No guidelines sent to curators for Ranji Trophy this season, asserts BCCI chief curator Ashish Bhowmick

With the Ranji Trophy already on our doorsteps, kicking off on December 9, curators are still in quite a fix over the nature of the pitches for the tournament as Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) hasn’t provided any guidelines. BCCI has adopted the method of appointing neutral curators, since the last three years, to maintain the sanctity and standard of India’s premier first class tournament.

Throwing light on the issue of not providing guidelines and workshops, BCCI chief curator Ashish Bhowmick shared that the board has made it clear that they are looking for “sporting and result-oriented pitches” while there has been no changes to the guidelines.

"No guidelines have been sent this year. We have spoken to the curators. We have asked them to prepare sporting and result-oriented pitches. I can't divulge any further detail," Bhowmick told TOI. "The basic idea is to stick with the same guidelines as last year.”

However a senior BCCI curator has voiced his concern over the matter as he pointed out that lack of workshops can lead to ambiguity and opined that the challenges which pop up every year should be discussed.

"Till last year, every curator from all the association would be called for workshop good 20 days before the tournament and a whole lot of issues would be discussed. The guidelines would arrive two weeks before the first match.

"Last year, curators were shown videos of how spinners got bite on Australian and English pitches from the third day onwards. Depending on conditions prevailing in each region, length of having grass used to be discussed. There is to be differences and that would be talked out," a senior BCCI curator said.