IPL is the finishing school for modern-day cricketers today: Nasser Hussain
Image : Collected
|| CF Correspondent ||
Former England captain Nasser Hossain said that Indian Premier League is the finishing school for modern-day cricketers.
Speaking to Harsha Bhogle on Cricbuzz in Conversation, Nasser picked improved selection as the greatest driving force behind England's white-ball resurgence.
"IPL isn't a learning school, it's a finishing school. It finishes you off as a cricketer, those bits that are missing, like playing spin on drier pitches, it helps you learn that and finishes you off as a cricketer,’’ said Naseer.
"Obviously money is important. Some of these figures are life-changing figures. West Indies love the IPL because it gives them sums of money that they can never dream of," he said.
"But you cannot argue that when you go and play in the IPL, you're playing against the best players. You look at all those team sheets, they are like a World XI. Because they are playing in that big crowd, it helps you handle pressure,’’ he added.
Nasser credited some of Ben Stokes's heroics in 2019 down to his participation in the IPL, where the England all-rounder himself wanted to go and play after watching Jos Buttler's growth from close quarters.
"The two innings that Ben Stokes played in the 2019 summer, at Headingley and in the World Cup final... In Headingley he went into IPL mode when batting with Jack Leach. Some of the shots he played, like the reverse switch, hit into the Western Terrace off Lyon, he can't play that unless he's played in the IPL. Also the World Cup final innings. He can't handle that pressure unless you've been in the pressurized cauldron before," Nasser said
