IPL HARMING WI CRICKET: HOOPER

Rajkot, Oct. 4: Former West Indies all-rounder Carl Hooper says the lure of bagging an IPL contract has hurt the Caribbean outfit in Test cricket as most talented youngsters’ “ultimate goal” is to play in the cash-rich T20 league.

The past disputes between the players and the West Indies Cricket Board are well-documented and the IPL has contributed to the team’s travails in the longest format, feels Hooper. The veteran of 102 Tests and 10,000-plus international runs is back in India after 16 years to commentate on the two-Test series.

“We should have seen this coming (IPL impact on West Indies cricket). T20 cricket is here to stay. You got more leagues in play than what it was five years ago. It is crazy. It is going to affect us because for most young West Indies players, the ultimate aim is sign a contract with an IPL side,” he said.

“So it would have a bearing on his availability for West Indies cricket including Tests,” Hooper said.

Owing to pay disputes and with the option of playing T20 leagues around the world, the likes of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine preferred playing the shorter formats.

“The IPL is just a sixweek window but we have had situations where we have had someone like Sunil Narine, who picked up six wickets in his last Test (in 2013), has not played for us again. Same goes for Gayle and Kieron Pollard.