'Will Have To Play Red-Ball Cricket': BCCI Secretary Jay Shah Confirms Centrally Contracted Players To Play Domestic Matches

India's centrally contracted players will have to mandatorily play red-ball cricket in domestic circuit and the BCCI will not tolerate any excuses for the same, said secretary Jay Shah here on Wednesday.

Interacting with the media on the sidelines of the renaming of the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Shah said the chairman of selectors will be given a free hand to take a call on his own if a player refuses to follow instructions given by the team management.

It was reported by PTI earlier that the BCCI will be making it mandatory for Indian players to appear in the Ranji trophy for at least three or four matches in case they wish to play in the IPL.

"They have been informed on phone already and I'm going to write letters as well that if your chairman of selectors, your coach and your captain are asking for it then you will have to play red-ball cricket," Shah told the media.

However, Shah said that it was to happen in accordance with the guidance from the national cricket Academy in Bangalore.

"Whatever advice we get from the NCA — say suppose somebody's body is not able to handle both white-ball and red-ball cricket — so we do not want to impose anything in that regard," he said.

"(It applies to) whoever is fit and young — we are not going to tolerate any other tantrums. This message is for all centrally contracted players," said Shah providing further clarity.

"Everyone will have to play, otherwise, the chairman of the selection committee has given me his suggestions and I am going to give him a free hand to let him take his own calls freely," he added.

Rahul Dravid to continue as head coach till T20 World Cup, confirms Jay Shah

Rahul Dravid will continue to remain in the position of India’s head coach till the upcoming T20 World Cup in June this year, confirmed BCCI secretary Jay Shah.

Dravid’s contract ended after the ODI World Cup final last year, but he was asked to continue in his role along with other support staff for the December-January tour to South Africa without finalising the tenure.

But Shah said he held an initial talk with Dravid here before arriving at the decision to retain the former captain’s services till the ICC showpiece to be held in the West Indies and the USA.

“After the (2023) World Cup, Rahul bhai had to leave for the South Africa tour immediately. We did not get to meet in between which finally happened today,” Shah said here on the sidelines of the renaming function of the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Wednesday night.

“Why are you worried about a contract for such a senior person like Rahul Dravid? Rahul bhai will remain the coach in the T20 World Cup,” Shah asserted.

However, Shah indicated that they will hold a few more rounds of discussions ahead of the marquee event. .

“I will speak with him whenever there is time, there are back-to-back series happening right now. They were in South Africa, then there was a (T20I) series against Afghanistan (at home) and now England. We did not get to speak in between at all,” he added.

Shah said the IPL franchises will have to comply with workload management guidelines set by the BCCI for the centrally contracted players.

“This is the BCCI's mandate. The BCCI is the supreme body and whatever it decides the franchises will have to follow — we are above the franchises,” he said.