India cricket legend Mohinder Amarnath here on Wednesday welcomed BCCI’s decision to lay emphasis on domestic cricket, making it mandatory for all fit-and-available cricketers to play for their State teams.
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“I think it’s a good thing. It should’ve happened a long time back, to be very honest. And I think it should apply to each and every cricketer today, not only to certain cricketers. Everybody should play domestic cricket,” he said at the launch of the JITO Premier League.
When referred to Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer having been mandated to play domestic cricket, he said: “I don’t think there’s any need for any warning to anybody. You take a decision and apply it to everybody.
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“The BCCI must have strict rules and all that. This is the beginning. I think they should be even more strict in the future also and make sure that all Indian players participate and play. They (players) cannot decide for themselves and choose what they want to do. I think it should be to the BCCI and to the State (associations) to decide.”
On R. Ashwin having surpassed 500 wickets in Tests and playing his 100th Test for India, versus England at Dharamshala, on Thursday, the 73-year-old said: “Oh, he’s a fantastic cricketer, actually! I remember when I watched him for the first time — I was a consultant with Bengal Cricket. We were playing against Tamil Nadu at Bangalore. It was the first time I watched him, and he showed his class straight away.
“I’m very pleased for Ashwin, with what he’s achieved. And I’m sure that in the future also, he will continue his performance. Not only at home, he is a very fine bowler to be a part of the team overseas as well.
“I’m surprised at the number of times he’s not been included in the team. But these things happen in cricket. I’m sure he will keep going and keep performing.”