The winter fog in northern India has once again disrupted the Ranji Trophy, forcing coaches and players to question why the matches are being played in conditions where visibility is low and the outfield often wet.
Matches across the first few rounds of the Ranji season, including the ongoing third round - in Delhi, Meerut, Chandigarh, Jammu, Lahli, Kanpur and Mullanpur - were all affected to varying degrees, with overs and even days lost without a ball being bowled. The problem is not new and has persisted over the years with the BCCI unable to figure a viable solution.
With vital points being lost, teams have once again listed some possible solutions the Indian board could look at before it makes the schedule next season. Former India spinner Sunil Joshi, who is the Uttar Pradesh head coach, wants north India to be ignored from the fixtures' list during the peak of winter, and wants the respective teams' home games to be played in the later stages of the tournament.
"Look, in big tournaments like the Ranji Trophy, teams suffer losses if the matches are not completed," Joshi told ESPNcricinfo. "My advice is that where there is so much fog [smog, in some cases], instead of playing home matches first, north Indian teams should be given home matches in February, by which time the fog reduces. You will see how many matches in the last two rounds have been affected by fog or bad light."
In the latest round, not a single ball could be bowled on the first day in three matches - Uttar Pradesh vs Bihar in Meerut, Punjab vs Tripura in Mohali, and Chandigarh vs Gujarat in Chandigarh - while Services vs Jharkhand in Delhi, at the Palam ground near the airport, started over an hour late.
Similarly, in the first two rounds, time was lost during Haryana vs Rajasthan in Lahli, Chandigarh vs Railways in Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir vs Himachal Pradesh in Jammu, Delhi vs Puducherry in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh vs Bengal in Kanpur, Railways vs Punjab in Mullanpur, Jammu & Kashmir vs Delhi in Jammu, and Services vs Rajasthan in Delhi. Matches in Patna and other cities in the eastern part of India were also affected by late starts and early finishes.
In two of these matches, Haryana vs Rajasthan and J&K vs Delhi, not a single innings could be completed. Obviously, points were lost, or not won, which will impact the progress of the teams to the next round.
"It would have been better if our matches in north India were held after January," Anshu Jain, coach of Rajasthan, said. Their first game, in Rohtak in Haryana, saw only 42 overs of action. Their second, against Services in Delhi, had 277.1 overs played.
"Two of our matches have already been affected by this. Everyone knows that at there is fog in north India this time of the year. If we were playing in our home ground in Jaipur, this would not have been a problem and the players would have got more opportunity to spend time on the field instead of in the pavilion.
"I am not saying that Ranji Trophy should start in October. It is very hot then and this will make it difficult for fast bowlers to bowl long spells. January is the right time, but then holding matches in north India in January should be avoided. If north India matches are held after January 25, that would be the best time."
Though weather patterns are continuously changing, it's generally understood that it starts to clear towards the end of January, making it easier to complete 90 overs each day in north India.
"The Ranji Trophy cannot be held earlier as the [T20] Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and [one-day] Vijay Hazare Trophy are now held earlier due to the IPL auctions," Services captain Rajat Paliwal said. "Yes, if the first three rounds of matches are in south or west India, then it is better. In our last match, we lost 15 to 20 overs every day. Very few overs were played in Jammu and the match in Delhi (Arun Jaitley Stadium)] was also affected."
Could a tweak in the scheduling of tournaments - moving things around - help?
"It is also possible to start the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in October and the Ranji Trophy in November, and end the season with the Vijay Hazare Trophy," Paliwal said. "I hope this will be considered by those in charge for the next season. If there is a reduction in overs in any match, it affects the result of the game and the points. There is a high possibility that the match will have no result."
Not everyone is in agreement, though. Not to forget, crop burning and the overall levels of pollution make playing cricket close to impossible in parts of north India in the time of the year Paliwal talks about.
"The schedule we have is fine," Jharkhand batting coach Satish Singh said. "This is the best time and season to play first-class cricket in India. Looking at the weather, Ranji Trophy can't be held too much earlier or much later. You cannot fight with nature. Wherever you play, the weather will affect one or two matches, teams will lose points for no fault of theirs in one or two matches. We have no problem with this schedule as a team."
The concerns of the other teams still remain valid because it is the premier first-class tournament in India, and glory at the Ranji Trophy remains cherished, despite the IPL and everything else. Whether there is a solution or not, no-one likes to lose points without scrapping legitimately for them.