Former Indian batting great VVS Laxman recently took a swipe at the former Australia skipper Michael Clarke for his recent comments that Aussie cricketers hesitated to sledge Indian captain Virat Kohli for safeguarding IPL contracts while highlighting that just being good to any Indian player doesn’t assure a spot in the Indian Premier League.
Recently, Michael Clarke took everyone by surprise after he had claimed that there was a time when Australian cricketers were so keen on protecting the lucrative IPL contract that they even felt frightened of sledging Indian captain Kohli and his teammates.
Just being friendly to someone doesn’t get you a spot in IPL: VVS Laxman
VVS Laxman, who mentors IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), told Star Sports on its show ‘Cricket Connected’ that just being nice and friendly to the Indian players doesn’t get anyone a spot in the Indian Premier League. Laxman explained that every franchise in the IPL looks at the player’s quality.
“Just by being nice to someone doesn’t get you a place in IPL. Any franchise will look at the player’s caliber and value add to the team, which gives them desired results by winning matches/tournaments. These are the kind of players who get IPL contracts. So just being nice to someone will not earn you a spot in the IPL,” VVS Laxman added in a statement.
VVS Laxman, who represented 134 Tests and scored 8,781 Test runs for the Indian national cricket team, said as a mentor that when he was on the auction table, they selected players based on quality and those who had performed extraordinarily for their country.
“If you’re friendly with any Indian player it doesn’t mean that you are getting IPL contract. As a mentor, I’m on the auction table and we select players, those international players that have played exceptionally well for their country and can add value to the franchise. Friendship with any Indian player doesn’t ensure entry into the IPL,” VVS Laxman concluded.
Even former Indian opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who was part of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, lashed out at Michael Clarke, terming his comments as ridiculous.