MELBOURNE: Outgoing ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat on Wednesday said that the world body will not consider the idea of incorporating IPL into the Future Tours Programme as such a concession would mean creating windows for other domestic T20 leagues as well.
“The consequence of that (an IPL window) is what do we do with the Big Bash League?”. What do we do with other premier leagues – Sri Lanka is launching one, Bangladesh has one,” Lorgat said.
“I know people might say the IPL is the premier league, but once you provide a window for one particular member, you have to be conscious of the fact you may well have to do it for other members. Hence why we have not been supportive of a window specifically for any one of those domestic leagues.” he added.
The clashing of dates for this year’s tournament has forced some of the West Indies players to choose between the IPL and their home Test series against Australia and similar could be the case next time as well with New Zealand scheduled to tour England for a Tests in a year that also features an Ashes series in England.
New Zealand are due to visit England during the second half of the Indian Premier League.
Lorgat was in Melbourne to present Sutherland with the ICC’s ODI shield, after Australia finished on top of the one-day international rankings at the end of the 2011-12 season.
James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said national boards were doing what they could to allow their players to take part in the IPL.
“I think there’s a notional window already for the IPL. I think it exists. There’s an inevitability around some overlap and countries are working around that to the best of their ability.
“There are challenges ultimately, it’s been raised with clashes from time to time. But I think there’s a national window that most countries are working with and around, in order to allow their players the opportunity to play in IPL,” Sutherland said.
Australia retain ICC ODI shield : ICC Chief Executive presented Cricket Australia’s Chief Executive James Sutherland ICC ODI Shield at the Melbourne Cricket Ground here in recognition to team being ranked number one in the 50-over World Cup.
Sutherland also received the prize-money cheque of 175,000 dollar from Tim Sullivan, Managing Director Australia NZ for Reliance Globalcom.
Haroon Lorgat, while congratulating Michael Clarke and his team for retaining the number one ranking, said “In the past twenty years the Australian team has maintained an amazing grip on the Reliance ICC ODI Shield.
They have simply dominated the 50 over format and show no signs of relinquishing their crown.
“This is the third successive year that Australia has been the top ODI side and indeed their dominance stretches back to 2002. Only in 2008 and 2009, South Africa pushed them into second place.
“The importance of the Reliance ICC ODI Shield should be celebrated as this is the ICC Cricket World Cup format. It is no coincidence that Australia won successive World Cups in 2003 and 2007 during a period when they virtually owned the Shield.
“The last ICC Cricket World Cup showed the fantastic support and enthusiasm for this format of the game the 50-over World Cup format. I am positive that the recent ICC Cricket Committee suggested changes will make this format even more attractive.”
Australia captain Michael Clarke said ahead of his team’s departure for a One-Day International series in England “We’ve been ranked number one in ODI cricket for some time now and have a well-balanced side that competes in any conditions.of the game. The series against England will be a great challenge.” (Agencies)