MUMBAI: The BCCI’s question on tournaments that can be conducted in what is going to be a curtailed domestic cricket season has drawn a mixed response, but the odds appear to be on the side of only white ball cricket events being held.
In an email to all the state associations on Monday, BCCI secretary Jay Shah had asked the state associations to choose between four options for organizing a curtailed season of domestic cricket due to COVID-19. The options: only Ranji Trophy, only T20s, Ranji Trophy and T20s, T20s and one-dayers. The associations had been asked to choose one and reply by Wednesday, December 2.
Saurashtra, domestic heavyweights Mumbai and Tamil Nadu, along with Baroda and Punjab, are reportedly in favour of playing primarily the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (one-dayers) and the Vijay Hazare tournaments (T20s), while Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Jharkhand are among those for Ranji and T20s.
The BCCI has set tentative dates for these tournaments — December 20-January 11 for T20s, January 11-March 18 for Ranji Trophy and January 11-February 7 for one-dayers. ESPNcricinfo reports that it is more or less certain that in all tournaments, matches will be held in six cities, which have three venues with broadcast facilities.
However, in a related development, the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) has advised the BCCI not to start the curtailed domestic season before January 2021, so that teams can prepare accordingly. With permission yet to come from their state governments, many domestic teams are yet to hold their pre-season camps for physical fitness and cricket skills.
SCA president Jaydev Shah, in an email (accessed by Times of India) to the BCCI secretary, has written: “It is indeed immensely challenging to organise the BCCI’s domestic tournaments in prevailing situation. Any tournament must start from January 2021 onwards only. This will give enough time to every member association to have the required preparation of teams etc. Starting from December 2020 could be too early, as we have so far not called any players for training etc under the prevailing situation.”
Coming back to the options being offered, of the 10 associations, New Indian Express spoke to, five want the fourth option, which is Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy. Five of them prefer the option of Ranji Trophy and Mushtaq Ali.
With an IPL auction likely early next year and the T20 World Cup towards the end of it, the state associations are expected to lean towards Mushtaq Ali And Vijay Hazare.
ESPNcricinfo reports that most states have asked the BCCI to make their decision soon and provide the tournament dates so that they can pick the teams accordingly. They have also sought details of the bio-secure hubs, where the teams would be based during a domestic tournament, and quarantine requirements.
