IVPL: 'I love India, I love coming here', says former WI spinner Ashley Nurse

Greater Noida, Feb 28 (IANS) Former West Indies spinner Ashley Nurse is relishing his stint in the first edition of the ongoing Indian Veteran Premier League (IVPL) being played here at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida.

Representing Red Carpet Delhi in the IVPL, Nurse played a pivotal role in his team's recent victory over Mumbai Champions, clinching three wickets on Tuesday.

Expressing his fondness for India, Nurse emphasised his excitement about playing under the leadership of Herschelle Gibbs in the IVPL.

"Absolute pleasure. I mean, I love India. I love coming to India. So anything I come to India for, I try to enjoy it as much as I want. He (Gibbs) was a very exciting player. He was great. So I guess the captaincy will probably be the same," said Ashley.

Having last played an international match in the ICC World Cup 2019 against New Zealand, Ashley stressed the importance of maintaining physical fitness even after retirement.

"There's a lot of lessons going around right now. So you have to keep your body in shape with training and stuff like that. I mean, I have retired from international cricket, but I'm still playing cricket. I'm a horse, so I'm not putting in the work," said Ashley.

With two more matches scheduled for Red Carpet Delhi in the league stage, Ashley urged fans to show their support by attending matches in large numbers.

"I just want to urge them to come out and support us. It seems like a pretty good tournament. Well-organized stuff. I'd like to see fans come into the stadium and the city cheer for us," he said.