Rahul Dravid has remained silent, adding to the uncertainty surrounding his future as head coach of the Indian team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on the other hand, is not going away. It goes about its work as if nothing had changed. Travel documents have been completed for Dravid and all of his support crew for the impending tour of South Africa.
However, the completion of travel documents does not guarantee that Dravid would continue, as visas for VVS Laxman’s coaching staff have also been prepared. While the BCCI waits for news from Dravid, the board managers are planning for every contingency. The Twenty20 team will depart for South Africa on December 6, with three T20Is slated on December 10, 12, and 14. The team will be chosen during the following two days.
The BCCI has not stated if Rahul or Laxman’s coaching staff will travel to South Africa. However, it has been suggested that the present coaching team will handle the Twenty20 series in South Africa to ensure consistency and give the BCCI more time to make a definitive decision on Dravid.
Following the T20Is, India will play three ODIs and two Tests in South Africa, with the final game taking place on January 7 in Cape Town. A country in India A side is also likely to fly to South Africa in December, necessitating the addition of a second coaching staff.
Meanwhile, the England Lions will play three matches in India before the arrival of the Ben Stokes-led side for the five-Test series in February-March. The England Lions are set to arrive in January, but the dates and locations for the three games have yet to be determined. It would not be shocking if Mumbai received those games.
From Wednesday, England A ladies will be hosted in Mumbai. The English women will play three one-day matches at the Wankhede Stadium on November 29, December 1, and December 3. The A series will be followed by three Twenty20 Internationals between India women and England women at the same venue on December 6, 9, and 19, followed by a women’s Test from December 14 to 17.
The Wankhede Stadium will then host a Test between India and Australia women from December 21 to 24, followed by three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) on December 28, 30, and January 2. On December 5, 7, and 9, the DY Patil Stadium will host three women’s T20Is between India and Australia.
“MCA president Amol Kale and Apex Council unanimously passed a resolution to promote women’s cricket.” “By opening the gates to free entry, we not only fill the stadium, but we also open the door to a world of empowerment through women’s T20 cricket,” said Ajinkya Naik, secretary of the Mumbai Cricket Association.
