With the Indian government deciding to suspend all visas to India until atleast April 15 amid fears over coronavirus pandemic, participation of overseas players in this year's edition of the IPL has fallen under serious doubt.
In wake of the decision, a BCCI official had said that the IPL without foreign players will be somewhat like the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20, country's state-based domestic T20 competition, which works as a platform for players to impress IPL franchises' scouts and be picked in the auction of the cash-rich league.
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This comment, however, didn't go down well with former skipper Sunil Gavaskar at all as he took it as a jibe on the overall quality of the tournament named after one of India's greatest cricketers in Syed Mushtaq Ali.
"For a so-called top BCCI official to comment that the BCCI has to ensure the quality of the game is not poor. We did not want a Mushtaq Ali tournament is an incredibly insensitive statement if indeed it is true," Gavaskar wrote in a column for Sportstar.
"Firstly, it's insulting to the great man after whom the tournament is named and secondly begs the question that if it's such a "poor" tournament, then why have it at all? Also, can light be shed on why the quality of the tournament is poor?"
"Surely it's not simply because there are no international players in it, but also because there are no Indian internationals in it! That is a scheduling issue that the BCCI has to look at," added the legendary batsman.
The BCCI has already suspended 13th edition of the IPL to April 15, with all stakeholders hoping that the situation will be under control by then for a "truncated" event to be held.
"The decision by the BCCI to suspend the IPL till April 15 is a laudable one," Gavaskar wrote. "The health and safety of a nation are more important than sport and it's wonderful that the usually much-maligned BCCI has put that before anything else."
"Whether the IPL will be played at all depends on how quickly the spread of COVID-19 is controlled. Till April 15 overseas players won't get a visa so it may take a bit longer for the tournament to take off. Foreign players bring a different flavour to the tournament and add to the excitement, so it's important to have them," he added.
The Sports Ministry on Thursday (March 19) made it clear that the fate of IPL can be decided only after the government comes out with a fresh advisory after April 15, keeping in mind the situation with regards to the coronavirus outbreak.
"After April 15 the government will come up with new advisory and guidelines according to the situation," Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said.
"BCCI is a body that looks after cricket which is not an Olympic sport. But here it is not the question of the sporting event alone but a question of the safety of the citizens."
"In an event there will be thousands of spectators. So it is not just for the sports bodies or sportspersons it is for every citizen of the country."
(Inputs from IANS)
