×

Scrap Vijay Hazare, Duleep Trophy and Deodhar Trophy For This Season: Wasim Jaffer

All professional cricket in India stands suspended in the wake of coronavirus pandemic and with the rapidly rising cases, BCCI continues to follow wait and watch policy. 

wasm jaffer cricket india

Wasm Jaffer (© IANS)

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer wants BCCI  to scrap this season’s Vijay Hazare, Duleep Trophy and Deodhar Trophy in order to give players ample rest and focus only on Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy.

All professional cricket in India stands suspended in the wake of coronavirus pandemic and with the rapidly rising cases, BCCI continues to follow wait and watch policy.

Jaffer has advised to rejig the domestic calendar expected to start from August.

“As and when the season commences, whenever cricket starts, the priority is to have the IPL first. The BCCI can look to start with the IPL as the first tournament, Jaffer told PTI. “Once the IPL finishes, the BCCI can look to start the domestic season with the Irani Trophy (Cup) as Saurashtra deserves to play it as they are first-time champions.”

“Then we can start the Ranji Trophy. And before the (IPL) auction, as and when BCCI keeps the auction for next year’s IPL, we should have the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy and scrap the Vijay Hazare, Duleep Trophy and Deodhar Trophy and use that period to hold these major two tournaments with the adequate breaks for players,” he added.

The reason behind his suggestion is to give players enough breaks in between tournaments.

“…rather than rushing all tournaments and players not getting sufficient rest or changing the formats. That is the only thing I feel, use those two months of Vijay Hazare and Duleep trophy. Have sufficient breaks and hold these tournaments only, which are more premium tournaments,” he said.

He also feels the same applies to the junior level cricket too.

“And it probably goes into junior level also, try and scrap the ODI tournaments in U-23 or U-19, so that I feel the players will get sufficient breaks and they can look forward to these tournaments,” the 42-year-old said.

Jaffer, Indian domestic cricket’s most prolific run-getter, also suggested a change in Ranji format.

“And one more thing is having Ranji trophy with teams split into groups with nine teams each in A, B and C and three teams qualifying into knockouts from. Three teams from A group, three from B group of elite teams and you can have two teams qualify from the C group, so that makes it eight teams and have the quarter-final among those teams.

“The D Group (Plate), they should only get the incentive of topping the table to get the promotion into C group. I feel the top team from the D Group shouldn’t be allowed to play the quarter-finals, as that makes the competition a little weak, said Jaffer, who announced his retirement in March,” he opined

Last season, five teams from combined A and B Groups made it to Ranji quarters, while two teams from Group C and one from Plate Group made the last-eight.

trending this week