'I feel sad that they don't realise the importance of Test cricket.'
India's pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah believes young cricketers in the team don't want to play Test cricket and are focussing more on the Indian Premier League.
In an Instagram Live session with former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, when asked to give an honest answer about the youngsters' mindset towards Test cricket, Bumrah replied: "It is a sad reality that many young cricketers tell me that they want to play IPL. I feel sad that they don't realise the importance of Test cricket. Many people tell me that I came into the Indian side because of IPL, but I believe it is a myth."
"I played IPL in 2013. I was not regularly playing IPL. I was also playing Vijay Hazare Trophy and Ranji Trophy. Your base is created by the Ranji Trophy. It is a harsh reality that young players do look to play shorter formats," he added.
The 26-year-old has so far played 68 Tests for India and bagged 68 wickets at an average of 20.33.
"Maybe by playing shorter formats, you get fame and money. You get big money at a young age by playing in the IPL. My finances are handled by my mother. I have seen that young guys want validation from the people on social media. At the end of the day, you do not become good cricketers by validation on social media," Bumrah stated.
Yuvraj, a veteran of 40 Tests, believes that the longest format of the game builds players for the other formats too.
"I desperately wanted to play Test cricket for the country. But the thing is that when you play five-day cricket, it will automatically improve your limited-over cricket," Yuvraj said.
