India is making warm-up matches compulsory for tours of those tough SENA countries, but a former India cricket star, Aakash Chopra, is already out there saying the biggest challenge is gonna be the quality of the opposition. It’s a positive step, sure, but only if those games provide actual proper preparation.
Why ‘Mandatory’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Quality’
Chopra dropped this take on his YouTube channel, remembering an era when England tours lasted the whole summer, like four months. Back then, they played county teams, and those matches were straight-up competitive. They helped India prep for the Test series, big time. But things have changed, man. Chopra said county sides now mostly field their second-team players in tour matches, because they say the game “has no significance.” “Now they play their second-team players, saying the match has no significance. So that one thing is still missing. The quality will have to be maintained a little,” he pointed out. He’s not wrong. What’s the point of a mandatory game if it’s not a real test?
The BCCI’s Plan and What It’s Actually Trying To Fix
This all comes after the BCCI held a review meeting in Mumbai, with big names like board secretary Devajit Saikia, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and Centre of Excellence head VVS Laxman all there. Even India captains Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer were part of the discussions! Saikia said the board wants to improve team preparation before tours of South Africa, Australia, England, and New Zealand. The plan is to give players enough rest, acclimatization, and practice matches through future tour scheduling. They’ve even instructed their FTP (Future Tour Programme) folks to factor this in. Chopra still thinks mandatory warm-ups are a good step, way better than just shadow A-team tours before a major series, but that quality piece is still the big question mark.
So yeah, the BCCI’s trying to get this right, making sure the squad’s truly ready for those challenging overseas pitches in places like SENA. With the T20I series against Afghanistan having just been on the board’s mind, getting those warm-up games locked down with *real* competition is gonna be crucial for making sure the team hits the ground running. It’s all about making sure India can genuinely compete at the highest level when it counts.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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