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Cricket PlayersIndia opt out of Paarl warm-up, to play Cape Town Test without match practice
India were scheduled to play a warm-up match in Paarl on December 30-31 but they have opted out of the two-day warm-up match ahead of the first Test against South Africa in Cape Town on January 5.
India have opted out of the two-day warm-up match ahead of the first Test against South Africa in Cape Town on January 5, according to a Cricket South Africa (CSA) media release.
The Indian cricket team were scheduled to play a warm-up match in Paarl on December 30-31 but for a long time neither the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), nor the CSA could confirm if it was going ahead. The release also mentioned that India have opted for training sessions on those days
With the unnecessarily long tour of Sri Lanka ending in Mumbai on December 24, the India players have been left with a very short break ahead of a two-month tour of South Africa. Moreover, India captain Virat Kohli is reportedly holding the reception for his wedding to actress Anushka Sharma in Mumbai on December 26.
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Last heard, India were scheduled to leave for South Africa on December 27. However, the BCCI is yet to officially confirm that.
Monday’s development comes a few days after Kohli had expressed disappointment over not getting enough time to prepare for the South Africa for the Sri Lanka tour that was accommodated at the last moment.
Such was India’s obsession over the tour of South Africa that they had asked for lively pitches against Sri Lanka. Only the Eden Gardens pitch though, lived up to expectations.
The BCCI has been trying to implement a Future Tours Programme (FTP) that gives more space between tours and practice games ahead of marquee series. But opting out of the only practice game while South Africa come match-ready just days after playing a four-day Test against Zimbabwe makes little sense.
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There was a lot of dilly-dallying with the dates even when the tour was being finalised.
It was reported that the South African cricket team were keen on playing India in the Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests. But that didn’t come through. The New Year’s Test traditionally starts on January 2 but was pushed back three days too.
India are scheduled to play a limited-overs series involving six ODIs and three T20Is in February but the fact that they go into the three-Test series without any match practice doesn’t bode well with the team’s ‘new-found’ philosophy.
