Indian cricket board concerned by IPL money

Reuters
Thursday 15 October 2009 10:40 BST
Comments
(GETTY IMAGES)

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

The impact of the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) could be affecting the attitude of younger players who are becoming increasingly focused on money, Indian cricket's governing body has admitted for the first time.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) formed the multi-million dollar Twenty20 IPL two years ago and while former players have commented on the impact of the money on player attitudes, the board has maintained its silence.

India's players have faced criticism after first round elimination in the Twenty20 World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy, which ended in South Africa earlier this month.

The BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said a senior team member rang him after the Champions Trophy to complain that the younger players seemed hardly concerned at their exit.

"One of the senior players called me up after the Champions Trophy and said the youngsters did not feel the loss as badly as him, " he told a meeting in Mumbai. "He said there was no feeling whether we won or not. There was no sadness."

Other international boards have already expressed concern about the impact of the IPL, claiming it would turn players away from international cricket to focus on earning lucrative contracts in the competition.

"As far as the younger generation is concerned, all that I was saying and meant was that we (normally) have a hurt feeling when we do not do well in international tournaments," he later told the Times Now channel.

"Winning tournaments are important for us.

"Getting the (top) ICC ranking is one thing and winning international tournaments is another, and this is extremely important."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in