IPL 2021: BCCI Has The Muscle Power To Bring Back Key Foreign Players When IPL Resumes, Says Salman Butt

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has opined that though many foreign cricket boards and players are apprehensive about returning to the IPL 2021 when the tournament resumes in UAE, he feels that the BCCI has enough clout to bring them back for the remainder of the matches.

The IPL 2021 had to be postponed on May 4 until further notice due to multiple COVID-19 cases amongst players, coaches, and support staff. Even groundstaff of the Feroz Shah Kotla tested positive for the virus during the IPL 2021 matches when the tournament shifted to Delhi.

While the numbers of COVID patients has significantly come down in India in the past week or so, the BCCI decided to play the remainder of the IPL 2021 in UAE and has decided on a Sept-Oct window for the same. However, the issue is with the availability of the foreign players as they have international commitments to fulfill as there is no clear window for the IPL in the Sept-Oct period.

The BCCI Will Create A Window Where People Will Be Available: Salman Butt  

Foreign board and players are concerned about bubble fatigue and possible burnout before the T20 World Cup. The England Cricket board director has already said that England players will not play in the IPL 2021 second half and even the Bangladesh board has refused to issue NOCs to Shakib Al Hasan and possibly Mustafizur Rahman for the tournament.

However, Salman Butt feels that for a competition as huge as the IPL, the BCCI will somehow find an adequate window.

“I think they will find a way. They will create a window where people will be available. A few players might not be there but because it is the premier event of this format, they will somehow make a window for it. The tournament is huge, the organization (BCCI) is strong and at the moment they have the muscle so there is a greater chance that it will happen,” Butt said on his YouTube channel.

The BCCI has already announced that the UAE will host the remainder of the IPL 2021. 31 matches are left in the tournament, which will likely be squeezed in a 20-day window with 10 double-headers and 7 evening matches.

Also Read: Salman Butt Lauds MS Dhoni And Rohit Sharma’s Tactical Skills; Criticizes Faf Du Plessis And Eoin Morgan For The Same