The ongoing season of the Indian Premier League is very likely to be a key criterion for selection for several players. But there has been criticism from many for the same. The Chairman of BCCI’s Selection Committee and former Indian international, Ajit Agarkar shared his thoughts on why the tournament can be a great platform to judge the plethora of talent Indian cricket produces.
Agarkar was part of the YouTube podcast, SportifyWithPRG where he commented on why India’s marquee franchise cricketing tournament could prove as a testing ground to identify the next big talent for the future of Indian cricket.
The Chief selector dwelled upon how the tournament has thrown players into the limelight after delivering performances for their respective franchises which then led to their selection for the Indian team.
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Agarkar believes that the sheer presence of crowds will be something that the new crop of players will have to get used to. He said,” People keep talking about IPL and you can see every year it just keeps throwing players out of the blue. I mean having been a selector now for a few months, I know there are certain players we’ve watched, but there are certain players who suddenly come and show even on a big stage. And IPL is a fairly big stage because of the pressure involved with big crowds”.
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Another aspect the former Indian pacer highlighted was the quality of opposition a player would have to go up against, which would test their temperament. The IPL has always brought in the best talents from India and across the globe, giving a platform to many international talents to make themselves known on their respective national sides.
The 46-year-old highlighted, “You might be bowling to one of the top batters in the world or you might be facing one of the top bowlers in the world and that’s when you stand up and sometimes that’s where you judge the temperament of the player and how consistently he can do it”.
With the tournament being the biggest it has ever been, this also poses a challenge to the selectors. However, Agarkar pointed out the distinguishing factor among the many talented cricketers is their temperament on the big stage.
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The Mumbai legend also added, “It’s sometimes a difficult task because of the sheer numbers that we have. But eventually, the more you watch players, you generally know who you get a sense of it. Temperament sometimes separates it”.
The Chief Selector of the Indian Cricket Board explained it further by highlighting the talented players’ work ethic coupled with the determination and discipline they have to push them up a level to distinguish themselves from the other talented bunch.
He said, “I think everyone has some talent to reach a certain stage. What you do with that talent, how good your work ethic is, how disciplined you are and how determined you are may separate the guys who make it from the guys who are probably just as talented but don’t quite make that step. But now, talent is not an issue, which is always a plus as a selector”.
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