New Delhi: Former India captain Rahul Dravid feels that players like Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar should have been allowed to play for their respective states in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final that started today.
The BCCI is not allowing any of the six players -- Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane (Mumbai), Mohammed Shami (Bengal), Stuart Binny (Karnataka), Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Suresh Raina (UP) to play for their states as Indian ODI squad is flying off to New Zealand in wee hours of January 12 - which is the last day of the quarter-final.
"Well, I think there was a good opportunity and a case to allow these players play for their teams in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final. There is a gap of seven days before they play the first ODI (January 19). I am sure these six could have joined the team a day or two later as it has happened earlier," Dravid told 'ESPN Cricinfo' in a panel discussion today.
Dravid feels that someone like Bhuvneshwar Kumar would have gained by getting ideal match-time in the quarters as he hasn`t played competitive cricket for more than a month now.
