BCCI panics over India’s red-ball collapse, holds high-level meeting to save Test cricket
Indian cricket is quietly gearing up for crucial changes as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) seeks to resolve issues that have started to emerge, particularly in red-ball cricket. The board is now fully focused on shaping the future of India’s talent system.
BCCI holds emergency meeting on Test cricket crisis; Center of excellence and redesign of the red ball in focus
Alarmed by India’s recent Test defeats and systemic problems in player development, the BCCI held an emergency high-level meeting on January 9 at the Mumbai headquarters. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia spoke to VVS Laxman, who heads the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
The meeting was attended by several senior BCCI officials, including new board chairman Mithun Manhas, vice-chairman Rajeev Shukla, treasurer Prabhtej Singh Bhatia and managing director Abey Kuruvilla. The objective of the meeting was to review what the Center of Excellence (CoE) is currently doing and focus on the urgent interventions needed to ensure the future of red-ball cricket in India.
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The trigger: a growing red ball crisis
The big topic of the meeting was India’s recent poor results in Test cricket at home. India have lost five of their last seven Tests at home. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand in 2024. Most recently, India lost two home Tests against South Africa.
The BCCI secretary pointed out that young players are losing their defensive skills. With the huge influence of IPL and white-ball cricket, many youngsters are more interested in attacking shots and fast runs. As a result, the basics of red-ball cricket are being ignored and Saikia feels that this area needs to be fixed urgently.
Had a fruitful meeting with VVS Laxman, Head of BCCI Center of Excellence, in the presence of BCCI office bearers today in Mumbai. Reviewed the ongoing activities and charted the roadmap for the future journey of the Centre, aimed at further strengthening the talents of Indian cricket…pIc.twItter.com/nw1P.IbqDV1
– Devajit LON Saikia (@lonsaikia) J.AnYouArYes 9, 2026
Devajit Saikia was quoted as saying by PTI: “A lot of young players are attracted to white-ball cricket by watching the IPL. They watch newer shots like reverse sweep, so they are only focusing on improving their attacking game. We need to work to retain their interest in red-ball cricket.
It was discussed the need to improve their defensive skills, the art of staying in the camp longer. Areas have been identified. For implementation, we will have more meetings. There are reasons why we don’t do as well in red-ball cricket. It was an exercise in introspection.
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Centers of Excellence Review: Identifying Critical Gaps
A major item on the agenda was the performance of the Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bangalore, intended to be the backbone of India’s talent system. The CoE has been operational since April last year.
However, the Indian Cricket Board has admitted that some very important technical positions are still vacant, including Head of Education and Head of Sports Science. These positions are crucial to properly train young cricketers.
The BCCI secretary said, “We thought this was an appropriate time to review the preparations and activities of the CoE. We have assessed the vacancies at the CoE and have decided to start the recruitment process soon. There is a serious shortage of technical staff across the world, but we are trying to fill the posts at the earliest.”
Fixing the “A” team pipeline and schedule
The meeting highlighted poor scheduling coordination between the senior Indian cricket team and the India A tours, leading to resource conflicts. They felt that the schedule needed to be planned better as the India A tour plays a very important role in preparing players for the senior team and maintaining a strong talent pool.
Saikia said, “We are holding matches at all three grounds (including the ongoing Vijay Hazare). We have also talked about how the A tours should be scheduled in the future. In some situations, the A team and the senior team tour together at the same time. We need to ensure that there is no overlap. A tour is an important supply line of cricketers.”
Addressing the U-19 system
India’s defeat in the 2025 Under-19 Asia Cup final has raised doubts about the effectiveness of the Center of Excellence (CoE) in grooming young players. Before facing humiliation against Pakistan, the Indian Under-19 team also lost the U19 Asia Cup 2024 against Bangladesh and then the U19 World Cup 2024 final against Australia.
In response to recent failures, the BCCI has decided to strengthen the under-19 system by giving players greater visibility during matches. The board plans to add more series and bilateral tournaments for the U-19 team so that players face more pressure situations to prepare for big matches.
