'Dravid's concern over schedule unjustified'

MUMBAI: The BCCI on Wednesday brushed aside India captain Rahul Dravid's concern over the cramped schedule for the national team by saying the country's tennis players were playing more than the cricketers.

"I don't agree with the fatigue factor. Our cricketers don't play more than our tennis players. Even the Australian and English cricketers play more. We are playing the same amount of cricket as in the past. It's just that we have marketed it better," BCCI Vice President Lalit Modi said.

Modi was reacting to Dravid's remarks in Bangladesh on Tuesday that the schedule for the team was over-crammed.

"Ideally, the timing of the series could have been better. But schedules are crammed, over-crammed if you ask me. I don't know how we are going to fit everything in," the Indian captain had said in Chittagong after the rain-marred drawn first Test against Bangladesh.

"The solution is that we have to get the scheduling right and try to get certain number of Test and ODIs. We should try not to exceed that number and plan your tours well and prepare well for them," the Indian skipper had said.

But Modi dismissed suggestions that the BCCI was bent upon thrusting meaningless ODIs on the overburdened team.

"We are still playing around 100-110 days' of cricket in a year as in the past. The schedule may look a bit skewed in favour of ODIs because of the cycle. We play more ODI's this year but next year will be playing more Tests against Australia and South Africa," he elaborated.

"The more we play the better it is for the team," was Modi's parting shot on the subject.