Ravi Shastri Wants BCCI, Cricketers To Discuss Workload Management Ahead Of IPL 2023
New Delhi: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri is of the view that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the players should sit across the table and discuss the workload management for the sake of the national team.
Shastri’s comments come in after middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer became the latest entrant in the BCCI’s injury list ahead of the ODI World Cup which is scheduled for October-November later this year in India.
“I find it hard to imagine (increase in injuries). You look at era we played in, the facilities that were available at that time. You found players playing 8-10 years easily. Lot of them would play 8-10 months of the year,” Shastri was quoted as saying to Sports Yaari.
Shastri admitted with the increase in the T20 leagues, the rest period for the players is decreasing. “I really don’t know.. probably the volume of cricket has increased, no questions about that. There are different leagues around the world.
“The rest period is decreasing.”
The former India all-rounder also opined that BCCI should take stern decisions and if that means a certain player misses some matches in IPL, be it. “The establishment and players will have to sit across the table. You need that much cricket and you need to give certain break.
“Even if it happens to be IPL. Board has to take the stand there, tell the franchises, ‘listen, we need them. India need them. For India’s sake, if he doesn’t play those games, it will be good’,” Shastri added.
Not only Iyer, the team management is working really hard behind the scenes to make Jasprit Bumrah fit ahead to make him available for the ODI World Cup at home in October-November. Bumrah last played international cricket in September 2022 and had missed the T20 World Cup last year.
Following India’s 1-2 defeat against Australia, the Indian players will be in action in IPL 2023. Post that, India will again play Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval from June 7-11.