India to play two tour matches in Australia

[Sir john]

BCCI accepts Kumble's suggestion(three warm-up games in their series against Australia later this year.) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is said to have accepted the suggestion made by former Indian captain and current president of the Karnataka Cricket Association (KCA), Anil Kumble, to include three warm-up games in their series against Australia later this year. Kumble's proposal to include two more first class games to the one already scheduled ahead of the opening Boxing Day (Dec 26) Test at Melbourne came at the Board's working committee meeting here on Monday. Kumble said that if only one first-class game is fixed only 11 players will be able to play in it and he wanted all 16 touring members to have a competitive game before the start of the Test series by having more games. His suggestion has been accepted, sources told PTI. The Indian squad, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, played a lone first class game against Somerset during the ongoing tour of England before sliding to massive defeats in the first three Tests to also lose its No. 1 Test ranking whichit had held on to for more than a year-and-a-half. The sources also conceded it will be a tricky task for the Board to try and add more first-class games in the tune-up to the tour as there was hardly any time gap between the conclusion of the home ODI series against the West Indies and the departure of the team to Australia. The BCCI has also written to Cricket Australia that the first-class game that is already scheduled should not be reduced to a club-level affair as it clashed with the commencement of the country's Big Bash T20 tournament. The Board has already written (to Cricket Australia) that it should not be reduced to club-level cricket with the top players not playing, the sources said. The lone warm-up game is to be played against Cricket Australia Chairman's XI from December 18-21 at Manuka Oval in Canberra, before the opening contest of the four-match Test series. India play the four Tests back-to-back from December 26, 2011 to January 28, 2012 at Melbourne, Sydney Perth and Adelaide. India are then set to play two T20 Internationals on February 1 and 3 at Sydney and Melbourne before taking part in a triangular ODI series also featuring the hosts and Sri Lanka between February 5 and March 8.

[Ultimate_Game]

Finally some common sense. That's why we need more people like Kumbles, Vengsarkars, Prasads etc. running cricket and not the likes of Pawars and Deshmukhs.

[saneindian]

2 additional practice matches (Hope they are 3 day fixtures and not a 2 day farce) woudl mean adding minimum 10 days to the tour. TO do either they will have to do away with the ODI series against WI or pick a young team for the ODIs with the leading 13-14 Australia bound players not being picked. They did this during the NZ series last year could certainly do it once again.

[DomainK]

I can not express how happy this makes me. It took a disaster in England tour for this to happen, but it has finally happened. I am sure we will soon regain the no1 position.

[Trichromatic]

It would help team to assess fitness of players and give team a chance to test all bowlers/new batsmen.

2 additional practice matches (Hope they are 3 day fixtures and not a 2 day farce) woudl mean adding minimum 10 days to the tour. TO do either they will have to do away with the ODI series against WI or pick a young team for the ODIs with the leading 13-14 Australia bound players not being picked. They did this during the NZ series last year could certainly do it once again.

Very few young players take part in test matches. Sachin, Dravid, Laxman, Sehwag, Gambhir, PK, Ishant and MSD should be free before ODI series or at least they shouldn't be allowed to play after 2nd or 3rd match. I hope that BCCI takes more decisions to help the team.

[Guest Gunner]

I hope they cancel this tour game farce. Hopefully CA will refuse

[Dravid]

wouldnt adding more tour games, just add up to more game played? isnt that the ***ing issue?

[Moncy]

:yay::yay::yay::yay: Finally, some good news!!!! :D

[ganeshran]

If we lose the first match, can we claim it was a try - match :D

[ShanS]

:yay::yay: Better late than never they say!

[asterix]

Great news.. Thanks to Kumble. Hope the team takes these tour matches seriously to prepare for the bigger matches.

[Vijay.Sharma]

:yay: :yay: :yay: :yay:

[Andy]

Thats why you need the Kumbles and Gangulys in BCCI.

[rajmarie]

Looks like BCCI is trying to arrange these games after the fans & media backlash after their continuing idiotic schedule & 1 1st class games schedule for some time. Now after Eng tour debacle....r reacting....& hopefully now 3 3-day games in Aus can be arranged. Hoping that the ODI series with WI is scrapped. Only Test. Kumble should start getting into more BCCI activities. WTF Ganguly is doing on TV...get into CAB & then into BCCI....We need more good & smart board member & idiots like Rajiv Shukla types. Vengsarkar should also get into some higher position within BCCI. I likes the Indian team when he was selector.

[mishra]

If we lose the first match' date=' can we claim it was a try - match :D[/quote'] Yeah, I remember "Try Ball" concept each time you get out on first ball . I am completely with you on this suggestion :haha:

[asterix]

I agree.. Ganguly should try for CAB top post and do something for East zone and Indian cricket..

[Clarke]

wouldnt adding more tour games' date=' just add up to more game played? isnt that the ***ing issue?[/quote'] The best case scenario is to have multiple tour games when: a) The players are relatively fresh while beginning the tour and not tired after months of non stop cricket. b) The fitness standards of the squad are above average. This should hopefully prevent the first day hamstring injuries and those related to playing soccer.

[Guest Gunner]

Yeah, I remember "Try Ball" concept each time you get out on first ball . I am completely with you on this suggestion :haha:

I had the same thoughts when Sehwag got his king pair :P

[jonas10]

What does Kumble know about cricket? They should let the bureaucrats and politicians do their job after all they have watched hundreds of matches and Kumble has only played in hundreds of matches.

[Andy]

Looks like BCCI is trying to arrange these games after the fans & media backlash after their continuing idiotic schedule & 1 1st class games schedule for some time. Now after Eng tour debacle....r reacting....& hopefully now 3 3-day games in Aus can be arranged. Hoping that the ODI series with WI is scrapped. Only Test. Kumble should start getting into more BCCI activities. WTF Ganguly is doing on TV...get into CAB & then into BCCI....We need more good & smart board member & idiots like Rajiv Shukla types. Vengsarkar should also get into some higher position within BCCI. I likes the Indian team when he was selector.

I still maintain that I would like to get into cricket administration at some stage, but I am in no tearing hurry. I agreed to take up the post at Barisha because itÃÔ our para (neighbourhood) club and I have a long association with them. I represented Mohammedan Sporting at the CAB in 2010-11. I am looking forward to representing Barisha next season.

SAUCE