MUMBAI: This is a refreshing change from the recent go-to of Board of Control for Cricket in India bigwigs talking to their favoured media contacts with “nothing official about it”. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has written a letter to all affiliate units that the Indian cricket board “will do everything to restart the domestic season once the COVID-19 situation is under control”.
The latter followed a day after the BCCI on Tuesday postponed (cancelled?) the Ranji Trophy, Col C K Nayudu Trophy & Senior Women’s T20 League for the 2021-22 season in the “wake of the rising COVID-19 cases in the country”.
The Ranji Trophy and Col C K Nayudu Trophy were scheduled to begin this month while the Senior Women’s T20 League was scheduled to commence in February.
“As you are aware, we had to put on hold the currently on-going domestic season due to the worsening COVID-19 situation,” Ganguly wrote in a mail to presidents and secretaries of all the state units, which was accessed by PTI.
“The COVID cases are rapidly increasing and there were multiple positive cases in many teams. It posed an imminent threat to the health and safety of players, officials and all others related to the running of the tournaments.
“The BCCI would like to reassure that it will do everything to restart the domestic season once the COVID situation is under control.
“We are committed to holding the remaining tournaments for this season. The Board will shortly come back to you with a revised plan.
“I thank you for your support and understanding. Please look after yourself and stay safe and healthy.”
All well and good, but Ganguly’s letter is no more than assurances with no real time frame put in place as to possible alternative dates. A case in point being the All India Football Federation which had suspended the ongoing hero I-League for six weeks, with a situation review due after four weeks.
It bears noting that India’s premier domestic tournament did not happen in the 2020-2021 season as well due to the pandemic.
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