IPL: Franchises warned against local league bias by Sunil Gavaskar
What's the story
Sunil Gavaskar, former Indian cricket team captain, has warned IPL franchises against getting swayed by performances in state and city leagues. "A lot of the big hitters in the various State and city leagues that have sprouted up were exposed when faced with the international quality of bowling in the IPL," Gavaskar wrote in his Sportstar column. The warning comes as an observation of a growing trend where franchises are investing heavily in players who shine in local T20 circuits but struggle with the intensity and pace of IPL.
Quality concern
Gavaskar's stern warning to IPL franchises
Gavaskar questioned the quality of batting and bowling in state and city leagues, saying it doesn't match the standards set by IPL. "In the State and city leagues, the standard of both batting and bowling is nowhere near as good, and unless the scouts have a discerning eye and don't get swayed by player agents, the franchises will keep picking players based on these performances and find they have wasted their money," he wrote.
Underutilization issue
Criticism of teams for wasting money on players
Gavaskar also criticized franchises for spending heavily on players but barely using them during the season. He said such cases indicate a deeper failure in scouting and squad planning. "When a franchise picks a player for crores and then doesn't play him in more than a couple of games, it tells you that their scouts and advisers have sold them a dummy."
Reputation exposure
IPL exposes overrated and overvalued players
Gavaskar also warned that IPL is quick to expose players who are overrated and overvalued. He said franchises often continue to reward players for one performance in a low-pressure situation, even if their overall performance isn't convincing. "Yet there will be players who will have one performance in the tournament, and it's usually in a match of not much consequence for their team and on the basis of that performance be picked for another year."
Captaincy change
Major captaincy change ahead of next season
Gavaskar also spoke about Rishabh Pant stepping down as captain after his team finished at the bottom of the table. He said this was the first major captaincy change ahead of next season. The cricketer highlighted Pant's repeated remarks about having "there were too many voices in his ear and too many thought processes" around him, suggesting it reflected poorly on the support staff.