Speaking mid-way into this season’s Ranji Trophy, words failed former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief N Srinivasan when asked to comment on the mismanagement in the organization of the ‘mega’ 2018-19 domestic season that has left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. All he could come up with was ‘sad’. There were promises of a professional approach with 2017 matches set to be played across the three-formats — four-day, one-dayer and T20 — with the introduction of nine new teams making it a 37-team affair.

But what has remained is an unprofessional approach, lack of expertise to handle situations and in some cases utter disregard for the magnanimity of the tournaments. As reported by Hindustan Times earlier, illegal player transfer, mid-season rule changes, postponement of tournaments due to lack of umpires and lack of infrastructure marred the season.

If all the catastrophe during the conduct of the biggest tournament in the domestic calendar — Ranji Trophy — wasn’t enough, the lack of any BCCI representative to hand Vidarbha skipper Faiz Fazal the trophy when the defending champions beat Saurashtra in Nagpur on Thursday came as a shocker. It once again showed how the current dispensation has found it difficult to provide the ‘professional’ touch that was promised.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, a senior board official rued the step-motherly treatment and said that while everyone wants to be present during the final of the Indian Premier League, this attitude towards the Ranji Trophy is uncalled for.

“When there is an IPL final, we find invitations being sent out by the BCCI to all board members and office bearers to come and attend it. No such communication or care is taken for the final of any other domestic tournament including the premier tournament, Ranji Trophy. This step motherly treatment to Ranji Trophy does not bode well,” he said.

Echoing the sentiments another board functionary said: “The CEO was employed to do all this. He was to give attention to domestic cricket and to generate revenue streams and he was given the incentive to do this by assuring him a percentage increment to his salary if any additional revenue streams that were generated by his efforts. It is sad to see that this is the state of affairs.

“Why would he make the effort if he can wriggle his way through to benefits supported by the CoA chairman? If the Ranji final was taking place in Australia, I am sure the CEO, CFO and the COO of the NCA and the office bearers would all have gone there. I can’t really blame the office bearers because they have been rendered ineffective by the COA.”

Another official brought forward a factor that had even former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar sit up and take note. “Right through the Ranji season, the India players never played even when not playing for India and if by chance they played the fast bowler could not bowl more than 15 overs,” he said.

Gavaskar had time and again spoken about how the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and MS Dhoni needed to play for their state teams when not representing the country.

If this wasn’t enough, it has now come to the fore that even the second ‘unofficial’ Test between India ‘A’ and England Lions will clash with the Irani Trophy after the first game clashed with the Ranji Trophy final. Not to forget the ‘unofficial ODIs’ clashing with the semi-finals of the tournament. This hasn’t gone down well with board officials either.

“It is now confirmed that the Ranji Trophy is not competitive enough therefore the BCCI had to pay and get England Lions to play the ‘A’ team games when the premier championship is going on. The Rest of India team therefore could be what is left over after picking the ‘A’ team for second match or the ‘A’ team will consist of those not picked for Rest of India,” an official said.

No wonder then that Srinivasan while speaking to Hindustan Times in December 2018 said ‘it is not easy to administer the BCCI which is apparent now’.

First Published: Feb 08, 2019 13:34 IST