Kamran Akmal thinks the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made the correct decision in terminating the central contracts of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer.
In response to Iyer’s alleged unwillingness to participate in first-class matches, Akmal emphasized that senior players should set more positive examples for younger talents. He conveyed this message in his most recent YouTube video.
“Shreyas Iyer played the first two Tests of the series. If you don’t value the cricket because of which you made it to the national team, what message is it going to give to all the youngsters?”
Notably, Shreyas Iyer participated in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy 2024 fixture against Andhra after being excluded from India’s T20I squad for the Afghanistan home series. He posted a 48-run score at a run-a-ball pace in the first innings.
Furthermore, he has been included in Mumbai’s lineup for the upcoming semifinals against Tamil Nadu, scheduled to take place in Mumbai from March 2 to 6.
“Nobody is bigger than the game” -Kamran Akmal praises the BCCI for adopting a firm stance against Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan
Kamran Akmal commended the BCCI for excluding Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from the updated central contract list. He indicated that this decision would dissuade other players from considering the option of skipping first-class matches.
Expressing admiration for the BCCI, the 42-year-old stated:
“BCCI has made the right call, taking such strict action early on to control the damage. If they had given them a levy and handed them central contracts, a lot more players would have started playing on their own terms in the future.”
“India have given a message to their players to ensure that nobody even thinks of doing something like this the next time. This is proof of good management. Nobody is bigger than the game.”
All eyes will be on Iyer during the Ranji Trophy 2024 semifinal, given his less-than-impressive performance in red-ball cricket. He hasn’t scored a half-century in Test cricket since December 2022 against Bangladesh.
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