VVS Laxman to REPLACE Gautam Gambhir? BCCI makes a massive appointment after South Africa domination

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to revive the bench strength after the national cricket team's recent Test series loss to New Zealand. National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman and the BCCI are working to revive the India ‘A’ tour program amid financial challenges.

Team India suffered their first home series loss in the last 12 years after a 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand. This was also the first time India had been whitewashed in a home series with three or more matches. It also dented India's chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

VVS Laxman Looks to Revive India 'A' Tour to Enhance Bench Strength

As per the Times of India report, VVS Laxman is working on reviving the India 'A' tour program and strengthening the team's bench strength for long-term plans. This was successful under former NCA head Rahul Dravid, and VVS Laxman plans to bring back this model to continue nurturing emerging players.

The 'A' program faced challenges after the COVID-19 lockdown as other cricket boards were unwilling to bear the costs of hosting India's U-19 and 'A' teams. A BCCI source revealed that the board managed to organize a few shadow 'A' tours before India’s Test series.

"Other boards have communicated to the BCCI that they can't bear the expenses of an 'A' tour. The BCCI has still tried to organize a couple of shadow 'A' tours like the one which precedes India's Test tour of Australia. VVS Laxman is working on it to come up with a plan that will offer greater exposure to the next generation of cricketers," a BCCI source told the Times of India.

"Other boards are reluctant to host these 'A' series, which don't generate any revenue for them. The expenses must be borne by the local board. What needs to be worked out is a way to make these tours affordable."

India 'A' Plays Crucial Role in Selection for National Cricket Team

The India 'A' series plays an important role in selection, as the selectors assessed players' form ahead of the England tour of India earlier this year. However, there's a concern about scheduling conflicts between emerging tournaments and the Ranji Trophy, and the board also aims to avoid such clashes.

“Earlier this year, there was an ‘A’ series against England Lions just ahead of England’s tour of India. That series offered the selectors a good perspective on where the players stand,” the source added.

“The board also needs to see that Emerging tournaments and other series where two India teams are on separate tours don’t coincide with the Ranji Trophy. Almost 60 players are busy on such assignments this season and that hampers the quality of Ranji,” the source concluded.

India 'A' Suffered 0-2 Defeat In Recent Australia 'A' Tour

India A recently played two unofficial Tests against Australia A, where they suffered a 0-2 defeat. The Indian batters struggled throughout the series. However, wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel delivered exceptionally, scoring 80 and 68 in his two innings at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The opening Test of the five-match series between India and Australia is scheduled to be played in Perth, starting on Friday, November 22. It is the first time India and Australia will play five Test matches in a bilateral series.

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