Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has demanded strict punishment for players who withdraw from the IPL. He said that the current 2-year ban is not effective, so there should be a punishment that directly impacts the players. This statement comes after England batsman Ben Duckett’s withdrawal. Duckett was bought by the Delhi Capitals for ₹2 crore. He distanced himself from the tournament, citing a focus on his international career. Gavaskar said that Duckett’s decision can be understood. He wants to focus on England Test cricket. Such cases are repeatedly emerging in the IPL, which affects the league’s planning. Sunil Gavaskar calls for stricter penalties The Indian cricket legend called for harsher penalties on the players who withdraw late from the IPL, something that affects the planning for the teams. Gavaskar gave the example of slow over-rates, which affect games and hence players make immediate improvements. Similarly, he said that there should be penalty in the IPL that directly impacts the player. “It is a tough one. Clearly, Ben Duckett had a very good Ashes series, and if he had not been bought for the amount he was at The Hundred auction, maybe things would have been different. One can understand that, having been bought at a very good price in The Hundred, he was probably quite happy to miss this and say he wants to focus on his England Test career,” Gavaskar said. However, the cricketer-turned-commentator did not give any concrete suggestions on what kind of punishment should be implemented. “But yes, what should be done is something for the BCCI to think about as well, because a two-year ban is obviously not working. You have to look at something that will have an impact. As long as it’s not having an impact on the player and his chances of coming back to the IPL, it won’t work,” he added. Also read: MS Dhoni reportedly set to miss six matches: CSK official gives update on Thala’s calf strain Sunil Gavaskar’s dig at ‘absent overseas stars’ Earlier, Gavaskar, without taking names, also raised questions on Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins missing the initial matches. “There is also the usual taking the franchise for granted issue with some overseas players, who are not going to be available for non-injury and personal reasons. The owners of the franchises go out of their way to accommodate their players often paying for families to come and spend time with the players at no cost to the millionaire players, mind you. It’s the Indian way and hospitality, which often is misunderstood as a right by some and who then try and take advantage of the situation,” the cricket legend wrote in his column for Sportstar. However, Cummins and Hazlewood have joined their respective teams, while Starc will join later due to injury. Starc also issued a strong-worded response to critics questioning his IPL commitment. The Australian left-arm pacer also revealed that he was recovering from an injury. Post navigation MS Dhoni reportedly set to miss six matches:CSK official gives update on Thala’s calf strain
