If World T20 can't go ahead, neither should IPL: Allan Border

Tags: World T20, IPL

Published on: May 23, 2020

There is rising speculation that the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) may be held in October-November in case the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in Australia gets postponed. However, former Australian skipper Allan Border has stated that he would be disappointment is something on the above lines actually transpires.

According to Border, IPL is just a ‘money’ grab, and a local tournament cannot be preferred over an international tounament like the T20 World Cup. Speaking on ABC's Grandstand Cafe radio program, Australia’s 1987 World Cup-winning captain said, "(I'm) not happy with that. The world game should take precedence over local competition. So, the World T20, if that can't go ahead, I don't think the IPL can go ahead. I would question that decision -- it's just a money grab, isn't it, that one?"

Border further added, "The World T20 should take precedence, for sure. The home boards should stop their players going to the IPL if that's the case." Australians are big draws in India’s IPL almost every year. For this season’s auction, fast bowler Pat Cummins bagged a record deal of Rs 15.5 crore. The likes of Glenn Maxwell and Nathan Coulter-Nile also bagged hefty contracts.

While the man with 156 Test caps admitted that India has the maximum pull in the ICC due to their money power, he doesnt wan’t a ‘wrong example’ to be set in the IPL vs T20 World Cup debate. "That would be just shut the gate, you know, India running the game. They're pretty close to it now, but I suppose if you're responsible for 80 per cent of global income, you're going to have a fair say in what goes on, I get that," Border said

"But I think the world game can't allow that to happen. I don't think you can have India superseding what the international game has in place. That would be going down the wrong path," he lamented.

Border also opened up on the debate of using artificial substance to shine the ball in the post COVID-19 era. He is of the view that usage of saliva should be banned. "They will obviously have to relax the rules over polishing the cricket ball with some sort of substance other than sweat or saliva. The bowlers have got to be able to do something with the cricket ball, not just let the ball go so the batsmen can smash it everywhere,” the 64-year-old opined.

--By A Cricket Correspondent

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