BCCI has every right to hold IPL if T20 World Cup is postponed, feels Michael Holding
Holding doesn't like T20s at all
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Michael Holding has stated that the BCCI has all the rights to go ahead and host the Indian Premier League if the ICC T20 World Cup is eventually postponed due to the pandemic. The former Windies pacer has further sounded wary about the game becoming further shorter, with T10 cricket.
For his forthright views and sheer disdain for the shorter versions of the game, sans 50-over cricket, Michael Holding is among the many purists who is highly regarded. A glorious stint as a commentator for Sky Sports and Super Sports aside, Holding has a constant presence in ICC 50-over World Cups for the official broadcasters.
Although he doesn’t present any T20 game, Holding has a definite vantage point to manufacture a clear understanding of the trend and now stated that BCCI has every right to hold the Indian Premier League later this year if the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia is postponed.
"I don't think ICC is delaying the T20 World Cup because they are making space for the IPL. It's the Australian government's law where they are not allowing any visitors into the country before a specific date," Holding said in an Instagram Live with Nikhil Naz.
"But if there is no T20 World Cup, the BCCI has all rights to go ahead and organise a domestic tournament because there's a space. If they are encroaching on other people's tournament, you could say okay."
A fast and furious bowler of his time, Holding never held back when it came to dishing out bouncers at will and slowly transitioned himself to a solid ODI bowler as well. However, never ever could he make himself a fan of the 20-over cricket and is wary of the game becoming further shorter and shorter.
"I don't think ICC will ever get rid of 50 overs cricket because that's one of their biggest earners as far as TV rights is concerned. The money will be slashed drastically. The problem is people's attention span getting shorter and shorter. In T20, they enjoy the razzmatazz of the excitement. Long before you had your first 10-10 game, you would see people getting bored with T20. And I still see at some point people will get to five-five,” Holding added.
"People with short attention spans will get attracted to that. But it is my belief you should not always cater to people's short attention. You can't just keep on getting shorter and shorter. We can't keep on going in that direction, then you are left with nothing," he remarked.
