Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri jokingly called India the “Big Daddy of world cricket” during the latest episode of Willow Talk podcast in Sydney. Shastri also said that Indian cricketers should participate in foreign leagues to gain experience of different conditions and play with international stars.
The cricketer-turned-commentator’s comments came ahead of the white-ball series between India and Australia. As per the schedule, the tour will begin with the first ODI match in Perth on Sunday, October 19. The Shubman Gill-led team will play two more ODIs before the five-match T20 series.
India is the great father of world cricket – Ravi Shastri
On the latest Willow Talk podcast in Sydney, the host described India as the “father of world cricket”. Ravi Shastri humorously corrected him, saying, “India is the big daddy of world cricket,” which made the host laugh.
The BCCI does not allow active Indian cricketers to compete in overseas T20 leagues. As per the rules, only players who have retired from both domestic and international cricket can participate in overseas tournaments, provided they obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the board.
Ravichandran Ashwin has signed a Big Bash League (BBL) contract and will represent Sydney Thunder in the upcoming season.
Not everyone gets a chance to play – Ravi Shastri
In the same podcast, Ravi Shastri said that active Indian cricketers should participate in foreign franchise leagues. He said that playing in foreign conditions and sharing the dressing room with international stars will provide invaluable experience, which will help the players develop skills.
Shastri said India has a huge talent pool, which means not every player can make it to the Test team, but they should still be given opportunities through lower-level contracts to gain exposure. He said that IPL has helped young Indian players to grow by competing with world-class talent.
“India is a huge country, not everyone gets a chance to play, not everyone can do it. So if a person can’t make it into the Test team, can’t get a Level C or Level D contract then why stop him?” Shastri said on the Willow Talk podcast.
“When he comes back, that exposure will help him like the IPL has helped many young players as they rub shoulders with top level players,” he said.
There is no better education than going abroad – Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri emphasized that Indian players gain invaluable experience from playing alongside international cricketers and learning from the legends who are part of the coaching teams.
“They learn to handle pressure. Also, they get a chance to rub shoulders with big international stars and international players like Ponting and Fleming,” Shastri said.
He said, “It’s an education – and for me, there’s no better education than going overseas. That experience is fantastic, not just in terms of cricket, but also in understanding different cultures and methods. You learn a lot of things – the West Indian training methodology will be different to the Australian one.”
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