The Indian Premier League spelt mega bucks and mega success in its inaugural season but former India captain Mohinder Amarnath feels the twenty20 league needs to penetrate more states.
KOLKATA: The Indian Premier League spelt mega bucks and mega success in its inaugural season but former India captain Mohinder Amarnath feels the twenty20 league needs to penetrate more states and be more inclusive of local players to be of any help to Indian cricket.
Amarnath said the league, which saw international stars playing alongside top Indian cricketers in the opening season, should be taken to more cities and include a greater number of local players to help create stars in the domestic circuit.
"This (IPL) should be planned according to the changing trends. I would be very happy if it is played at the state level with the local players getting to play with overseas players on a regular basis," Amarnath said.
The inaugral season of IPL had eight teams. Amarnath said by expanding itself, the league could well be used as a selection criteria for international twenty20 events.
"In the future you are talking about world cup cricket and more international matches, which means you have to see everybody. It's like normal selection and everyone playing their matches and then you pick up the best side," he said.
"That's the way I would like to see cricket happening in the future. Otherwise IPL is fine and good for entertainment," he added.
Amarnath, however, felt twenty20 being a batsman's format, is not the ideal platform to judge a bowler.
"The real test is in Test cricket. Twenty20 is more of a batsman oriented game and bowlers play under more restrictions," he said.
The 1983 World Cup hero said Twenty20's popularity can never threaten Test cricket because the longer version of the game will always have its share of fans, seeking entertainment at a leisurely pace.
"If you play so much Twenty20 the interest in the longer version of the game will go down but if you want to see good cricket, you will always see in Test cricket," said Amarnath.
Media obsession with cricket and cricketers keeps increasing and Amarnath said it has resulted in some absurd stories, like the one on former India coach Greg Chappell becoming a double agent by taking over as assistant coach of Australia.
"Why should it impact anybody? He has finished his contract. And the two teams have played against each other for the past so many years; it will not impact as they know strength and weaknesses of each other. He should do his job," he said.
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