The debate over the Impact Player rule isn’t dying down, but Sourav Ganguly thinks IPL will not roll it back. A day after Axar Patel said he is not a fan of the rule as it limits the role of all-rounders, Ganguly said the decision has effectively been made.
"Impact player rule I think it's going to stay, and when I was the president of BCCI it had already come in. So, this is here to stay, someone will like it someone will not," Ganguly said.
The rule allows teams to bring in one of five substitutes at any point in the match, replacing a player from the starting XI. While it has added tactical options, some players feel it reduces the need for multi-skilled cricketers.
Ganguly, though, didn’t dwell on the criticism. He shifted quickly to the larger picture, backing Test cricket as the toughest format despite the pull of T20 leagues.
"I think Test cricket is the real format because one has to bowl 20-25 overs in one day, bowling four overs in a T20 match is a lot easy. T20 cricket is least challenging in terms of quality. But T20 cricket is the format which brings in people, it's just for three hours in the evening full of sixes and fours," Ganguly said. "But in countries like India, England, Australia and South Africa Test cricket will always be special and when you see young players want to play Test cricket, it proves Test cricket is the strongest format of the game."
The business side of the Indian Premier League also came up. With Rajasthan Royals reportedly set for a USD 1.63 billion deal led by Kal Somani, Ganguly said the numbers reflect where the league stands.
"IPL will only go to greater heights. This is phenomenal and it also goes to show the game is expanding as the game is going to America, onto that part of the world is fantastic," he said. "It's mind-blowing numbers but there is lot's more in store for Indian cricket and I am looking forward to it."
On the field, Ganguly pointed to a group of young players making an impression this season. Among them, he singled out Auqib Nabi after his Ranji Trophy run.
"There are lot of players, look at someone like (Vaibhav) Suryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ayush Mhatre, Suryakumar (Yadav). Aquib Nabi, I am looking forward to see Aquib Nabi. They are all young, Washington Sundar is young, Tilak Verma is young. They are all young and they are peaking and that's what IPL stands for," Ganguly said.
Ganguly, who worked with the Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 League, said he is open to coaching roles going ahead.
"The most important thing for me is cricket. When I used to play cricket, I used to bat, bowl and also captained the national team. But whatever I am doing now is in different phases. I just want get involved with cricket, I also coached Pretoria Capitals in the South Africa League where we reached the final and I have an interest in that also (coaching)," he said. "I have been BCCI and CAB (Cricket Association of Bengal) president as well and became CAB president again. I have achieved everything in life and whatever opportunities I will get I will explore them."