Sunil Gavaskar made some poignant remarks before media persons in Mumbai. However, it sounds a little ironic given that Gavaskar has accepted an important role in the running of the IPL alongside Ravi Shastri, Tiger Pataudi and works closely with Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner of the IPL.
Gavaskar has urged young Indian cricketers to look beyond the IPL and not settle simply for a lucrative contract with India’s domestic Twenty20 tournament. He was wary of youngsters showcasing his skills for an IPL contract but quickly getting lost in the world of fame, glamour and instant money.
His remarks come at an ironical time for team India when the selection panel has picked players such as Ravindra Jadeja and Abhishek Nayyar primarily on what they were able to show in the manner of Twenty20 skills for the ODI arena.
Gavaskar also remarked that being in the Twenty20 mould also led to the downfall of many of India’s cricketers on the tour to the West Indies. He stated that it was that shot making had suffering and they had become vulnerable to the short balls. However, one needs to remember that being stuck in the IPL 2 mould from South Africa did not help India in the ICC World Twenty20 in England either.
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