Hello everyone,
This is a direct reprint (brief excerpts) of the text that appeared in Times of India (Nagpur Edition), dated 20th April 2008 on page 19:
(Source)
Dravid regrets cap on foreign players
New Delhi: It seems the cap on fielding only four foreign players in the IPL playing XI has not turned out to be a workable option for captains desperate to win every game. The ruling seems to be coming in for some criticism, especially with some franchisees, who have packed their sides with foreigners, feeling hampered having to bench quality cricketers.
At least two icon players have now openly expressed reservations about the stipulation, with Rahul Dravid following Team Mohali skipper Yuvraj Singh in voicing his ‘problems’ trying to juggle options before every game. The Royal Challengers have notched up only a solitary win so far and captain Dravid said on Tuesday, “Selecting only four out of nine is a problem. It’s not easy for any captain. You need good players around.
Days earlier, Yuvraj had expressed similar sentiments, going so far as to say he hoped the council would look into the matter.
This is exactly I was pointing out in this thread on CE, i.e. the potential of the game quality being brought down by such restrictions on the number of foreign players in the final playing team !!
Any takers ??