Value of a player in IPL is linked to his performances for the national team: BCCI president

BCCI president N Srinivasan is of the view that value of a player in the IPL is linked to his performances for the national team. “I firmly believe a cricketer's first priority is to play for his country. And unless a player goes through the domestic grind, he will not be able to sustain his performances in the IPL. I don’t agree with people who believe that stars playing IPL are making far more money than those playing Test cricket.  I do not think this is a valid argument,” said Srinivasan in an interview to The Hindu.

He added that decision on the media rights is one such decision that has given him plenty of satisfaction during his tenure as BCCI chief. “I think we took a very correct decision on the media rights. Terminating the existing contract and going in for fresh tender was a very big decision by the BCCI. It was a collective decision and in hindsight was proved the right one. The deal is an expression of the underlying strength of Indian cricket. It is a big feather in BCCI's cap,” said Srinivasan.

Meanwhile a column in Hindustan Times says that ICC must provide clarity in its rulings on switch hit. “Perhaps, it's time to make an exception to this rule. If someone is willing to risk his wicket by switching, it's only fair to allow him to continue flirting with danger. In the second Test match between Sri Lanka and England, Tillakaratne Dilshan stopped in his bowling stride when he saw Pietersen switching hands in the grip. Subsequently, KP and England were warned they would be docked 5 penalty runs,” reads the column, adding that it won’t be a bad idea to allow batsmen to continue with their overtures with the exception of treating them as southpaws if a right-handed batsman attempts it and vice versa for a left-hander. “That way the bowler will have a fair chance of getting even.”

Meanwhile, England coach Andy Flower has highlighted his team's need for a “world class all-rounder” despite their win against Sri Lanka in the second Test at Colombo. He said England needed a new 'Andrew Flintoff' if they are to maintain their World No 1 Test rank status. “What we need is a genuine, world-class allrounder to bat and bowl - something we've not had since Andrew Flintoff.”

According to a TOI report, David Warner has revealed that he is working hard on his leg-spin bowling. Warner believes the conditions in the Caribbean suits the slower bowlers, therefore, having an extra spin option is always beneficial for the team. He claimed one of West Indies' three wickets, which fell on the first day of the Barbados Test.