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Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar launched a scathing attack regarding the availability of overseas players in the Indian Premier League (IPL), questioning both their commitment and their fitness claims. While players like Mitchell Starc and Matheesha Pathirana have faced delayed starts due to injury concerns, Kolkata Knight Riders' record signing Mitchell Starc and RCB's Cameron Green have faced scrutiny over workload management. Gavaskar urged the BCCI to intervene, suggesting that stricter rules should be in place for players who do not commit fully to their designated roles. In his column for Sportstar, the legendary cricketer remarked that bowling four overs a match can hardly be called "demanding."
"To suggest that the franchise was 'informed before' is not a great excuse. And 'informed before' is how much before the opening day of the tournament? Playing for the country is paramount and comes before franchise cricket, but don't the franchises-who open not just their wallets but also their hearts to players and often their families-deserve full commitment?"
"It is also worth remembering that a bowler can bowl only four overs in a match. If they have bowled a similar number of deliveries in practice without issue, what is stopping them from doing so in the game? As a bowler, you are expected to bowl 56 overs across 14 league games over two months and, if your team reaches the final, perhaps another two or three games and 12 more overs. C'mon, for a generation that keeps talking about how fit they are, that's no load at all. Four overs in a match-and not even in one stretch-is too much for the body? Man, if the body is that fragile, then it's best to give it two more months' rest, isn't it?" he wrote.
While Cricket Australia previously instructed its players to manage their workloads, Gavaskar remained unconvinced. He argued that foreign boards benefit financially from IPL contracts and insisted that cricketers should show more accountability, considering the significant investment made by franchises.
"The IPL has been a cash cow not just for overseas players but for their Boards too. Does the average Indian fan know that Cricket Boards get 10% of the fee a player from their country is bought for? It is not clear whether the BCCI or the franchise pays this commission for issuing the No Objection Certificate."
"No other T20 league in the world pays a single dime to the Boards of overseas players. Not even The Hundred. Since four out of six teams [in other global leagues] have Indian owners, why not milk the cash cow?" he added.
"To suggest that the franchise was 'informed before' is not a great excuse. And 'informed before' is how much before the opening day of the tournament? Playing for the country is paramount and comes before franchise cricket, but don't the franchises-who open not just their wallets but also their hearts to players and often their families-deserve full commitment?"
"It is also worth remembering that a bowler can bowl only four overs in a match. If they have bowled a similar number of deliveries in practice without issue, what is stopping them from doing so in the game? As a bowler, you are expected to bowl 56 overs across 14 league games over two months and, if your team reaches the final, perhaps another two or three games and 12 more overs. C'mon, for a generation that keeps talking about how fit they are, that's no load at all. Four overs in a match-and not even in one stretch-is too much for the body? Man, if the body is that fragile, then it's best to give it two more months' rest, isn't it?" he wrote.
While Cricket Australia previously instructed its players to manage their workloads, Gavaskar remained unconvinced. He argued that foreign boards benefit financially from IPL contracts and insisted that cricketers should show more accountability, considering the significant investment made by franchises.
"The IPL has been a cash cow not just for overseas players but for their Boards too. Does the average Indian fan know that Cricket Boards get 10% of the fee a player from their country is bought for? It is not clear whether the BCCI or the franchise pays this commission for issuing the No Objection Certificate."
"No other T20 league in the world pays a single dime to the Boards of overseas players. Not even The Hundred. Since four out of six teams [in other global leagues] have Indian owners, why not milk the cash cow?" he added.
