Hyderabad: The sudden cancellation of the press conference to launch IPL-7 in Abu Dhabi on Thursday has left the franchisees shocked. BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel, IPL chairman Ranjib Biswal and CEO Sundar Raman were scheduled to address the media at the Ritz Carlton but the event was shelved after the Supreme Court proposed changes to the BCCI set up as well as the IPL.
While the perspiring BCCI officials flew back to India, the representatives of the franchisees were left high and dry in the Gulf. They were in the UAE for a recce of the facilities followed by meetings with IPL officials.
Also, the apex court’s observation that Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals be suspended from IPL-7 pending inquiry into allegations of spot-fixing and betting has thrown the annual cricket carnival into jeopardy. The franchisees were not willing to jump the gun though. “It’s too early to comment. We will have to wait for the Supreme Court order on Friday,” said an official.
“As of now, nothing can be said. We will have to wait and watch until the BCCI comes up with something,” Varoon Parmar, manager of the Kings XI Punjab team, told this newspaper.
If both the CSK and the Royals are ultimately barred, the possibilities are myriad. First, IPL-7 could be scrapped, as former BCCI president Shashank Manohar suggested. Should that happen, the BCCI will lose a lot of money, and face in world cricket. If the teams are trimmed to six, there will be just 30 matches in the tournament and not 56 as per the original schedule. That would mean a considerable dip in advertisement revenue for the official broadcaster, who could demand compensation from the BCCI. The cricket board was in a huddle with the event’s chief sponsor and broadcaster late on Thursday night.
With just six teams in fray, it is likely that they will play each other thrice to make it 45 matches in the league phase. A few knockout rounds could take the game count to 50. “There are many ifs and buts now but yes, a six-team tournament is definitely feasible,” said a team official.
But, with the IPL scheduled to begin on April 16, time is fast running out for the organisers to rejig strategy, pointing to the possibility that the cricket jamboree may be grounded or at least delayed this year.
