Ravi Bopara skips IPL to be fit for Tests
April 11th, 2011 - 1:28 pm ICT by ANILondon, Apr.11 (ANI): England and Essex batsman Ravi Bopara has decided to skip the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to make a bid for a permanent spot in the Test squad.
Rather than displace the injured Paul Collingwood in the Rajasthan Twenty20 side, it is Collingwood’s Test place that Bopara has set his sights on.
He believes that runs for Essex in the English county championship in the next six weeks will best achieve that, while one of his chief rivals for an England place, Eoin Morgan, is on IPL duty with Kolkata Knight Riders.
Graham Gooch, batting coach for England and Essex, was delighted to offer wise counsel when Bopara discussed Rajasthan’s approach with him.
The Guardian quoted Gooch as saying: “I think he has made the right decision. He is very motivated to achieve and if he wants to make his mark on the Test side he will only do that with championship runs. He can’t further his cause in the IPL, however many runs he gets.” (ANI)
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- Bopara hopes World Cup will 'kick-start' his career - Feb 13, 2011
- Collingwood, Prior dropped from England squad - Jun 21, 2011
- Gooch confident of Cook surpassing his record - Aug 19, 2011
- England announce unchanged squad for Oval Test - Aug 14, 2011
- England's Eoin Morgan ruled out of World Cup - Feb 09, 2011
- Gooch backs Strauss to lead from the front - Jul 19, 2011
- Giant-killers Tuskers tame Knight Riders by 17 runs (Lead) - May 05, 2011
- Collingwood retires from Test cricket - Jan 06, 2011
Tags: batsman, batting coach, chief rivals, collingwood, england, eoin, essex, guardian, ipl, knight riders, london, premier league, rajasthan, ravi bopara, right decision, six weeks, test side, test squad, wise counsel