The tight scheduling in cricket is evidently taking a toll on players. Every other news outlet is reporting the fact that the scheduling is getting the players fatigued. But what are the ways or the suggestive measure to deal with it? Have we previously seen a method implemented for the same issue? With the finances that are involved in today’s game, it is not ideal to have fewer games. And with more teams coming in, it is bound to happen that the number of games will exponentially rise. So, what are the ways to deal with scheduling issues and to keep players fit and in a good mind-space? Here is an in-depth look:
Rotation Policy Will Be Great to Deal with Tight Scheduling:
A rotation policy will be the most effective solution to keep the players fit. Rotation policy means that only a few sets of players play a set of games. This was effectively implemented by the English Cricket Board in the year 2020. So, for better understanding, let’s take an example. If Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Sanju Samson play a series against the West Indies, in the next series these players will be rotated with like-to-like players. Virat can be replaced by Rohit, Bumrah by Shami or Bhuvi, KL Rahul by Rishabh Pant, and Sanju Samson by Ishan Kishan.
England Cricket Board used this policy in 2020. But they were heavily criticized by the cricket community. The reason for criticism was the fact that at times the best players used to be rested in crucial games. But it was certainly an effective way to tackle fitness issues.
Scrapping the ODI Format:
The worst solution but yet a possible solution could be to scrap the ODI format. ODI format has a legacy associated with it. But many legends such as Wasim Akram have expressed their views to scrap the ODI Format due to its lack of relevance.
If ODI games are removed, tight scheduling will not be an issue. It will give international cricket at least 2 to 3 months additionally. But is the risk worth taking? Test Cricket is the truest format of the sport and T20 is for entertainment. But one cannot find such a reason or motive for ODI cricket. So, Wasim is right on his part!
Shorter Franchise Leagues can Help to Deal with Tight Scheduling:
The Indian Premier League from 2023 onwards will require a 2-month window. What this means is that the top players on the globe will be on the road for 2-months on the trot! They will be doing TV adverts, net sessions, gym sessions, recovery sessions, games on alternate days, and whatnot! And rest? Don’t even think about it!
What happened in IPL 2022 is that viewership dropped at the far end of the tournament! It dropped by 12% to 13%! The extended or added games can be the reason for that. The people get bored after some time. T20 was started to keep the game crisp and electric. But with more games and similar iterations, we are losing that very point. Shorter franchise leagues can help the players to recover.
To know more go to West Indies Cricket: A Dominant Force in 80s, Struggling to Win Games in 2000s. What Happened?
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To know more go to the official website of the ICC.