BCCI accept Kumble's idea

Anil Kumble

BCCI has acknowledged the proposal put forth by Karnataka Cricket Association president, Anil Kumble, to take in three warm-up games in their series vs Australia.

Kumble's proposal to twine in two more first-class games to the one that is previously scheduled ahead of the opening Boxing Day (Dec 26) Test at Melbourne came at the Board's working committee meeting in Mumbai on Monday.

"Kumble said that if only one first-class game is set, only 11 players will be able to play in it and he required all 16 touring members to have a spirited game before the start of the Test series by having more games. His proposal has been accepted," sources told PTI.

India played just one tour game against Somerset before sliding to extraordinary losses in the first three Tests. As a result, the visitors lost its No. 1 Test ranking that they had held on to for more than a year-and-a-half.

However, sources have knowledgeable that the BCCI will find it tricky to add more first-class games in the tune-up to the tour as there was hardly any time gap between the end of the home ODI series next to the West Indies and the exit of the team to Australia.

The BCCI has also written to Cricket Australia that the first-class game that is previously scheduled should not be abridged to a club-level affair as it clashed with the beginning of the country's "Big Bash" T20 tournament.

"The Board has before now written (to Cricket Australia) that it should not be concentrated to club-level cricket with the top players not playing," the sources said.

The lone warm-up game is to be played in opposition to Cricket Australia Chairman's XI from December 18-21 at Manuka Oval in Canberra, before the opening contest of the four-match Test series.

India plays the four Tests back-to-back from December 26, 2011 to January 28, 2012 at Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide.

India are then set to play two T20 Internationals on February 1 and 3 at Sydney and Melbourne before taking part in a triangular ODI series also featuring the hosts and Sri Lanka between February 5 and March 8.

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