Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri humorously declared India to be the 'Big Daddy of World Cricket'. While speaking on the latest episode of the Willow Talk Podcast in Sydney, the cricketer-turned-commentator, also expressed his view that Indian cricketers should be allowed to participate in foreign leagues. He believes this exposure would help them gain experience in different conditions and play alongside various international stars.
Ravi Shastri reveals who is the Big Daddy of World Cricket
Shastri's comments came just before the highly anticipated white-ball series between India and Australia. This tour is scheduled to kick off with the first ODI match in Perth on Sunday, October 19. The Shubman Gill-led team will compete in two more ODIs before commencing the five-match T20I series. The humor regarding India's status arose when the host of the Sydney-based Willow Talk Podcast referred to India as “the daddy of world cricket,” to which Ravi Shastri cheekily corrected him, asserting, “India is the BIG daddy of world cricket,” which drew laughter from everyone present.
The BCCI maintains a strict policy against allowing active Indian cricketers to compete in foreign T20 leagues. According to current regulations, only players who have officially retired from both domestic and international cricket are permitted to join overseas tournaments, and even then, they must first secure a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the board. This rule explains why, for example, Ravichandran Ashwin has been able to sign a Big Bash League (BBL) contract to represent the Sydney Thunder in the upcoming season.
On the same podcast, Shastri argued that active Indian cricketers should be allowed to participate in these overseas franchise leagues. He believes that playing in foreign conditions and sharing dressing rooms with top international stars would provide invaluable experience, significantly helping players to develop and fine-tune their skills.
Shastri emphasised that India possesses a vast and deep talent pool, which naturally means not every talented player can make it into the national Test side. He suggested that these players should still be given opportunities through lower-tier contracts with foreign teams to gain exposure. The 63-year-old cited the IPL as a prime example, noting how the league has already helped young Indian players grow by allowing them to compete alongside and learn from world-class talent.
"India is a massive country, not everyone gets an opportunity to play, not everyone can make it. So why stop a guy if he can't make it to the Test side, get a level C or level D contract?. That exposure will help him when he comes back like the IPL has helped so many young players as they rub shoulders with top class players," Shastri said on the Willow Talk podcast.
He then stressed that Indian players gain invaluable experience not only by playing alongside top international cricketers but also by learning from legendary figures who often serve as part of the coaching and support teams in these foreign leagues.
"They learn to handle pressure. Additionally, they get to rub shoulders with big international stars like Ponting and Fleming and international players. It's an education - and for me, there's no better education than going overseas. That exposure is terrific, not just in cricketing terms but in understanding different cultures and methods. You learn so many things - a West Indian training method will be different from an Australian one," Shastri concluded.
India’s ODI squad for Australia series:
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal.
India’s T20I squad for Australia series:
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.