Commenting on Rohit Sharma's remarks about the need for 'hunger' among young cricketers to play Test cricket, Sunil Gavaskar shared his thoughts.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has responded to skipper Rohit Sharma's comments that "hunger" is needed to succeed at Test level. Captain Rohit said that only those who show the desire and hunger to play the longest format will be considered for selection in the near future, after India beat England by 5 wickets in the fourth Test, with some outstanding performances from newcomers Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Akash Deep. Neither the question nor the answer mentioned any players by name, but it was pretty obvious what the topic of discussion was.
Despite strict instructions from the team management and the BCCI, two centrally contracted Indian cricketers, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, skipped the Ranji Trophy. Kishan turned up for the DY Patil T20 Cup in preparation for the 2024 IPL. His Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya was also on the list, but it is still unclear whether the NCA has cleared him to play the longest format after a major injury lay-off.
Gavaskar said Rohit's assessment was correct. He said money, glory, and recognition come from Indian cricketing and players should remain loyal to it.
Maybe they've made up their minds never to do Test cricket for India: Gavaskar's indirect shot at Kishan, Iyer after Rohit's 'hunger' remark
Gavaskar said on Sports Talk:
“And if you don't show that for whatever reasons and say 'I won't play this, won't play that'… Rohit is absolutely right in saying the ones who have the hunger, the ones who are willing to put in the effort will be given more opportunities going ahead. If this is the attitude of the selectors then it will be good for Indian cricket. We've seen many players pick and choose, this shouldn't happen."
Gavaskar wants BCCI to improve scheduling
The former opening batsman, however, feels that there is an opportunity for the board to attract more and more young cricketers to red-ball cricket. Gavaskar urged the BCCI to bring forward the Ranji Trophy so that it doesn't clash with Test cricket or preparations for the IPL. It will also give much-needed match practice to those serious about Test cricket, as India's bilateral series usually takes place between December and March.
Gavaskar would like to request the BCCI to start the Ranji season in October and end it in December. Then do the white-ball tournaments like the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s. This also gives practice to the players who will be playing in the IPL. From December to February, India plays Tests either at home or abroad, so if the Ranji Trophy is played before that, the young players will be ready.
However, for the past few years, India's domestic season has started with the white-ball tournaments, so that seems unlikely. This has been done to provide a platform for the players and the scouts of the franchises ahead of the IPL auction each year.