The board of control for cricket in India has decided to adopt a wait and watch approach to decide the future of the forthcoming edition of the Indian Premier League. The decision has been taken after the Indian board meeting with the team owners of the IPL in Mumbai on Saturday.
The IPL, which was scheduled to begin from March 29, was pushed to April 15 after the outbreak of coronavirus, which has led to cancelation or postponement of sporting events not only in India but all across the globe. Earlier it was reported that the tournament could take place behind closed doors.
1/2 Wonderful to meet all the Franchise owners ‘off the field’ so to say. The meeting by @Bcci and @ipl was to reiterate what all of us feel…safety first of the spectators, players management & cities we play in. All directives of the health agencies & govt to be followed..
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) March 14, 2020
However, BCCI announced on Friday that the tournament has been put off till April 15 after the Indian sports ministry came up with the advisory. The BCCI stated it will adhere to the guidelines of the government and safety of the people is of utmost importance.
“The board will continue to monitor and work closely with the Government of India, state governments and other state regulatory bodies to decide on the future course of action in the best interest of public health. The BCCI and all its stakeholders are committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for everyone involved in our great sport and the nation,” stated a media release.
On the other hand, Ness Wadia, who is the co-owner of the Kings XI Punjab made it clear that the focus of BCCI, IPL and the Star (broadcasters of the tournament) is not on the monetary gain but on the safety of the people. Wadia added that the meeting was held to discuss the possible alternatives to schedule the marquee tournament.
“The meeting was to discuss the possible scenarios. Number one, most importantly, everyone in India and the world must understand, the BCCI, nor the IPL nor Star is here to gain monetary benefit by having the IPL. All the stakeholders, especially the BCCI and owners and Star, feel that it is incorrect to think about even one rupee,” Wadia told reporters.
Parth Jindal, who is the co-owner of the Delhi Capitals’ revealed that it was decided to adopt a wait and watch approach before deciding on the future of the tournament. Jindal added the situation will be monitored for the next two weeks and then the BCCI top brass will come to a conclusion regarding the schedule of the tournament.
“We are committed to IPL and want it to happen but in today’s meeting we have decided to wait and watch the situation and how it goes in the next few days, later on, decide anything concrete. Today’s meeting was just to keep the owners posted about the current developments.
As things evolve over time, BCCI will call for another meeting,” he said.
BCCI has taken the right decision in the aftermath of the coronavirus. The WHO had declared the disease as a pandemic on Wednesday. According to the global organisation, 118 countries have been affected due to the same. In India, more than 80 cases have come out and two people have died.
Thus, it would be interesting to note how things will pan out in the coming days.
Written by: Gautam Chauhan
