BCCI looking to organise IPL 2021 in September by altering England Test series schedule: Michael Atherton

KEY STORY

• The Indian Premier League (IPL) remains the most lucrative property of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the organisers are keen to avoid huge losses they would incur if the 2021 season of the league doesn’t get completed.

• The BCCI has reportedly now approached the England & Wales (ECB) Cricket Board to make certain changes to the schedule of 5 Tests between India and England in order to make space for the remainder of IPL to be held between the World Test Championship final and the start of the Test series.

• An official word from the BCCI hasn’t come on the matter but former England captain Michael Atherton wrote about the proposition from the Indian board in ‘The Times’. In the article, Atherton confirmed that only informal discussions have taken place between the two boards so far.

• “The Board of Control for Cricket in India has enquired about the possibility of moving the final Test of the English summer in order to make room to complete the postponed Indian Premier League,” the report said.

• “Informal discussions have been had between the respective boards as cricket continues to grapple with a schedule ravaged by Covid.”

• The World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand will take place in Southampton from June 18 to 22 while Virat Kohli & Co. will play its first Test against England starting August 04. The Indian cricket team has a 6-week gap between the two assignments and during this period they will be staying in the United Kingdom.

• The BCCI is reportedly looking to have the England Test series start early (in the final week of July) and reduce the gap between subsequent matches to open up a bigger window in September for the remaining 31 matches of IPL 2021. If the changes are made, the BCCI can organise the remainder of the T20 league either in England or in UAE.

  ECB expected to hold its ground

• According to Atherton, however, the ECB is unlikely to make changes in the schedule despite BCCI’s request.

• “At this late stage it is hard to see the ECB acceding to any potential change and it is expected to hold its ground. The fifth Test of the India series is due to be held at Emirates Old Trafford between September 10-14. Lancashire have already pre-sold three full days, and with a fair wind between now and then, would expect to sell the match out completely.

• “Moving the game at this late stage to earlier in the season would create logistical headaches for Lancashire, the ECB and the England team, not to say those spectators who have spent money and planned to attend,” he explained in the article.

• Atherton also expects such changes to affect ECB’s ‘The Hundred’ plans and hence altering the schedule at this point in time could lead to plenty of chaos for the England & Wales Cricket Board.

CONCLUSION

• “It is easy to understand why India would enquire to see if the schedule can be changed. They complete the World Test Championship final against New Zealand on June 22 and are not due to play the first Test against England until the first week of August, six weeks later,” Atherton wrote.

• “From India’s perspective, it would suit them to move the end of the Test series to an earlier date at the end of July, to allow more space for a completion of the IPL in September.”