Inzamam-ul-Haq calls for IPL boycott
Inzamam-ul-Haq
The controversy erupted after former England cricketers Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton alleged that India had been given an unfair advantage by playing all their group-stage matches at a single venue—Dubai.
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This arrangement resulted from the Indian government’s refusal to allow the team to travel to Pakistan due to political and security concerns, forcing the International Cricket Council (ICC) to schedule all of India’s games in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Reacting to the situation, Inzamam criticized BCCI’s influence in world cricket and called for a collective stance against the IPL. He pointed out that while Indian players are restricted from participating in foreign T20 leagues, players from other nations regularly feature in the IPL.
"Keep aside the Champions Trophy. Top players participate in IPL but Indian players don't participate in other leagues. Other boards should stop sending their players to IPL. If you (BCCI) don't release your players for leagues, then other boards should take a stance," he said speaking on a Pakistani TV channel.
Currently, Indian cricketers contracted with the BCCI are prohibited from playing in any overseas franchise leagues unless they retire from Indian cricket, which includes the IPL and domestic competitions. Any player who chooses to compete in foreign leagues is barred from returning to BCCI-organized events.
While concerns over India’s venue advantage have been voiced by multiple experts, the issue gained further traction as Australia and South Africa flew to Dubai in anticipation of a potential semifinal clash against India. However, due to the remaining group-stage match between India and New Zealand, the semifinal lineup is still uncertain.
If India defeats New Zealand, they will face Australia in the Dubai semifinal, but if they lose, they will take on an in-form South Africa instead.
Meanwhile, the other semifinalist—either Australia or South Africa—will need to travel back to Pakistan, a journey of over 2000 kilometers, to play against New Zealand in the second semifinal on Wednesday.
With growing controversy surrounding India's perceived advantage, Inzamam's call for a global IPL boycott has added a new layer to the ongoing debate about BCCI’s influence in international cricket.
