VCA opts for Ranji-Mushtaq combo
   Date :04-Dec-2020

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By Anupam Soni :
 
IT WAS a given that two-time champions Vidarbha would prefer the Ranji Trophy to go ahead this curtailed domestic season. But from the four options that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) while sharing its blue print had given to the member associations, Vidarbha Cricket Association preferred the second one — a combination of Ranji Trophy (longer format) and Syed Mushtaq Ali (Twenty20 event). The other three choices were — having only Ranji Trophy, holding just the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament and a combination of two white-ball tourneys in Mushtaq and Vijay Hazare Trophy (50 overs event).
 
VCA, in a meeting, decided to vote in favour of the Ranji-Mushtaq combination. “We held a meeting attended by top officials, coaches, captain and senior players and after going through all the options we informed BCCI that we will prefer doing the second option that was having a combination of Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 tournament,” said Prashant Vaidya, Chairman, Cricket Administration and Development Committee, VCA while interacting with ‘The Hitavada’. “We have also informed players of our decision. In the meeting, apart from captain we had senior players like Ganesh (Satish), who has also joined the limited physical fitness activity. Players’ views and their understanding was equally important for us and thus they were part of the meeting where we took the final decision on going ahead with Ranji and Mushtaq combination,” he added. Maharashtra State and the local authority — the Nagpur Municipal Corporation has allowed only partial relaxation as far as cricketing activities in the region is concerned and that has hampered proper preparation of the team.
 
“We also informed the BCCI that we have lockdown here and are allowed very limited activity. We asked them how we are going to deal with selection matters like selection matches, selection of team and finally the preparation for the proposed tournaments. We have asked for that clarity and have requested BCCI to help and support us in this regard,” Vaidya said. On whether the looming IPL auctions was a reason to go for Mushtaq Trophy, Vaidya responded in negative. “Not really. We went for the best possible option in the scheduled time and the proposed combinations provided by the BCCI. Naturally, Ranji Trophy the longer version, was our first choice and the combination with it that fit the time schedule was Mushtaq.
 
So we went ahead with it...one longer and a shorter format. We did not think of IPL. Obviously, it is a very good platform (for the players) but nothing is certain now. We just went ahead with the best combo looking at the time schedule,” Vaidya signed off. A senior Vidarbha player who did not wish to be named said the players were happy with VCA’s decision. “We have been doing well in the longer format, so Ranji Trophy was to be our first choice. But playing Mushtaq Ali will provide the players with an additional opportunity to impress IPL franchisees,” he said.