Since the suspension of the 2021 edition of the IPL, the focus has been on finding a new window for the remaining matches of the season. While English counties have offered to host the rest of the 31 games, there is a more than decent chance that the 32 games could be held in the UK, since all the England players and many Indian players will be in England as the five-match Test series between the two sides goes on till September 14.
Now, the recent reports have suggested that BCCI have asked England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to prepone the Test series by a week so that five games can be completed by September 7 to get a window for the IPL before the ICC T20 World Cup starts in October-November.
While the UAE remains another option and Sri Lanka has also been kept open as another choice but quarantine requirements in different countries due to COVID-19 protocols could affect the scheduling and might not be feasible.
However, the fans and experts came up with their own suggestions for the scheduling while some England cricket fans and journalists were totally against the move of tampering with the Test-match schedule. While England's inaugural edition of 'The Hundred' is also kept at that time, and Test cricket is England's spiritual home, thus fans are not really happy with BCCI asking them to adjust their schedules to help them provide a window for the IPL.
Here are some of the reactions:
The ECB insist there has been no "official request" from BCCI yet.
If they agree to shift internationals around for the IPL, messing their own fans (who have waited a long time to watch cricket) it would be farcical/disgraceful/[insert your own adjective] https://t.co/7LlzfC17rr
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) May 20, 2021
Dear BCCI,
Please take your IPL and put it somewhere far, far away. We don’t want it in our country and don’t want interfering with our cricket board. Go and play it in the UAE or better cancel it for this year and focus on more important things.
Sincerely,
Tom from Twitter
— Tom (@cricthoughts) May 20, 2021
If the BCCI seriously want to finish the IPL in England at the backend of September they better get to work building some cricket ground-sized roofs imo
— Kieran (@BerbaSpinCric) May 20, 2021
India's request to the @ECB_cricket to reschedule the tests to try and accommodate the 2nd half of the #IPL is going to test the close relationship the two boards enjoy. There will be a trade-off but it will be wonderful if a common path can be found. Interesting times ahead.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 20, 2021
Simple solution .. Play the First Indian Test a week earlier .. No England Test players would then potentially play the 100 so Fringe Indian Test players replace them .. Then the IPL can finish .. Good deal all round .. #ENGvIND
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) May 20, 2021
The Women's T20 Challenge was scheduled right on top of the WBBL last year and not only did the Aus players miss out on it, but also the India women players who had WBBL deals missed out on that.
Same board wants ECB to adjust the schedule to complete IPL?#ENGvIND
— Rohit Sankar (@imRohit_SN) May 20, 2021
How is it win-win? Spectators have paid for tickets, hotel rooms so they can finally watch their team play cricket live. Not everything HAS to be about the IPL. It’s just franchise cricket. https://t.co/W2rOcVTpAr
— Greggs & Tomelettes (@annoynya) May 20, 2021