BCCI Appoints Chief Operating Officer for NCA

In apparently responding to Indian cricket skipper Virat Kohli s recent anguished call about increased workload it is another matter that he may have been talking about the pointless limited-over series against Sri Lanka the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has timed its shift in focus as admirably as an innovative stroke while couching it like a classical cover drive. Virat Kohli celebrates the dismissal of New Zealand batsman Colin Munro during a T20 match in New Delhi. AFP A grand illusion is being created for the players to believe that their workload will come down just because the number of playing days has been brought down by 20 per cent in the next Future Tours Programme (FTP). On the contrary it is very evident that the FTP is being designed with the revenue from broadcast partners in mind. Trust the marketing wizards to give us spiel talking loudly about the number of days having come down from 390 to 306 and only whispering about the number of matches going up from 51 to 81. Anyone who is ready to pause for a moment and consider the numbers in perspective will be able to see that there is no real reduction in the players workload. And anyone who has travelled with the Indian team will quickly tell you that the amount of travel will go up correspondingly leaving the players little time to recover from any fatigue that they may face on account of more frequent travel. With fewer Tests scheduled over the next four years the days of cricket carnival pitching camp in a city for a week and more will become rare. Imagine the players having to take 81 pairs of flights in the period instead of the 51 pairs imagine them having to check-in and out of hotels 81 times instead of 51. Imagine them waking up in newer cities more often each year than they have thus far when Test cricket held its own including over the past decade when Twenty20 (T20) cricket has become the proverbial camel in the Arab s tent. Curiously the BCCI mandarins including the Committee of Administrators (COA) Chairman Vinod Rai armed themselves with a defence that centres around a recent discussion with Kohli former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (who doesn t play Test cricket anymore) and Head Coach Ravi Shastri. It is a good wager that while the trio was told about the likelihood of the number of days of international cricket coming down little mention was made of the rise in the number of limited-over matches each year. It perhaps means that the durability of a lot of Test records may be strengthened with such a tactical shift in focus towards limited-over cricket. Yet there is no doubt that the economy revolving around cricket will benefit from the increase in number of matches. Clearly the official broadcasters can benefit from having to sell more matches but fewer Tests. They are being guaranteed more playing days than perhaps they would have in times when not all Tests last five days. The early warnings were available when Star Sports acquired Indian Premier League (IPL) media rights for a mind-boggling sum of Rs 16 347.5 crore over five years. In justifying such a bid Star India CEO Uday Shankar had told Indian Express in September this year that broadcasters would kill each other to bid for Test rights if the stadiums would be magically full . Test cricket has a two-fold problem. Most of the Tests people find meaningless. Even today when India and Pakistan play or England and Australia play people get excited about it because there s a context. Most of Test cricket there s no context. Second problem with Test cricket is that there s too much of it Uday Shankar had said. The new FTP is a reaction to such number-crunching that knows no old-fashioned emotion. It could also be BCCI s response to the growing threats such as European football leagues NBA and leagues of other Indian football badminton and even kabaddi. Evidently BCCI does not see itself as the conscience keeper of Test cricket around the world. You would have expected the International Cricket Council (ICC) which had restricted the number of T20s in bilateral series to protect its own ICC World T20 speak up for Test cricket. But there is word that it has opened a window for IPL. The dwindling number of Test cricket aficionados will be left lamenting the rationing of the ultimate form of the game. They may perhaps have to look around fervently to see if there is some wonderful meaning and context to the bilateral limited-overs series. Of course all cricket is essentially a contest between willow and leather and die-hard fans of Test cricket will have to come around to look for similarities in the ebbs and flows of the limited-overs game. And for cricket s grammar to change. Published Date: Dec 13 2017 08:45 am | Updated Date: Dec 13 2017 08:45 am Tags : #Cricket #Ftp #Icc #India cricket #Ipl #Sportstracker #Star india #T20 cricket #Test cricket #Uday shankar By: Express Web Desk | Updated: December 12 2017 8:09 am Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma married in Italy on Monday. Related News Inside pictures from Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma s post-wedding DJ partyHere s how British cricketer who had once proposed to Virat Kohli reacted to his wedding with Anushka SharmaAnushka Sharma-Virat Kohli designer wedding: Sabyasachi reveals how he weaved magicVirat Kohli and Anushka Sharma officially announced their marriage from Italy on Monday. It had been long speculated that India cricket team captain and Bollywood actress will tie the knot but no date was confirmed by the couple. However the official announcement was made on Monday. The two tied the knot in Italy. A TV channel also reported that a reception will be held in New Delhi on December 21 Kohli had request the Board of Control for Cricket in India for a break from international cricket and was given rest from the upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka which will be played in India. He will not feature in the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka which began on December on 10 and will finish on December 23. Both Kohli and Anushka posted messages on twitter which read Today we have promised each other to be bound in love for ever. We are truly blessed to share the news with you.This beautiful day will be made more special with the love and support of our family of fans & well wishers. Thank you for being such an important part of our journey Today we have promised each other to be bound in love for ever. We are truly blessed to share the news with you.This beautiful day will be made more special with the love and support of our family of fans & well wishers. Thank you for being such an important part of our journey. pic.twitter.com/aobTUwMNAK Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) 11 December 2017 OMG My hands are SHIVERINGGGGG #VirushkaWedding pic.twitter.com/BSU15PLJHd Mrs.Anushka Kohli (@dharshana_maddy) 11 December 2017 Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma married in Italy. (Express photo by Varinder Chawla) Anushka was seen at the Mumbai airport on Friday and there were romours that she was flying to Italy for the wedding but her spokesperson denied it. Her family and guru were also seen which raised the doubt about the wedding in Italy. Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma. Kohli s request for rest due to personal reasons and Anushka flying to Italy made the rumours stronger. It was also reported that Kohli s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma had also applied for leave from his job of coachin Delhi U-23 team. After the Sri Lanka series India are scheduled to tour South Africa in January and Kohli will lead the team Indian cricket team there. Reports say that the couple will host a reception on December 26 in Mumbai which will have cricketers politicians and film stars. The Indian team will fly for South Africa on December 27. For all the latest Sports News download Indian Express App IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd More Related News Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma reception: Guest list venue date time After Virat Kohli Anushka Sharma s wedding this Twitter thread on Virat Ki Baraat takes Internet by storm Tags: anushka sharma Virat Kohli Teams: India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c) Shikhar Dhawan Shreyas Iyer Dinesh Karthik Manish Pandey MS Dhoni(w) Hardik Pandya Washington Sundar Bhuvneshwar Kumar Jasprit Bumrah Yuzvendra Chahal Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Danushka Gunathilaka Upul Tharanga Lahiru Thirimanne Angelo Mathews Niroshan Dickwella(w) Asela Gunaratne Thisara Perera(c) Sachith Pathirana Suranga Lakmal Akila Dananjaya Nuwan Pradeep TOSS: Sri Lanka win toss and opt bowl first vs India at the PCA Stadium Mohali Debut for Washington Sundar. Head coach Ravi Shastri has handed over the cap. Get live cricket score updates ball by ball commentary and scorecard of 2nd ODI between India and Sri Lanka on Times of India FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG HERE PREVIEW Rarely does one get to witness the scoreboard reading 29/7 in a One-day International especially in the batting-friendly conditions that India offers. But this happened in Dharamsala and the Indian batsmen were blown away by Suranga Lakmal and the rest of the Sri Lankan speedsters. This prompted the Indian batsmen to put in that much extra a day before the second One-dayer between the two teams at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium here. The practice wickets at the nets also had a tinge of green so that the exact conditions that the players would get in the middle could be simulated. Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan were the first to go. The experienced duo batted for more than 40 minutes on the four different wickets. One was for throw-downs one for the spinners and two for fast bowlers where on one the Indian pacers bowled while on the other local speedsters tested the Indian batsmen. A while after Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer joined Dhawan and Sharma. The four rotated among themselves with each getting about 15 minutes on one practice wicket. Dinesh Karthik and Manish Pandey also got their share of practice before MS Dhoni came in for his bit. Dhoni who was the saving grace for the Indian team in Dharamsala got some of those booming lofted shots going. One of them narrowly missed a press photographer who was trying to capture the former Indian captain in full flow. Local boy Siddarth Kaul got to bowl for a considerable length of time and coach Ravi Shastri was seen keeping a keen eye on him. According to sources in the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Shastri also asked a local official about Kaul. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to send some domestic fast bowlers along with the chosen five Bhuvneshwar Kumar Ishant Sharma Umesh Yadav Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah to South Africa so that the Indian batters get adequate practice before the first Test in Cape Town. The BCCI had earlier cancelled the only practice game before the first Test and decided to have only quality nets sessions. The Sri Lankans are on a high and a win here would give them an unlikely series triumph. Lankan skipper Thisara Perera wanted a Dharamsala-like performance from his team in Mohali. It is a good opportunity to win the series. Not many teams have won series in India. We want to do something special like we did in Dharamsala he said on the eve of the match. This team without Kohli Ashwin Jadeja and Ishant has a fragile look. The pitch has a tinge of green and an 11.30 morning start coupled with overcast conditions will surely influence the decision of either captain at the toss. Perera though just like in Dharamsala felt the track was batting friendly. It looks like a good batting track he said. There were overnight rains on Tuesday and that means the wicket is bound to retain some moisture. India vs Sri Lanka 2017 Live Score Live Cricket Score Cricket Score Live Ind vs SL Live Score Ind sv SL Live Cricket Score Cricket Live The match day though has no rain predictions; although it is going to remain gloomy cloudy and murky throughout the day. For the Lankans it is a chance to get hold of a rare series victory. The Indians on the other hand will look to avenge the loss in Dharamsala. 17:58 (IST) So that s all that we have for the moment. Not a happy day for India. They will have to as Shakira famously sang pick themselves up dust themselves up and be back on the saddle. But that won t be one bit easy. This defeat means that India would not be able to overtake South Africa at the top of the ODI rankings even if they win the series. Next stop will be Mohali in three days time and it will be an 11.30 start there too. Catch you then. Till then good bye. Full Scorecard By: Express News Service | Dehradun | Updated: December 10 2017 9:04 am Nautiyal groused that the UPCA gets several crores as grants from the board but allocates a meagre sum to the Dehradun District Cricket Association. Top News Don t hesitate to bluff voters Karnataka BJP leader tells workers17 year old missing from Thane found dead in MatheranJharkhand ex-CM Madhu Koda others found guilty in coal scam caseUttarakhand Cricket Association (UCA) secretary Divya Nautiyal has alleged that the feuding local cricket bodies and the misguiding Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) have imperilled their hopes of getting the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) affiliation which means funds and other support from the mother body. Resultantly as many as 20 cricketers from the state are plying for other states and several of them had given up the sport because of the same reasons pointed out Nautiyal. Strangely the Dehradun District Cricket Association (DDCA) is listed as an affiliate of the UPCA which also gives it Rs 5 lakh for training cricketers every year he said. Nautiyal groused that the UPCA gets several crores as grants from the board but allocates a meagre sum to the DDCA. He alleged that the UP body in the guise of training young cricketers of Uttarakhand was poaching talented cricketers from the state. He also claimed that since 2014 the UPCA has been holding its working committee meetings in Dehradun when earlier the annual meets of the UPCA would happen in Kanpur. Since 2009 they have been trying to unite the various factions of the UCA so that they can press for BCCI s affiliation he informed. In 2009 the members met Arun Jaitley who was then BCCI s vice-president in Mumbai to push their case but the stubbornness of the faction put paid to their aspirations. They made another attempt to unite them last month this year but the interference of a few foiled the attempt Nautiyal said. He also alleged that not even the efforts of a two-member BCCI committee comprising former cricketer Anshuman Gaekwad and Prakash Dixit formed last year could salvage the situation. They organised a meeting with all cricket associations in Uttarakhand but the politics of various factions jeopardised their prospects he insisted. Moving court On November 22 this year though he approached the Supreme Court based on which the apex court directed the BCCI to resolve the long-pending issue. While the next hearing is scheduled for January 12 the BCCI has not yet initiated action he said. He also claimed that his team is equipped enough for the Ranji Trophy and was only waiting for the board s nod. Cricket coaches Ashok Ghildiyal Anil Dobhal major general (retd) Digvijay Singh Mahendra Kaushal Shiv Painuly and other office bearers of UCA were also present in the press meet. For all the latest Sports News download Indian Express App More Top News Inside pictures from Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma s post-wedding DJ party Power and insecurity By: PTI | Jaipur | Updated: December 8 2017 7:09 pm Gujarat lost their opening duo of Priyank Panchal (4) and Samit Gohil (0) with only 17 runs on the board. (source: File) Related News Ranji Trophy 2017: Seminal show takes Vidarbha into a historic semi-finalRanji Trophy 2017: Bengal in semi-final to clash with DelhiRanji Trophy 2017: Gautam Gambhir s 95 guides Delhi to semi-finalB Amit s all-round prowess and Aamir Gani s useful contribution at the rear propelled Bengal to a commanding position against defending champions Gujarat after the second day of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final. In reply to Bengal s respectable first innings score of 354 beefed up by Aamir (49) and Amit (34) Gujarat were in a spot of bother at 180 for six. After his contribution with the bat Amit picked up three for 46 with his gentle medium pace to put the Ranji champions on the mat. He was ably supported by India U-19 Ishan Porel (2/55). Gujarat lost their dependable opening duo of Priyank Panchal (4) and Samit Gohil (0) to Porel and Ashok Dinda respectively with only 17 runs on the board but then controlled the proceedings due to Parthiv Patel (47) and Bharghav Merai (67). The duo added 107 runs for the third wicket in only 30 overs. Patel hit seven boundaries in 95 balls while Merai faced 116 balls for his eight fours. Things went downhill after Parthiv got dismissed as Gujarat lost four wickets for 20 runs during that phase of play. Porel induced an edge off Parthiv straight into Shreevats Goswami s gloves. Former IPL and India A player Manprit Juneja (10) was deceived by an incutter from Amit being trapped in front of the wicket. Merai well set by then was bowled by Amit and he also removed Chirag Gandhi who nicked an outswinger into Shreevats gloves. Gujarat required 175 runs more to get a first innings lead with four wickets in hand. The experienced pair of Rujul Bhatt (13 batting) and Piyush Chawla (22) were at the crease at stumps on day two. With three days left the defending champions still have a good chance of making a comeback considering that Bengal batting in the past have faltered in big games despite getting first-innings lead. The day started at 261 for six and the pair of Amit and Aamir added 58 invaluable runs for the seventh wicket to take the team past 300-run mark. Amit scored 36 off 59 balls with seven fours before he became Ishwar Chaudhary s (5/87) fourth victim. Gani who missed his half-century by a run hit eight boundaries off 109 balls before being the last man dismissed. Brief Scores Bengal 1st Innings 354 in 111.5 overs (Abhimanyu Easwaran 129 Anushtup Majumdar 94 Aamir Gani 49 B Amit 36 Ishwar Chaudhary 5/87) Gujarat 1st Innings 180/6 in 59 overs (Bharghav Merai 67 Parthiv Patel 47 B Amit 3/46). For all the latest Sports News download Indian Express App More Related News Ranji Trophy 2017: Vidarbha slam Kerala by 412 runs to book semi-final berth Ranji Trophy 2017: Gautam Gambhir shines as Delhi seal semis berth Tags: Ranji Trophy 2017