Will allowing Indian players to play in overseas leagues help the team in anyway? Will it help them to improve their T20 game and thereby remain competitive? This is the debate now going on in Indian cricketing circles. I am neither for nor against such participation. However, past cricketers and especially Ravi Shastri has a view that is quite opposite to the prevailing popular opinion. Indians playing overseas league games, is it a benefit or will it be disadvantageous?
Ever since the loss against England during the World T20, there were various suggestions to the effect that the Indian board must consider sending their players abroad to participate in the T20 leagues. The consensus was that England defeated India because of their exposure to the Australian conditions because most of their players play in the BBL. Indians are not allowed to participate in any other leagues. I do not think that the exposure to BBL was what led to England annihilate India. It is much more than that. They are a better side than us. The hitting ability, the depth in their batting and the lone leg-spinner were all much better than India could muster. This is what led Buttler and Hales to overpower a reasonable score with relative ease.
Indian cricketers are much in demand
Having said that, would exposure to BBL and other leagues help the Indian players? I do not think so but I do not mind Indians participating in such leagues. However, the top line players must not be allowed to. The 2nd and 3rd rung players can certainly participate. The problem is that they may not be needed. Australian or England franchises may feel that these players will not add any value interms of revenue for them. In such a scenario, they will be unsold or sold for a lesser amount. A Kohli or a Rohit or a Bumrah and a few others will not only demand a hefty sum but will also ensure that seats are taken in almost all the grounds. The Indian sponsors will be involved with pleasure. It will give a massive boost to the leagues without an iota of doubt.
However, at what cost to Indian cricket? This is a pertinent question. Already, most of the players at the top level are overworked. In the olden days, there used to be an off-season between March and August. Now, the concept of off-season is not heard of for an Indian cricketer. For every other team, there is an off-season. South Africa do not play for atleast 3 months a year. England & Australia the same. Whereas, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and West Indies have an even longer off-season. As a result, the Indian players are jaded and just go through the motions. If one game is lost, there is always another game. They are not at all motivated. How can they be? With one game per week, one loss does not really matter.
The cost of such a move will be expensive
In such a scenario, if the Indian players are allowed to play overseas, every franchise cricket, BBL, The Hundred, South African league, UAE league, Bangladesh league will fall head over heels to purchase the Indian players for obvious reason. This is result in them not being available for India when needed like in the case of Bumrah who is always injured while playing for India whereas he is in peak condition while playing for Mumbai Indians. Or for that matter, when Rohit, Rahul & Kohli ask for rest while playing for India but not while playing for their respective franchises.
In the immediate aftermath of the defeat, to England, there were suggestions that allowing Indian players to play in overseas league will help them in the future. Anil Kumble certainly believes that it will.
“I think exposure certainly helps. It certainly helps any cricketer. We have seen that with the kind of development that it has had on Indian cricket. For example, the IPL, where overseas players come in and the kind of changes we’ve had in Indian cricket has certainly helped. And likewise, if you identify the brand of cricket that we are looking at and then identify these key young players who you believe need those exposures, then why not? I think that’s important.”
However, the former coach Ravi Shastri and Zaheer Khan are opposed to such a move.
Shastri’s & Zaheer’s comments
“I feel there are a lot of processes in place. It’s not about playing only franchise cricket, it’s about going to different countries to learn things. That is something which is important, and you’ve seen with BCCI, with their shadow tours, I think those processes are well in place,” Zaheer said
Shastri said,
“There is enough domestic cricket for all these players to get absorbed in the system and get an opportunity,” Shastri said. “Plus, you get these India A tours, you get a lot of these other tours, where at one given time you might have two Indian teams playing in the future, where the opportunity will come for the other lot to go somewhere else whilst India is in another country – to go play and see what you know they can do.
“So there’s no need [to play in overseas leagues], they’re absolutely fine playing IPL cricket and focusing on domestic cricket. We need them to play domestic cricket in India as well.”
I tend to agree with them. The number of A team tours have increased. They visit several countries and are properly exposed to different conditions. Playing in other leagues will perhaps create T20 monsters whereas the same players will struggle in ODI and Test cricket.
Wrapping up Indians playing overseas league games
I am not opposed to allowing Indian players in overseas leagues but that must be restricted to the next rung players. Every franchise will be keen to have a Kohli or Rohit or Pant in their squad but that will only increase the workload on them. They are very important to the Test side and as such we cannot afford to overload them. Some of the IPL performers like Tewatia or Mukesh or Kuldeep Sen can be allowed to participate. Already, the Indian players are playing non-stop throughout the year and franchise cricket around the world will only increase that.
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