Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly has written to the presidents and secretaries of all member state associations updating them about the senior men's team's international schedule and the Indian Premier League. The letter, dated August 20, however, did not say when the domestic cricket activities are expected to resume amid the prevailing pandemic situation in India.
"We are happy to inform all our members that the BCCI will be hosting the IPL 2020 in the UAE from September 19 till November 10, 2020. We have taken all necessary precautionary measures to make sure that the IPL goes on smoothly," the letter said.
Interestingly, Ganguly termed the present domestic cricket period as "off season", even though domestic cricket activities, including training camps usually resume August onwards in India. "In the domestic cricket context, we are currently in the off season and BCCI is making all efforts to ensure that domestic cricket resumes as and when the conditions permit. The health and safety of our players and all others involved in domestic cricket is of the utmost performance to BCCI and we are constantly monitoring all aspects. All members will be duly informed about the future course of action and suggestions will be taken before we resume domestic cricket. We are hopeful that Covid-19 situation will improve over the next few months and we will be able to start domestic cricket in a safe and healthy environment," Ganguly said in his letter.
Some state associations have reopened their facilities for physical training on the ground while maintaining social distancing norms and following the necessary guidelines of the state governments. But largely, most cricketers—men and women—are training individually all over the country.
Ganguly informed the state associations that Indian (men's) cricket team and BCCI will continue to fulfill its international commitments, as per the FTP. He said the Indian men's team's tour to Australia in December and a home series against England in February 2021 are on course as per the schedule. The BCCI will also look to host IPL 2021 in the usual April-May window.
Sadly, even as he provided a detailed itinerary of the men's team, the BCCI president concluded the women's international and domestic commitments in a cursory single sentence. "The tours of the senior Indian women's teams are also under discussion and more details will be shared shortly," said the BCCI president.
Ganguly-led BCCI came in for sharp criticism for cancelling the Indian women's team's tour to England in July. The women's team has played no cricket ever since their campaign in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup ended in March. Cricket activities have started in England and the BCCI—the world's richest cricket body—could have afforded a pre-series camp-cum-quarantine in England, but short-sightedness when it comes to women's cricket continues to prevail.
The stinging criticism from both within and outside over the board's lackadaisical approach towards women's cricket, led the BCCI to announce that the women's three-match T20 challenge would take place alongside IPL in the UAE, but that was seen as too little, too late.
It is to be noted that the ICC has already postponed the Women's World Cup, scheduled to be held in January-February 2021 in New Zealand.
Ganguly conveyed to BCCI members that it has retained the right to host the ICC T20 WC in 2021 and the ICC Men's World Cup in 2023.
