ENGLAND have emerged as potential hosts of the remaining matches in the suspended Indian Premier League.
While England stars scrambled to return home, the ECB made it known they are open to staging the completion of the tournament – perhaps in September.
Cricket chiefs believe they can shuffle the itinerary and make major grounds available. Twelve of 70 group matches – plus four play-offs including the final – have not been played.
IPL organisers put the tournament on hold initially for a week but the suspension is likely to last longer.
A total of ten England players flew out of India to escape the growing cross-border tensions and conflict with Pakistan.
BCCI honorary secretary Devajit Saikia said: “The ten franchises conveyed the concern and sentiments of their players and also the views of the broadcaster, sponsors and fans.
“Further updates regarding the new schedule and venues will be announced in due course after a comprehensive assessment of the situation in consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders.”;
There was little option than to suspend the IPL after the Punjab Kings v Delhi Capitals match on Thursday was abandoned after 10.1 overs.
The first explanation was a floodlight failure but the venue in Dharamsala is less than 100 miles from cities where air-raid sirens and explosions were heard.
With the local airport shut, players, staff and officials were evacuated by bus before catching a train to Delhi, the capital of India.
Overseas players and particularly the Aussie contingent – including Test captain Pat Cummins – were alarmed by developments.
They quickly made arrangements to fly back to Australia and the England players – Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Sam Curran, Craig Overton, Will Jacks, Moeen Ali and Reece Topley – also exited the country.
Ironically, Bethell was not considered for selection for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe later this month because of his involvement in the IPL.
The IPL is a vast money-spinner with each match generating more than £6million in TV revenue alone.
Although India and Pakistan no longer play bi-lateral series, global events are rigged so they face each other in the group stages because of the interest and revenue.
That might no longer be possible following the escalation between the two nuclear-armed nations.
On Wednesday, India targeted what they claimed was terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan in retaliation to an attack in Kashmir last month.
Virat Kohli, India’s biggest cricket superstar, expressed strong support for his country with an Instagram story post, saying: “We stand in solidarity with and salute our armed forces for fiercely protecting our country in these difficult times.
“We are forever indebted to our heroes for their unwavering bravery and heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifices they and their families make for our great nation.”; JAI HIND.
Jai Hind means Victory for India in Hindi.
The IPL has been played in South Africa and the UAE in the past and English authorities are confident the disruption will not affect this summer’s five-Test series against India, which runs from June 20 to August 4.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Super League, where seven England players have been taking part, was initially switched to the UAE but has now been binned indefinitely because the Emiratis don’t want to be seen as allies of Pakistan.
