Indian Cricket Merry-Go-Round To Start Again
By Gaurang
July 3 2012
After a short lull, the Indian cricket carousel is about to start again. And it is likely to be quite a mish-mash of formats. Let the music begin...
India play Sri Lanka in 5 ODIs starting in less than 20 days. With the weather in Sri Lanka likely to be wet, it may turn out to be mostly a damp squib, which will be a blessing in disguise. The real challenge in Lanka will be the ICC Twenty20 Cup. India performed dismally last time in the World Twenty20 Cup so the bar is very low. Nevertheless, despite the IPL pedigree of most of the Indian players... one does not hold much hope for India in that format.
Following their sojourn to the Emerald Isle, India return home to take on New Zealand, who have not been offered a single warm up game by the BCCI. It is straight to two Tests and then the limited over stuff. Money talks and the Kiwis apparently don't have much of it, so they are offered the bare minimum to meet ICC requirements, and then sent packing.
After that it is the real meat and potatoes, or should we say roti and saag, of the season, the tour by the current (and maybe then still current) number one Test team in the world. The English unlike the Kiwis have money, so they are offered a full tour with three first class matches before the first Test, plus several other warm ups for the other formats interspersed in the tour which features 4 Tests, 2 Twenty20s and the inevitable 5 ODIs, over a period of two months or so. Almost a proper old fashioned tour, except the multitude of side games is replaced by Twenty20 and ODIs, to fill even further the already overflowing coffers of the BCCI.
Well, there will be something for fans of all forms of the game, from the traditional five day Tests to Twenty20 slugfests. One only hopes that such a mish-mash of cricketing fare doesn't result in a bout of severe indigestion for the long suffering Indian cricket fan, the true driver of the game's fortunes not just in India but globally.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:08:02:16:12:49 by Birbal.
They give us one match, typically a 2-day game against their worst possible domestic side, and usually on a pitch 180 degrees opposite to the one used for the first Test.
We need to throw some of that slyness back in their faces. None of the test players, none of the up and comers, should be playing them in these first class matches.
Quote:Birbal
Does seem overly generous... but then we are like that only...
well ECB has this aura about themselves...we don't care for money and do things the proper way.....so we will spend time practising.....so BCCI gave them 3 practise games when they came for ODIs last time against some academy in Hyderabad.......and they walloped that B grade Hyd team.....in every game....to themselves get walloped 5-0 later
England used to do the same but now they put a bit more time in getting prepared before the first test match. Before the last Ashes series, I think they were in Australia for over a month before the first test.
NZ are not super busy, and could come early, but they have not been offered any warm up games AT ALL... that is really quite pathetic... but guess beggars can't be choosers...
