IPL 2020 Can Take Place Without Foreign Players: Matthew Hayden

BCCI has adapted a wait and watch policy for IPL 2020 with the July and October window in contention for the tournament to commence. Former Australia opener Matthew Hayen, who was a part of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has voiced his opinion about the lucrative tournament.

The Covid-19 situation has forced the parent body to postpone the tournament indefinitely after it was deferred from its original date. The foreign players in the tournament have been a major attraction but in a lockdown situation across most countries it will be difficult to fly them to the country hosting the tournament.

Matthew Hayden: IPL could exist without foreign players

Matthew Hayden asserted IPL can exist without foreign players especially in a crisis situation. Foreign players might add strength and bring in excitement to the tournament but in a situation like this when health and safety is of foremost importance, IPL can proceed in their absence.

“Certainly the IPL could exist without foreign players. I think it would be a product that is being compromised naturally because foreign players do add a lot to the IPL. They raise the level of awareness and excitement among fans. Getting nations together has infact made IPL the fun that it has been. But in conditions like this, it could go on without foreign players and it should go on if all health issues have been uncompromised and the game can proceed in clean stadiums,” he told IANS.

Hayden featured in IPL in the inaugural three editions. He played 32 matches and scored 1107 runs at an average of 36.90. The left-handed opener notched up eight half-centuries in the tournament and was a part of the 2010 triumph for CSK.