‘Indian cricketers are neither machines’ - Sunil Gavaskar calls for rethink of international schedule

Sunil Gavaskar has voiced concerns over the increasing workload on Indian cricketers, calling for a rethink of the international calendar and greater emphasis on domestic cricket. The former India captain has particularly stressed the need to give players adequate recovery time instead of moving them from one competition to another with little break in between.

Gavaskar's comments come at a time when injuries continue to be a concern for Indian cricket. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had earlier attributed some of the injury issues to the demanding schedule faced by the national team.

"The recent meeting to take stock of Indian cricket did try to come to grips with the issue. Hopefully, when the ICC meeting to discuss the international cricket calendar over the next cycle of four years from 2027 takes place, the decision-makers will realise that Indian cricketers are neither machines nor sugarcane to be endlessly squeezed for every drop of the juice," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

Why domestic cricket remains crucial to India's development

The former India captain believes India's much-discussed bench strength should not be taken for granted. While India has enough talent to potentially field multiple strong teams, he argued that recent results show the need for greater attention towards the domestic structure.

"The argument that India’s bench strength is such that it can field three teams is good to make claims for the world, but the reality, as recent results have shown, is that one India team is at the moment not good enough to win much silverware. Yes, a gold in the Asian Games will once again rejuvenate the team and give it the confidence for oncoming battles, but unless domestic cricket is prioritised, the pipeline will not produce world beaters. All the best to both our boys and girls to win the gold," he said.

Gavaskar calls for revival of BCCI committees

Gavaskar also called for the return of the BCCI's Technical and Fixtures Committees, with experienced former cricketers, umpires and administrators playing a key role in decision-making.

He believes bringing back such committees could ensure that scheduling and other important aspects of Indian cricket benefit from the experience and expertise of people who understand the game closely.