BCCI CEO Rahul Johri talks to TOI about the reworked FTP, India’s Test plans, the difficulties of staging a series against Pakistan and the IPL finally getting a window.
Excerpts…
What was BCCI’s priority when work first began on revising the FTP?
The primary thing was to ensure we get what’s best for the team, fans, states and stakeholders. Keeping the Test championship in mind, the BCCI went ahead chalking out the schedule.
There’s a media rights sale coming up…
The media rights tender for Indian cricket is going to be out soon. We expect the bidding to attract similar interest to what we witnessed during the IPL media rights sale. As you would have gauged by now, in 2018 we hardly play any cricket in the country and that’s going to be the case almost until the 2019 World Cup. In such a scenario, what do we offer a potential broadcaster? We had to also think about it when we began work on the scheduling.
BCCI had indicated that it intends to play more ‘meaningful cricket’…
For example, 12 out of 18 Test matches that India plays at home are against Australia, England and South Africa. The idea was to ensure we play meaningful cricket. A lot of work went in at various levels to get this proposal ready. We were clear that we wanted to work with everyone (ICC member boards) and it had to be done on the lines where every member board was going to participate on an equal footing.
On that front we had a lot of one-on-ones with all member boards. Eventually, the FTP is there for everyone to see. It’s been worked out in a manner where there’s enough cricket at home and away, an exclusive home season every year, two ICC tournaments at home between 2021 and 2023 and it takes care of the players’ demands too.
Can you explain the dynamics behind this new draft proposal?
In the current FTP, India had 15 Test matches scheduled at home and 21 away, which highlighted a deficit of six games. Similarly, there were 30 One-dayers at home at 43 away, again a deficit of 13 games. If you include T20 Internationals, India played 51 matches at home and 76 away.
Now compare that to the new rights cycle where we play 81 matches at home and 73 away. So, the number of matches haven’t gone down, as some media reports have been saying. For instance, in the new FTP, we play 19 Tests at home and 18 away, which, overall, is one Test match more than the number of games we are playing in the current FTP. It’s time for a sustained home run. Yes, we are playing a lot more One-dayers and T20s too, but it’s not at the cost of Test cricket.
The new Test championship structure had to be looked into…
The ICC’s primary role is to facilitate working relationships between the member boards. Who we play and when we play is our prerogative. For instance, the BCCI expressed reservations on where the final playoff of the Test championship should be scheduled. Why should it be played at Lord’s? Those are the kind of things that required attention.
We didn’t want a structure in place where one team is penalized for no fault of theirs. If India doesn’t play a home or away bilateral series with Pakistan until the central government clears the way forward, we had to take into account that the team cannot be penalized for sharing of points in the Test championship structure. Playing Pak, whether at home or away, is not in our hands. We have written to the Centre and we need to wait. Until then, we cannot be penalized for it.
There will be no bilateral series played during the IPL now…
BCCI is grateful to all member boards of the ICC. All discussions with them were healthy. For instance, there were reports that the ICC has allocated a window for the IPL which wouldn’t feature any bilaterals. That’s not how it is. We sat with the member boards and worked out a schedule where we are committed to oversee a good balance of playing at home and away. In return, the credit goes to the BCCI team for conducting those meetings in a way where the IPL window will remain largely undisturbed.
So there was no arm-twisting…
As much as we ensure that relations should be cordial with all members of ICC, the BCCI was also very particular that these members, in turn, would ensure that they would not schedule any cricket during the IPL…
Will India agree to play the day-night Test in Australia when they tour there in December next year?
It will have to be a decision of the BCCI’s general body.
What’s happening at the National Cricket Academy (NCA)?
The National Cricket Academy (NCA) has a new chief operating officer in Tufan Ghosh. His profile falls just in line with our requirement at the academy, which is going to undergo a complete transformation. The project for a new NCA will take two to three years to fall into place.
What’s BCCI’s view on the new salary structure for players?
There’s time for it. Nothing has been finalized yet. The new salary structure and player gradation needs to be discussed more, with a holistic approach. Salary structures need to be looked into right from the junior level and work towards the top.
That’s pretty simple. We have zero tolerance on doping and have a robust system in place. The ICC is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA). Being a member, we too are compliant with the norms.
Will BCCI remain committed to Tests?
India has offered to play Afghanistan in what is going to be their introduction to Test cricket. That itself is in line with how seriously we take Test cricket. We don’t experiment with four-day Test matches like some other countries and our commitment to the format is as strong as ever. When you look at the FTP, you’ll see that we play four Test matches more at home than in the new schedule.