Veteran cricket analyst and commentator Harsha Bhogle has shared his views on the recent list of the BCCI annual central contracts. The surprise was the exclusion of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the list which has been finalized for the duration between October 1st, 2023 to September 30th, 2024.
Kishan and Iyer were not considered for central contracts by the BCCI, with the board warning players to emphasize domestic cricket if they are fit and not traveling with the national team.
Sharing his views on the central contract list, Bhogle mentioned that players needed to identify the formats they were good in and wanted to play in.
He said that if the players prioritize Test cricket, they should play Ranji Trophy for their respective state associations. Similarly, Bhogle wants white-ball enthusiasts to perform in several List-A and T20 tournaments.
"My thoughts on the central contracts. This is a very strong message to players and puts Indian cricket at the forefront. If you have red-ball ambition and want to play for India, you must go back and play domestic cricket if you are passed fit. I would like to see an equally strong stance taken at the first class cricket level. It is entirely possible that red ball cricket isn't where you see your future or your joy. And that you want to be a purely white ball player; In which case, you must make it clear and play Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare for the state that nurtured you through age-group cricket," Bhogle wrote in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Bhogle urged Kishan and Iyer to go back to domestic cricket and make big runs to force their way back into the list of central contracts.
He gave examples of Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble, saying that despite being legends of the game, both cricketers played for their respective domestic teams after being axed from the Indian team.
"Both Shreyas and Ishan are very gifted players and I expect them to score a lot of runs and fight their way back into the national team. That is how bigger cricketers have done it, whether Ganguly or Laxman or Jadeja or Kumble. It won't surprise me if Chahal forces his way into contention either," he added.
He was happy with the idea of fast bowling contracts which included the names of Akash Deep, Umran Malik, and three other pacers recommended.
"I like the idea of fast bowling contracts. We have to look after them and there are so many exciting prospects," he concluded.
