Mirpur: Former Indian allrounder Ravi Shastri, a member of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council, feels that having Sunil Gavaskar as the interim President of the Indian cricket board for the seventh edition of the league will add a new dimension to the game.
In an exclusive interview to Gulf News on the sidelines of World Twenty20 Cup, Shastri said: “Gavaskar has been on the IPL governing council from day one; so he is very experienced. He also has a great reputation and is one of the greatest batting legends our country has produced. Moreover, he has been with the International Cricket Council (ICC) as well, so all that experience will come handy in ensuring that we have a successful IPL.”
One of the most followed TV pundits of the game, Shastri lauded the UAE as a venue for the IPL. “The UAE has some great infrastructure and is now the centre of the cricketing world. With excellent state-of-the-art facilities and the huge population that loves and follows cricket, I’m sure IPL in the UAE will be a huge success.”
The former allrounder has been impressed with all the three venues in the UAE, as well as the huge response for the game in the UAE. “UAE has expatriates from all around the world who love cricket and this will ensure big crowds for all the matches. There are plenty of Indians, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis who have been following the IPL for many years. Given that the IPL is in its seventh year now, everybody knows about it, cricket fans around the world enjoy this and most people now mark their calendars for it,” said Shastri.
He also feels that with many players from all cricketing nations playing in this tournament, even expatriates from South Africa, England and Australia living in the UAE will come out to watch the games. “IPL is not merely an Indian tournament... it is now a global event now,” he added.
Shastri then went on to laud the IPL’s contribution to the game. “This is one tournament that has grown over the years at a tremendous pace. Its growth should be termed phenomenal and that which has helped the game in a big way. IPL’s contribution to Twenty20 cricket has been huge and it has not only brought in more skills into the game but also fresh fans not only from India but from all over the world. I am sure that many more new cricket fans will turn up for the games,” he said.
Shastri, a regular visitor to UAE, feels that since people from various states of India live there, the support for each team will be enormous. “There are many around the world that follow their team of choice in the IPL. This fan-following that has been built over the years has been increasing with every edition. This is a great opportunity for many new cricket fans to come and watch the game from different parts of the world as the UAE is centrally located.
“Even fans from India will be coming to watch the matches as it is just a two hours’ flight. On the whole, I think IPL in the UAE should really go well in those couple of weeks.”
Shastri also feels that the event will be a big boost for businesses in the UAE. “From the marketing point of view, this is a great opportunity for the UAE because the telecast will be going global. There will be eyeballs from all around the world and it is a great way for businesses in the UAE to get recognition through IPL.”
On the possible challenges for IPL in the UAE, Shastri said: “It is a new venue and a first time in the UAE, so that will be a pathbreaking move. But it should not be as difficult as it was in South Africa when IPL went out there in the second year; people in the UAE know about IPL and they have been following it for years.”
To a query on whether the recent corruption scandal will have any impact on IPL, Shastri said: “The event has always risen above it and it should be noted that even for the last final despite all the happenings, there wasn’t a seat left unoccupied. It has surmounted all obstacles over the years and has grown from strength to strength. It has ushered in new players and some of the top players in the Indian team are products of the IPL.
“It is also helping to bring to unearth more talents who would have remained unknown. Since newcomers play alongside the top international stars, it eases the pressure on them later on the big stage. The IPL has also contributed to India performing so well in Twenty20 World Cup,” Shastri concluded.
