Quality not quantity

There is a lot of talk about the packed international schedules and the effect it is having on players and teams. It is a non stop treadmill now with cricket played all through the calendar year and that has to take its toll, with player burnout and injuries.

There are some teams like England who are on the go constantly with barely a couple of weeks break in between. They have started a home series against the West Indies two weeks after returning from the World Cup.There is a packed schedule at home for them where the number of Tests and ODI's has increased crammed form mid May to mid September which results in back to back Tests. There is no time to recover from injuries or work on aspects of your game. No sooner has the home season completed in September and they are off on an international tour in October, which goes on usually until April and then it is back home for the start of the domestic series. I am tired just thinking about it and watching it so how must the players feel?

India also seem to have a packed schedule, with the current series against Bangladesh hot on the heels of the World Cup and in the middle of the rainy season when interruptions in play are almost guaranteed from the outset. The fans are also robbed of a good contest when so much time is lost. India also are suffering with a list of injuries, particularly to key bowlers, much like England. The packed schedules has a greater impact on bowlers, with greater chance of injuries and compromising their fitness levels. A time for rest and recuperation is essential to recharge the batteries both mentally and physically.

It is interesting to note that the one team who seems to be getting long breaks and we are talking several months is Australia. They only seem to be playing for a quarter of the year at the moment with plenty of breaks in between. They have so much time that they have to organise long camps to get the players together and do team building exercises. It would be good if the other countries had such a luxury as they are struggling to catch their breath in between. Is it a coincidence that Australia are far superior from the other teams in fitness and performance levels and ultimately their results?

It seems that the people in charge of schedules have really lost sight or have no interest in the game and the welfare of the players. It is ironic that those in charge of the game have not played the at the highest level, if at all, and therefore are unlikely to realise the effect it has on the players. Their prime consideration is commercial and that is evident in the decisions that they make. It is time for the administrators in charge of the game, both the ICC and the boards of each country to take notice of the growing call from many quarters to look at the packed schedules and the impact it is having on players and the game as a whole. The onus should be on quality and not quantity and I am sure that even the fans would agree with this outcome. It is surely better to see less games, which have fit and motivated players, which makes for a good contest than to have more games, with key players missing and demotivated players, making it a dull contest.