3 reasons why BCCI ordering Ishan Kishan and others to play Ranji Trophy is wrong

The Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) has reportedly issued an email mandate to some cricketers like Ishan Kishan, Krunal Pandya, and Shreyas Iyer to report back to their state teams for the Ranji Trophy's upcoming round from Friday, February 16.

According to Cricbuzz, the board felt that the players were 'idling around' and there was a need to instill some 'discipline' in them. The move has been hailed as a brave action to bring the cricketers down from their purported high horses.

But is it actually that? Below, we discuss three reasons why it's not a great idea:

#3 Shows a lack of empathy and judgment

We don't know how many players have been sent the email but let's assume they are 10. All of them might have different reasons for skipping the Ranji Trophy, some might be taking it lightly and others, like Ishan Kishan, might need some time away from the game to get in the right mental space.

A blanket order asking them all to report back just shows a lack of empathy which the BCCI and selectors need to have at this level. Around 60 to 70 million people in India suffer from common and severe mental disorders, which are still taboo.

It's just like any other job. It would take a big toll on the player if he's forced to work when they are on leave for mental health reasons. Whether they are practicing or partying, it should not be of anyone else's concern apart from the player.

How can the BCCI possibly judge whether a player is making an excuse or needs some time off anyway? The officials coming out and saying the former in the media puts the players in a bad light and would further affect their recovery.

Secondly, each player should have the right to decide when they play or not. For example, Kishan is part of the BCCI contract but that only involves national selections. It's not like the players are being paid by their state associations for Ranji Trophy matches and then choosing not to play.

Not getting selected to the national side would not be easy for any player and all of them would deal with it differently. What if Kishan wants to be away from the game and work on some technical issues and now being asked to play for Jharkhand, affects that process and hurts his and India's success?

If a player understands that their selection could hinge on the Ranji Trophy and still choose not to play and not earn money, there must be some reason for it. These can be discussed to create holistic solutions for the progress of Indian cricket instead of forcing players to play when they don't want to.

#2 Sending mixed messages

There's also a need for some introspection on the BCCI's side. The Ranji Trophy hasn't been the best pathway for national selection for a long time anyway. The examples of Suryakumar Yadav, and Shreyas Iyer, among others, who were selected in Tests despite not playing the tournament for years show that.

The message that was going around for a long time was that a player needs to perform in the IPL against high-quality international bowlers to be considered fit for international cricket. If the players are responding to it by focusing more on the IPL, it's not their fault. The BCCI chose the IPL first for money, not the players.

The Ranji Trophy isn't marketed very well either. Half of the matches aren't even shown and there's not much money to be made compared to the IPL.

Players need to be incentivized to play the Ranji Trophy, instead of being questioned for choosing the more comfortable option for themselves and their families.

#1 Can never be a long-term solution

Not just the players, this move might also prove bad for the BCCI itself. Now that they have asked a section of players to report back to their state teams without set parameters, they have exposed themselves to questioning in future instances.

Virat Kohli is currently away due to personal reasons. If some other player, just for example, Jasprit Bumrah also takes a leave from an ODI series and misses an ensuing Test tour, will the BCCI ask him to be available for his state team too? If not, will that not make people question their integrity?

A mandate like this can never be a long-term solution. It has to be on a case-by-case basis where everyone takes responsibility on their end of the issue. For now, it looks like a decision in the wrong direction set to hurt Indian cricket more than instilling discipline.