The IPL should look beyond Test backyards
The IPL auction should look beyond Test nations and consider talented players from the Associate countries, such as Kevin O'Brien and Paras Khadka
02-Apr-2014
The IPL auction should look beyond Test nations and consider talented players from the Associate countries, such as Kevin O'Brien and Paras Khadka, and the league can take a cue from the NBA on sourcing outside talent, writes Paul Radley in the National.
The fact the IPL franchises have generally not ventured beyond the established markets for their players seems short-sighted. The NBA, which, in many ways, inspired the creation of the IPL, was enriched by the arrival of the likes of Manu Ginobli, Pau Gasol or Dirk Nowitzki from lesser-regarded basketball nations. Premier League football clubs are savvy to the value of recruiting players such as Junichi Inamato and Park Ji-Sung and expanding the league's footprint into far-off markets.