Dale Steyn has stated that England’s rotation policy, even though being criticized by many back home, has been a fantastic plan and it is building an array of amazing cricketers. Steyn further stated that with a lot of ICC events scheduled in the next eight years, it is a fool-proof plan.
England’s decision to rest and rotate their players during their Asian sojourn was not received well by the former English cricketers as the likes of David Lloyd and Kevin Pietersen stated that it was not in the larger good of the team, for the kind of imposing form India have in the last one decade. However, Dale Steyn begged to differ with that opinion, by saying the policy has helped them build an army of amazing cricketers.
“England’s rotation policy is slowly building a army of amazing cricketers. We may criticize it now, but with 8 ICC tournaments scheduled for the next 8 years (basically 1 a year, so I’m told) they really not gonna struggle for international experience when picking teams. #goals,” Steyn tweeted.
“I may also be completely wrong with the tournament’s scheduled, but that’s what I was told. Regardless, I think it’s pretty genius.”
Kumar Sangakkara has also concurred with the opinion by saying England are reaping the benefits of their rotation policy while adding that resting the players have become important with the growth of IPL and the resultant financial returns it provides to the players.
“Yeah, I think it (rotating players) has become a necessity with the growth of IPL and of course what IPL itself tells in terms of participation and the financial returns. So a lot of thought has gone through every cricket board on the way they kind of construct their program around this. England, irrespective of IPL have put in the rest and rotation policy and that seems to have worked quite well for them at times or most times,” Sangakkara had said.
“Of course, international duties and franchise duties have to be balanced out but it is difficult to strike an ideal balance for everyone. Some boards are looking at the areas where they keep their core players playing international cricket for much longer in terms of allowing the opportunity to players to play franchise cricket, like in the IPL, which then allows them to play for much longer period of time in terms of an international career for their country,” Sangakkara had added.
