It Won't Damage The IPL – Adam Gilchrist Feels BCCI Must Allow Indian Players To Take Part In Overseas T20 Leagues

Legendary Australia National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist believes that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should allow the India National Cricket Team players to participate in the overseas T20 leagues.

Currently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) doesn’t allow its players to participate in the overseas leagues to maintain the exclusivity of the Indian Premier League as world-class players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and several other India stars only play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

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Meanwhile, Adam Gilchrist has said that the participation of the Indian players in the overseas leagues will not have any negative impact on the Indian Premier League.

“It will be wonderful (If the Indian players are allowed to play in overseas T20 leagues). I personally feel that it won’t diminish or damage the IPL, it will only grow it. If they (the Indian players) can play in Australia or South Africa… but the challenge is that we are all playing our domestic season at the same time, so that is a hard thing, isn’t it? The power of the dollar has carved out a window for the IPL. I get that it will be nice if other nations were given some ability for their T20 competitions and their cricket to prosper. It’s a two-way street,” Gilchrist said at a New South Wales Government event on Friday.

“I really want to highlight six seasons (that I played in the IPL). I loved it, it was a great experience. It is the premier T20 competition in the world, but it is important to allow other boards and countries to prosper as well. It can’t be all about one country’s cricket, I think that is really important. I am not accusing them of it, but it is important,” Gilchrist said.

Gilchrist added that the Indian Premier League has been a wonderful addition to the cricketing landscape and he enjoyed the 6 editions he played in the Indian Premier League. He further said:

“I think the IPL has been a wonderful addition to the cricketing landscape, I played six (editions) of them and I loved it. I need to state that there needs to be a lot of thought put into private owners starting multiple teams in multiple tournaments and about what effect that will have on international cricket potentially. It might be a great thing, it might be a really bad thing, I don’t know the answers. You have to go with caution in understanding what contribution private ownership will have on reinvesting in the game.”

I’m not criticising the IPL, but why won’t Indian players come and play in the Big Bash league? – Adam Gilchrist

Australian batting great questioned the BCCI’s move to recruit overseas players for the IPL and not send the Indian players to play in the overseas T20 leagues like Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL).

“If an Australian player goes and plays in other leagues, what are those leagues doing to help development of the game in Australia given that they are taking one of their prized assets away? And I understand why that prized asset will go. I’m not criticising the IPL, but why won’t Indian players come and play in the Big Bash league? I’ve never had an open and honest answer: Why are some leagues accessing every player in the world? No Indian player plays in any other T20 league. 

“I am not saying in a provocative sense, but is that a fair question? If there is a second IPL window, and I believe that’s the proposal, that it is going to start encroaching more on international cricket so Australian players, the English players… that’s going to damage even further the domestic tournament in those countries, but India still won’t help them build their market. It doesn’t seem like a two-way street,” he elaborated.

“I understand the philosophy of the value the IPL gets from exclusivity (of Indian players) but is that a balanced, even playing field for the health of the game globally? It’s going to make a lot of money for the IPL, the franchise owners and certain players. (But) Is it going to keep the game alive in other cricketing nations… and that is the question for the ICC. We are talking dollars, profit, aren’t we, as opposed to game development,” Gilchrist stressed.

Former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman further talked about India National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who has grown a lot as a player and is one of the most exciting prospects in international cricket at the moment. He said that the wicketkeeper-batsman lights up the stage whenever he plays.

“He is one of the most exciting cricketers to watch. I think he just lights up a stage, and makes an electric atmosphere when he is playing. That is wonderful. The BCCI, the management and the selectors will just need to be patient with him. A few innings if he doesn’t score… they shouldn’t be too harsh on him. Because you don’t want to suppress his natural flair,” said the Australian legend.

Also Read: IND vs WI: ‘One Thing? There Are Two’: West Indies Head Coach Says 2 India Youngsters Reason For 3-0 Result In ODIs

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