Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar differ on club vs country row

Kolkata: Former Indian captains Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar on Sunday differed on the club versus country debate in the wake of Gautam Gambhir injury controversy, with the latter saying that the cricketers who chooses IPL over national team should not be selected in future.

Kapil said just like any individual of the country, the cricketers have also the right to choose whether to play for the country or for the clubs.

"Everybody has the right to choose whether they want to play for the country or for their club. I loved to play for my country and I did it. But, things have changed now and life has changed. You cannot control anybody's life at this age.

Whatever anybody wants to do he should be allowed to do," Kapil said when asked about the raging debate at the sidelines of a mobile phone launch here.

Gavaskar agreed with Kapil as fas as the players' right to choose but said that the Cricket Board should not select those who prefer IPL over country in the Indian team.

"It is the prerogative of the players whether to play for the country or the club but they have to be made accountable for their choice. If a player chooses IPL over playing for India, the selectors can say hang on you have preferred IPL over country so we also have the right not to consider you for the national team," Gavaskar said.

Top Indian cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag will be missing the West Indies tour due to injury or pulling themselves out and this has kicked up the country versus club debate that the cricketers have started to prefer IPL over playing for national team.
source: cricketnext.in.com