Ranji fixtures far from perfect

In the Hindu, Makarand Waingankar points out the obvious flaws in the Ranji Trophy fixtures this season, which does not allow enough time for players to rest in-between matches. With the Champions League set to be played in December, the BCCI has squeezed in the Ranji matches without worrying about the teams. On the topic of selection, he feels India's new paid selection committee got a few things wrong in the Challenger Trophy.

Some of the associations have admitted that protesting against the schedule will not have any effect as the BCCI is giving priority to the Champions League. While studying the schedule, one observes that Maharashtra, after its match against Uttar Pradesh at Kanpur, is expected to be at Vadodara in the next two days. But with no air travel facility available at Kanpur and due to the flight schedules at Lucknow, Maharashtra would have to wait for a day to reach Vadodara, just a day before the match.