Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) for prioritising the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) over the Ranji Trophy.
Writing his exclusive column for Sportstar, Gavaskar expressed his disappointment at the lack of importance given to India’s most prestigious domestic tournament, the Ranji Trophy. While Phase 1 of the Ranji Trophy will be played in October and November, Phase 2 will commence in January and conclude in March.
Between these two phases, SMAT will be conducted between November and December, with the IPL Auction scheduled in late December, allowing franchises to sign top players from the white-ball domestic campaign.
“After the league stage of the Ranji Trophy, there’s a gap of over a month for the white-ball tournaments, after which the Ranji Trophy knockout starts. 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.
“How can a tournament be interrupted to accommodate a white-ball tournament? The Ranji Trophy national championship needs to be given pride of place again, rather than being pushed around here and there as it has been over the past few years,” he added.
Gavaskar also warned the BCCI of the implications of neglecting red-ball cricket, stating that giving more focus to white-ball cricket will prove counterproductive in the end.
“Ignoring domestic cricket to focus on international cricket will prove counterproductive in the end. Most importantly, if red-ball cricket is neglected, then the chances of producing top-class players will reduce considerably. Look at the current Indian teams, and you will find that just about every player has come through the fire of red-ball cricket. Red-ball cricket gives a grounding that white-ball cricket hardly ever does,” he wrote.
