RAJKOT : BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said that centrally contracted and targetted players cannot skip domestic tournaments, especially red-ball cricket, unless otherwise specified by the National Cricket Academy.
After the controversy of players skipping domestic Ranji matches while preparing for Indian Premier League season, there had been reports that the board is making it mandatory for the players to take part in domestic cricket.
Speaking about the subject on the sidelines of an event at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, Shah said, "They have been informed on phone already and I’m going to write letters as well that if your chairman of selectors, your coach and your captain are asking for it then you will have to play red-ball cricket."
He added that unless the NCA says that the player cannot cope with the workload of all the formats, the young and fit players who are in the scheme of things are expected to play domestic cricket and the selectors will have the freedom act accordingly in this regard.
"Whatever advice we get from the NCA, say suppose somebody’s body is not able to handle both white-ball and red-ball cricket, so we do not want to impose anything in that regard. Players who are it and young, we won't tolerate any tantrums," Shah told reporters, before adding, "everyone will have to play, otherwise, the chairman of the selection committee has given me his suggestions and I am going to give him a free hand to let him take his own calls freely."
When asked about Virat Kohli's absence during the India-England series, all Shah had to say was: "If somebody is asking for a personal leave in 15 years then it is his right to ask for it. Virat is not that kind of a player that he would ask for a leave without any reason. We must back and trust our players."