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Shreyas Iyer (L) and Ishan Kishan© AFP
Former Indian cricket team fast bowler Praveen Kumar weighed in on the controversy surrounding Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan not receiving central contracts from the BCCI. With the Board focusing on domestic cricket, both cricketers were penalised for not taking part in Ranji Trophy matches. In an interview with Times Of India, Praveen said that cricketers should look to earn money but not at the expense of domestic cricket. The former pacer advised young players to prioritise international cricket over the Indian Premier League (IPL) and try to balance both things in their careers.
“I have been saying this for long. Paisa kamao, kaun mana kar rha hai? Paisa kamane chahiye lekin aise bhi nahi hona chahiye ki aap domestic nahi khel rahe, country ko importance nahi de rahe. (Earn money, who is stopping you? But it shouldn’t be like you are not playing for the country or domestic cricket). This thing is now firmly in the mind of players. Mai ek mahine pehle rest kar lunga, fir IPL khel lunga. Ye mentally hota hai, ki mai itne paise kaise chodun (Will rest for a month before the IPL and then play. This happens because mentally you are not willing to let go of that money). But this is not fair at all. A player needs to balance things. Money is important, but this (giving franchise cricket the priority) is wrong.”
Earlier, Shreyas Iyer could manage to score just 3 runs off 8 balls before he was clean bowled by Sandeep Warrier during the Ranji Trophy semi-final match between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu.
It was Iyer’s first domestic match after he was not given a central contract by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The decision has created quite stir among both fans and experts alike with many thinking that the decision to exclude Iyer and Ishan Kishan was correct and it can serve as an example for younger cricketers who may look to prioritise the IPL over playing red-ball cricket.
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