New FTP to be a balanced one claims the BCCI

The ICC members are scheduled for a meeting in a workshop in order to finalize the Future Tour Programme and other issues in Singapore on 7th and 8th December. As per the BCCI, they have drafted a plan which will protect players interests as well as the BCCI’s revenue.

India has played as many as 60 international games ever since the start of the 2016-17 home season across all the formats. In the past, Indian skipper Virat Kohli has been critical of the fact that their work-load has increased a lot. Former Indian captain and wicketkeeper MS Dhoni too had stressed on the same.

“I am not a Robot, I too need rest”, Virat had said before the start of the first Test of the three-match Test series. Similarly, wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni too had stated that for better and consistent performance, the players do need enough break.

Kohli along with Dhoni had earlier met Chief of CoA Vinod Rai to convey their points regarding the workload as well as their salaries. After the meeting, Rai while speaking to media had said, “We had an extensive discussion with the players and spoke to them on the number of matches they play, the Future Tour Programme (FTP) and compensation package etc. The discussions were fruitful.”

“In the last one-and-a-half years, we have played mostly at home,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. As per the official, in the next FTP, there will be a balance in a number of home and away games. “In the next 18 months, we are going to play mainly away. But in the new FTP, we have kept a balance between home and away series every year. Secondly, there won’t be longer tours with both long and short formats combined,” the official said.

In the new FTP, the Test Championship and ODI league matches will also be added which are scheduled in the year 2019 and 2020. Test Championship is scheduled to start after the 2019 World Cup.

BCCI chief Rahul Johri had earlier met ECB and CA heads to discuss the scheduling of the series. According to the official, BCCI in their document, have already mentioned their choices about the team and time for the tours. “BCCI has already put in what, who and when it wants to play, leaving the rest of the world to work around it,” the official said to ESPNcricinfo.

India will play 3 or 5 match Test series with Australia, England, and South Africa only while with rest of the members, they will play two Tests in a series. The official said, “We have taken advantage of the fact that we have to play six countries in two years at home or away. The word ‘or’ is important because that shows we can balance the series.”

CoA head Rai who had a few meeting earlier in the year with skipper Kohli, Dhoni, and India coach Ravi Shashtri regarding the compensation as well as the workload. As per Rai, Kohli and Co have agreed with the new FTP which was shown to them which includes a number of days they will be on the national duty. “We have made a presentation to the players where the number of days per year is mentioned clearly in the new FTP,” Rai had said to ESPNcricinfo. And since the skipper had agreed with the presentation, Rai mentioned, “So the workload is manageable.”