Pakistan’s former cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Rashid Latif have leveled allegations that the ICC postponed the T20 World Cup 2020, which was to be held in Australia, in order to accommodate the IPL 13.
The ICC on Tuesday decided to postpone the T20 World Cup this year citing the coronavirus pandemic as the reason behind their decision. Therefore, the BCCI announced that the IPL 2020 will take place from September to November, possibly in UAE, with a schedule to be announced shortly.
Pakistan stands to lose out big time, financially and in terms of their cricket with this move as the World T20 is being pushed back and their players are not allowed to play in the IPL.
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Rashid Latif and Shoaib Akhtar claim they had anticipated this news months back when the IPL was postponed in March and question marks over the T20 World Cup were being raised by the cricketing fraternity.
Latif said all the cricket boards are involved in the decision-making and they stand to benefit financially if the IPL is played instead of the T20 World Cup this year.
"Cricket boards around the world, be it India, Pakistan, or England, they mostly look at the financial packages. All the boards are in this together, not just the BCCI alone. Everybody was in agreement with this decision, it's not just India who stand to benefit if the T20 World Cup didn't happen,” Latif said to Geo Cricket.
"The T20 WC could have been played in February-March but it would have affected Pakistan (due to PSL 2020). Then in April-May the IPL was scheduled so the BCCI would have been affected, then in November-December Australia is supposed to host the Big Bash League. Everybody in the ICC benefits from this decision now. BCCI Sourav Ganguly announced beforehand that the Asia Cup had to be canceled even before the official statement came out. Whether he was told by PCB boss Ehsan Mani or the Sri Lankan cricket board, all this was all pre-planned," Latif told Geo Cricket.
Shoaib Akhtar meanwhile called the Indian board to save the quality of cricket which is in decline.
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"Ultimately a powerful man, or a powerful cricket board they run the policy and they make sure they you suffer. T20 WC and Asia Cup could have been played this year, this was a chance for India and Pakistan to play against each other but they let it go. There are a lot of reasons behind this I don't want to go into details,” Akhtar said.
"T20 WC could have been played but I and Rashid have said this repeatedly that they won't let it happen, it won't happen. IPL shouldn't get damaged, the T20 World Cup can go to hell. India needs to save cricket immediately otherwise it won't affect my era,” the fastest bowler in the world said.
"The quality of cricket will decline but people will continue to make millions of dollars from the sport. Even the following will reduce just like it did in Pakistan after the 2017 Champions Trophy triumph," Akhtar said.
