Ravi Shastri urges more Indians to play foreign leagues to provide players an exposure to high intensity leagues.
Days after Ravichandran Ashwin signed a full-season deal for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season, former India head coach Ravi Shastri has voiced his support for more Indian players taking the overseas franchise leagues route.
Shastri believes that playing alongside international stars in overseas conditions provides youngsters with valuable exposure, experience, and the opportunity to broaden their cricketing horizons.
Shastri, who has guided the team through some of its most memorable wins across formats, feels that such overseas exposure not only helps youngsters broaden their skillset but also benefits seasoned campaigners.
“India is a massive country, not everyone gets an opportunity to play, not everyone can make it. So, why stop a guy (from playing in the Big Bash League) if he can’t make it to the Test side, get a level C or level D contract?” Shastri said on the Willow Talk podcast. “That exposure will help him when he comes back, like the IPL has helped so many young players as they rub shoulders with top-class players.”
The 63-year-old, who coached India from 2017 to 2021, emphasized that sharing the dressing room with international superstars and some greats of the game, who may be on the coaching staff, will allow players to learn a lot about the sport and mental toughness, especially in overseas conditions.
“They learn to handle pressure. Additionally, they get to rub shoulders with big international stars like (Ricky) Ponting and Stephen Fleming and international players,” he added. “It’s an education—and for me, there’s no better education than going overseas. That exposure is terrific, not just in cricketing terms but in understanding different cultures and methods. You learn so many things—a West Indian training method will be different from an Australian one.”
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However, currently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) doesn’t allow active Indian players to participate in overseas T20 leagues such as Major League Cricket (MLC) of the USA, ILT20 of the UAE, SA20 of South Africa, and others. Indian cricketers can feature in foreign leagues only after they retire from all forms of domestic and international cricket and obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the board.
Ravichandran Ashwin, India’s second-highest wicket-taker across formats, hung up his boots from international cricket last year and ended his IPL career recently. He has now become the first high-profile Indian cricketer to sign a full-season deal with an overseas league, joining Sydney Thunder for the upcoming BBL.
Apart from Ashwin, other Indian cricketers, including 2011 ODI World Cup-winner Piyush Chawla, and 2007 T20 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy-winner Dinesh Karthik, have joined Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Sharjah Warriorz for the upcoming ILT20 season, respectively. Notably, Karthik also featured in SA20 earlier this year, representing Paarl Royals, highlighting the growing trend of Indian players seeking experience in global leagues.
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