IPL being preferred over T20 World Cup is 'money grab' for Indian cricket: Allan Border

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has brought worldwide cricketing activities, including the Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020), to a standstill. Even the much-awaited T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be played in Australia between October and November, is clouded with much uncertainty at the moment. However, the Board of Control Cricket in India (BCCI) CEO Rahul Johri and apex council member Anshuman Gaekwad recently hinted that IPL 2020 may take up the September-November window later this year, should the T20 World Cup in Australia get shifted to 2021 by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

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Allan Border slams IPL and BCCI’s interests

Former Australian captain Allan Border recently gave his take regarding the reports of IPL 2020 potentially replacing a global T20 event like the T20 World Cup. In an appearance on ABC's Grandstand Cafe radio program, the 1987 World Cup-winning captain said that he will not agree to any BCCI attempts of replacing T20 World Cup with the IPL. Allan Border described the all-popular IPL event as a “local competition”, which should never take precedence over any form of international cricket.

Allan Border went ahead and said that if the T20 World Cup cannot go ahead as planned, the IPL 2020 season should not go ahead as well. He believes that replacing T20 World Cup is simply a “money grab” move on part of the BCCI. Border added that such a move will also send a wrong signal to world cricket, as it would imply to the world that India alone is running the game. He stated that world cricket cannot have one nation alone dictating terms of the international game as it would send the sport down the “wrong path”.

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T20 World Cup and India lockdown impact on IPL 2020

The IPL 2020 season was originally intended to launch on March 29 with a match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. However, the contagious nature of the coronavirus disease prompted the Indian government to impose India lockdown in March 25, i.e. just days before the commencement of the tournament.

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Image credits: AP