BCCI’s punishing schedule exhausts Indian cricketers

[Feed]

It's well know that India’s top cricketers have a punishing schedule. But what they will soon be subjected to is extreme even by those standards. Subhash Rajta reports. More... BCCI’s punishing schedule exhausts Indian cricketers Subhash Rajta, Hindustan Times New Delhi, May 05, 2010 It's well know that India’s top cricketers have a punishing schedule. But what they will soon be subjected to is extreme even by those standards. After flying almost every third day for IPL, at least five India players who played the final had under 48 hours before leaving for West Indies.Sample this. India, touring Zimbabwe, play their second and last Twenty20 match in Harare on June 13. Two T20 games against the hosts come at the end of a tri-series also involving Sri Lanka. On June 16, they kick off their Asia Cup campaign with a one-day international against Bangladesh in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. As things stand, the Indian team will probably fly out of Zimbabwe on June 14, spend over 24 of the 48 hours between the games on different flights or at airports and then take a long road journey before reaching their destination. “There’s no direct flight from Harare to Sri Lanka. The team first needs to reach Johannesburg, from where they can take a flight to Colombo via Dubai or Doha,” said Kamna, a travel executive with the Air Travel Bureau. To make matters worse, the team will then need to cover almost 150 km from Colombo to Dambulla by road.. To make matters worse, the team will need to cover almost 150 km from Colombo to Dambulla by road, an approximately four-hour journey. Md Aslam Goni, the North Zone representative on the Tours committee, wasn’t even aware of India’s travel plans. “I’m not sure whether or not they are touring Zimbabwe,” he said. BCCI secretary N Srinivasan, the convenor of the committee, said, “The practicality of such issues will be seen and handled appropriately,” he said from Kodaikanal, where he is on holiday. “This isn’t a one-off. Players have been going through this gruelling schedule right from the start of the IPL.” After flying almost every third day during the 45-day carnival, at least five players who played the IPL final on April 25 — Dhoni, Raina, Harbhajan, Zaheer and Vijay — had under 48 hours to recharge before leaving for the West Indies on Tuesday night. That was another 30-hour journey, first from Mumbai to Dubai, Dubai to London, then changing from Heathrow to Gatwick, then the nine-hour journey to St. Lucia. Although the BCCI maintains players can pull out whenever they feel the need for rest, but it’s not so easy. As is having a policy of rotation, promised years ago, but followed neither in thought nor action. Apart from other things, there is pressure from broadcasters to field the best possible teams as the absence of the top players affect their TRPs. “The selling of advertisement slots depend on TRPs that depends on the interest the event generates. If the top players aren’t playing, it affects the selling of slots,” said an industry source. “It’s exhausting but we’re expected to be machines,” an India player told HT. “There’s no question of pulling out citing fatigue. In this set-up, the level of insecurity is high, barring a couple of players. If you do so, you will probably upset important people and no one wants to take a chance on that.” Incidentally, the Tours, Programmes and Fixtures Committee is still to get a new chairman. It’s old one? Lalit Modi.

[saneindian]

Jokers on the mission to kill the golden goose.

[mastana]

:wall: :wall:

[vvvslaxman]

This can easily be tackled. India has so many youngsters waiting in the wings to be given chance. For this T20 they should have just sent an inform domestic team and done with it. Gauti, Zaheer, Bhajji should all have been left out. Ashwin, Ojha, Mishra, Uthappa, Saurab Tiwary, Rayudu, Pandey, Kohli, Trivedi, Dinda, .. so many guys could have been tried out. In a way an unknown team can do better than familiar team in T20.

[Nova]

This can easily be tackled. India has so many youngsters waiting in the wings to be given chance. For this T20 they should have just sent an inform domestic team and done with it. Gauti' date=' Zaheer, Bhajji should all have been left out. Ashwin, Ojha, Mishra, Uthappa, Saurab Tiwary, Rayudu, Pandey, Kohli, Trivedi, Dinda, .. so many guys could have been tried out. In a way an unknown team can do better than familiar team in T20.[/quote'] I like this. Rotation policy anyone?

[Show_stopper]

I think ALL the players must boycott the ZIM series..let them send the 'A' team.

[vvvslaxman]

I rate T20 international as the lowest cricketing format. I put it even below domestic T20 format. India didn't care about first world T20 so they sent an experimental team with Dravid, Sachin, Ganguly opting out. They better continue that experiment for each cup. It is not worth sending our Test stars to this. Youngsters would be lot motivated than the established Test and ODI players.

[TheWall]

There is nothing India can gain from playing Zim/SL as of now. Must abolish this series or postpone it.

[Gunner_Mania]

I rate T20 international as the lowest cricketing format. I put it even below domestic T20 format. India didn't care about first world T20 so they sent an experimental team with Dravid' date= Sachin, Ganguly opting out. They better continue that experiment for each cup. It is not worth sending our Test stars to this. Youngsters would be lot motivated than the established Test and ODI players.

It is not because they didn't care about the format, it was because they thought there was not enough advetising revenue opportunities or a TV market for it. Then India won the World Cup and the rest as they say is history. During the rain yesterday, Sky was having this discussion about International & Domestic T20s and Arthers made the same point, T20 was invented by the English as a way to bring more people past the turnstiles for domestic games. It was never intended for International cricket., but now the genie is out of the bottle, it will be hard to put it back in. Every team has begun to take it seriously and the TV rights are soaring through the roof. BCCI won't be able to justify playing its star players in a domestic T20 and not send them to international T20.

[hitman1980]

how can playing 20 overs exhausts a cricketer is just beyond me .. One can understand ODI and tests .. but t20 is just 20 overs man .. and even if they have to play every other day then also there is no reason to complain .. Last 3 months we r just playing t20 .. so wht's the big deal??? On one hand we complain tht there r not enough tests for india this year and on other we complain abt this .. In tests we get few new players.. sachin, dravid, laxman, mishra, sehwag .. and they will be resting for month before they start playing again .. If there is any objection by any player then he must skip IPL .. its a simple as tht .. u can skip international commitment .. No one is forcing them to play IPL .. Every other guy in every newspaper thinks he is the best to know abt the situation .. but the fact of matter is .. its our players who knows best .. If they r ok then i don't guess it should be a prob for us .. And regarding travelling .. come on now .. don't we travel everyday 2 hrs in the full traffic rush of delhi or any other cities to reach our offices .. Likewise cricketers too r professionals and they have to take the things as they come .. Complain complain and more complain tht's the only thing these journalists do the best ..

[Gunner_Mania]

Last 3 months we r just playing t20 .. so wht's the big deal??? On one hand we complain tht there r not enough tests for india this year and on other we complain abt this ..

Try working all evening / partying over night and flyinf to different parts of the country and repeate for 3 months.

If there is any objection by any player then he must skip IPL .. its a simple as tht .. u can skip international commitment .. No one is forcing them to play IPL ..

Which world are you living in?

And regarding travelling .. come on now .. don't we travel everyday 2 hrs in the full traffic rush of delhi or any other cities to reach our offices .. Likewise cricketers too r professionals and they have to take the things as they come ..

Like I said, try living out of a suitcase for 3-6 months a year flying across India and the world and then we will see how little you complain.

[hitman1980]

You say someone is forcing them??? if sachin don't wanna play IPL then will someone force him .. come on don't try to foolish urself .. Bottom line is they r doing it all for money . Give me tht kind of money and I will do the traveling for next 1 year .. so all the complains etc r from journalists etc who never get tht amount of money ..