Can England realistically stage the IPL? Ideally, with a cramped domestic schedule, with a T20 World Cup in June and an international summer with the Ashes, the counties would not like to have additional matches and overburdened staff catering to an Indian domestic tournament.
There are a
couple of scenarios to consider.
Firstly, if the IPL decides to move the tournament to the UK and the ECB agrees to its proposal, it needs to take the counties into confidence. As far as that is concerned, the ECB has made no effort so far to contact the counties. "It is a governing body decision and only when they decide can we get back to them," a source from one of the influential counties told HT.
Secondly, the ECB would have to redraw and relocate county matches scheduled originally for grounds on which the IPL may be played, which according to sources could lead to a logistical chaos.
Then, there are some counties who would "not mind" hosting additional matches, considering the revenues they could potentially bring. Colin Povey, chief executive of Warwickshire, told HT that Edgbaston would be "in principle, keen to host the IPL, since the ground is well prepared for T20 cricket and is hosting the T20 Cup finals day this season".
Manchester, another likely venue with a sizable Asian population, has also expressed its IPL interest.