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IPL prevailed over ICC tournaments

Saleque Sufi | banglanews24.com
Update: 2020-08-11 13:45:26
IPL prevailed over ICC tournaments

COVID 19 out break and contamination spread brought almost everything standstill for several months. Like all other areas like economy, civil aviation and tourism, trade and commerce, energy and environment, silence prevailed in recreation activities like sports and culture as well. Some countries better managing COVID19 resumed sporting activities off course still observing bio security protocol and WHO guidelines. 

Soccer leagues resumed in West European countries. International cricket started in England. England already hosted West Indies for three matches test series and Ireland for three matches ODI series. England Pakistan is now playing bilateral test series. All these are however being in empty stadiums as COVID 19 has not blessed any affected country as yet and no vaccine has been universally approved. 

ICC, governing body of World Cricket after series of parleys, decided to reschedule ICC T20 World Cup and Asian Cup. Pakistan, original host of Asia Cup is still suffering from COVID19. But Asia cup featuring the test playing countries from Asia could be staged at alternate venue Sri Lanka or UAE. Needless mentioning that BCCI’s reluctance for participating in Asia Cup and pressing for a slot for cash cow IPL led to revising all multilateral series. 

ICC T20 world cup of 2020 that was to be held in Australia in October November will now be held in 2022 as BCCI insisted on not changing the schedule of ICC T20 World in India in 2021. India will also host ICC ODI World Cup in 2023. India forced its way to let IPL going ahead in UAE in October November. India is still being rocked and rolled by COVID. There is no scope for playing any kind of cricket in India now or in near future. Now the question is if it is possible playing IPL in UAE, why ICC could not make India agree playing Asia Cup in Sri Lanka or UAE. 

If arranging air travel, accommodation, inter state movement and other related matters in Australia for ICC T20 world cup proved challenging then how so many IPL franchise teams having players from many different countries can be safely assembled and so many matches be played in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sarja? If ICC is a global committee of member countries and governing body of cricket it must be rational, behavior and attitude. It must be unbiased and treat all member countries equally. 

England has already proved that it is possible staging bilateral cricket series safely in secured manner. New Zealand, Australia and Sri Lanka have already started preparing their teams for domestic cricket and international engagements. West Indies, Pakistan and Ireland have already started playing. South Africa is also not far from resuming cricket activities. India will soon be starting IPL. 

Only team that still remains confused is Bangladesh where industries are operating, government offices are functioning but cricketers can not even starts practicing in full swing. Sri Lanka offered them special arrangement to travel and play bilateral series. But BCB did not agree. If Bangladesh would have gone and played that would have justified staging Asia Cup safely there which India was reluctant to participate.
 
We think global tournaments must be given higher priority over any Franchise League for the greater interest of the game. Let us hope that all global tournaments per revised schedule go ahead according to plan. 

BDST: 1345 HRS, AUG 11, 2020
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