Earlier it was reported that New Zealand had joined the likes of Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates (UAE) with an offer to stage the IPL.
Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy. (File Photo: IANS)
Speaking on behalf of New Zealand Cricket (NZC), spokesperson Richard Boock has refused the claims that the cricket body had offered the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to host the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Boock told Radio New Zealand: “The report is simply speculation. We have not offered to host the IPL nor have we had an approach to do so.”
Earlier, news agency PTI had reported, quoting an anonymous BCCI source, that New Zealand had joined the likes of Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates (UAE) with an offer to stage the IPL.
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The cash-rich franchise-based tournament, which was scheduled to be played from March 29 this year, was earlier postponed to April 15 before it was suspended indefinitely due to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Staging the event in India has to be the first choice but in case it is not safe to have it, then we will look at the overseas options. After UAE and Sri Lanka, New Zealand has also offered to host the IPL,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
“We will sit down with all stakeholders (broadcaster, teams, etc) and take a call. The safety of the players is paramount. There will be no compromise on that,” the official said.
Earlier, news agency IANS had reflected that the BCCI was divided on whether to host the IPL outside the country but it was clear that if the board manages to agree on staging it one foreign soil then either Sri Lanka or the UAE would be the most favorable destination.
However, all the speculations are currently hanging by a thread as the ICC has not made any decision regarding the fate of the T20 World Cup which is supposed to be held in Australia from October 18 to November 15 which is almost the same time the BCCI is planning to stage the IPL.
The last ICC Board meeting in June had kept the fate of this year’s T20 World Cup hanging as they dragged the matter until the next meeting in July. However, media reports across the globe have hinted that the tournament is most likely to be postponed.
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