'There is nothing to worry' - Sunil Gavaskar feels financial security in T20 leagues make batsmen play aggressively

Cricket has evolved a lot especially since the advent of T20 format. The T20 leagues across the world keep the players busy with even tinkering on the debate of country vs club for monetary benefits. Moreover, thanks to the shortest formats, the batsmen tend to go bang bang from the word go and they are not worried about getting out early.

Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar reckons that this attitude has come into the batsmen as they are not worried about getting dropped due to the financial security. He feels the cushion the players have with so many T20 leagues around has made them fearless. He was responding to the question whether the advanced protective gears have helped the batsman about not getting not hit and that is the reason for them batting aggressively from the word go.

“It is not just the protective gear. I think it is the cushion that they have in terms of the T20 leagues that they can be part of. When we played, whatever income we got, 500 rupees or when I finished playing cricket, it was 5,000 rupees for a Test match, that was extra income for us,” Gavaskar said while speaking at a public conversation with Ashis Ray organized by The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE) London according to India TV.

We had to go back to 9-5 jobs after getting dropped, recalls Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar recalled his playing days when the players didn’t have many options after being dropped from the team. Also, there were no T20 leagues then and Gavaskar remembers that the cricketers had to resort to 9-5 kind of jobs after missing out on a spot in the national team unlike these days.

“If we didn’t do well, we were dropped from the Test team. We had to go back to our jobs — with Tatas, Railways, Air India, Steel Authority of India — 9 to 5 job. Today that worry or fear is not there. You have the IPL, the Big Bash, there is also the Hundred. Though Big Bash and Hundred don’t pay as much, there is that cushion. So there is not a worry.

“The batsman thinks, “I’ll go bang-bang. So what if I score quick runs, I get out. Never mind”. That cushion. It is a mental thing. Why would you go bang, bang unless you know you have got something waiting for you. That is the way I look at it,” Gavaskar further said.