Team India's air travel likely to be upgraded to business class
What's the story?
In what comes as a breath of fresh air for Team India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to upgrade all of the team members' travel from economy to business class for all domestic tours.
According to a Times of India report, skipper Virat Kohli and other members of the Indian cricket team approached the cash-rich board to complain about a lack of privacy in domestic flights as well as security and comfort issues. As a result, the board is likely to upgrade all domestic air travel from economy to business class.
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Several players reportedly brought up the privacy issue, stating that they are hounded by co-passengers on flights. Aside from just privacy, there are several other problems that the players face travelling economy. They often have to wait for ages for their luggage to arrive and tall players like Mohammad Shami, Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul are often cramped for room with insufficient leg-space, making the overall experience an unpleasant one.
The heart of the matter
Former Indian skipper Kapil Dev too had an interesting take on the issue. Recently, he was quoted as saying by TOI that the BCCI can solve such problems simply by having planes of its own.
“Now that BCCI is making good money, it should have its own plane. It will save a lot of time and make life easier for Team India. The board can afford it. They should have done it five years ago,” he said.
“I would also love to see some cricketers buying their own aircrafts in the days to come. In the US, top golfers have their own planes. I don’t see any reason why our players can’t buy it as it will save them a lot of time. I also believe that if BCCI owns planes, the players will get enough rest between matches. I am sure BCCI can also afford the parking charges,” he added.
What's next?
CK Khanna, the acting president of the BCCI, has already taken the first steps to address this issue, penning a letter to his colleagues in an attempt to speed up the process.
Author's take
The BCCI is by far the richest board in the world and can easily afford to fly its players business class if not on its own separate plane. However, that being said, flying economy does bring the players down to earth to an extent, keeping them grounded and aware of the struggles faced by the common folk.