Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik thinks that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has done well to restrict players from entering other leagues. As of now, the BCCI allows only retired players to feature in other cricketers leagues apart from the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Dinesh Karthik backs BCCI
Karthik had signed up with the Paarl Royals and made his SA20 debut earlier this year but thinks it’s good the BCCI hasn’t allowed active players to participate in leagues like the Hundred, Big Bash League, or the SA20. The wicketkeeper thinks if it happens, it’ll open a can of worms.
Right now, players who aren’t picked for the India cricket team play in domestic tournaments like the Ranji Trophy (red-ball), Vijay Hazare Trophy (List A), and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20). But if you allow players to play in overseas cricket leagues, they won’t play in domestic tournaments.
“The moment you allow Indians to play in other leagues along with the IPL, they will stop playing domestic cricket. Then you are not going to have the same quality in our game. If you give them opportunities to go and play in other leagues, they will definitely go. Which I don’t think is right for India. Not for any country,” Karthik told Cricbuzz.
Indian players satisfied with IPL money
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) mentor and batting coach thinks that BCCI is paying a good amount of money via the IPL.
“Indian players feel that whatever they earn is good enough, and they have that big carrot called the IPL dangling in front of them – and they believe they can get it,” he added.
He thinks that playing cricket in India is entirely different from what it is in other countries. It may work for other cricket boards to allow their cricketers to go abroad, as they may not be able to pay them enough. This is certainly the case for West Indians, but for Indian cricketers and BCCI, money isn’t an issue.
“In other places, the challenges are very different. I have gone to a couple of Test-playing countries where grounds and facilities are not up to the mark. You can’t compare them with India. We could keep debating this, but to understand the reality on the ground – where India stands as a cricketing nation compared to others – is very important,” Karthik said.
