Gavaskar warns against the dangers of IPL

Mumbai: The impact of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on cricket is one of the game's hottest topics and at the Dilip Sardesai Memorial Lecture in Mumbai on Thursday, the legendary Sunil Gavaskar had words of caution for both the players and the minders of the game on the fallout of the glitzy league.

Gavaskar said that with the advent of the cash-rich IPL, there is a definite shift in the mindset of the players.

"The be all and end all of any player should be to get the national cap," Gavaskar said at the first Sardesai memorial. "That's the way it was in our days. I sometimes get the feeling that is no longer the case. The be all and end all is now to get into the IPL and that's it. Now that is something we have to guard against."

Gavaskar said that players have stopped giving their 100 per cent on the field and started skipping domestic fixtures to focus on the Indian Premier League.

"There are dangerous signs like of a lot players missing out on domestic cricket ahead of the IPL so that they don't get injured," stated Gavaskar, who is also a member of the IPL's governing council.

The former Indian skipper also observed that it is imperative that the young players get proper guidance early in their careers to guard against the dangers of commercialisation.

"Another danger of commercialisation is that we now have to guide the youngsters who can go the wrong way," opined Gavaskar. "Parents are encouraging their kids to take the sport as a career option. But the worry is that the IPL could become the be all and end all for them."

Although he sided with the fatigue factor, Gavaskar wasn't of the opinion that the IPL was a reason behind India's failed World Twenty20 campaign in England last month.

He said there was no way the IPL could be shortened. "I don't think IPL can be conceived in any other way. The home and away concept is so essential to it. It worked even if it was played in South Africa this time. Our team got outplayed (in the World T20). I would not look too much into it."

He added that India's failure to counter short-pitched bowling was because of a lack of familiarity, and there was nothing to worry about.

"There's a lot of cricket (that has) been played where there were not many short balls, and so the balance tends to be on the front foot," Gavaskar said. "Then when suddenly there are short pitched deliveries, you couldn't adjust to it. I think that's what happened (to the Indian team)."