Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has announced ongoing discussions at the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the establishment of a dedicated fund to support the future of Test cricket.
As a member of the ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee, Shah has advocated for the creation of this specialized fund. "I have suggested there should be a dedicated fund for Test cricket. It's very expensive to host Test matches. If the (ICC) Board approves, we can do that. We're trying to create a special fund for Test cricket," Shah told The Times of India.
He also highlighted India's limited engagement with Day-Night Tests at home, noting that these matches often conclude within two days, offering little benefit to fans and broadcasters. India has hosted three Day-Night Tests domestically, all of which ended in under three days. The most recent was against Sri Lanka at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in March 2022, which India won by 238 runs.
"Spectators and broadcasters are losing out. Ultimately, we have to look at their sentiments also. As a fan if you are buying a ticket for five days and if the match ends in two days, there is no refund. I am very emotional about that issue," Shah remarked.
Addressing the issue of Test matches ending quickly, Shah commented, "It's not happening often. If it happens once in a while and if the opposition plays badly, how can I help? When our players do well, I can't tell our players to ensure the match lasts longer."
Regarding the potential for a World Test Championship for women's cricket, Shah indicated that it would be feasible only when all countries participate in Test cricket. "It can happen only when all countries start playing Test cricket.”
He added, “The problem is, apart from India, Australia and England, other teams are not playing Tests. New Zealand and South Africa have started playing Tests lately. Things will progress when all countries start playing Tests."
On the topic of the Impact Player rule and its future in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Shah noted, "We had a long chat about this in the recent meeting with the franchise owners. We had a long chat among our domestic teams also. There are positives and negatives to it.”
He elaborated, “The negative is that it affects the all-rounders and the positive side is that it gives an opportunity to an extra Indian player. We should think about the broadcasters also. For me as an administrator, the game is important. Let's see what feedback we're getting."
Concluding, Shah emphasized that the BCCI would take all opinions into account for the upcoming mega auctions. "We've heard the views of all the franchises. For us, a minority view is as important as the majority opinion. Ultimately the office-bearers (of the BCCI) will decide. Those who have a good side said there is no need for the big auction and those without a good side wanted the big auction. Continuity is important as shuffling, for the growth of the game."
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