Indian Premier League is extremely dangerous for international cricket says Arjuna Ranatunga
Former Sri Lankan captain, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Arjuna-Ranatunga-c45447, has said that Indian Premier League (IPL) is a hazard for international cricket and asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to take necessary measures to save the game and the players.
The fourth edition of IPL concluded last month and it turned out to be a huge success in India. However, many former cricketers outside India feel that it is damaging the game at the international level.
Ranatunga claims that he has been against the idea of IPL since its inception and unless or until ICC takes appropriate measures, the cash-rich league is going to pollute the ‘gentlemen’s game’.
He wants ICC to step up and prove that it is the real governing body of cricket which cannot be put under any kind of a pressure. He called IPL a ‘monster’ who will eat international cricket.
He said, “The ICC is becoming a toothless tiger. I have seen this IPL and I must say from the first day I didn't like it. We have created a monster that will go on to destroy international cricket. The ICC's job is to protect the game”.
Legends like Michael Holding and Tony Greig have also criticised ICC because it is hugely influenced by the Board of Control for Cricket in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 (BCCI) at the moment.
Many high profile players have also started to prefer their respective IPL franchises rather than their country.
Ranatunga is also of the opinion that cricket at the highest level should be run by former cricketers but unfortunately this is not the case.
He added that many chiefs of different cricket boards are former cricketers but they do not have much of a say in ICC’s decisions.
"One fault that I see with the ICC at the moment is that most of the directors haven't played the game and the main decisions are taken at the directors' meeting. If you take most of the CEOs of cricket boards, they are past cricketers, but when they come
up with suggestions for the well-being of the game, the directors need to support those decisions rather than rejecting them", he added.
Tags: