Recently, India head coach Ravi Shastri opened up to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), regarding players' burnout due to their frequent travelling. India are one of the busiest teams, who play cricket all around the world. The coach has spoken how long flights and travelling would take a toll on the player's body as well.
Shastri and India captain Virat Kohli, after having a close look at the travelling required for highly-anticipated India versus Australia ODI series, might not be pleased with the BCCI.
Five ODIs are set to played, starting from Sunday (September 17) in Chennai. The ODI schedule does not seem to be well thought of. For instance, after the first match in Chennai, both teams will have to take a flight next day for Kolkata, which comes to approximately aerial distance of 1,366 kms. The BCCI has got it wrong here.
Rather than scheduling the second match in Kolkata, the organisers could have planned it for Bengaluru, which is just 284 kms from Chennai. But Bengaluru is scheduled to host the fourth ODI on September 28.
It would have made sense as the players have also complained of fatigue in the past due to long flight hours. Even for the third ODI, both teams will have to travel to Indore, which is 1,286 kms by air, from Kolkata.
It seems quite ridiculous that India and Australia players will have to fly for the fourth ODI to Bengaluru, which could so easily have been the match venue for the second ODI. The aerial distance from Indore to Bengaluru happens to be 1,100 kms. The final match of the ODI series is slated to be held in Nagpur, which has a flight distance of 925 kms from Bengaluru.
The BCCI could have planned much better as the players from both nations will have to travel a lot throughout the breadth and width of the country in a span of 14 days. It is a logistical nightmare for the officials involved in the concerned department.
No wonder, former India captain Kapil Dev has even suggested the BCCI to buy an aircraft. And the all-rounder is spot on, as it can became the official carrier of the India cricket team. It can also accommodate the visiting team, which will help both the teams, and will not have to depend on other private carriers.
It is also quite taxing for Australian cricketers too as they arrived from Dhaka, Bangladesh to Chennai for the first ODI. Then again go to Kolkata, which is near to Dhaka. They would have preferred to start the tour in Kolkata.
Aerial distance
Chennai to Kolkata - 1,366kms
Kolkata to Indore - 1,286 kms
Indore to Bengaluru - 1,100 kms
Bengaluru to Nagpur - 925 kms
