CHENNAI: Even as the top brass of the BCCI, which went on a recce tour to the United Arab Emirates to finalise the plans to resume the suspended 2021 IPL, is back in India, franchises are still waiting for clarity on the tournament.
Although the BCCI has stated that IPL will resume in the gulf, it is yet to reveal the dates and there is uncertainty surrounding the availability of the overseas players.
It is understood that the BCCI, after deliberations with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), wants to finish the IPL on October 15.
With T20 World Cup planning to start on the same weekend in the gulf, the officials are understood to be in talks.
With Friday being a closed holiday in the UAE, IPL wants to make use of the date as it plans to play the event in front of crowds.
As a result, the BCCI and the ICC are under discussions over the starting date of the T20 WC, with October 16 being the likely date to commence 16-team event.
The biggest challenge in front of the BCCI is with regards to the availability of overseas players. Most of the teams, except South Africa, have a busy international calendar and the Caribbean Premier League is also running till September 19.
The BCCI has initiated talks with Cricket West Indies (CWI) to see if it can finish the CPL by September 12 or 14. That would ensure the availability of not just the Caribbean players but also those part of the CPL.
15 players who feature in the IPL are also part of the CPL and if CWI is not able to alter the dates, then at least a couple of teams may have to miss these players for the initial matches.
The desperation is understandable as the England and Wales Cricket Board has clearly stated that it won’t release any of its players for the IPL.
There is still no clarity on the availability of Australian players.
Australia are scheduled to play West Indies and Bangladesh during the period and reports coming from Down Under suggest that several of their top stars like David Warner and Steve Smith will skip those series.
But whether they use the break to play for IPL remains to be seen.
Full story: newindianexpress.com