Ranji Trophy is backbone of Indian cricket, ignoring it will make it spineless: Ravi Shastri
India Today
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said that ignoring the Ranji Trophy will leave Indian cricket "spineless" amidst talks of a new schedule being worked out for the first class tournament after it was postponed for a second consecutive years.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has joined the clamour to not allow the Ranji Trophy to be cancelled for a second consecutive year. India's top level first class tournament was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has since come under pressure to reschedule the Ranji Trophy.
"The Ranji Trophy is the backbone of Indian cricket. The moment you start ignoring it our cricket will be SPINELESS!" Shastri said in a tweet.
Shastri and the rest of the Indian players have repeatedly credited the Ranji Trophy for providing India with a depth of talent to choose from in Test cricket. Earlier, fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat, who captains Saurashtra, also expressed his disappointment that the tournament had been postponed.
The Ranji Trophy is the backbone of Indian cricket. The moment you start ignoring it our cricket will be SPINELESS!
"Two years in a row would be a great loss. One year itself was a great loss. When we started our pre-season camp before the eventual postponement, it felt like a whole new game," Unadkat told PTI.
"Leaving the ball, bowling with pace and bowling long spells. All that had gone out of the picture. It is going to be difficult for sure if it doesn't happen this year too.
TWO-PART RANJI TROPHY SEASON
