Ian Bell, an Englishman, feels that competitions like Legends League Cricket help retired players appreciate how fortunate they were to play when they return to the field, albeit with a very different configuration.
Several former players have participated in LLC this year, which is being held across four locations in Jodhpur, Surat, Jammu, and Srinagar. These players include the recently retired Indian batsmen Dinesh Karthik and Shikhar Dhawan.
In an interview with PTI, Bell said, “It’s been great to come back and play some more cricket, even though I believe the playing days are over and I coach now.
“When you play against some really talented players and you take a look at the names in this tournament… You were at the top of your game back then, playing cricket for the international team.
“You lose these opportunities to perform in front of appreciative audiences and have that experience when you retire from music. It does make you realize how fortunate you were to play professional cricket for such a long time,” he continued.
Dhawan, who announced his retirement in August, said he was still coming to terms of playing again after a layoff and wanted to catch on with the rhythm.
“It was a challenging wicket to bat on, but it felt great to be back on the field.” A day after hitting fifty for Gujarat Greats versus Southern Super Stars, he stated, “It was turning a lot, and it’s nice to middle the ball and score some runs.”
He remarked, “But I felt good and was tired too because I played matches after 4-5 months, which is pretty normal.”
After playing his last international match ten years ago, Abdur Razzak of Bangladesh has been focusing on giving it his all while simultaneously watching the national team’s tour.
“I work as a selector, which is a challenging job that I do full-time,” he remarked.
“There is a lot of people and an amazing atmosphere that they create, so the feelings and atmosphere are pretty similar,” he continued.
