BCCI will win; they’ll get their way if they want to: Chappell on IPL replacing T20 World Cup

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell is known for his hard stance against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and he has said that the BCCI with its clout might get to host the IPL if the T20 World Cup is postponed by the ICC.

Chappell’s comments come just a week ahead of the crucial ICC meeting where the fate of the World Cup, to be hosted in October-November in Australia, could be decided.

“The first thing you know is that the BCCI will win,” Chappell told Wide World of Sports.

“They’ll get their way if they want to play in October. At this point it appears to me that the chances of the T20 World Cup going ahead are somewhere between Buckley’s and none.

“With so many countries, I just think it would be logistically way too difficult, but that’s purely a cricketer talking, not a medical person or someone with experience running a tournament like that.

“But it seems to me with 16 teams to worry about it’s probably going to be too hard, and if the BCCI want the IPL to take that slot they’ll probably get their way,” he added.

BCCI on the other hand has maintained that it will not push for the World Cup to be postponed.

“Why should the BCCI suggest postponing the Twenty20 World Cup?” BCCI treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal told news agency Reuters by telephone.

“We’ll discuss it in the meeting and whatever is appropriate, (the ICC) will take a call.

“If the Australia government announces that the tournament will happen and Cricket Australia is confident they can handle it, it will be their call. BCCI would not suggest anything,” he added.