Why should BCCI stop me from playing in other leagues, rages Pravin Tambe
Pravin Tambe, who was banned from playing in the IPL by the BCCI earlier this year, has lashed out at the board and has claimed that the board must allow him to at least partake in overseas T20 leagues. Last week, the 48-year-old leggie was picked by Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL draft.
In December 2019, Pravin Tambe became the oldest player to be picked in the IPL auction after he was snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the auction, but his dreams were shattered two months later as the BCCI disqualified the veteran for foul play. Tambe, after announcing his retirement in 2018, played in the Abu Dhabi T10 league without the BCCI’s approval and then came out of retirement to partake in the Mumbai T20 League. These actions irked the board, who went on to disqualify the 48-year-old from the IPL, in February this year.
However, the 48-year-old has now lashed out at the board and has claimed that the BCCI must allow him to participate in foreign T20 leagues, given they have now banned him from the IPL.
“I am fit and since the BCCI does not allow me to take part in its competitions why shouldn’t I play in other leagues,” Tambe told Indian Express.
The veteran leg spinner received a major boost last week when he was picked by Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the Caribbean Premier League 2020 draft, and speaking on the same, the 48-year-old stated that he was looking forward to his stint with the club and added that he was consciously working on his fitness, with him being on the wrong side of the 40s.Â
“I am eligible to play outside and got picked by TKR. I will also take all necessary precautions and follow protocols before going there. I am working on my physical fitness at home and so yes definitely looking forward to this edition,” Tambe said on playing in the CPL.
However, Tambe’s chances of participating in the CPL still remains uncertain as according to a BCCI official, the veteran leggie, who is still an active domestic cricketer, would have to officially retire before he could play in the CPL. The official said that Tambe could ill-afford to flout BCCI rules for the second time, after having already done so once by playing in the T10 league.
“Tambe has to retire in order to play foreign leagues. In any case, the IPL governing council will have to decide on his fate as he has already flouted BCCI rules when he played T10 league in Abu Dhabi. He is an active domestic player,” a BCCI official told PTI.
The BCCI is currently facing backlash from veteran cricketers over their decision to not allow players to partake in overseas T20 leagues and many renowned cricketers, including Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina and Robin Uthappa, have requested the board to consider giving NOC for non-contracted Indian players to play in foreign leagues.Â