11-29-2006, 12:17 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-rajesh_g+Nov 29 2006, 02:03 AM-->QUOTE(rajesh_g @ Nov 29 2006, 02:03 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->All that is well and good but the plain fact is that you have to know the conditions and simple fact is that we dont know the conditions. I am sure there would have been some study done somewhere that looks at the Indian team performance in NZ/SA/Aus, how long it takes for us to get acclimatised to the conditions, what are the advantages of having more first class matches in the beginning of the tour.
For a long time i have seen this trend -> Auz/SA/NZ tours are preceded by hardly any preparation and even in the case there is some preparation its pathetic. Cant remember the tour but the practise games were on a flat track and the first test, first innings pitch was a minefield. BCCI has huge clout over other boards, we should demand minefields for practice games and coerce the other fellows (esp Oz/NZ/SA) to provide us with ample practice games and a month of stay in these countries before the actual tour starts.
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The main problem is that BCCI themselves are apathetic about the necessity of practice games. The other day I heard Niranjan Shah, BCCI Secy. speak on TV. He says with so many matches the team is playing nowadays, they don't require to have more than one or two practice matches. As per Shah, since they have just played in Champions Trophy, that is adequate preparation for the South Africa tour. I think these guys are zombies. It's sad that such administrators are at the helm of Indian cricket, who don't understand cricket at all. They are more focussed on getting more matches in a calendar. Choice of matches is based upon revenue, plus they get every space on players and his accessories sponsored. While I understand the need for profits, all these seems to be mindless, without any larger vision for Indian cricket. What do they expect: that Indian cricket team will keep on losing and our interest will be at the same level. I rem'ber after the match fixing scandal, lot of people's interest in cricket went away. The same kind of attitude can creep in now, if BCCI doesn't remove its focus from money spinning to building Indian cricket.
For a long time i have seen this trend -> Auz/SA/NZ tours are preceded by hardly any preparation and even in the case there is some preparation its pathetic. Cant remember the tour but the practise games were on a flat track and the first test, first innings pitch was a minefield. BCCI has huge clout over other boards, we should demand minefields for practice games and coerce the other fellows (esp Oz/NZ/SA) to provide us with ample practice games and a month of stay in these countries before the actual tour starts.
[right][snapback]61483[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The main problem is that BCCI themselves are apathetic about the necessity of practice games. The other day I heard Niranjan Shah, BCCI Secy. speak on TV. He says with so many matches the team is playing nowadays, they don't require to have more than one or two practice matches. As per Shah, since they have just played in Champions Trophy, that is adequate preparation for the South Africa tour. I think these guys are zombies. It's sad that such administrators are at the helm of Indian cricket, who don't understand cricket at all. They are more focussed on getting more matches in a calendar. Choice of matches is based upon revenue, plus they get every space on players and his accessories sponsored. While I understand the need for profits, all these seems to be mindless, without any larger vision for Indian cricket. What do they expect: that Indian cricket team will keep on losing and our interest will be at the same level. I rem'ber after the match fixing scandal, lot of people's interest in cricket went away. The same kind of attitude can creep in now, if BCCI doesn't remove its focus from money spinning to building Indian cricket.