BCCI would have lost more than $500 million if the IPL was canceled.
Pakistan cricket legend and former ICC President Zaheer Abbas has backed the Indian Cricket Board’s (BCCI) decision to stage the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 after the cancellation of this year’s ICC T20 World Cup 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to conduct the IPL 2020 in the United Arab Emirates from September- November following the postponement of the T20 World Cup 2020 which was scheduled to be held in Australia from October-November.
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BCCI’s this move received a lot of negative reactions from Pakistan, however, Abbas has supported the decision, saying the Indian board has the right to make money using IPL, especially during these financially testing times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and that is important.
If the IPL 2020 was canceled, the BCCI would have lost more than $500 million, but the postponement of the T20 World Cup 2020 gave India the perfect window to salvage the money-spinner in this crisis.
In fact, not just IPL, even the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2020 is also set to take place behind closed doors from August 18 at two venues in Trinidad and Tobago and Pakistan great feels it would great to make money through such leagues during the testing times.
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Abbas told the Khaleej Times on Friday: “Every country likes to play T20 matches to make money. Every country, you know, I am not talking only about India, but all of us because there is so much money involved in these tournaments these days.”
He also pointed out the commitments of the boards towards sponsors and broadcasters. Former ICC chief explained, “They (the cricket boards) have so many commitments which they have to fulfill. As you know, the teams coming from the West Indies and Pakistan to England for the Test series, they were in quarantine for some time and they (the West Indies and England) played without a crowd.”
Abbas signed off by saying, “So that's why I am saying that even in the current scenario, every cricket-playing country would like to make some money. For that matter, all the cricket playing countries have to help each other.”
(With Khaleej Times Inputs)