Overseas IPL hits roadblock
For the first time in a long time, the all-powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) saw itself sidelined by other member boards of the International Cricket Council (ICC) at the recent annual conference of the game's governing body in Edinburgh early this month.
The BCCI, with president Anurag Thakur at the helm, proposed the idea of an annual overseas Indian Premier League in September. The idea, BCCI suggested, was to take its most lucrative domestic tournament abroad to cater to the vast Indian diaspora and in the process, enhance its financial muscle.
TOI has learnt that four cricket boards -Cricket Australia, West Indies Cricket Board, England Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa - categorically opposed the BCCI's idea. TOI had reported in May about a tussle between the BCCI and ICC to grab the vacant September slot for a marquee T20 event.
While BCCI had been busy looking at ways to push the overseas IPL, the ICC - led by chairman Shashank Manohar - has been in talks with Star TV to again make the World T20 a once in-two-years affair.
This could be the first time in close to two decades that a BCCI proposal in the international circuit has been turned down. Sources close to the developments are trying to figure out if the snub could be a sign of things to come."If true, it's a telling sign of the reduced clout the current set of administrators (in the board) wield, unlike their predecessors.It's also a personal embarrassment for the men running the BCCI right now," a source said.
Thakur and Manohar, incidentally, have not been on the same page for close to six months now. Manohar, it is learnt, refused to entertain the discussion on Overseas IPL at the ICC meeting, saying it wasn't on the agenda. The ICC chairman wasn't available for comment.
Meanwhile, the BCCI was scheduled to call a meeting of (only) franchise owners and CEOs earlier this week, which was put off without any explanations.Franchises were left wondering if the BCCI indeed had the time to plan an overseas IPL, given the packed international calendar, BCCI's own domestic schedule including a revamped Duleep Trophy under lights -and the hectic Test calendar under the ICC's Future Tours Program.
IPL governing council chairman Rajiv Shukla had told the media on June 23 in Dharamshala that the BCCI had shot down Mumbai Indians' plans to play a short unofficial tournament in the United States with two other franchises -Rising Supergiants Pune and Royal Challengers Bangalore -because the BCCI was planning the overseas IPL.
The overseas IPL was planned as a replacement to the T20 Champions League but the latter was financially a more viable option for Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa because of the fee they were earning from the broadcasters to participate in the tournament.
BCCI's days are over :lol :k
For the first time in a long time, the all-powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) saw itself sidelined by other member boards of the International Cricket Council (ICC) at the recent annual conference of the game's governing body in Edinburgh early this month.
The BCCI, with president Anurag Thakur at the helm, proposed the idea of an annual overseas Indian Premier League in September. The idea, BCCI suggested, was to take its most lucrative domestic tournament abroad to cater to the vast Indian diaspora and in the process, enhance its financial muscle.
TOI has learnt that four cricket boards -Cricket Australia, West Indies Cricket Board, England Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa - categorically opposed the BCCI's idea. TOI had reported in May about a tussle between the BCCI and ICC to grab the vacant September slot for a marquee T20 event.
While BCCI had been busy looking at ways to push the overseas IPL, the ICC - led by chairman Shashank Manohar - has been in talks with Star TV to again make the World T20 a once in-two-years affair.
This could be the first time in close to two decades that a BCCI proposal in the international circuit has been turned down. Sources close to the developments are trying to figure out if the snub could be a sign of things to come."If true, it's a telling sign of the reduced clout the current set of administrators (in the board) wield, unlike their predecessors.It's also a personal embarrassment for the men running the BCCI right now," a source said.
Thakur and Manohar, incidentally, have not been on the same page for close to six months now. Manohar, it is learnt, refused to entertain the discussion on Overseas IPL at the ICC meeting, saying it wasn't on the agenda. The ICC chairman wasn't available for comment.
Meanwhile, the BCCI was scheduled to call a meeting of (only) franchise owners and CEOs earlier this week, which was put off without any explanations.Franchises were left wondering if the BCCI indeed had the time to plan an overseas IPL, given the packed international calendar, BCCI's own domestic schedule including a revamped Duleep Trophy under lights -and the hectic Test calendar under the ICC's Future Tours Program.
IPL governing council chairman Rajiv Shukla had told the media on June 23 in Dharamshala that the BCCI had shot down Mumbai Indians' plans to play a short unofficial tournament in the United States with two other franchises -Rising Supergiants Pune and Royal Challengers Bangalore -because the BCCI was planning the overseas IPL.
The overseas IPL was planned as a replacement to the T20 Champions League but the latter was financially a more viable option for Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa because of the fee they were earning from the broadcasters to participate in the tournament.
BCCI's days are over :lol :k
