 "Cannot hold domestic pink-ball game for women cricketers in August: Ganguly")
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly on Thursday said it is not possible to organise a domestic pink-ball game for the women cricketers in August -- ahead of the pink-ball Test against Australia -- due to monsoon.
"Domestic matches are difficult to organise in August because of rain," Ganguly told reporters on the day he celebrates his 49th birthday.
Earlier, BCCI Apex Council member Shantha Rangaswamy had requested the BCCI to organise domestic pink-ball games to help the girls prepare for the day-night Test against Australia.
India and Australia will lock horns in a day-night Test from September 30 at the WACA, Perth, and this would be the first time that the Indian women's team will play a Test with the pink ball.
Ganguly also said that it is the selectors' call whether they want to send additional players to England for the upcoming five-match Test series, beginning August. "That is the selectors' call," he said.
Talking about cricket in these Covid-19 times, Ganguly said: "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."
"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.