Former Indian pacer Varun Aaron has thrown his weight behind the BCCI’s decision to make domestic cricket a priority, hailing it as the bedrock upon which India’s cricketing prowess is built. The move mandating all fit players to represent their states has seen big names like Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer miss out on central contracts.
But Aaron, who has come through India’s robust domestic structure himself, believes this hard-line stance is necessary to nurture talent from the grassroots up.
“Domestic cricket is the foundation that produces players for the Indian team. Without a strong domestic set-up, we wouldn’t have had the outstanding cricketers representing India today,” Aaron told PTI.
“The BCCI has done the right thing by prioritizing domestic games. It is important for players to go through the grind of first-class cricket and prove themselves at that level.”
The 33-year-old pacer, who featured in 9 Tests and 18 ODIs for India, highlighted the immense hard work put in by players at the domestic level that often goes unnoticed.
“There are so many talented cricketers plying their trade in domestic cricket with the dream of playing for India. The BCCI’s emphasis will ensure they get their due recognition and chances based on performances,” Aaron said.
“I hope going forward more domestic stalwarts get identified and groomed for the highest level through this approach.”
Aaron himself was a product of the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai before going on to represent India. His recent ‘Ace of Pace’ event with the foundation attracted over 4,000 aspiring young pacers.
As the BCCI underlines domestic games as a criterion even for established stars, Aaron’s statements capture a growing consensus about the importance of a robust feeder system to sustain India’s enviable talent pool across formats.
From Ranji stalwarts to India’s current crop of match-winners, the journey often begins at the state associations before being honed at international level. The BCCI’s renewed focus aims to strengthen those critical foundations.
