Vinod Rai unhappy for being kept in dark about day-night Test

All but the head of the CoA Vinod Rai were spoken with regarding hosting a day-night Test by the BCCI

What's the story?

Vinod Rai, the head of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), has expressed his displeasure at not being consulted for a potential day-night Test to be hosted by India later this year against West Indies.

“You seem to have discussed with all the stakeholders, who in your scheme of things constitute four persons sitting in the (BCCI) cricket centre - a very misplaced viewpoint,” Rai wrote in an e-mail to the acting BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary.

In case you didn't know...

As per the proposed FTP, West Indies are scheduled to tour India in October 2018 for 3 Tests, 5 ODIs and 1 T20. However, no official confirmation has been provided of the same so far. It is one of those Tests which the BCCI has been mulling to conduct under lights, having already trialled four-day fixtures with the pink ball.

Among the “Big Three” of Australia, England and India, the latter remains the only nation yet to stage a day-night Test following successful conducting of floodlit-matches in both the other countries, among other teams.

The heart of the matter

The incumbent secretary Choudhary is believed to have asked for the opinion of coach Ravi Shastri, the BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, acting president CK Khanna, treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary, ex-India wicketkeeper Saba Karim and operations manager Gaurav Saxena. However, the CoA chief Rai was kept in the dark regarding the same.

“Even if it be cricket, of which all of you certainly have greater knowledge than me (I’m excluding Diana [Edulji, former India women’s team captain], who has greater knowledge than all of you)! I represent the viewing population. They are your greatest stakeholder,” he further mentioned in the e-mail.

What's next?

Rai also argued that the viewpoint of the players was equally essential, something which he would like to take into account as well. “Ravi may have been consulted but I would like to consult the players whose body clock over five consecutive days will have to get accustomed to a new timing,” Rai wrote.

Author's Take

Indeed, the veteran administrator Rai has his reasons to be disappointed at the methods of the BCCI, since being himself responsible for the running of the board, discussion on a serious matter like the day-night Test was hidden from him despite being spoken about with almost all others in the team circle. Other matters put forward by Rai – the role that dew would play in the sub-continent and the proper selection of venues – also demand a lot of attention before a day-night fixture is scheduled.