NEW DELHI: With the IPL resuming after an eight-day halt due to crossborder tensions, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal spoke to TOI about how things transpired in Dharamshala on May 8, logistical challenges for resumption, player availability and how it became business as usual in two days. Excerpts… How tough was the decision to halt the IPL when it was so close to its completion? We had to be very sensitive in this matter. The safety and security of each person in the ecosystem of IPL was paramount. But there was no threat to the IPL venues. Halting the league was purely a precautionary measure. There are certain times when you have to respect the sentiment of the nation. That was the time when the nation had to stand by its armed forces. You said there was no threat, but you had to evacuate the stadium in Dharamshala. Could you take us through that evening? We were getting certain reports from the nearby district administrations. There was some movement in Pathankot. We have fans coming from Pathankot and Jammu to Dharamshala to watch matches. We didn’t want people who came there to worry about what was happening in their hometowns. Panicking fans was the last thing we wanted. That’s why we didn’t use people in uniforms to evacuate the situation. I went to the ground and explained the situation to the fans. One must appreciate the fans for understanding and abiding by protocol. How did you prepare for resuming the league so quickly?
It certainly had logistical challenges. There was so much uncertainty when we halted the IPL. We did not know when we would get to restart. The players had gone back. But we sat with all stakeholders and chalked out Plan B. We also had to factor in that monsoon was coming early this year. We had to ensure that we didn’t have any games washed out once we resumed. That’s why the venues have changed. BCCI has been successfully running the IPL for 17 years. We have seen off Covid times and that helps. This was just a stumbling block. That’s the beauty of sports — you rise after every fall. Was finishing the IPL later in the year discussed to let things settle down a little more? It was an option when we halted. We discussed the situation with franchise, sponsors and broadcasters. It was decided that it was best to conclude the league now itself. The international calendar is packed for our players. Overseas players too have a lot of commitments. How important is the resumption for brand IPL which the BCCI is trying to promote globally? India is one of the safest countries for tourists. It became business as usual in two days. There were just a few pockets that endured the tension. We are already looking forward to hosting the ICC Women’s World Cup later this year along with other international fixtures besides the men’s T20 World Cup early next year. It’s difficult to count the Asia Cup because it’s usually played outside India. There have been issues with player availability… We do understand there are other commitments. There are players who have national commitments. We factored in this bit since we are going a week beyond the original schedule. It’s an in-house challenge. But most of the players have come back and I am sure the quality of the league will be maintained. There’s no pressure to participate. All players and boards share good relationships with the BCCI and franchises. Pressurising players to participate won’t produce good quality cricket. There are reports of Cricket South Africa (CSA) not willing to budge from the initial NOC to players (till May 26). We are discussing it with CSA. They have the World Test Championship final from June 11. They have qualified for the first time. It’s very important for them. We have requested them to let the players who are not selected to stay back and let the players who are willing to stay back for the entire tournament.
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