Ravichandran Ashwin, a veteran Indian offspinner, has emphasised that success for Zimbabwe is critical for the country’s cricket to thrive. He referred to an article in order to make the point that the prize money for Zimbabwe’s T20 league is only $8.50 lakh, far less than the IPL base salary for an Indian players.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said, “Read an amazing article on the world cricket scenario. It says that wherever there is more money, employment opportunities are better, and there are better chances of players flourishing. For example, India has sent a 15-member squad to Zimbabwe. Washington Sundar got injured, and Shahbaz Ahmed has been sent as a last-minute replacement.
“Shahbaz Ahmed is sitting on a good contract at RCB. I don’t know his exact salary details, but he must be definitely earning in crores. On the other hand, the entire prize money of Zimbabwe’s T20 league, which is called the National Premier League (NPL) is $10,000 (₹ 8.50 lakh). Even the base price of Indian players for the IPL is more than ₹ 8.5 lakh,” added Ashwin.
“At one point in time, Zimbabwe was unable to pay salaries to their players. But after the new administration took over, they cleared past dues. There has been some kind of resurgence in Zimbabwe cricket. So, if Zimbabwe does well in this series, they will get accolades, and it will be good for their cricket,” he further added.
Having qualified this year after missing out on the T20 World Cup the previous year, Zimbabwe will look to proceed to the tournament’s second round. In the first round, Zimbabwe is in Group B with Scotland, the West Indies, and Ireland.