Days after Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri reportedly requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to provide adequate breaks for Virat Kohli and his men, World Cup-winning Indian captain Kapil Dev seems to have come up with a solution to the player burnout problem.
India have returned home from a long tour of Sri Lanka -- consisting three Tests, five ODIs and a T20I, and are already gearing up to host Australia for another long limited-overs series of five ODIs and three T20Is between September 17 and October 13.
India will then host New Zealand from October 17 in a series that extends till November 7, after which Kohli's men play Sri Lanka again in a Test and a limited-overs tour.
Right after the series against the islanders, Shastri and his men will travel to South Africa where they are set to play three ODIs, three T20Is and four Tests. In short, the packed schedule is going to demand a lot from the players.
A BCCI source told the Indian Express that Shastri, during a video conference with the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) on Friday, had requested the board to schedule the tours better to give players enough time to recuperate.
The source also shed light on how long flights and travelling take a toll on the Indian cricket team members.
Team manager Kapil Malhotra, according to the report, highlighted how difficult it has been for players to recover after long flights.
Here's Kapil's solution
Kapil believes the BCCI is rich enough to afford its own plane for flying players overseas. The 58-year-old says players are also rich enough to buy their own aircraft and beat fatigue.
The legendary all-rounder also shed light on why the BCCI does not need to worry about parking charges.
"Now that BCCI is making good money, it should have its own plane. It will save a lot of time and make life easier for Team India. The board can afford it. They should have done it five years ago," Kapil told the Times of India.
He added: "I would also love to see some cricketers buying their own aircraft in the days to come. In the US, top golfers have their own planes. I don't see any reason why our players can't buy it as it will save them a lot of time. I also believe that if BCCI owns planes, the players will get enough rest between matches. I am sure BCCI can also afford the parking charges."
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