Chris Gayle attending the FIFA World Cup 2022 Final between Argentina and France in Qatar.
Photo : Instagram
Cricket icon Chris Gayle asserted that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reigns supreme in the cricketing world, with no contenders to challenge its authority. He proposed a remedy to mitigate the potential clash between the Indian Premier League (IPL) and international cricket. Gayle suggested the implementation of a distinct timeframe for franchise tournaments, free from any scheduling conflicts with international fixtures. The recently concluded IPL highlighted this issue, as England had to depart the camp prematurely due to their T20I series against Pakistan.
Gayle, a legendary face in multiple IPL seasons, argued that departing the IPL halfway through is advantageous to India and thus deemed unfair.
“When the IPL is going on, you see players who have to leave the tournament to go play for their countries,” Gayle told DafaNews.
“If you have an IPL window [then] it should just be the IPL in that window. You shouldn’t have international cricket during that time frame, because there’s only one team that’s going to benefit, and its India. That’s unfair. You cannot have a system like that.”
“If it’s a World Cup window, then it’s just that, nothing else. Same for the IPL. If you want the best players in the world to be playing in the IPL, the biggest franchise in history, then you have to allow them to play in that particular window without interference like international cricket. You cannot pull players out of such a big franchise tournament, because it’s unfair and too one-sided,” he added.
Gayle additionally remarked that placing one’s demands before the BCCI is futile, as they govern the realm of cricket.
When queried about the possibility of players forming a collective to present their demands, Gayle dismissed it as futile.
“No one can speak to India. India runs cricket, you know? It’s a fact. Who is going to talk to India? Who is going to challenge India? No one. They control cricket.”
Chris Gayle stands out as one of the most influential players in IPL history. His journey began in 2009 with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and he concluded his IPL stint in 2021, representing the Punjab Kings (PBKS).
