The BCCI can't keep ignoring the burn-out issue

Venkat Ananth, in his Yahoo Cricket column, writes that player welfare has become a critical aspect of modern cricket administration. He says that Indian players must be kept fresh for national duty through a combination of rotation, injury management, a revamp of the graded contract system and having a full-time players’ representation body.

In the modern era, given the way cricket is played and administered, player welfare becomes a critical, if not the most important aspect, of cricket administration. Sadly, the BCCI isn't up to it. Or let's just say partly so, given that in this country player welfare is by and large seen through the sole lens of financial security. That view is no doubt is important, but in the big picture it serves more as an illusion than something concrete.

Financial security apart, the most important aspect of a sportsman's career is the accepted cycle of fitness and injury issues, and in today's circumstances that has become more acute than earlier. And this is where there is a need for the players to stand up and be heard on these issues - especially the ones involving scheduling particularly of needless commercially-motivated adventures largely driven by pre-decided obligations.