Board of Control for Cricket in India

BCCI

Allardice

ICC

Africa

England

PCB

Dubai

Even as the international boards are preparing the schedule for the recently-approved World Test Championship and the ODI League, the) has laid down a few conditions for the new calendar.It has made it clear that four months of international schedule will have to be reserved for India’s home season. The message was conveyed to the International Cricket Council (ICC) during a recent meeting in New Delhi. Geoff, the ICC’s General Manager (Cricket), was called for a discussion and the BCCI explained its position on the sidelines of the India- New Zealand Twenty20 International on November 1. During the Delhi discussion, the BCCI has made it clear that October- November and February-March windows will have to be reserved for India’s domestic international season. The point made to theofficial was that the rest of the members will have to work their own schedules accordingly. Further, the BCCI has said that it will have longer series against Australia, SouthandWith other countries, India will play the minimum matches – which is two Tests and three ODIs. As about Pakistan, the BCCI is keeping windows open, should the permission come from the Government of India. But those will matches will not be included in the current schedule, a primary demand of the Pakistan Cricket Board ().As per the ICC approved rules, the Test series league will see nine teams play six series over two years – three home and three away – with each having a minimum of two Tests and a maximum of five. In the ODI league, each side will play four home and four away series each comprising three ODIs. The Test championship starts in June 2019 and the ODI league begins in 2020.How other boards will take to the BCCI demand is something will be known when the ICC conducts a workshop on the schedule next month. It has called the boards for a conclave inon December 7. It is likely that some resistance will be there as, effectively, the Indian board occupies six months of world cricket schedule when one factors in the April-May two-month window of the Indian Premier League (IPL).During this time, there is hardly any international cricket, barring in England and sometimes in West Indies. Over and above that, September has already been left vacant because of the nowdefunct Champions League Twenty20.