Aravinda de Silva says India should enable smaller nations to share in the riches generated
Former Sri Lanka skipper Aravinda de Silva realized that the IPL and other T20 Leagues have benefited cricket, but urged India to allow star players to take part in tournaments overseas while the IPL has produced copycat competition around the world.
Former Sri Lanka skipper Aravindra de Silva realized that the IPL and other T20 Leagues have benefited cricket, but urged India to allow star players to take part in tournaments overseas.
The Indian Premier League has developed into cricket’s most blazing property attracting foreign talents such as England’s Jos Buttler and Australia’s David Warner for a large number of dollars to play in the high-octane two-month jamboree.
Aravinda, known for aggressive batting during a distinguished career that included a 1996 World Cup win, likened the current T20 leagues to English domestic cricket in the latter part of the last century, which pulled in top players from all around the world to learn their craft and gain experience.
“It’s like the county cricket of those days which gave the English cricketers the advantage,”
the 56-year-old, who played for English county Kent in the 1990s, told AFP.
“The IPL, Big Bash or in England the Hundred and T20 Blitz, those are tournaments which allow players to develop.”
The Indian Premier League began in 2008 and has produced copycat competitions all over the world.
Aravinda said India should enable smaller nations to share in the riches generated to grow the game, raise global playing standards and improve skill levels, something that would ultimately benefit the IPL.
“If you have one dominating country, you can see from the IPL, they run a monopoly on the premier leagues because the Indian cricketers are not allowed to play in other leagues,”
Aravinda said.
“So what will probably happen is that the standard — if it keeps dropping and if there is no real competition — at some point, it’s going to affect the global game.
“Unless (India) find a way to support the other countries and get them up to grips with the kind of support levels which the game requires nowadays, it’s a negative for the cricket world.
“It’s the (world governing body) ICC’s responsibility to make sure that it’s done in a manner where these countries keep developing, otherwise we don’t want a situation like Zimbabwe and South Africa, how they dipped from their standard of cricket.”
Sri Lankan players have exclusively received benefits from the IPL. Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for $1.42 million and was the second-highest wicket-taker in this year’s 10-team mega event.
Sri Lanka’s version, the IPL, was last played in 2021, with five teams captained by Sri Lanka players including Angelo Mathews and Niroshan Dickwella and Aravinda also lauded Pakistan for setting up an extraordinary show with the Pakistan Super League despite a lack of publicity and resources.
Sri Lanka is currently 1-0 down to Australia in a two-match Test series but Aravinda was hopeful the hosts can fight back in the second match beginning on Friday in Galle.
“We saw the passion even with all these issues, we had some full houses during the one-day series,”
said Aravinda.
“(I am) thankful to the Australians who decided to come and bring some smiles to the Sri Lankan people. It was amazing. My heartfelt gratitude goes to them.”