More IPL exposure for English Players

More IPL exposure for English Players: England are currently 1-0 down against Pakistan in their 4 match ODI series held in the UAE. Statistics says that a 4-0 whitewash in this series would result in the English side going below Bangladesh in the ICC ODI Rankings. With this threat constantly beckoning, and also given the poor recent performances in the ICC World Cup as well as limited over bilateral series with various oppositions, the English Cricket Board (ECB) has been reviewing their current status in the limited-overs format of the game as well as their domestic leagues.

Andrew Strauss, director of the ECB, was of the opinion that overseas T20 tournaments such as the IPL and Big Bash should have more English participation than it currently has. This would result in a clear scenario as to differentiate which players are limited overs specialist and those who are Test specialist. Change in focus on various formats would result in ‘white ball’ and ‘red ball’ players to cope with the current gruesome and demanding international schedule as well as help them to excel in their respective fields, by realizing in which format they are better.

Strauss recently said “Our game in our country is relatively well set-up for Test cricket. We’ve got to number one in the world and we’ve won the last four Ashes series at home. But the one-day stuff has been a constant thorn in our side over a long period of time.”

To bring about changes to this poor run in the limited-overs format, Strauss believes that changing English cricket’s traditional priority of emphasizing on Tests instead of ODIs would be the key.

Vibrant talents such as Jos Butler, Ben Stokes, Joe Root and also the in-form Alex Hales are going to surely prove to be limited over specialists and such platforms will help them to surely excel in this discipline.

Although sacrificing progress in the Test format can cause significant damage to the traditional Test cricket pride of England, Andrew Strauss does believe that the more popular shorter formats of the game is the right way to move forward in the current cricketing scenario, but he feels these changes should rather bring about balance in Test and One Day formats of the game instead of tampering with England’s Test status.

With Eoin Morgan already a regular player in the IPL, the inclusion of several English players should boost the ever enthralling Indian Premier League to scale new heights.