Sourav Ganguly criticizes West Indies Cricket Board for improper scheduling

The West Indies Cricket Board has received sharp criticism from former India captain Sourav Ganguly for holding the Test series against India at the same time during the Caribbean Premier League. West Indies are currently playing with a sort of depleted side without the likes of key players like Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, and Dwayne Bravo among others.

Most of these stars are currently busy in the CPL. The Indians are currently dominating the hosts with a 1-0 lead and look set to win the 2nd game which is ongoing in Jamaica at the moment. Ganguly feels WICB must be held responsible for the one-sided contest and prioritising club over country.

“I think it is the ICC’s job to make sure this is happening (that best players represent the country at Test level) but I do not think ICC has control over these T20 leagues. We hold our IPL and we make sure the Indian Team is not playing anywhere else in the world so that is why the players are available for the IPL and players are then available to play for India.”

“So I think there needs to be a window in West Indies cricket as well where they can do this Caribbean Premier League for two weeks or three weeks and make sure that by the time the Test cricket season starts it is over… like the Australians do in the Big Bash and the Big Bash they play during the season but they make sure that the Test players are playing Test cricket for Australia. So, it is a bit of maturity from the West Indies, it is bit of a pride for the West Indies cricketers to turn up for their country and also scheduling from their board as well because the Caribbean Premier League is organised by the WICB,” Ganguly told India Today Television.

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The Cricket Association of Bengal president wasn’t WICB and OCC to sort out the ay difference and other issues to maintain the balance.

“Recently I was in England at the MCC World Cricket Committee meeting, the committee which puts the recommendations to the ICC for the game and this was discussed that how can ICC allow Test cricket being played without important players while they go and play in the T20 premier leagues. It is about scheduling, it is about financing and there are few issues to be solved before you get the West Indies boys on the park. It is just a simple case of one tournament paying more and Test cricket not paying them enough. That is the balance that the West Indies cricket board and the ICC needs to sort out otherwise it is going to be the same. I don’t see any reprieve from this,” he said.

Ganguly, however, understands why players are being drawn towards these T20 leagues but says the onus lies with the guardians of the game to narrow the pay gap between T20 and Test cricket.

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“I also consider it as maturity on the part of the players as I think country always comes first but that is not the case in the Caribbean. Also, the West Indies cricket board have shot themselves in the arm because how can you organise a T20 league when India is supposed to tour and you are playing four Test matches against a team that brings money and finances to that part of the world.”

“The fact of the matter is that they get paid four times for playing in these premier leagues than in Test cricket. I think that is where ICC needs to come in because the likes of Gayle, Russell, Bravo and Pollard who are automatic choices in this squad don’t get picked for the West Indies and the reason is that if they are getting about 2000 dollars to play for the West Indies, in the same period they get about a million dollars for playing in the T20 leagues. So, I think it is the balances of the finances,” he explained.