It’s been a while since any cricket happened in India and fans just can’t wait to see their cricketing superstars back in action. Even BCCI is now getting fed up with the delay on part of International Cricket Council (ICC) to decide the fate of this year’s T20 World Cup.
They can’t just figure out whether the delay has been deliberate or otherwise. However, the BCCI has decided to move ahead with its plans regardless of ICC. The BCCI is now starting to work on this year’s IPL, not waiting for ICC’s decision on the T20 World Cup. BCCI is formulating a tentative window to organize the league.
We can’t just sit and wait: Arun Dhumal
“The year started on a disastrous note and there’s been no relief whatsoever since then. As time goes by, we can’t just sit down. We need to take things head on and ensure that we remain prepared for any eventuality. Cricket is no different. It is time for the BCCI to start planning for the year ahead,” BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal said.
The young office-bearer says, the world of sport is seeing a global trend at the moment and different countries are making a slow but gradual return to mainstream sports on the domestic front. He gave a few examples to go along.
Many domestic leagues are starting
“The NBA is beginning in the US in a safe zone. The English Premier League (EPL) is on and so are the FA Cup matches. Bundesliga was the first to show the way. Even Australia’s domestic rugby league is about to begin. This is what is happening right now. What BCCI is talking about is making plans, even if at the contingency levels, for September onwards,” Dhumal said.
“So, what are we witnessing here? Domestic leagues are in focus while the Olympics and the World Cups are taking a backseat. That’s because local leagues don’t depend on too many external factors to get going. Revenues are more localized; gate receipts aren’t such a huge concern and local leagues can be trimmed and planned to suit particular windows. They’re also television friendly because they can be adjusted to primarily suit local prime time,” he added.
We can do what’s in our hands: Dhumal
The BCCI firmly believes that they have already lost a big chunk of time because of delay in certain announcements. The stakeholders in India are now sure that they cannot just sit and wait for others to decide when India should resume cricket.
“Those announcements and outcomes are not in our hands. The T20 World Cup, for instance, is being postponed so let the announcement come when it has to,” Dhumal said.
It was reported earlier that the planning for IPL was soon going to be put in action. The board is looking for the months of September, October and early November as a tentative window. Dhumal’s comments now validate the fact that all those plans are being put in motion and IPL is well and truly on its way.