IPL harming spirit of cricket: Miandad

LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad has branded the Indian Premier League (IPL) ‘illegal’ and has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to come forward and tackle the prevailing mess that is causing headlines all over the world.

“I knew from the start that there were wrong-doings in the IPL,” Miandad told The Express Tribune. “The league was not initiated to promote cricket but to create business opportunity and make money. If the ICC has given them the official tag since it is BCCI’s domestic league, they must also come forward to control it and must have a transparent system for its accountability.” Miandad, who is also the Director General of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), added that since cricket was termed a gentleman’s game, it should also instil discipline in a cricketer and not make him greedy and having a lust for power.

“It is not surprising for me at what happened in the IPL with with Modi because once you give full power to one man, who was dealing directly with the players and not the cricket boards, such a system ultimately explodes.” Miandad also felt there was no such difference between the IPL and the now-defunct unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL). “The ICC can’t allow such leagues where a player goes through the home board and they don’t get the share of the revenue.”

The IPL’s decision to allow upto four foreign players per team also irked Miandad who said such actions will only ruin the spirit of cricket. “No overseas player is playing there in the pure spirit of cricket. In fact, they don’t care if they get out for nothing because they know nothing is being accounted for. Whether they perform or not, they will still get the money. When you play for your country, you work hard and play with the emotions, with the sole aim of winning it for your nation. That is not to be seen in the IPL.”