Page 50 - The Indian EYE 052821

SPORTS MAY 28, 2021 | The Indian Eye 50

5 reasons Why BCCI Should

allow players in Foreign leagues?

Strengthening Further India’s T20 Team

ndian Premier League is In between World Cups,
cricket world’s most lucra- players employ their trade
Itive and competitive tourna- around the various leagues,
ment, providing Board of Con- gain valuable match practice in
trol for Cricket in India (BCCI) all conditions, simulate pressure
the monopoly to dominate situations, and experience play-
cricket politics. Its influence has ing with or against world-class
reached such an extent that En- players.
gland is even proposing to host One can argue that West
the remainder of the IPL by re- Indians were born for T20, but
ducing the 5-Test series, but that the same cannot be said about
is another story. England.
While IPL’s brand has hit Pre-2015, England were ad-
the ceiling over the past de- amant against the IPL and T20
cade, the quality of the Indian broKen cricKet dreaMs leagues, except for Pietersen.
international T20I team has After the 2015 ODI World Cup
remained stagnant. NITESH MATHUR debacle, their thinking changed.
One of the main reasons is The result? Stokes, Buttler, and
BCCI’s reluctance to let Indi- www.brokencricketdreams.com Archer had stellar seasons, and
an cricketers play in foreign England won the 2019 ODI
leagues—the Hundred, CPL, Rather than wait an entire performance in IPL 2008 reig- World Cup.
BBL, BPL, PSL, Abu Dhabi year for the Syed Mushtaq Ali nited his flailing international Radical change. Rapid
T10 among others. Trophy and IPL, these cricket- career. Post-retirement, Wat- strides.
ers could sharpen their skills son regained form in PSL 2019
the argument – out of overseas. They would improve, (Player of the Series), held prior the solution
Favor players need an become financially stable, and to IPL 2019, which helped CSK While injuries and players
outlet help BCCI learn more about in their run to the final. undervaluing internationals for
India is sending separate them. T20 obligations are genuine
squads for the England Test tour Win-win situation. learn from the West indies concerns, there is a solution—
and Sri Lanka limited-overs se- West Indies just announced implement a maximum cap of
ries, an insight into the future. retired players a blockbuster summer. 15 T20Is, 2-3 leagues per year. This will
Separate squads for dif- Yuvraj Singh had to retire right in time for the T20 World ensure clarity in communica-
ferent formats mean more in- from cricket altogether to qual- Cup with Chris Gayle, Dwayne tion and provide time to ob-
ternational spots for domestic ify for a T10 tournament, while Bravo, and Andre Russell re- tain No-objection certificates
players. Yet, fringe players have Harbhajan and others were de- turning. Consider this squad: (NOC), which will help crick-
limited opportunities. Out-of- nied altogether in similar cases. Gayle, 2. Lewis, 3. Pooran, 4. eters manage commitments
favor players should have mul- Not a proper way to treat leg- Hetmyer, 5. Pollard, 6. Russell, without giving up international
tiple outlets to stake a claim or ends. 7. Holder, 8. Bravo, 9. Thomas, dreams.
regain lost spots. Australia’s greatest era came 10. Cottrell, 11. Walsh Jr. It does not have to be an all-
Players looking to break into to an end with retirements of With Simmons, Fletcher, Al- or-nothing, but frankly the con-
the Indian Test squad usually Gilchrist-Hayden-Warne-Mc- len, Edwards, Hosein, & McCoy versation needs to start some-
grind it out in Ranji Trophy or Grath. on the sidelines and Narine yet where.
county cricket, but what about Their acquisition highlight- ready for an international come- Safeguarding the IPL brand
limited overs specialists? How ed the early days of the IPL. back, they are ready to com- is hurting India internationally.
about domestic stalwarts with- Hayden was CSK’s mainstay, plete their World Cup hattrick. IPL helped catapult India
out an IPL contract but can pro- Warne inspired Rajasthan Roy- Benchmarking helps. to the 2011 Cricket World Cup,
vide value overseas? Or consid- als’ inaugural win, and Gilchrist but others have caught up. It
er Kuldeep Yadav’s case, who did the same with Deccan Char- Match practice and is time BCCI let their players
has been warming the bench for gers in 2009. pressure situations develop internationally if they
two seasons. Watson exemplifies these What is the secret sauce of have any chance in future T20
If you rest, you rust. points. His Player of the Series this Caribbean generation? World Cups.

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