1983 World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev is known to have straightforward approach whenever sharing opinions on topics related to cricket. Kapil isn't happy with the state of affairs in the current Indian cricket team and has voiced his opinion regarding it. Injuries to key players like Jasprit Bumrah has hurt Team India's performance in tournaments and that's why Kapil has raised his concern. He questioned the commitments of Indian stars, stating that they would be happy playing the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) despite minor niggles but will sit out of tournaments/tours. (More Cricket News)
In an interview with magazine The Week, Kapil did not mince any words with the current crop of cricketers as he came down heavily on the progression status of Jasprit Bumrah, who has been out of action for almost a year.
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"What happened to Bumrah? He started working with so much belief, but if he's not there (in World Cup semi-final/final)... we wasted time on him. Rishabh Pant... such a great cricketer. Had he been there, our Test cricket would've been better," Kapil said.
Kapil felt the IPL is a great tournament but isn't happy with the current players opting for the T20 League over international duties.
"God is kind, it's not as if I never got injured. But today, they are playing 10 months in a year. Give a benefit of doubt to that, but everybody has to look after themselves. IPL is a great thing but IPL can spoil you also. Because, a little bit of injuries and you will play in IPL. A little bit of injuries, you won't play for India. You would take a break. I'm being very open about it," said the legendary all-rounder.
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Kapil even went on to lash out at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for it's management related to players' workload.
"If you have a small injury, you would play in IPL if it's an important game. At this stage, cricket board has to understand how much cricket they should play. That is the bottomline. If today, you have resources, money, but you don't have three or five-year calendars. There's something wrong with cricket board there," he further added.
