BCCI Has Every Right To Hold IPL If T20 World Cup Is Postponed: Michael Holding

There is growing speculation in the cricket fraternity that the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held between October 18 and November 15 which may be postponed due to the ongoing travel restrictions.

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New Delhi: West Indies seam bowling great Michael Holding is of the opinion that the Board For Cricket Control In India (BCCI) has every right to stage the Indian Premier League (IPL) later this year if the ICC T20 World Cup slated to be held in Australia is postponed. There is growing speculation in the cricket fraternity that the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held between October 18 and November 15, may be postponed due to travel restrictions imposed in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, giving BCCI a window of opportunity to organize the IPL. "I don't think ICC is delaying the T20 World Cup because they are making space for the IPL. It's the Australian government's law where they are not allowing any visitors into the country before a specific date," Holding said in an Instagram Live with Nikhil Naz. "But if there is no T20 World Cup, the BCCI has all rights to go ahead and organize a domestic tournament because there's a space. If they are encroaching on other people's tournament, you could say okay." The former Windies tearaway-pacer-turned-commentator further said the proposal to ban saliva to shine balls would not pose any "practical" problems. Anil Kumble-led ICC Cricket Committee has recently recommended a ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball but allowed sweat as an interim measure to counter the COVID-19 threat. "First of all, I don't think this saliva ban is a serious problem. The problem with this ban is that the cricketers will take sometime to adjust. It's a natural reaction when you are on the field and you want to shine the ball, you use saliva." The 66-year-old felt that sweat can do the role of shining the ball as effectively as saliva. "All you need to do is to get moisture on the ball and you can get that from your sweat. You don't have to use the usual saliva. The perspiration from your arm or your forehead will do the same job as saliva. And I've not heard anyone say that COVID-19 can be spread by perspiration.