Dubai: Former Australian ace Adam Gilchrist feels a few tweaks here and there could see the Masters Champions League (MCL) consolidate its position as an ideal opportunity for players to extend their cricketing careers.

Gilchrist, who skippered the Sagittarius Strikers to the semi-finals of the MCL, has enjoyed tremendous success as a destructive opening batsman over more than a decade of top-class cricket starting with his debut for Australia in 1996. In 2008, Gilchrist started T20 cricket, beginning with the Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and a two-year stint with the Kings XI Punjab from 2011 to 2013. Now with the launch of the MCL, the wicketkeeper-batsman from New South Wales has had a rare opportunity of displaying his talent on the international stage once again.

“Everyone has been really surprised with the standard of cricket on display in the MCL,” Gilchrist told media after Thursday’s loss in the semi-finals.

“There have been so many guys who have been out of cricket for a long time now. But that has not stopped any of them from trying to be as professional as possible for their age so that they can deliver their best on and off the field,” he added.

The 44-year-old refused to give in to the suggestion that the inaugural edition of the MCL has not managed to create a stir that was expected from such a competition with the display of stars that had been contracted. “You are always going to have teething problems. The IPL had its problems in the first year. But we can take heart from the fact that the franchises involved with the MCL are trying to be as professional as possible and that is a plus point that we cannot ignore,” Gilchrist said.

“All these players who are here have shown a great level of commitment, and this will only get better with every edition. As cricketers, we have really enjoyed this tournament as it has given all of us a good extension of our careers in a sport that we love,” he added.

Asked for suggestions on the elements that can be introduced to make the MCL even more attractive, Gilchrist said: “They still need to sort out the structure of the teams and franchises. It becomes difficult to plan things out due to the time factor. If there are some of the things planned earlier then the franchises will get a bigger time slot to prepare the team,” he suggested.

“Another aspect was the couple of four-day breaks that we got during the competition were unnecessary. I know we aren’t exactly young out there and we are going to struggle with our bodies, but these long breaks in-between games was not necessary,” he added.