Reports | Team India not in favour of long tours

Reports | Team India not in favour of long tours

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BCCI

As per reports, Virat Kohli and company aren't very fond of going on long tours in the future and would rather have them in short breaks like England, Australia, and South Africa prefer. Earlier, Kohli had spoken about the tight scheduling between series that gives lesser rest time to the players.

Indian cricket team has played 10 Tests, 26 ODIs and 10 T20Is so far this year apart from the two-month long IPL, and they are yet to play one Test, three ODIs and three T20Is before the end of 2017. Compared to them, England have played eight Tests, 20 ODIs and 7 T20Is so far, while Australia have played eight Tests, 15 ODIs and five T20s. 

The jam-packed schedule has forced many to raise their voice against it with head coach Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli becoming the latest names. The Sri Lanka series will be followed by an almost two-month-long South Africa tour that will feature three Tests, 6 ODIs and three T20Is, and the skipper launched a direct attack on the board citing it prior to the Nagpur Test, highlighting the lack of rest issue.

Sources privy to TOI has revealed that Kohli, former skipper MS Dhoni, and coach Ravi Shastri had a very detailed discussion with the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) in New Delhi on Thursday. In the meeting, the Indian skipper reiterated the changes that are needed in the current situation.

"There needs to be proper time given to warm-ups ahead of big tours and enough time to acclimatise. The team management has been very specific about this," said the source.

The Indian team management wants the international cricket scheduling in a manner so that the players can get enough time to get back their intensity ahead of the next series. After the current and former players came in support of Kohli, CoA included this issue on priority in the latest meeting. It was also learned that instead of long tours, the team wants to opt for the short touring format that England, Australia, and South Africa follow.

For instance, when England visited India for playing Tests in December last year they didn't stay back for the shorter formats, for which they returned India in January after the Christmas break. The Indian team management would like to opt for a similar procedure.

Kohli, Dhoni, and Shastri were reportedly pleased with the manner in which the meeting headed. CoA head Vinod Rai has also stated that this was only a proposal and the decision will only be taken after it goes through the finance committee of the BCCI. 

"The CoA can only recommend", said those present at the meeting.

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