From a business point of view, the shifting of the IPL outside India has been a nightmare. But, the young Indian cricketers, who are part of the eight IPL teams are certainly not complaining about the move to South Africa.
From a business point of view, the shifting of the IPL outside India has been a nightmare. But, the young Indian cricketers, who are part of the eight IPL teams are certainly not complaining about the move to South Africa.
One of the main aims of the T20 league is to promote Indian talent and from that perspective what better exposure than playing in tough South African conditions. It will be an invaluable experience for the youngsters, observed Mumbai Ranji coach Praveen Amre.
"It will be a great experience for the youngsters which will help them to go to the next level," said Amre, who played as a professional in South Africa for Boland in 1999-2000 and had helped them win the national one-day championship.
Amre was the first Indian player to get a Test hundred in South Africa when he hit 103 against the fiery Allan Donald-led attack at Kingsmead in 1992.
"It is the end of the season there, so the wickets will not be that quick, but will certainly be better than our wickets. In India, they would have played on flat tracks and it is too hot here in May. In SA, the cold would have started to set in by then.
"The bounce will be different and quality bowlers will get help as there's something in the air too. The challenge is that the nature of tracks differ from venue to venue Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth all have different wickets. You have to be a quick learner. How you adjust is important. To get this experience at an early stage of their career will be invaluable," said Amre.
