Bengal: Merely 24 hours after calling it a day from all forms of cricket, veteran cricketer Manoj Tiwary has revealed that he has been slapped with a 20 per cent of his match fees for making a remark on Ranji Trophy. In a tweet on February 10, Tiwary explained how Ranji Trophy is losing it’s significance and that it should be ‘scrapped’.
Tiwary wrote on X: “Ranji Trophy should be scrapped off from the calendar from the next season onwards. So many things going wrong with the tournament. SO many things need to looked into in order to save this prestigious tournament which has a rich history. It’s losing its charm and importance. Absolutely frustrated.”
“In hindsight, I feel that the directive issued by the BCCI might not have been given had I not posted it on X. Perhaps my post prompted the BCCI secretary to put the players under pressure now,” said Tiwary during his felicitation at the Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club on Monday.
“The seriousness they have shown by taking this step in the crucial stage of the Ranji Trophy indicates their concern that many players, especially high-profile ones who have succeeded in the IPL with limited first-class cricket, are not giving enough importance to the Ranji Trophy,” Tiwary said.
“I can observe that young players have adopted an IPL-centric mindset,” Tiwary said. “Those who don’t play IPL often go to Dubai or other places whenever they find some free time. However, this trend is diminishing the significance of the prestigious Ranji Trophy. IPL is a massive platform for all of us, but I also request the BCCI president and secretary to increase the significance of the Ranji Trophy.”
