'In 10-12 years, India has improved its cricket and has gone ahead of Pakistan': Inzamam-Ul-Haq
Follow UsStory highlights
"The associations have got money and the players have got world-class facilities - in terms of training. India is reaping benefits of its robust domestic structure, whereas Pakistan and Sri Lanka have not been able to develop their first-class cricket that much."
The India-Pakistan rivalry was fierce from the 90s and late 2000s. Inzamam-Ul-Haq, who was one of the top batsmen during that era, feels that the matches between the two have become more of India's way as the country has focused on different levels of cricket.
ALSO READ: Cricket: Shubman Gill shares stories about his on-field visits with Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal
"Until 2010, there was intense competition among these three teams. But over the last 10-12 years, India has improved its game immensely and has certainly gone ahead of Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The credit goes to the IPL for sure, but I must admit that India has focused a lot on its first-class cricket structure and that has played a huge role in its development," Inzamam told Sportstar.
"The associations have got money and the players have got world-class facilities - in terms of training. India is reaping benefits of its robust domestic structure, whereas Pakistan and Sri Lanka have not been able to develop their first-class cricket that much."
Former Pak skipper cited the example of India's historic tour to Australia, earlier this year. With Virat Kohli's absence and several veteran stars getting injured, India's young guns had to step up. Young talents like Shubman Gill, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Rishabh Pant, and Navdeep Saini rose to the occasion and pulled off a historic win.
"Some 15 years ago, when a youngster came into the scene, he would get a few years' time to settle down, but now, there is no breathing space. The moment one enters the scene, we expect performances from him," Inzamam added.
"Earlier, touring sides struggled against the Australian team despite having top cricketers in their ranks. It was nearly impossible to beat Australia at home, but a bunch of youngsters from India actually did an incredible job by defeating the Aussies in their backyard. And that’s why, your first-class structure needs to be top notch - because it prepares you well. That is one area where Sri Lanka and Pakistan are slightly lagging behind."