ECB Offers to Host IPL in September after Border Hostilities Cause Postponement

The England and Wales Cricket Board has offered to host the remaining matches of the IPL in September. Amidst increasing cross-border tensions between Pakistan and India, the cricket leagues of both countries have either been postponed or suspended by their respective boards.

What Happened?

On Thursday, the PCB first announced that the PSL match between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings was postponed, citing the ongoing cross-border tensions between the two countries. Later, a statement by the PCB confirmed that the remaining eight matches would be played in the UAE, asking players to depart for the Emirates.

However, the PCB has now suspended the IPL X indefinitely, following the advice of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Some reports indicate that the UAE Cricket Board has refused to host the tournament due to security concerns and the ongoing conflict.

On the other hand, the BCCI has announced only a one-week postponement. But with sixteen games still left and foreign players already departing, there is little chance it will resume that soon. Some reports suggest the IPL may be postponed until September, possibly in another country. Rumors point toward the USA or South Africa, both of which have hosted the IPL in the past.

Will ECB get a second rejection, or will Lord’s finally host the IPL final?

According to The Guardian, Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, has already communicated the desire to host the remainder of the IPL to his Indian counterpart. In case India is unable to resume the IPL in the near future, England could host the remaining season in September. A source within the ECB confirmed the possibility of a September window but added that “no active calls” are taking place at the moment.

This isn’t the first time the ECB has offered to help the BCCI and IPL in a time of crisis. In 2021, during the COVID outbreak, the ECB made a similar offer, but it was declined by the BCCI. Instead, India opted for the UAE to host the remainder of the season.

Previously, the IPL has been fully or partially relocated four times. The first was in 2009, when it was played in South Africa due to a clash with the Indian general elections. Then, in 2014, it was relocated to the UAE for the same reason, though only twenty matches were played there. In 2020 and 2021, it was again hosted in the UAE due to the pandemic, fully in 2020 and partially in 2021.