T20 leagues provide a platform for youngsters, says Ashish Nehra

Ashish Nehra, the Indian pace bowler, who can swing the ball both ways, was in Chennai recently to launch the Chepauk Super Gillies team. While speaking to Cricbuzz, Nehra highlighted about the rehabilitation practices, the importance of Twenty20 leagues and his return to the Indian team. The 37-year old bowler is among the very few players who were recalled back in the national team after performing brilliantly in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

When Nehra was asked about the mushrooming of the T20 league all across the world, “I am in support of these leagues. There are many who would say these T20 tournaments aren't good for the game and stuff like that, but for me personally, these leagues provide an opportunity to the youngsters to play alongside seasoned campaigners which will ultimately improve their game. That's not all. Those who do well in TNPL could get an opportunity in bigger leagues and make the next grade, which is playing for Tamil Nadu or even for the national side.”

One of India’s most experienced bowlers did provide a few tips to young bowlers who are looking to star in the shortest format of the game. Nehra mentioned that T20s are fast and the players need to maintain their calm to handle pressure.

The pacer also suggested that the bowlers should be smart enough to showcase their skills. Nehra also stated players should be learning while they play cricket, “I believe it should be the other way round, whether you are 20 or 30, the learning process should never stop. The more you play, the more you learn.”

Nehra, who was known to use Nokia 1100 phone, has finally joined the world of smartphones. The bowler added a bit of humour to the conversation and said “I have got an I-phone and the new thing I have learnt is WhatsApp - that's as far as I have gone. I still don't know how to send an e-mail but yes, I know how to send messages on WhatsApp.”

When Ashish was asked about his rehabilitation programs and procedure, he said “I was in London for about two-and-half months after my knee surgery and came back to India a couple of weeks ago. I am currently undergoing my rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and have started my running and other training activities.”

The player was asked by the reporters that how can a cricketer stay away from injuries that too after considering the amount of cricket played today. On this point, Nehra stated that injuries are part and parcel of the game and cannot be avoided.

The bowler also mentioned that his luck with injuries has been pretty poor but he did shed light on the facilities available nowadays. The bowler added “It all boils down to how a particular player handles his injuries. When I was 17 or 18, we didn't have the kind of facilities which are available today. Players these days are more aware about their body and there are physios available to help which is a big plus.”

During the conversation, Nehra spoke about the factors like how the IPL aided in his comeback to the national team. He mentioned that when one plays well in a big platform like the IPL, the player gets more recognition and he believes that this is the reason that got him back to the Indian team.

He said, “When you do well on a platform as big as the IPL, you are bound to get noticed and that's what happened with me as well. There are so many international players who may lack confidence but when they play well in IPL. They revel in it. IPL brought my confidence back. Take the case of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He wasn't bowling at his peak last year but this season for Sunrisers Hyderabad, he bowled well consistently and that helped him regain his confidence.”

Here is a video of Ashish Nehra tearing through the Engish batting line-up during the 2003 World Cup