Clearly disgusted about current happenings off the cricket field, former Test all rounder Bapu Nadkarni backed suggestions by ex-BCCI chief Shashank Manohar and ousted IPL chairman Lalit Modi that the controversial and cash-awash T20 League should be stopped, at least for a while.
“What is happening is not good. The cricketers are bound to be affected by all these. They have to close IPL for some time. Who is going to run it?” Mr. Nadkarni told PTI when asked to respond to the recent developments.
However, another former cricketer and ex-India captain Ajit Wadekar wanted the T20 league to continue though the Supreme Court has suggested that Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals be suspended from the tournament till pendency of the case of betting and spot fixing scandal before it.
Backing his one-time nemesis Mr. Manohar over his scathing views that the cash-rich IPL has lost some of its credibility, its former Chairman Mr. Modi has stated that the upcoming season of the tournament needs to be suspended to clean up the game.
“I completely agree with Mr. Shashank Manohar and his observations on the fact that the serious allegations regarding betting, spot-fixing and match-fixing have seriously tarnished the image of the game and importantly, the fans and the public at large are slowly but surely starting to lose faith in the Indian Premier League in particular and game at large,” said London-based Mr. Modi.
“Given the above context and the current goings-on, I think it only right that until the faith of the people in the integrity of the game is restored, the IPL tournament for the year 2014 should be suspended.”
Former BCCI chief Mr. Manohar had on Wednesday issued a media statement demanding that the upcoming season of IPL be suspended and all IPL matches be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Season seven of IPL is set to be held from April 16 with the first part of the event scheduled in UAE because of the general elections in the country.
Mr. Nadkarni, however, did not want to respond to the Supreme Court’s proposal on Thursday that embattled BCCI chief N. Srinivsan be replaced by ex-India skipper Sunil Gavaskar and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) be suspended from IPL 7 till the pendency of case of betting and spot fixing scandal before it.
“Who am I to question the Supreme Court’s judgment,” he said. “Mr. Srinivasan should have stepped down a long time ago. All these could have been avoided,” said Mr. Nadkarni.
Former India skipper Ajit Wadekar, while welcoming the idea that a cricketer of eminence like Mr. Gavaskar heading the Board after he’s duly nominated as per the BCCI’s constitution, wished that the apex court pass such an order for all the state associations affiliated to BCCI too.
“That (Gavaskar heading BCCI) would be ideal after he’s nominated as per the constitution. The Supreme Court should also give an order that all state associations be headed by cricketers. Look at what is happening in Mumbai cricket (which has non-cricketers heading it for a long time),” he responded.
He, however, wanted the IPL to continue this year even without the two teams CSK and RR, if need be.
“IPL need not be stopped. It’s fair to suspend CSK and RR, though the players (in the two teams) may suffer,” he said.
