WTC Final | You got to miss IPL for preparation, opines Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri has responded to Rohit Sharma’s comment of the team requiring 20-25 days to prepare for the WTC Final saying that they should be ready to miss parts of the IPL. He also added that the team management should draw up a plan and ensure a smooth transition within the roster.
Rohit Sharma’s post-match conference talk after the World Test Championship final has generated a lot of discussion around the cramped cricketing schedule. He had stated that the team needed at least 20 to 25 days for preparation just like India’s tour of England in 2021 when the visitors were leading by 2-1 before the final game was postponed. However, the start of the fixture after a week of the conclusion of the IPL provided players with few days to prepare.
Many former cricketers have shared their views on Rohit’s statement and former India coach Ravi Shastri is the latest name to join the bandwagon. He has responded by saying that the players should make a choice between missing parts of the IPL and preparing for a game of such magnitude.
"See, that's never going to happen. Let's be realistic here. You're not going to get those 20 days. And if that's the case then you've got to miss IPL. So, the choice is yours and it's up to the establishment as well. I'm sure the BCCI will review this in the future, if a World Test Championship is going to come after an IPL every time in the month of June, then for that season, if your team qualifies for the final, there should be certain clauses put to franchises," Shastri told Star Sports.
India suffered a defeat by a margin of 205 runs against Australia on Sunday ending up as the runner-up of the WTC for the second successive time. Now, the team will kick off their campaign for the 2023-25 cycle with a Test series in West Indies next month. Also, with the ODI World Cup scheduled to be played in October, India will have to manage the workload of their key players and that might mean resting them from the series.
Shastri believes that team management needs to take some tough calls to ensure that a smooth transition occurs and young players are given experience in the international arena before playing them in an important clash like the WTC final.
"That's what the think-tank and the selectors will have to sit and see, draw a plan, have the vision to see how you replenish your squad. Australians are very good at doing that over the years. They see where they want to be in three years' time. They don't wait for suddenly five players to go away from the side,” he added.
"They're constantly getting in youth. So there's a combination of youth and experience all the time. The youngsters learn quickly from the senior players. So your team is healthy and strong right through. So that planning has to be done. They're hard calls, people might not like it, but it's the team's interest that is paramount and that's how you should look at it."