The BCCI did not cover itself with glory while scheduling a Test match in Delhi during severe smog. Poor air quality was a concern for the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon in November and earlier during the Under-17 football World Cup. Despite these warnings, the BCCI remained in snooze mode, sound asleep – eyes closed and phone switched off.
The BCCI, of course, can't fix Delhi's air quality but being aware of the issues, could have moved the match out. Venues have been changed many times in the past at extremely short notice and if someone was on the button, a lot of embarrassment could have been avoided. Players retching on the field is bad for cricket, worse for India.
A look at the Ranji quarter-final venues shows the BCCI is still 'out of reach', and disappointingly disconnected on scheduling. No, it's not smog this time – just plain unconcern for fans, insensitivity to teams and disrespect for the national championship.
The monumental absurdity of scheduling of matches by the BCCI is illustrated by the bizarre choice of venues.
Karnataka and Mumbai – the top two teams in the tournament full of international players and exciting talent – are playing Ranji in Nagpur, home base of the Vidharbha team. But Vidharbha, also in the Ranji quarter-finals, are engaged with Kerala in Surat.
This is like a person being evicted from his house, or expelled, so that someone else can host a party there. The odd story does not end here. Vidharbha is forced to show up in Surat, Gujarat, but the Gujarat team and current Ranji champions is sent off to Jaipur!
Ranji teams are playing knockout games at strange venues because of BCCI's 'neutral venues' policy. Last season the BCCI decided Ranji will not be played at 'home' of either team, which meant all 27 teams led a nomadic life, banished from home and forced to pitch their tents at different places across the country.
This 'neutral venue' policy was to counter the practice of teams doctoring pitches to secure an unfair home advantage. But this became an example of a remedy being worse than the illness. If home teams fix the pitch the BCCI can easily sort out the matter by appointing its curators to ensure a fair contest. The BCCI is actually doing exactly this when matches are played at neutral venues, not trusting the local curators. With BCCI-appointed neutral curators in place there is no reason for the two competing teams to go to a third venue.
Last season, all the games were played on neutral territory but this October, Ranji reverted to the earlier home-away format. When the league stage can be played at home on pitches prepared by BCCI curators, why should they go elsewhere for the knockouts?
Match scheduling is important – both from the perspective of players and fans. Players like performing in front of people close to them, playing at places which are their own and where they’ve grown up. Fans identify with local stars, and youngsters get inspired by players they know.
The contest is riveting when Mumbai play Karnataka but interest in the game in Nagpur is limited. The same match, in Mumbai or Bangalore, would be a feast for fans. This would also be the case if Kerala – in Ranji knockouts for the first time ever – were allowed to play at home instead of distant Surat.
The 'neutral venue' obsession disrespects the fan and makes him peripheral to the game. It is a telling statement about his status, and exposes the 'fan first' policy of the BCCI to be a convenient slogan, not a serious intent.
Looking at the broader picture, it is clear domestic cricket desperately needs attention. But with the BCCI distracted by more urgent matters, Ranji seems to be zero priority at the moment.
(Amrit Mathur is a senior journalist, former GM of the BCCI and Manager of the Indian Cricket Team. He can be reached at @AmritMathur1)
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