IPL 2021 Postponement: BCCI's Caravan Model, Laxity Come Under Fire
The Indian cricket board has been left red-faced following the indefinite postponement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with questions raised about the loopholes in following the bio-bubble. The BCC
The BCCI which was adamant in hosting the IPL in India this time and not the UAE "since it is an Indian tournament and belongs to India" is split as a body over the issue.
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It has been learnt that certain sections of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wanted the IPL to be held in the UAE. However, their suggestion was rejected.
Among those suggested for the IPL to be held in UAE were IPL chairman Brijesh Patel as well as former cricketer Surinder Khanna, a member of the Apex Council as Indian Cricketers' Association representative. Khanna has since been replaced in ICA by another former cricketer Pragyan Ojha.
"The biggest mistake the BCCI made was holding it in a caravan system. This was meant to ensure that the pitches don't get overused and no team gets the home advantage. Additionally, it made associations happy," said an official in the know of things.
"What they didn't realise is that there was a risk in travelling between different venues despite all the care taken. Some of the things demanded by BCCI like tarmac to tarmac transfer at airports was denied. Airport was a place where one could catch Covid-19 virus," said the official.
A case in point was Kiran More's positive test prior to the start of IPL. The former India stumper, who is with Mumbai Indians, had boarded the flight to Chennai with a negative test but five days after arrival in Chennai, he tested positive. He possibly caught the infection during travel.
