IPL Is A Very Good Training Ground For Players, Says Former England Captain

Ahead of the thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), former England captain David Gower has called the tournament ‘a good training ground for the players’. The upcoming edition of IPL is scheduled to start on September 19 while the final is on November 10.

The former cricketer-turned-commentator said that the IPL is a good platform for cricketers to cut their teeth in top level cricket. David Gower also noted that there has been a shift in focus in the IPL where it demands younger players in the team now as opposed to what used to be the case earlier where older players at the end of their careers would play in the world’s biggest T20 tournament.

“I think overall IPL has been very good for cricketers both for the homegrown and the international players,” David Gower said on SportsTiger’s show ‘Off-the-Field’

“Ever since the games have got shorter from the time of the invention of ODI, fielding has become incredible. I think T20 has changed a lot since the first days of IPL when IPL was taking some of the great players from around the world at the end of their career. But now, one wants the young players. I feel it is a very good training ground for players,” he added.

David Gower went on to say that the IPL isn’t going to make anyone a great Test player but it gives an opportunity for those who are not able to play long form cricket to make the most out of their talent.

“Kieron Pollard is one of the world’s best T20 players but he knows as well as I do that he cannot play Test cricket, he isn’t good enough to play Test cricket,” he said.

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