'They play second-team players': Former India cricketer warns BCCI over SENA warm-up matches

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has welcomed the BCCI’s move to make warm-up matches compulsory before tours of SENA countries, but said the bigger challenge will be ensuring those matches are played against quality opposition.

The BCCI recently held a review meeting at its Mumbai headquarters ahead of India’s T20I series against Afghanistan. The meeting was attended by board secretary Devajit Saikia, head coach Gautam Gambhir and Centre of Excellence head VVS Laxman. India captains Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer were also part of the discussions.

In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra said the idea of mandatory warm-up games is a positive step, but only if the matches provide proper preparation.

“If you are going to SENA countries, there will be mandatory warm-up games. There was an era when the England tour used to last the entire summer. It was a four-month tour where you played matches against county teams,” Chopra said.

He recalled that those county matches used to be competitive and helped Indian teams prepare for the Test series.

“Theoretically, it isn’t wrong, but I don’t know how to maintain the quality of those games. I don’t have the answer for that at the moment because, of the time I am talking about, the teams used to be good and they used to almost beat us,” Chopra said.

Chopra pointed out that things have changed over the years, with county sides often fielding second-string teams in tour matches.

“Now they play their second-team players, saying the match has no significance. So that one thing is still missing. The quality will have to be maintained a little,” Chopra added.

The former opener said mandatory warm-up games are still a move in the right direction because they offer better preparation than shadow A-team tours before a major series.

His comments came days after BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board wants to improve the team’s preparation before tours of South Africa, Australia, England and New Zealand.

After the review meeting in Mumbai, Saikia said the BCCI plans to give players enough time for rest, acclimatisation and practice matches through future tour scheduling.

“We have instructed our FTP persons who will be meeting very soon in various international forums that our FTP should be in such a way it should be scheduled that there is proper rest for the players as well as some kind of acclimatisation or some kind of friendly matches before any major series in SENA countries (South Africa, Australia, England and New Zealand),” Saikia said following the review meeting at the BCCI headquarters.