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Will the Ranji Trophy happen or not this season is currently the major concern of thousands of players, support staff and stakeholders of the game. Hearing Meghalaya Ranji head coach Gautam Shome (Jr) speak, there is certainly a ray of hope as far as normalcy is concerned.
“Of course, Ranji Trophy is possible and it should happen. If IPL could happen at some point, why can't the Ranji Trophy be played? The board can have a shorter season with more groups to save time,” Shome told Sportskeeda on Thursday.
The BCCI could have a two to three-month window for the Ranji Trophy first and based on the safety measures, the domestic ODI and T20 matches could also be played in the later-half of the season.
“Two to three months window is good enough. We can also have the other domestic event without round-robin,” Shome said, while adding that it would be tough to sustain the lives of the domestic cricketers without a cricket season.
BCCI should give a nod to Ranji Trophy
While all of these discussions come down to 'no play means no pay', Shome is hopeful that BCCI is going to act very soon.
“The state associations are yet to get a formal notification as to when cricket could resume. When BCCI gives a nod, I am sure the captains and coach will meet the board to decide the way forward,” he said.
There is also an ICC guideline in place for safety measures, and Shome suggested that BCCI should also come out with their dos and don’ts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. While it could be a challenge to handle the Ranji Trophy schedule as the teams have to criss-cross the country for playing those games, Shome feels there is a need to put a testing unit in place.
“The board can have their own Covid-19 test unit. A system could be formed to test players, umpires, scorers, support staff and other stake-holders of the game. The board can also come out with a system of certification that they are Covid-19 free. This should be applicable for all players, all age-groups cricket including women teams,” Shome, who is also a former Bengal all-rounder added.
Meghalaya, a new entrant in the Indian domestic season came fourth in the plate group stages after Goa, Chandigarh and Pondicherry. Even in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, Meghalaya managed to beat a formidable side like Mumbai and also stunned Assam in the same tournament.
Meghalaya also organised a webinar between the players and the support staff to get a reality check on the players.
“All is well as long as we are safe again to play sport and live our normal lives,” Shome, who turned 57 on June 5, added.
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