Indian cricket team likely to have a national camp before Australia tour
Not too long ago, the Indian cricket team used to have a national preparatory camp before a major tour but that was dumped because of the hectic schedule of the team. However, the camps could make a comeback in the post coronavirus scenario, sources told Sportskeeda on Wednesday.
A decision to have an Indian cricket team national camp before going to Australia hasn't been taken by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially, but the board is open to the idea if captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri ask for it.
Sources confirmed that the Indian cricket team management had asked for a camp under former head coach Anil Kumble more than three years ago, when MS Dhoni was still the ODI captain.
But after Dhoni passed on the ODI captain baton to Kohli, the latter was the first one to cancel the camp, before the ODI series against England at home.
Sources said Kohli didn't volunteer for a camp since then. As luck would have it, even Shastri never took the initiative to conduct a national camp. In between, India lost a couple of Test series between 2017 to 2020 in South Africa, England and New Zealand.
Sourav Ganguly held frequent Indian cricket team national camps
Towards last year, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had hinted at involving Shastri at the National Cricket Academy during his stint as the national coach. However, nothing more was said after that.
The Indian cricket team management was clear on not having the national preparatory camps because of potential burnout. However, when international cricket resumes, it would be back to square one.
Sources said that since Kohli isn't too keen for the national camp, BCCI didn't take the initiative to organise it. Ditto with Shastri.
"But tomorrow if the team management would ask for a camp, BCCI is ready," a source said while adding Sourav Ganguly himself used to call for such camps before major series as a captain and also picked bowlers from all over the country to attend them.
Earlier, there were also suggestions from former BCCI bosses to organise such Indian cricket team camps in higher altitudes on faster tracks before important outings in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Sources also indicated that organising preparatory camps isn't a closed chapter but a persistent effort to do so from the team could see the light of the day.
"A coach like Kumble always advocated a camp before a major series and now it is up to Shastri to put his foot down and organise one. Due to lack of match exposure, the team may still ask for a camp before the Australian tour but thereafter it will re-run of what we are seeing in the last three years," another source added.