCCIÃÔ all-powerful Working Committee meets today and Duncan Fletcher and MS Dhoni will reportedly be the main topics of discussion. There have been reports that FletcherÃÔ contract will not be renewed and IndiaÃÔ lean run over the last year and a half has resulted in Dhoni losing his golden boy status as captain. At Firstpost, we thought weÃÅ give the BCCI bosses a hand by listing a few things they should consider at todayÃÔ meeting. Who should replace Fletcher FletcherÃÔ failures are all the more stark because of the success his predecessor, Gary Kirsten, enjoyed. Yes, India have lost Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, and Sachin TendulkarÃÔ powers are waning, but the team also seems to be functioning without any plans for opposing teams and players. What the BCCI needs to do is determine what kind of coach would work best with MS Dhoni, and then hunt for that kind of coach. Money is no object for the worldÃÔ richest cricket board, so the focus has to be on finding the right person. Going purely by results, Fletcher is clearly not him. When to rest Dhoni MS Dhoni needs a break. Physically he may be fine, but mentally he is clearly exhausted. Losing always takes its toll on a playerÃÔ psyche and while Dhoni might welcome being the mediaÃÔ punching bag, the board should recognize that he cannot do everything all the time. Dhoni will never request a rest, so the board needs to enforce one. The perfect time would be during the first month of the IPL while ensuring that Dhoni will be paid for that period. Doing so would also send the message that the board values international cricket over the IPL. ThatÃÔ too much to ask, of course, but it doesnÃÕ hurt to dream. Sachin TendulkarÃÔ retirement Even Tendulkar canÃÕ go on forever. While we would all like him to come good against the Australians when they arrive next month, the time will come when Tendulkar will pack up his bat and move on to other things. The board needs to be prepared for such a time and the eventuality that Tendulkar will want to carry on longer than he should. If his form fails to improve, the board must be ready and willing to pick someone else. Multiple captains Again, there is a terrific strain on Dhoni, made worse because the team is struggling. While Dhoni has had success in all three formats, if India want him leading the team in the 2015 World Cup, then they need to have a succession plan and take some of the pressure of him . Dhoni has talked about retiring from one format in the past most likely Tests because that is his least favourite format. India cannot afford to be caught unawares if Dhoni does decide to step down. The plan for the 2015 World Cup The next coach the board hires should be in charge for the 2015 World Cup, which makes getting the right man all the more urgent. Chopping and changing midstream is only going to destabilise the team further. A pool of about 30 players should be identified and the p layers and groomed for so they are prepared for international cricket in Australia and New Zealand. England, for example, organises coaching camps for their players in India to acclimatise them to conditions. There is no reason India canÃÕ do the same and send players Down Under.

Src: Firstpost

[Pagalpanti]

The perfect time would be during the first month of the IPL while ensuring that Dhoni will be paid for that period. Doing so would also send the message that the board values international cricket over the IPL.

What is the writer smoking? :cantstop:

[diga]

Former India captain and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) president Anil Kumble on Tuesday raised questions about the Indian Cricket Board's age-verification process for various junior level tournaments. However it was reliably learnt that BCCI president N Srinivasan was not on the same page with India's highest wicket-taker in international cricket. Kumble raised his objections at the board's Working Committee meeting on Tuesday about the BCCI's prescribed 'bone density' tests for determining the age of the U-16, U-19 cricketers as there have been cases of age-fudging in the past. "Anil raised the issue at the working committee meeting. His contention was that the bone density test which is carried out is not foolproof. There are a lot of discrepancies and he asked the president to think about an alternative. However, the president informed that the existing system was good enough and doesn't need any change," a senior BCCI official, who was present at the meeting, informed PTI. "I don't want to comment on this issue," was Kumble's terse reply when contacted for a reaction. Early last year, the Mumbai U-16 team had 11 out of its 16 players reported for over-age after Tanner-Whitehouse3(TW3) test, which determines skeletal maturity, was conducted. While the TW3 test was recommended by Dr Vece Paes during his association with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), it has recently been done away with as the BCCI reverted back to its old method of bone density test. Kumble has been one of the vocal members of the BCCI as he has been raising various issues during the Working Committee meetings. During an earlier working committee meeting, Kumble had asked whether Duncan Fletcher has been asked by the BCCI to explain India's 0-8 debacle against England and Australia.