Reports | ICC wants say in running of IPL, BCCI rejects by calling it a domestic league

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is now making efforts to make a uniform policy for all the T20 leagues around the globe. The council has pushed to create an ‘events sanctioning group’ with Chief Operating Officer (COO) Iain Higgins and media rights head Aarti Singh Dabas at the helm of affairs.

The group will bring more control on many leagues in the world, make a uniform policy on the functioning of various leagues, it will have a say in various policies and formats of the leagues, it will also act as a policymaker for the many cricket boards who have T20 leagues or will have one soon.

With all these responsibilities of the ‘events sanctioning group’, ICC is making an attempt to have a say in the IPL as well but the Indian board has made its stand clear regarding this.  

“The IPL is an Indian domestic tournament and just the way how the ICC has no locus standi in a tournament like the Ranji Trophy, it will have no say in the IPL as well,” stated BCCI as reported by TOI.

As per the newspaper, BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, who represented the board at the ICC’s chief executives meet, has rejected the idea of setting up an ‘events sanctioning group’. The BCCI has also explained the matter to ICC chairman Shashank Manohar who is learnt to be in agreement with the stand of the Indian board.

“It’s clear that there are forces that believe this Indian cricket administration is most vulnerable right now. The members are left without powers and it’s the right time to make inroads into a strong Indian market,” sources close to the developments told TOI.

“Big Bash too is Cricket Australia’s domestic tournament, just like the Sheffield Shield. But the thing is, one of their players takes a break right in the middle of a Big Bash season and decides to play the Bangladesh Premier League for a handsome salary and Cricket Australia can’t do anything about it. It’s not the same in IPL. When the IPL is played, cricket — globally — comes to a standstill,” TOI sources added.