ECB decision to privatize The Hundred may not encourage IPL investors
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has decided to invite private investment for its flagship white-ball competition, The Hundred,
ECB decision to privatize The Hundred may not encourage IPL investors
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has decided to invite private investment for its flagship white-ball competition, The Hundred, but a serious question now is how many Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises will be inclined to participate.
The ECB's decision to pull English players from the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) ahead of the play-offs did not go down well with the IPL teams who took the matter to the Board of Cricket in India (BCCI). )
"Not sure if the BCCI will encourage teams to invest in The Hundred, after what they have done," said a franchise official, hinting at some of the BCCI's preventive measures to prevent a repeat of such a thing. "In such a backdrop, how would the BCCI react if the IPL teams lined up to invest in the ECB scheme," the official said. BCCI has not always invested IPL teams in foreign leagues.
The franchise official's comments came in response to the ECB's decision to support the game's efforts to attract private investment in the eight teams of The Hundred. A few IPL franchises like Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings were initially associated with The Hundred. Other franchises like Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders were expected to join the fray, but it remains to be seen how these teams will react after the ECB's latest decision.
Eight England players - Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals), Phil Salt (Kolkata Knight Riders), Will Jacks, Reece Topley (both Royal Challengers Bangalore), Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran (all Punjab Kings). The ECB and some of their competitions missed the business end before the IPL 2024 playoffs. Luke Wood, Tom Curran, Chris Woakes, Tom Kohler-Cardmore and Mark Wood were also linked with the season's IPL but most of them did not participate due to various reasons.
This upset the Indian cricket system so much that Sunil Gavaskar called for action against those who defect midway through the tournament. "I am for the players to choose the country before anything else but assuring the various franchises of their availability for the entire season, it will frustrate the franchises who perhaps pay them more in one IPL season than they earn in a few seasons with their country," Gavaskar added that boards should not pay 10 per cent of their salaries to players who have withdrawn.
In fact, England captain Jos Buttler said that there should be no international cricket during the IPL. "Look, as an England captain, my main priority is to play for England. It is my personal opinion that there should be no international cricket clashing with the IPL," the England captain told Sky Sports after the first of four games. -The T20 series of matches was swept away on May 22. England won the second game but the third T20 too was abandoned without a ball. The fourth and final match is on Thursday night.
ECB officials say the privatization of The Hundred should be completed soon and by next year, private players are expected to be onboarded.
