Dean Jones praises BCCI’s role in improving cricket’s financial stability

Dean Jones, former Australian cricketer, has lauded the contribution of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the past few decades.

Jones believes India was one of the prime factors why the International Cricket Council has been running the way it has and he sees no harm in the sub-continent nation taking over world cricket.

“The ICC has got to run the game, but I sit back and say well if it wasn’t for what India’s done in the last 10 years, I wonder where we would be? Wonder where the players would be because they wouldn’t be getting the same money (anywhere) and with world’s 80 per cent cricket turnover comes from this great country. See, it’s all very well too,” Jones was quoted as saying by DNA.

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The International Cricket Council had listed dependence on Indian money, market and fans as one of its major concerns in its recent SWOT analysis report and the observations haven’t gone down well with the 57-year-old.

“Think the game has been outstanding over the last 10 years. Couple of teething problems here and there but if it wasn’t for Indian cricket the players wouldn’t earn the money they are earning now,” he further added.

“Players (are) getting paid more money, people watching TV, IPL is just absolutely killer. So where is the bad part of this?”

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He also backed India to come out on top in the forthcoming series of their tour to England stating that it’s the situations that vary this time around from that horrendous tour of 2014 and gives Virat Kohli and his troops to have a go at England.

“It wasn’t just the swinging ball, but it was Moeen Ali, who was knocking you guys out (last tour), an off spinner! So it was like what the hell was going on there. That needs to be picked up a little bit. So, I am expecting India to beat England,” he added.

India are also due to tour Australia later this year and Jones feels that both Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin should be a vital cog for the visitors.

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“Look, Virat’s my favourite player in the world at the moment and he played the innings of the summer when he was out in Adelaide last time when he got a hundred in the last match. He should belt us up in all honesty, we don’t have Smith, we don’t have Warner, so we will get some flat tracks around.

“(Ravichandran) Ashwin is going to play a big role now because conditions will actually suit these guys. Whereas in the past it hasn’t. Ashwin will be going to be a big player if they want to win the series, Umesh Yadav and Co. too,” Jones added.