BCCI modifies next season's Ranji format

The Indian board's (BCCI's) working committee has decided to change the Ranji Trophy format from 2008-09 season to enable the Plate Group toppers to fight for the trophy by including the top two in the knock-out quarter final phase with six elite division teams.

As a consequence, the Plate Group knock-out will be done away with and the prize-money restructured. "This was done as per a suggestion from the technical committee [headed by Sunil Gavaskar'," said N Srinivasan, the BCCI treasurer. "Some of the Plate Group teams felt they were not playing for the Ranji Trophy."

The BCCI also decided to double the infrastructure subsidy to associations from Rs 25 to Rs 50 crore (US$6,351,432 - 12,702,864). It also ratified the appointment of Gary Kirsten as the national coach and Dav Whatmore as the director of operations of the National Cricket Academy, besides appointing former India batsman WV Raman as the Under-19 team's coach for the upcoming tour of South Africa, starting on December 28.

The working committee also approved the three-Test tour of India by South Africa from mid-March 2008 and the England A team's participation in this year's Duleep Trophy as the sixth outfit.