Even if IPL is held without fans, it will be a great event, says Cummins

Australian pace bowler Pat Cummins is “super hopeful” that the Indian Premier League (IPL) will go ahead this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, even if it means matches are initially played in empty stadiums.

The start of the Twenty20 tournament, originally scheduled for March 29, has been deferred to April 15 and another postponement looks inevitable as India locks down to prevent the spread of the virus.

Cummins has good reason to want the IPL to get underway having attracted a bid of $2.18 million from the Kolkata Knight Riders in the competition’s annual auction, a record for a non-Indian player.

The ICC Test player of the year, however, says getting the league underway would also be an important illustration of the world returning to normal after the pandemic.

“The first priority is safety but the second one is getting back to normality, finding that balance,” the 26-year-old, named one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the year on Wednesday, told the BBC.

“If that unfortunately means no crowds for a while, then that is that, but hopefully people can watch at home on TV.”

Cummins said playing the IPL behind closed doors would have a “totally different feel about it”.

“When people ask about the difference between playing cricket in India the first thing is the crowd,” he added.

“They scream every single ball whether it’s a six or a wicket - it’s the same noise every ball - so that atmosphere is something that we love about playing in India.

“It will be missed in the short term if it can’t happen, but I have no doubt it will be a great event even if it has to be played without crowds.”

India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh recently said that a lot of lives are on the line and that’s why he won’t mind playing without spectators if the situation demands.

The BCCI is now looking at the October-November window to host the tournament. But the move can only be possible if the ICC decides to postpone the T20 World Cup that is to be held from Oct.18 to Nov.15 in Australia.

Cummins, who last bowled a ball in anger almost a month ago, faces a long wait for his next taste of international action after Australia’s June Test tour of Bangladesh was postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Meanwhile, former India cricketer Madan Lal feels any decision on the fate of the 13th edition of the IPL can be taken only once the situation improves completely amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“IPL is a big brand. But the board can only take a decision once the situation improves and coronavirus is gone. At the moment, it’s on upstage. So, no one is going to take a risk,” Lal told IANS.

“Once coronavirus is gone, cricket can obviously take place because it’s such a popular sport and is loved by all. Even the players would like to play in front of crowds and that can only happen once the situation fully improves,” he added.

The 69-year-old also insisted that there was no point of having the IPL matches in front of empty stands without any spectators.

“There’s no point in playing IPL matches in front of empty stands. It’s not just about the players and the fans, it’s about other people who are also involved in the process while travelling, organising, broadcasting, etc,” Lal, who was part of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, said.

Agencies