England open to hosting IPL after border hostilities prompt suspension

The England and Wales Cricket Board is unfastened to hosting the remainder of the Indian Premier League successful September aft escalating cross-border hostility betwixt India and Pakistan prompted the suspension of the world’s astir lucrative Twenty20 tourney connected Friday.

In a chaotic 24 hours matches some the IPL and the Pakistan Super League were cancelled oregon abandoned, schedules torn up and overseas players told to commencement packing and publication flights home. The Pakistan Cricket Board announced that the past 8 fixtures of its tourney were being relocated to the United Arab Emirates, lone for the Emirates Cricket Board seemingly to reconsider its determination to big due to the fact that it was “wary of being perceived arsenic an state of the PCB”, starring to that tourney besides being suspended.

The Board of Control for Cricket successful India (BCCI) has truthful acold confirmed lone that the IPL has been paused for a week. But with 16 games remaining and overseas players present successful the process of flying to their respective location countries, its resumption is shrouded successful doubt.

The Guardian understands that Richard Gould, the main enforcement of the ECB, has already reached retired to his equivalents astatine the BCCI offering his support. Should India beryllium incapable to restart the IPL aft this week-long hiatus, 1 proposition is for England to big the remaining fixtures aboriginal successful the year.

A elder ECB root has confirmed this could beryllium imaginable successful September, albeit adding that nary “active discussions” are presently taking place. A akin connection from English cricket came successful 2021 erstwhile the IPL was paused by the Covid-19 pandemic, albeit with the UAE yet serving arsenic stand-in hosts.

The determination to halt the IPL followed the abandonment of Thursday’s fixture betwixt Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals successful Dharamsala midway done its archetypal innings aft a subject basal successful Pathankot, astir 80 kilometres away, was targeted by what Indian officials described arsenic “missiles and drones”. Floodlights were turned disconnected and fans asked to permission portion the players and unit of the 2 teams were rushed distant from the ground, immoderate inactive wearing their pads. Dharamsala is 1 of 27 Indian airports presently closed due to the fact that of information concerns, forcing the teams to enactment until Friday greeting earlier travelling to Delhi by train.

“Further updates regarding the caller docket and venues of the tourney volition beryllium announced successful owed people aft a broad appraisal of the concern successful consultation with applicable authorities and stakeholders,” Devajit Saikia, the BCCI secretary, said successful a statement, adding the determination had been taken “following the representations from astir of the franchisees, who conveyed the interest and sentiments of their players, and besides the views of the broadcaster, sponsors and fans”.

Play is halted connected Thursday by a blackout successful Dharamsala, lone 80km from wherever a subject basal was attacked. Photograph: Surjeet Yadav/MB Media/Getty Images

With 58 games played and 12 group-stage fixtures remaining, positive 4 playoff ties, the BCCI indispensable present determine if and however to implicit the competition. IPL seasons person been afloat oregon partially relocated connected 4 erstwhile occasions: successful 2009 it was played successful South Africa due to the fact that of a clash with Indian elections; successful 2014 a akin contented meant the archetypal 20 matches were played successful the UAE; successful 2020 Indian lockdown rules pushed the tourney backmost to the UAE and successful 2021 the 2nd fractional of the tourney was besides played there, again due to the fact that of Covid.

The enactment of relocating to the UAE appeared to beryllium disconnected the array pursuing the PCB’s announcement that its tourney was to reason there. The PSL’s suspension came aft Thursday’s lucifer betwixt Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings was postponed amid claims that an Indian drone rocket had damaged the country astir the stadium successful Rawalpindi wherever it was to beryllium played, an onslaught that was described by Mohsin Naqvi, seat of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), arsenic “extremely irresponsible” and “reckless”.

But connected Friday nighttime the Indian quality bureau PTI reported the Emirates Cricket Board had decided not to endanger section security, oregon its narration with the BCCI, by appearing to favour Pakistan. “The UAE has a divers South Asian colonisation which enjoys cricket. Hosting a tourney similar the PSL successful the midst of specified tense circumstances could vitiate harmony, airs information risks and disturbance unnecessary friction betwixt communities,” a root told PTI.

Hours aft the PCB announced that the tourney would reason successful the UAE it released a caller connection saying that pursuing proposal from the country’s premier minister, Shehbaz Sharif, it would alternatively beryllium paused. “National attraction and sentiments are rightly focused connected the courageous efforts of the equipped forces who are vociferously upholding the sovereignty of our beloved Pakistan,” it wrote. “We besides person sincere respect for the intelligence wellbeing of participating players and the sentiments of our overseas players, and we respect the concerns of their families who privation to spot them backmost home.”

Seven English players are progressive successful the PSL and 10 successful the IPL, each of whom are expected to instrumentality location implicit the weekend.