Hayden: 'There is a need to make tournaments relevant'

The former Australian opener was part of a panel discussion in the company of former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth ahead of the second season of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) on Tuesday. Former Tamil Nadu legspinner L. Sivaramkrishnan engaged them in an interactive gathering.

L. Sivaramakrishnan, the former Indian leggie, said that the TNPL will look to add more teams and venues in the years to come, which in turn would help add depth in talent to Tamil Nadu’s Ranji side.

Former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden noted that it’s a challenge for the administrators to make each tournament relevant in the wake of T20 tournaments sweeping across the globe.

Hayden was part of a panel discussion in the company of former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth ahead of the second season of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) here on Tuesday. Former Tamil Nadu legspinner L. Sivaramkrishnan engaged them in an interactive gathering.

“Each format of the game doesn’t cannibalise the other. Instead, it cross-promotes the formats. The TNPL is relevant because it is giving opportunities for the locals and the broadcaster a platform to develop an opportunity to develop an ecosystem with a regional community,” said Hayden, who is an ambassador of the TNCA’s regional T20 tournament.

Sivaramakrishnan defended the inclusion of international regulars such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Murali Vijay and Dinesh Karthik by saying that it wasn't merely a promotional gimmick from the tournament organizers.

“As players of the state, it is their duty to represent in their state tournaments. Their participation also helps upcoming local cricketers to assess match situations better,” he said.

The former India leggie added that the tournament will look to add more teams and venues in the years to come, which in turn would help add depth in talent to Tamil Nadu’s Ranji side.

The second edition of the TNPL is set to kick off on Saturday with the defending champion Tuticorin Patriots taking on Dindigul Dragons at the MA Chidambaram stadium.