Azhar Mahmood
Azhar Mahmood. Image- ICC.

Former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood expressed his glum mood after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was suspended by The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Tuesday, due to at least six covid-19 cases in 4 franchises.

Azhar Mahmood is despondent “to see another big tournament” being halted due to the virus – referring to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021, which was also suspended early in March after 14 matches following an outbreak of cases among players and support staff.

However, Azhar Mahmood, who had played for the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL on a British passport, feels that the BCCI has taken the right decision to halt the IPL, as even the water-tight bio-bubble was breached with India grappling with the second wave of covid.

We are in a worldwide pandemic: Azhar Mahmood

IPL trophy
IPL trophy (Image Credit: Twitter)

“We are in a worldwide pandemic – faced with several challenges. It’s sad to see another big tournament being affected – however it’s the right decision taken at this point. It’s important to understand nothing can be water tight and working against a pandemic is challenging itself,” Azhar Mahmood tweeted.

BCCI eyeing the September window for resuming IPL 2021

While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to resume the PSL 2021 on June 1st in Karachi, the BCCI would have to reschedule the IPL 2021. It is reported that the governing body is eyeing the September window for completing the remaining matches of this season – 29 out of 60 games were played hitherto.

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BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly
BCCI President Sourav Ganguly (Image Credit: Twitter)

In June Virat Kohli’s side is slated to travel to England for the World Test Championship final versus New Zealand. They will stay in England further for a 5-match Test series against Joe Root’s team.

With the T20 World Cup in India – which is likely to be shifted to UAE if the covid situation doesn’t improve in India – in October-November, the BCCI has its sight on September.

“Now we have to look for a window. If we get one, we will explore holding it. We’ll have to see if it is possible in September. We need to examine the plans of the ICC and other boards,” Brijesh Patel, the chairman of the IPL, told Cricbuzz.

Also Read: Dale Steyn Takes A Dig At An Indian Fan As IPL 2021 Gets Postponed Due To Rising COVID-19 Cases