HIGH TIME BCCI HAS A PLAYER SUPPORT SYSTEM IN PLACE

Just like the players are responsible for performing when selected for the country, the board too is accountable to the cricketers and must keep them in the loop with regards to their future in the team...

- RENIN WILBEN

The death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput is a wake-up call for the Hindi film industry. It needs to sit back and review its functioning to minimize the chances of talented ‘outsiders’ not feeling left out so that Rajput-like tragedies can be averted in the future. Similarly, the time has also come for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take a closer look at the way the sport is run in the country. Behind all the glitz and glamour, the massive endorsement deals and fat pay cheques, there is sub-plot that is developing dangerously and making its presence felt in no uncertain terms -- that of loneliness, depression, and the feeling of being lost.

THAT UNWANTED FEELING

A few days back it was reported that a Tripura U-19 female cricketer Ayanti Reang died by suicide. While there is no official confirmation behind the reason why the budding cricketer took the step, it is important to find out the cause of the drastic measure so that such issues can be dealt with in a better manner in times to come. The worrying aspect here is that Reang’s case is not an isolated one. Even star players like Mohammed Shami and former India pacer Praveen Kumar have admitted that they contemplated ending their lives more than once during troubles times. While Shami was lucky to have staunch family support, Kumar kept himself afloat thinking of his loved ones.