Former international Manoj Tiwary has welcomed the BCCI's directive to players to prioritise domestic cricket with the warning that non-participation would lead to "severe implications".

A day after his retirement, Tiwary was livid in his assessment of the mentality of some current cricketers.

"The seriousness the BCCI has shown by taking this step in the crucial stage of the Ranji Trophy indicates their concern that many players — especially high-profile ones who have succeeded in the IPL with limited first-class cricket — are not giving enough importance to the Ranji Trophy," Tiwary said during a media interaction at the Calcutta Sports Journalists' Club on Monday.

The BCCI's latest move comes in the wake of several players, including the likes of Ishan Kishan and Deepak Chahar, continuously ignoring calls to play Ranji Trophy while preparing for IPL with their respective franchises.

Tiwary, 38, who played 12 ODIs and three T20Is, recently posted on X that Ranji Trophy should be “scrapped” but did not elaborate.

"I can observe that young players have adopted an IPL-centric mindset. Those who don't play Ranji often go to Dubai or other places whenever they find some free time. However, this trend is diminishing the significance of the prestigious Ranji Trophy. Now expressing any opinion might lead to a ban. I have already been penalised with a 20 per cent reduction in my match fee for just one post.

"I could have spoken up earlier, but it seems that the BCCI is no longer governed by sportspeople; it's now run by politicians. I am associated with a political party, but I am also a sportsperson. I don't want to engage in a fight... I simply want the Ranji Trophy to be prioritised, as it is slowly losing its importance," Tiwary, who is also a minister of state in the Mamata Banerjee government, said.

"IPL is a massive platform for all of us, but I also request the BCCI president and secretary to increase the significance of the Ranji Trophy. Many players have emerged from this tournament. While we celebrate winning series, it is disheartening that we are unable to clinch ICC trophies, whether it be the World Test Championship or World Cup."

He was also critical of the cricketers' approach.

"The new-age cricketers adopt a 'Bazball' approach, swinging the bat aggressively from the first ball. Personally, I dislike this approach because it focuses solely on winning or losing....

"I won't blame the players; it's a situation that has emerged. The essence of IPL seems to have been lost."

Tiwary also took a dig at Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "I would like to ask Dhoni why was I dropped from the playing XI in 2011 after scoring a century? I had the potential to be a hero just like Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli..."