Players should give more importance to domestic cricket, says Sanjay Bangar – Cricket News Update
India’s former all-rounder, Sanjay Bangar, feels that every international player should give importance to domestic cricket as it can help him maintain consistency in his game.
Over the last 14 months, India have struggled to deliver the goods at the ultimate stage of the game, being whitewashed against England and Australia, failing to defend the Asia Cup 2012 in Bangladesh and not making it to the semi-final of the ICC World
T20 2012 as well.
Some of the senior players like Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan have not been able to perform consistently in this period, which has led to the team’s downfall.
Bangar, who represented India from 2001 to 2004, firmly believes that a player can perform well at the international level regularly if he plays enough first-class matches every year, which enables a cricketer to enhance his skills.
The 40-year-old cricketer understands that sometimes the players have to take a break because of the hectic international schedule; however, Bangar thinks that giving importance to domestic cricket is imperative for every player, if he wants to be a high-class
performer at the game’s premier stage.
“First-class cricket is extremely competitive, so often senior players (mostly bowlers) prefer to rest to avoid injuries before a series. That's perfectly fine,” Bangar expressed. “But it would be silly for a senior player to assume that he can come and
instantly score a hundred or take 10 wickets in a game and regain form.”
The cricketer from Maharashtra represented India in a dozen Tests and 15 One Day Internationals, notching up a hundred and four half-centuries in the Indian colours. He was a more than useful medium-fast bowler, having close to 300 first-class scalps.
Bangar last appeared for the Men in Blue in 2004 but he still plays domestic cricket for Railways, in an effort to help youngsters.
"I still play domestic cricket not because of what I have done in the past, but because I am still performing. There are so many new challenges and you have to pull your weight as a senior member to guide your team through," he added.
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