IPL stakeholders in touch with rivals will get banned

The cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) has warned companies and agents allied to it that they will be “blacklisted” if they linked up with any rebel league as well. The punishment would also extend to players aligned to these stakeholers. The IPL decision is a reaction to some “aggressive” business approaches adopted by its rivals in the world. But the IPL, backed by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), has not named any rebel league from which it feels threatened.
“The IPL governing council decided that if anyone, a company or agents, who has anything to do with it is found to be linked with any rebel leagues, directly or indirectly, it will blacklisted,” a source in the BCCI told IANS.
IPL Chief Operating Officer Sundar Raman said the warning had nothing to do with any particular case that might have brought a conflict of interest between IPL and any rebel tournament, particularly the ongoing Indian Cricket League (ICL), promoted by business tycoon Subhash Chandra.
“We are just being protective of our things,” Raman told IANS.
IPL has taken the precaution as huge amounts of money are at stake in the lucrative, path breaking and popular Twenty20 tournament. The league, starting April 18 and lasting 45 days, will have eight teams competing for the top prize of $3 million.
Some of India’s richest businessmen and Bollywood stars, including Mukesh Ambani, Vijay Mallya and Shah Rukh Khan, have bought IPL team franchises for millions of dollars. They have additionally spent huge sums on buying Indian and foreign players, making IPL the richest tournament in cricket history.
“It has been sternly communicated to all concerned with the IPL that if their association with any rebel league is established, the BCCI or the IPL will debar them and discontinue all businesses with them,” said the source on condition of anonymity.
“The IPL was forced to issue the warning as the rivals have started recruiting people with an extremely aggressive intent,” the source added.
Companies and their agents have also been told that any transgressions would result in their players also being debarred from the tournament.
“The companies and players’ agents have been warned that if they try to make money by working for any rival camp, they and their players would be banned from playing in the IPL,” the source pointed out.
Many foreign players from Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, the West Indies, South Africa and Zimbabwe entered the IPL auction through management companies or their agents.