Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) has put its hand up for hosting domestic cricket matches in the COVID-affected period. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked state cricket boards to put forward their ideas on how Ranji Trophy and other domestic cricket tournaments can be organised.
BCCI's plan is to develop six bio-bubbles in the country where players can be kept for the period of their participation. MPCA has claimed that it has the requisite facilities for providng such a bio-secure hub for teams.
"We have informed the BCCI that the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy should be organised first and later the Ranji Trophy should be organised. The organisation of these two crucial domestic tournaments is important. Taking all precautions for COVID-19, we (MPCA) are ready to host both these tournaments," secretary of MPCA Sanjiv Rao was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Indore is the venue which has been put forward by MPCA for hosting matches from these two tournaments. The Holkar Stadium has become a regular fixture in international calendar in recent years and has seen infrastructure upgrade also.
MPCA also has some valuable experience of holding a cricket tournament in these unusual times. An inter-divisional cricket tournament has already taken place in order where 10 teams had taken part.
For holding a tournament like the Ranji Trophy, the board will have to ensure that the participating teams are insulated from outside contact but also have access to the necessary training facilities. Since the Indian Premier League (IPL) was shifted from India to United Arab Emirates (UAE), BCCI and its affiliated state boards did not have to create such bio-bubbles for that tournament in India.
Now, with time running out for the leading domestic tournaments, across formats, BCCI seeks to combine tournaments so that the same bubble could be utilised for multiple formats. There is also the possibility of some of the annual fixtures of the Indian season getting cancelled this year.
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