The Indian team should have their own airplane, suggests Kapil Dev
What's the story?
The former Indian skipper, Kapil Dev has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to buy an airplane for the Indian team. He suggested this in order to reduce the time spent in travelling by the team.
Affirming that this is the right time to take the proposed step, he said, "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."
"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.
In case you didn't know...
This is the not the first time that the World Cup winning captain suggested the BCCI buy an airplane for the team. Dev also made a similar suggestion back in 2014 when India had to tour New Zeland and South Africa back to back.
This year too, the Indian team has been a part of a hectic schedule. They were in England for the Champions Trophy that was immediately followed by a tour to West Indies. Following that, India visited Sri Lanka for a month long tour.
The time involved in travelling causes a lot of exhaustion.
The details
Kapil has constantly urged the Board to buy an airplane for the team in order to ease the stress from long-duration journeys that can not be scheduled according to the convenience of the team. Kapil added that it will bring good for more people by opening new doors of employment.
Apart from his suggestion for BCCI, Kapil also stated that he would love to see the Indian players buying their private aircraft. He cited examples from the gold players in the US and said that he cannot see any reason why the Indian cricketers cannot buy their own aircraft.
He also suggested that the BCCI should construct guest houses in all the major cities where the matches are held so that it cuts down the cost of the hotels.
What's next?
After having returned from the Sri Lankan tour, the Indian team will be at home for a while. However, they still have a busy schedule until December during which they have to host Australia, New Zeland, and Sri Lanka.
India will play five ODIs and three T20s against Australia starting from Septembre 17. Then, they will play three ODIs and three T20s against New Zeland from October 22. Following that, India will face Sri Lanka in three Tests, five ODIs and one-off T20I at home before travelling to South Africa in January 2018.
Author's take
There is no denying that the Indian team has been following a jam-packed schedule as their fixtures in different tournaments and bilateral series have been planned quite close to each other. The continuous travelling is bound to a toll on their health as well as digs a deep hole in the Board's pocket.
It is advisable for the Board to purchase an airplane for the team as it will significantly cut down the time and cost that is invested in travelling alone. Since Kapil is persistent with this suggestion, it will be interesting to see the response from BCCI.