"It's A shame That...": England Star Replies To Rahul Dravid's 'Overseas Leagues' Statement On Indian Players

England crushed Team India's hopes of lifting the 2022 T20 World Cup title by eliminating them on the penultimate hurdle. In the semi-final clash, the Rohit Sharma-led side was thrashed by 10 wickets, as the English openers Jos Buttler and Alex Hales chased down the target of 169 in just 16 overs. The Indian side had to go through a series of criticism for their dismal show in the semi-final, with many reasons being pointed out for their embarrassing loss. India head coach Rahul Dravid also reflected on the loss and suggested that many England players had a prior experience of playing in Australia as they play in the Big Bash League but the Indian players do not have that advantage. 

"I mean, sure, there's no doubt about it, the fact that England… a lot of their players have come here and played in this tournament and it certainly showed. It's tough. I think it's very difficult for Indian cricket because a lot of these tournaments happen right at the peak of our season. I think it's a huge challenge for us. Yes, I think a lot of our boys maybe do miss out on the opportunities of playing in a lot of these leagues, but if you were to… it's really up to the BCCI to make that decision, but the thing is it's right in the middle of our season, and with the kind of demand there would be for Indian players," Dravid had said.

"If you allowed all the Indian players to play in these leagues, we would not have a domestic cricket. Our domestic cricket, our Ranji Trophy, would be finished, and that would mean Test cricket would be finished," he added.

Three days after the semi-final clash, Alex Hales, who played an unbeaten knock of 86 runs against India, came up with a reply to Dravid's statement and said that it would be beneficial for the leagues to have "the best players in the world playing."

“It's a shame that Indian guys don't get a chance to play in different leagues. It would be good for everyone, benefit them and benefit the leagues to have the best players in the world playing. [Adelaide] is a ground where I've played a lot of cricket in the past and enjoyed some success. To have that sort of mindset before you head out there on a big occasion probably settles the nerves a bit and gives you confidence that you can put on a performance like that," Sydney Morning Herald quoted Hales as saying.

“Anytime you get the chance to play in foreign conditions makes you a better cricketer and makes you understand those conditions. Hopefully going forward, they get a chance to play in different leagues. It's definitely helped me, for sure," he asserted. 

Topics mentioned in this article

England Cricket Team India Cricket Team ICC T20 World Cup 2022 Rahul Dravid Alex Hales Cricket