'If I were Chris Lynn, I'd have taken them to court': Chappell's no-nonsense remark on Cricket Australia over UAE league
Ian Chappell didn't mince his words as he talked about Chris Lynn's participation in the UAE T20 league.
The UAE-based International League T20 (ILT20), which starts in 2023, has stirred up a lot of interest among cricketers across the globe. Among many other cricketers, Australia's Chris Lynn had also registered himself for the league as a marquee player; however, his participation could be in doubt if a No Objection Certificate (NOC) is not issued from Cricket Australia. There is a possibility that both, the Big Bash League and ILT20 take place at the same time and since, the Australian board might be hesitant to issue the NOC. Interestingly, Lynn neither has a contract with Cricket Australia nor his state side Queensland.
Former Australia Captain Ian Chappell has now commented on the issue, stating that he would have taken Cricket Australia ‘to court’ if he wasn't issued an NOC.
Speaking on Lynn, Csaid, “To me, you then go back to the World Series Cricket days, where they took the board to court over restraint of trade. Is it a restraint of trade? In Chris Lynn’s case, if he hasn’t got a contract with Cricket Australia or Cricket Queensland, what’s to stop him? If I was Chris Lynn and I wanted to play in the UAE I’d take them to court. I don’t think Cricket Australia would have a hope in hell. It’s got to be a restraint of trade. You’re not contracting him, but you’re not letting him play either."
Chappell further talked about the problems associated with the emergence of various T20 leagues around the world and how that might affect international cricket. He said, “I think a lot of the older players will get offers from that area, and that will be a real challenge for nations like Australia who have a lot of good players, and also for nations that can’t afford to pay their players the best rates.”
He further elaborated on the same. “Then you’ve got the problem of the IPL franchises owning teams in different leagues around the world. If you’ve got a decent IPL contract and the choice is between Australia and your IPL franchise’s UAE team, well are you going to put your IPL contract at risk?" said Chappell.