Picture Credit: Twitter/@BCCI
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly, who is celebrating his 49th birthday on Thursday, made it clear that it is not possible to organise domestic pink-ball games for women cricketers in August prior to their pink-ball Test against Australia owing to the monsoon.
His remark comes after the BCCI Apex Council member Shantha Rangaswamy had requested the Indian cricket board to organise pink-ball games for women cricketers to aid their preparation before they play the Test match in Australia.
"Domestic matches are difficult to organise in August because of rain," Ganguly was quoted as saying in an ANI report.
India Women to play first pink-ball Test in September
Notably, India and Australia are set to lock horns in a day-night Test match commencing from September 30 at the WACA, Perth. Notably, this will be the Women in Blue's first Test assignment with the pink-ball.
Talking about cricket in COVID-19 times, the former India skipper said that the sport will go on inside closed doors with bio-secure bubbles being the new norm. However, he is convinced that the sport will go on.
"Nothing can be done with this COVID-19 situation, so it is closed doors only. Cricket is obviously started, India is in England, then we will have IPL and then there is T20 World Cup. Cricket won't stop and it will go on," he said.
"These are exceptional circumstances. Last year World Cup got cancelled. This year if again it gets cancelled because of Covid, then it is a massive loss for the game. That is why it is being taken to a safer place," he added.