How IPL will unravel is still anybody’s guess
After protracted negotiations with member boards, the ICC last week scrapped the T20 World Cup from this year’s itinerary. It wasn’t an easy decision obviously, but with host country Australia clearly not happy to host the tournament in these troubled times, the die had been cast long before the decision was made public.
So, a path has been cleared for the Indian Premier League to be played this year.
A week has been added to the itinerary. The IPL now starts September 19 and ends November 8.
While there is no reduction in the number of matches, the modalities of organising such a high value, high voltage tournament are going to be excruciating.
Preparations for the league require 4-5 months according to those in the know. Now, there is less than two months available. It is touch and go. Moreover, with the Covid19
strike rate showing a sharp spike upwards, it is near impossible for the IPL to be held in India.
The final decision in the matter is vested in the home ministry, which has so far given no indication that it would acquiece even if such a request was to be made.
In the circumstances, looking at an overseas venue becomes imperative.
Currently, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) appears to have won approval ahead of Sri Lanka and New Zealand, the other countries that offered to play host.
The time difference between India and New Zealand is so big, it would have entailed playing matches at odd hours of the day to meet the Indian prime time viewership of the broadcasters. Basically, this would sent the tournament out of whack, so New Zealand was never in the running.
Neither Sri Lanka nor UAE are Covid free as new Zealand is, but by all accounts they have managed to keep the pandemic under control. Both have excelllent infrastructure facilities, but the clincher perhaps is UAE’s superb international travel connectivity.
The IPL has travelled twice overseas — 2009 in South Africa and and 2014 in the UAE — both times when there were general elections in India. As mentioned last week, in 2014, the first half of the tournament was played in the
Emirates, the second half in India after the elections had been completed.
However, this time the big hurdle is a global pandemic. Even the decision to take the IPL our of the country is subject to approval from the central government.
In that sense, how the IPL will unravel is still anybody’s guess, which leaves the BCCI on tenterhooks.
That the Indian cricket board has been pushing aggressively for the IPL to be somehow played this year is well-known. It has also got the tacit support from a majority of the boards in the ICC because the revenues generated from the IPL (`4,000 crore or thereabouts) help them too.
The biggest beneficiary, of course, remains the BCCI, and this year more than ever before perhaps, it needs money badly. There have been no earnings in the past 5-6 months because of the pandemic, while expenses remains more or less the same.
There are talks of pay cuts for players and layoffs in admnistration. Two high-salaried personnel have surrendered office. BCCI CEO Rahul Johri’s long-standing resignaton was accepted last week and General Manager, Operations Saba Karim was asked to resign.
Board politics apart, reducing fixed costs was also a motive say insiders. Cost control has also impacted women’s cricket in an unfortunate way, for the team has not been given permission to tour England, ostensibly for reasons of the Covid pandemic which has not convinced too many.
The BCCI’s financial situation could be further hit if the order passed by the Bombay High Court favouring Deccan Chargers in the arbirtation case against their ouster from the IPL eight years back is actualised. Damages to the BCCI would be at least `4800 crore.
Add to this the lingering tax evasion case (`1300 crore) involving the ICC and the government of India, and the BCCI’s financial health, otherwise still robust on the balance sheet, suddenly appears fragile.