The Indian Premier League (IPL) may have firmly established its position as cricket’s biggest T20 franchise tournament and among the most-followed sports leagues in the world. However, a recent study reveals there’s still room for improvement in several key areas involving the cricketers themselves.
According to a recent ranking released by the World Cricketers’ Association, the IPL has slipped behind newer franchise leagues worldwide in terms of players’ rights and welfare. The BCCI’s cash cow league ranks only third, behind England’s The Hundred and the South Africa-based SA20 competition. The WCA rated IPL at 62.6 on the said metrics, behind The Hundred’s 75.2 and SA20’s 68.
However, the cash-rich IPL remained on top, earning the highest points for average payment and payment reliability, while still falling behind in areas such as “right to organise” and “dispute resolutions”, according to a Reuters report.
The IPL came under widespread scrutiny in January after the BCCI insisted that the Kolkata Knight Riders release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman amid backlash over ongoing political tensions between India and its eastern neighbours. The controversy escalated following which Bangladesh boycotted the T20 World Cup co-hosted by India in February-March, citing safety concerns.
WCA Chief Executive Tom Moffat said in a statement on Thursday that while cricket had benefited from the increasing number of domestic competitions in recent years, it was important to ensure players were taken care of.
“The growth of the domestic leagues landscape has been overwhelmingly positive for our sport, but it has the potential to be even better,” he said.
“We want all sanctioned leagues to be successful, and to provide fair protections and standards for people within them.”
The 19th edition of the IPL will begin on March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on SunRisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
– With Reuters inputs
