“How Can A Tournament Be Interrupted?” Sunil Gavaskar Targets BCCI, Then An ‘Old’ Comparison

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has lashed out at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for pushing the Ranji Trophy schedule “here and there”. Gavaskar criticised the new Ranji Trophy schedule, squeezed between two domestic white-ball tournaments, and accused the BCCI of no longer treating its premier red-ball tournament as the crown jewel. As per the current BCCI schedule, the Ranji Trophy will be played in two phases on either side of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

“How can a tournament be interrupted to accommodate a white-ball tournament?” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar. 

Gavaskar suggested that the SMAT, played under the T20 format, could be played at the start of the domestic season in September, but insisted that the BCCI prefers it to be held as close as possible to the IPL.

“…The rhythm and momentum get destroyed. Why is the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy not played till the quarterfinal, then a break for a few weeks, and then the semifinals and final, as it happens with the Ranji Trophy? It won’t be done because the auction for the IPL happens pretty soon after the tournament,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

“They won’t forget the performers even if the auction happens a couple of months later,” he added.

Gavaskar also said that the current BCCI ecosystem is slightly skewed due to the presence of “non-experts”, which has led to this mess in scheduling.

“In the old BCCI, there used to be a Technical Committee and a Fixtures Committee too. Experienced former players, umpires and administrators served on these committees, ensuring that cricket went smoothly. Something similar needs to be done, drawing on such experience and expertise. The Indian cricket ecosystem is slightly skewed at the moment, and this would help rebalance it,” said Gavaskar

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