"There is a demand for Indian players" - Aakash Chopra on BCCI formulating a policy for retired players' participation in overseas leagues

Aakash Chopra feels the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is formulating a policy for retired players' participation in overseas leagues as they are worried about their early exodus from Indian cricket due to lucrative options elsewhere.

The BCCI does not allow domestic and international players to participate in overseas leagues. However, there wasn't any restriction on them as soon as they bid goodbye to all forms of Indian cricket, a policy which they are thinking to change going forward.

Reflecting on the development in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted the massive demand for Indian players in overseas leagues, reasoning:

"A different policy is going to come for retired players. There is a demand for Indian players in the leagues that have started now because the broadcasters are not interested if Indian players are not there."

The former Indian opener added:

"The majority of the money the broadcasters get comes from India, whether the league is happening in Abu Dhabi, Dubai or South Africa although the South African league has stood up on its own might. The rest of the leagues are mostly dependent on overseas players. The ILT20 in the UAE was totally based on that."

Chopra pointed out that people suddenly start jumping ship if they get a lot of opportunities. He added that cricketers are being seen taking early retirement and opting to leave if they are marginal players in India.

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"The BCCI will probably put a cooling-off period" - Aakash Chopra

The likes of Robin Uthappa started playing in overseas leagues as soon as they retired from Indian cricket. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra expects the BCCI to define a cooling-off period before which the retired players won't be able to join overseas leagues:

"The BCCI will probably put a cooling-off period. This is not happening for the first time. We have seen it in first-class cricket. If you leave a state to go to another state, they say they will take them back but there is a cooling-off period that you won't be able to play cricket from anywhere for a year or some duration."

The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons such a move will deter players from retiring early:

"That is kept so that you safeguard your players who did not leave. What the BCCI might be thinking here is that if they put even a year's cooling-off period, people will not take early retirement, they won't take retirement with greed and run in the other direction."

Chopra concluded by stating that he is waiting with bated breath to see the players' choices going forward. Citing Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla and Ishant Sharma as examples, he pointed out that players like them, who are unlikely to play international cricket going forward, might not be able to look at avenues outside India that easily.