Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has strongly criticised the scheduling choices of BCCI in light of India’s recent Test series loss to South Africa national cricket team. He argued that the team’s poor performance at home was rooted less in talent or form and more in insufficient preparation as compared to other teams.
According to him, India hardly gets the kind of proper build-up that touring teams enjoy — and that imbalance shows up in the results.
Gavaskar noted that while other countries often engage in warm-up series or send their ‘A-teams’ ahead, India is regularly asked to tour abroad almost every year, disrupting continuity. “That is the way the market forces are,” he said, pointing out that the lure of television revenue drives frequent overseas tours.
He expressed concern that such scheduling compromises the team’s readiness for important home Tests — a sentiment that shaped his broader demand for more thoughtful planning.
Clash Between Market Demands and “Home Season” Integrity
Gavaskar didn’t hold back when calling out the clash between financial incentives and sporting priorities. He specifically criticised the decision to schedule an overseas white-ball tour — against Australia national cricket team — right in the middle of India’s home Test season.
According to him, this not only derailed momentum but also undermined the very purpose of preparing for red-ball cricket at home. “Playing the ODI series, or T20 series in Australia between the two Test series didn’t make any sense,” he said, questioning why such a bilateral arrangement had to be honoured at the cost of team readiness.
He added that such market-driven decisions are symptomatic of a system that prioritises revenue generation over the long-term health of Test cricket in India. By exposing the team to constant travel and limited home-season stability, he argued, BCCI was inadvertently setting them up for failure.
A Call to Prioritise the Home Season
Looking ahead, Gavaskar recommended a clear shift in approach. He urged BCCI to take a firmer stance — and tell other nations: if you want to play us, come to India. “I think that is the thing that India needs to be very strong about … Australia doesn’t go anywhere during their home season. India should also say to other teams, ‘Look, our season is more important. You want to play against us, you come to India’,” he said.
In his view, giving precedence to the home season would allow Indian players to settle into conditions, prepare thoroughly and deliver better performances — rather than being constantly disrupted by white-ball commitments abroad. The argument reflects a broader call for balancing commercial interests with the integrity of Test-cricket schedules.
If you like, I can also rewrite this as a shorter “op-ed style” commentary based on Gavaskar’s views — that might bring out the implications for Indian cricket more strongly.
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