NEW DELHI: Australian captain Michael Clarke, who played for Pune Warriors in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League, believes the cash-rich tournament will sustain despite being marred by endless controversies.
The fifth edition of the league lost a bit of sheen with a television channel alleging that fixing of matches was rampant in the IPL.
If that was not enough Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan triggered a debate after being involved in a brawl with the Mumbai Cricket Association officials at the Wankhede stadium.
The dark spot got even bigger when Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Australian recruit Luke Pomersbach was charged of molesting an American national at the team hotel here.
However, Clarke termed these incidents as “unnecessary distractions” and said “it is cricket that will sustain the IPL going forward.” “While what is happening isn’t very good for the tournament, I don’t think these things will have any lasting impact on the well-being of the tournament. As long as the standard of cricket played is of the highest standard, we will see the tournament gaining in strength in the years to come,” Clarke told ‘espnstar.com’. The 31-year-old, who recently got married to girlfriend and model Kyly Boldy, said the Twenty20 league will survive the onslaught because of the quality it provides.
“I am very clear that the IPL is what it is because of the cricket played for a month and a half. Fans just love to watch their cricket in India and with the very best in the world playing the IPL, they have come out in huge numbers to support the tournament.
“It is important that all of us realise this and get cricket back in focus as early as possible,” he insisted.
Clarke was also appreciative of the fact that IPL has strengthened the bond between the cricketers.
“The best thing about the IPL is that it has helped improve relations between players a lot. It has done a great service to the game in this sense,” the cricketer said.
“Indian and Australian players now play with each other at the IPL and know each other really well. Even if there is a controversy when India and Australia are playing each other, the immediate thought is the adversary on the field isn’t a bad bloke for I have played with him in the IPL.
“A Monkey-gate will never again happen in India-Australia cricket. I can guarantee you that and the IPL deserves a large part of the credit,” he added.
Asked why he stayed away from the tournament then, the top-order batter replied that there were a number of reasons to maintain distance from the tournament. But he insisted he will remain a part of the league in the near future. (PTI)