By Debayan Mukherjee
Kolkata– India will get at least 10 days to prepare in England and Australia before the actual action begins, the Committee of Administrators (COA) chief Vinod Rai, responsible for running the BCCI, said on Friday.
Days after India coach Ravi Shastri said it would have augured well for the team had they come 10 days earlier to South Africa after Virat Kohli and Co lost the three-match Test series 2-0, Rai assured there will be enough time given to them to acclimitise to foreign conditions from henceforth.
India will tour England between June and September while also playing a first-ever Test against Afghanistan in Bengaluru between June 14 and 18.
Kohli and his boys will then play the Asia Cup in September followed by West Indies touring India in October-November.
Australia tour will then come calling as they are scheduled to travel Down Under in November.
“India will have at least 10 days in England and Australia for preparation before the series starts,” Rai told IANS in an interaction on the sidelines of the TATA Steel Kolkata Literary Meet.
“We have already drawn up the programme for 2018. It was drawn up in consultation with the captain and coach. We had a meeting with them and we have drawn it up in consultation with them. In fact, I saw a statement from Ravi also where he says he is happy with the programme.
“There is lot of time for preparation. In fact there is 15 days before IPL and 15 days after IPL also,” he added.
Asked about India’s performance in South Africa, Rai echoed Shastri in saying they are the best in the world at the moment and the aggression shown on the pitch by Kohli is required.
“We have the best team in the world. It’s a well balanced team. It has a combination of maturity and aggression which is necessary for the country,” Rai said, defending Kohli’s men.
The COA had a meeting earlier in the week. It was reported that they would review the South Africa series once the team is back. Rai though made light of the matter saying after every tour, there is a review.
“The team manager submits a report and we have a review. There is nothing new to that,” he said.
Rai signed off by saying the COA would meet again after the Supreme Court hearing regarding implementation of Lodha Panel recommendations on January 29.
“We had a meeting on Monday. We haven’t fixed a new date as yet. “Depending upon what decisions the Supreme Court takes on January 29, we will have our meeting,” he said. (IANS)
