This article is not meant as an excuse for the disaster in England. Nor does it aim to criticise the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Rather, it seeks to offer a corrective, a gentle reminder that our players are fatigued and are fast losing the plot.

Within a day of returning to India on September 18 some of the players from this touring party will start playing the Champions League, a tournament launched by former BCCI czar Lalit Modi. It is well known that the current dispensation has distanced itself from Modi and has tried to revamp most of Modi?s decisions. For the sake of Indian cricket it needs to be asked if they can abandon the Champions League once and for all.

The league, unlike the IPL, is the most ridiculous of all cricket tournaments. While the IPL has a mass base and is watched by millions in India and also makes money for the broadcaster, Set Max, the Champions League is a failure in every sense. It doesn?t excite the crowd, in fact there are hardly any spectators, it doesn?t excite the players, evident from several off the record conversations here in the UK, and finally it results in a huge loss for the host broadcaster ESPN Star Sports, making it a real burden for the company.

In such a scenario and amidst serious pleas from all quarters to reconsider the burden of India?s cricketers why can?t the BCCI decide on abandoning the Champions League?

Frankly, and the defeat in England notwithstanding, India?s cricket schedule is inhuman. Sample this: India returns from England on September 18 and the Champions League starts on September 19. Even before the Champions League ends the English are in India to play a series of One Day internationals and T-20s. Just as the English tour ends the West Indians come to India for a three Test and five ODI series. And within days after that series the Indians leave for Australia for yet another grueling series starting with the Boxing Day Test on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

As per the agreed schedule, the Indians will get a single tour game in Australia before they play the first Test at the MCG. Just like in England where India played one tour game against Somerset before stepping to Lord?s to play the world?s most balanced attack, so also in Australia it is likely to be a recipe for disaster. Why not compromise on a couple of one dayers and send the players to Australia a few days earlier to acclimatise with the condition, a tried and tested formula that contributed to a much improved performance in South Africa in December 2010, highlighted repeatedly by Gautam Gambhir in his post-day press conference at Edgbaston.

It is time to ask the hard question: Where does Test match cricket rank in our list of priorities? Does it rank lower than one day internationals or T20s because a Test match garners fewer eyeballs? Is all this talk that Test cricket is still the most valued format false talk? For unless we get our priorities right it will be near impossible to stem the rot from here on, especially with another grueling series against Australia coming up.

What was most disappointing to see at Edgbaston was the body language of the Indian fielders. A 38-year-old with more than 21 years in international cricket looked the most energetic Indian player on view, a rather disappointing fact with a number of youngsters on the side. Frankly then, is this the beginning of the end of team India as a quality Test side? Has the slide started and can it be stemmed? With most of our stalwarts ageing and the bench strength looking threadbare this is a very likely possibility.

One humble suggestion then for BCCI: they have in recent times done everything to undo the legacy of Lalit Modi. Why not continue on the same vein and undo the Champions League, give it up for the sake of Indian cricket and its health. Yes, the board will incur a loss of $800 million or so, ESPN paid $975 million to start with for 10 years, but isn?t the cause greater than the money in this one instant? We will wait for the BCCI to offer some answers in the next few months.

The writer is a sports historian