CHENNAI: Pleased to receive a letter from Sourav Ganguly that said little of the BCCI's immediate plans other than IPL, some of the state associations are waiting to know more. Distribution of funds and updates on the domestic calendar are among those.
Before the board president wrote to them, the state bodies had received an SOP on resumption of activities. While there are associations saying the BCCI can't do much under the circumstances, voices seeking clarifications on crucial matters are also being heard.
"If tournaments happen this year, each team from junior to senior for boys and girls has to be supported by a medical team. Medical and other arrangements conforming to the SOP have to be made. Things have to be done differently, keeping in mind safety and hygiene protocols. This means costs will increase. Hopefully, the BCCI will take this into account and reimburse the state units accordingly," said a state body secretary, preferring anonymity.
The BCCI normally takes care of such expenses, but nothing has been announced so far as far as additional spending on this ground is concerned. The state units received `10 crore each around March-April and nothing after that. Neither have they been told if they would be getting more before the start of activities. State units are entitled to reimbursements for cricket-related expenditures.
"The board should let us know how much we will be getting annually and in how many instalments, instead of releasing a sum from time to time. That will help us plan and budget better. In the existing arrangement, this sometimes becomes a problem," said the official.
Although tournaments in India don't seem possible right now, some of the state associations can start nets, following go-ahead from their state governments. They are expecting updates on the calendar. There are talks of tournaments from November-December.
"We don't want to start nets without clarity on dates. Once we know when the tournaments are, we can allow the teams to start in a phased manner. Without knowing what the target is, it's difficult to start training under the circumstances," said the secretary of another unit.
These matters are usually discussed in general body meetings. However, even though the BCCI's annual general meeting takes place in September, there is no news of it happening. Then, there are doubts whether the AGM can be held online. The BCCI is also waiting for the Supreme Court verdict on proposed changes in its constitution before calling a meeting.
Put Ranji on hold if need be: SCA prez
Saurashtra Cricket Association president Jaydev Shah says Ranji Trophy can be put on hold this season. The BCCI plans Ranji and T2os in the senior men's section. Shah says T20s and one-dayers should be held as trial. Ranji should be organised only if these tournaments are successful. "Shorter duration means less hassle. Let's have Ranji only if all goes well with the limited-over games," said Shah, a former Saurashtra captain.