Sunil Gavaskar said that the Indian Premier League should not be the only area of interest for cricketers.
Delivering the first Dilip Sardesai lecture here on Thursday to commemorate the second death anniversary of the former India Test batsman, Gavaskar said: “Even players not on the fringe of national selection are making decent amount of money. They are too satisfied to play just the IPL that they miss domestic cricket for fear of getting injured and missing the Twenty20 extravaganza. “We don't want a situation where guys will say 'I'll give it just enough but not 100 per cent in domestic cricket'.”
Gavaskar, who will turn 60 on July 10, also spoke on the need to avoid sledging.
Gavaskar’s take on other issues:
On fatigue caused by IPL: I don't think IPL can do away with the home and away format (which lengthens the tournament). It is essential to it. Our team got simply outplayed in World T20. I'd not look too much into it.
On Dhoni's batting: As a spectator you want to see him as a dasher because you want to get your money's worth. But there is also the longevity (factor). Dhoni is perhaps cautious in his approach.
Short-pitched deliveries: A lot of cricket was played where there were not many short balls, and so the balance was on the front foot. Then when suddenly there were short-pitched deliveries, the Indians couldn't adjust to it. But there shouldn't be too much concern about it.