Trouble brewing between Indian board and players

Dubai: Senior players of Team India that won the World Cup have requested for a break but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not giving in to their wishes.

The situation is now heading towards a clash between the board and players.

Following the tiring World Cup and the subsequent Indian Premier League (IPL), Team India players could not take a break to savour their victory with their families and had requested the board not to consider them for the Test series against West Indies but only for the One-dayers.

Some of the players including captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been playing non-stop cricket for the last ten months, but BCCI feels that it would be wrong for a few senior players to be given the privilege to pick and choose their series and matches.

Ensure they do not lose

The reason behind BCCI's decision to have all the top players in the team is to ensure that they do not lose either the Test and One-dayers series and go slipping down in the ICC world ranking.

India's West Indies tour will commence with a Twenty20 match in Trinidad on June 4 and it will be followed by five One-dayers from June 6 to 16. The three Tests will be held from June 20 to July 10.

The senior players had asked not to be considered for the Tests from June 20 so they can get a break of one month before India's tour to England commencing from July 21 with the first Test at Lord's.

England tour hectic

The England tour is also hectic with four Test matches, four One-dayers and a Twenty20 match.

Dhoni spearheaded the request. He had even remarked during the World Cup that the fatigue factor is showing on the players.

Three days after winning the World Cup, he candidly said: "The schedule does affect cricketers. After IPL, there is the West Indies series. From West Indies, we go to England. If Chennai Super Kings win the IPL final, we play the Champions League. It's a very busy schedule. Because of the amount of cricket that we play, it does affect the performances. Physical aspects are still manageable, but you might feel mentally tired and emotionally drained."

Sehwag out

Virender Sehwag will miss the West Indies tour as he is scheduled to undergo a shoulder operation in England. He will also be out of the England tour.

The senior players' insistence of getting a break now is because even after the West Indies and England tour, they may not get a break.