With many IPL franchises recently making substantial investments in the upcoming T20 leagues in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. These leagues are set to clash with the schedule of Australia’s Big Bash League and England’s The Hundred. The top cricketers from Australia and England may choose to participate in the new T20 leagues instead of their domestic competitions. As IPL franchises are being expected to offer more money.
Some legendary cricket players from Australia and England, like Adam Gilchrist, have voiced fears. The fear that the IPL’s monopoly over international T20 tournaments is harmful to the sport out of a similar fear.
Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary Indian batter, has criticised England and Australia. Gavaskar gave back to the players criticising the IPL. Moreover, Gavaskar advised England and Australia to ‘look after their interest’ and not ‘interfere’ in the proceedings of Indian cricket.
Old Powers infuriated since the South Africa and UAE leagues announcement
“…By all means, look after your cricket interests but hey please don’t interfere in ours and tell us what to do. We will look after our interests and do it better than what you tell us to do,”
GAVASKAR WROTE IN HIS COLUMN FOR SPORTSTAR.
Gavaskar found it ‘amusing’ that England and Australia started ‘squirming’ the moment the news about South Africa and UAE leagues came.
“It’s been amusing to read that the Indian Premier League is once again seen as a disruptor of the cricketing calendar of other international teams. The moment the news about the South African T20 league and the UAE T20 league came out, the ‘old powers’ started squirming and got their apologists to have a go at the IPL,”
HE WROTE.
The former India opener claimed that Australia and England were worried about the schedule since long. As these new T20 competitions would conflict with their leagues.
Check Out: Chris Gayle set to be part of Legends League Cricket season 2
Gavaskar remembers the time when India was neglected by England and Australia
“The England & Wales Cricket Board has created a window for its showpiece event The Hundred when the England team don’t play any international matches. The Australians, too, have scheduled their Big Bash when their contracted players will be available to play. But it’s worrying them that the UAE and the South African T20 leagues are scheduled around the same time and there’s the danger of some of their players opting to play there instead of the Big Bash,”
GAVASKAR REMARKED.
The first batter to score 10,000 Test runs, Sunil Gavaskar also highlighted how Indian teams were not invited regularly by old powers England and Australia.
“Remember the times when India as a team was not attractive as far as gate money was concerned. The Indian teams would have a gap of years between tours to the ‘old powers’ shores. The first Indian team toured Australia in 1947/8. Guess when was the next time the Indian team went there? It was 1967/8. Yes, sir, a good 20 years between the two tours. The next was in 1977/8. England, too, had the Indian team coming down after long gaps – 1936, then 1946. The World War II from 1939 to 1945 could have played a part in this. Indian visited England again in 1952, 1959, and then 1967”.
“It was only after the other cricketing boards finally realised that being invited to the MCC President’s box was not helping them promote their cricket and new administrators, who didn’t have any inferiority complexes, came in that India started getting tours at regular four-year intervals. Now these same old powers want India to come to their shores every year because they have understood that the Indian team brings in more moolah than even when they play against each other,”
GAVASKAR CONCLUDED.
