IPL will help New Zealand players develop their game, admits Gavin Larsen

Larsen and current head coach Gary Stead — also chief selector — form the two-member panel which looks after the development of the players in New Zealand. And in their latest Master Agreement (MA), New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has given assurance of the IPL being an important part of the plan.

"It's very clear. It’s highlighted in our Master Agreement (MA) that the IPL window must be available for our players if they do get picked up by a franchise. When our players are picked up by the IPL franchise, they can only develop their game. We are seeing some of the results that have come in terms of players' improvement which has been a fantastic part of cricket growth," Larsen told PTI in an exclusive interview.

The former seamer, who featured regularly in New Zealand's ODI team of the '90s, accepts that scheduling could be a challenge, but adds that he is not too worried at the moment.

"There are small challenges around scheduling, for instance, England tours, which can be packed up close to the IPL. So it's a challenge around players' availability. But it's not a common issue generally I am not being negative," Larsen added.