Photo Credit: Instagram Photo of @robinaiyudauthappa
Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has shared his views on young West Indies players training at the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Academy from December 1. Uthappa, who previously criticized CSK for allowing New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra to train at their academy, clarified that he supports young players gaining exposure but raised concerns about the timing of such camps.
Earlier, Uthappa criticized CSK for hosting Ravindra at their Chennai academy ahead of New Zealand’s Test series against India. Ravindra used the opportunity to acclimatize to Indian conditions before a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida.
Ravindra played a pivotal role in New Zealand’s historic 3-0 Test series win in India. In the first Test in Bengaluru, he scored 134 runs in the first innings and remained unbeaten on 39* in the second, earning the Player of the Match award. He attributed his success to the training he received at the CSK Academy.
The left-hander ended the series as New Zealand’s leading run-scorer, accumulating 256 runs at an average of 51.20. The series win dented India’s chances of reaching the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced a development program under which seven young cricketers will undergo specialized training at the CSK Academy from December 1 to 14. The program aims to enhance their skills through intensive sessions in Indian conditions.
The selected players include franchise talents Kirk McKenzie, Matthew Nandu, and Kevin Wickham, along with Teddy Bishop, Jewel Andrew, Jordan Johnson, and Ackeem Auguste, who have impressed at regional and age-group levels.
On November 28, Uthappa expressed his support for young players gaining international exposure but reiterated that such camps should not occur just before a home series.
“I’d love to know and understand what the general consensus is about this from the people. See I don’t mind this if it’s being paid for by the WI board or whoever is sending them. There has to be some form of exchange where both parties benefit from this,” Uthappa shared on social media platform X.
“I’m not against this completely. I believe people should improve and do everything to do so. For instance, in this case, I support it. Youngsters should be given the opportunity to have exposure to what they could possibly experience in a foreign country in the future,” he added.
“My only point of contention is that such preparation camps should be avoided for any international cricketer just before a home series. That’s all! I rest my case,” he concluded.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Stay ahead of the latest cricket industry trends by subscribing to our free cricexec “daily briefing” newsletter.
Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
