ICC principal advisor IS Bindra hailed the possibility of an English version of the Indian Premier League and said such an event would only bolster the Champions Twenty20 League scheduled in October.
Bindra, also a key IPL Governing Council member, was enthused by the idea that the England and Wales Cricket Board would be meeting Texan billionaire Allen Stanford to explore the possibility of having its own version of the IPL.
"It's a good news and I think it would be great if all the countries start their own Twenty20 league," Bindra told reporters here on Tuesday.
"Before we launched the IPL and the Champions League, the idea was to have separate league in each country. Now that England is planning one, I think this would make the Champions League more interesting and competitive," he said.
Scheduled in October, Champions Twenty20 League would feature the best teams of the domestic twenty20 tournaments in various countries. Though the IPL attracted key players of all the major countries, English cricketers -- barring Dimitri Mascarenhas - were conspicuous by their absence.
The cash-rich Indian league, starting Friday, coincides with the English county season, making it difficult for the cricketers there to take the IPL plunge.
Asked if the International Cricket Council should provide a separate window for the IPL to avoid clash of commitments, Bindra said, "The BCCI has not yet sought a window. I think we would first see how the first (edition of) IPL goes and after that a request would be made.
"I guess the (ICC) CEO-elect has already talked about the possibility of accommodating the event in the calendar," Bindra said.
Bindra, also a key IPL Governing Council member, was enthused by the idea that the England and Wales Cricket Board would be meeting Texan billionaire Allen Stanford to explore the possibility of having its own version of the IPL.
"It's a good news and I think it would be great if all the countries start their own Twenty20 league," Bindra told reporters here on Tuesday.
"Before we launched the IPL and the Champions League, the idea was to have separate league in each country. Now that England is planning one, I think this would make the Champions League more interesting and competitive," he said.
Scheduled in October, Champions Twenty20 League would feature the best teams of the domestic twenty20 tournaments in various countries. Though the IPL attracted key players of all the major countries, English cricketers -- barring Dimitri Mascarenhas - were conspicuous by their absence.
The cash-rich Indian league, starting Friday, coincides with the English county season, making it difficult for the cricketers there to take the IPL plunge.
Asked if the International Cricket Council should provide a separate window for the IPL to avoid clash of commitments, Bindra said, "The BCCI has not yet sought a window. I think we would first see how the first (edition of) IPL goes and after that a request would be made.
"I guess the (ICC) CEO-elect has already talked about the possibility of accommodating the event in the calendar," Bindra said.
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