'Questions will be raised if IPL is held and T20 WC is not,' says Inzamam-ul-Haq

Former Pakistan skipper and ex-chief selector, Inzamam-ul-Haq has opined that the T20 World Cup should not be postponed and should be preferred over IPL, as well as India's tour of Australia which is also scheduled for later this year.

The mega-event was scheduled to take place from October 18 to November 15 in Australia, but the chances of that happening are very bleak amidst the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking on his Youtube Channel, Inzamam-ul-Haq stated that prioritizing T20 leagues over international Cricket would divert the players' attention towards these private competitions and questions will be raised if the aforementioned move is indeed undertaken.

“There are rumors’ that the T20 World Cup will clash with the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Australia-India series therefore it won’t take place. Indian board is strong and has control in the ICC. If Australia says that we cannot hold the World Cup because of the COVID-19 pandemic then their stance will be easily accepted," Inzamam-ul-Haq said.

"However, if a private league happens during the same time then questions will be raised. If Indian board can manage an eight team tournament then why can’t Cricket Australia hold a similar event?” he added.

Inzamam-ul-Haq calls for ICC to prioritize international cricket

The Multan-bred former cricketer furthered his point by requesting ICC and other cricketing authorities to aggrandize and favor international cricket during these uncertain times:

“Priority should be to international cricket instead of T20 leagues. Otherwise it will lead to young players focusing on private leagues other than international matches. I have also heard that objections are also being raised on the dates of the Asia Cup as it is clashing with some other event. ICC, Asian Cricket Council and all cricket boards should sit together and give a strong message that international cricket is their main focus," Inzamam-ul-Haq said.

This year's edition of the Indian Premier League was indefinitely deferred in wake of the coronavirus outbreak and the BCCI are now seeking an appropriate window to stage the delayed edition.