Mumbai: BCCI Secretary Jay Shah says the ‘Impact Player’ rule, which has divided opinions in the ongoing IPL, can be revisited if that’s what the stakeholders want given that it was introduced as a “test case”.
The impact player rule has had a heavy bearing on the ongoing edition with teams crossing 250-run mark as many as eight times so far. Players, coaches as well as experts have pointed out the challenges which the impact player rule poses to the bowlers, saying that it allows teams to have extended batting line-ups.
India captain Rohit Sharma has stated that the rule hurts all-rounders as they are not getting enough bowling opportunities.
“Impact player rule was brought in as a test case. On the bright side, it is providing additional playing opportunities to two Indian players,” he said in an interaction with select media at the BCCI office here Thursday.
“Isn’t it important that two Indian players are getting a chance? The game is also becoming more competitive,” he added.
Shah said all stakeholders will sit down in a meeting likely to be held after the T20 World Cup to decide on it.
“But still, if the players feel that this is not alright we will speak on it. However, no one has said anything about it yet. After the IPL and the World Cup, we will have a meeting and decide,” he said.
“After the World Cup, we will consult with players, franchise and broadcasters and decide about the future course. It’s not a permanent rule nor am I saying we will move past it,” he added.
Shah said India’s T20 World Cup-bound players for the Caribbean and the USA, who are currently busy with the IPL, need no rest as competition is perfect preparation ahead of the mega event.
“Why do you want to rest players? This is (as good as a) practice session, you cannot get any better opportunity (to prepare) than this,” Shah said.
“There is a cosmopolitan team in front of you, one team has a bowler from New Zealand, the other has a bowler from Australia and the next one has a bowler from Sri Lanka,” he added.
Shah said IPL is the best way to prepare for the Indian players as a Jasprit Bumrah gets a chance to gauge a marauding batter like Travis Head well ahead of the World Cup.
“If we rest a bowler he won’t get a chance to bowl at Travis Head. When (Jasprit) Bumrah will bowl to Travis Head, he will understand where to bowl to him and how. There is no better opportunity,” he said.
Focussing on women’s cricket”
Shah said the focus has also been on improving women’s cricket by adding more fixtures to their calendar.
“Women’s cricket is going on full fledged and it is being managed no less than men’s cricket. There is a World Cup in Bangladesh so we have maintained our bilateral relationship and played a series,” Shah said.
“We have put our focus 51 per cent on women’s cricket and 49 per cent on men’s because we are doing good in men’s cricket so we are taking women’s cricket on priority (basis). Their match fees has also increased so they have income as well,” he added.
However, Shah said there is no possibility of an increase in the number of teams for the Women’s Premier League.
“Let it be five teams for now. The media and sponsorship rights are set for five years and adding more teams will only create issues for them. The franchises have to sustain as well,” he said.