Sunil Gavaskar believes that overseas players leaving the IPL 2024 early should face salary cuts if they had committed to the full season, underlining the importance of honoring agreements with franchises.
Sunil Gavaskar criticized the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for pulling their T20 World Cup-bound players from the ongoing IPL 2024 in India to play a home series against Pakistan. ECB’s decision means key players like Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, and Moeen Ali might miss IPL playoffs starting from May 21, as they need to return by May 22 for the series against Pakistan.
In his column for Mid-Day, Gavaskar voiced his support for players prioritizing national duties but criticized those backtracking on commitments made to IPL teams. He argued that backing out after assuring full-season availability not only disappoints franchises but also disrupts their investment.
The former cricketer then proposed penalizing such actions by allowing franchises to deduct a significant portion of the player’s salary and withholding the board’s commission.
“I am all for players choosing country before anything else but having assured various franchises about their availability for the full season, if they pull out now, it will be letting down the franchises which probably pay them more money in one IPL season which they don’t earn in a few seasons with their country,” Gavaskar wrote.
READ ALSO | ECB Calls England’s Players in IPL to Play Home Series Against Pakistan From May 22
Gavaskar further noted the unique practice of foreign boards receiving commission from the IPL, suggesting penalties if they backtrack on player commitments. He highlighted the absence of such arrangements in other leagues and questioned if the BCCI receives gratitude for this generosity.
“The franchises should not only be allowed to deduct a substantial amount from the fee that the player was bought for but also not give the Board, to which the player belongs, the stated 10 percent commission of the fee that each player gets,” he continued.
“If the Board has gone back on its assurance they need to be penalized too. By the way, this 10 percent commission to the Boards happens only in the IPL and nowhere else. Does the BCCI get any thanks for its generosity? Ha ha ha. No way,” Gavaskar added.
Last Updated on May 12, 2024
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