England and Wales Cricket Board has been left astonished by the BCCI-promoted Indian Premier League's success and is comparing the billion-dollar Twenty20 extravaganza in scope and scale to the Rugby World Cup.
Chairman Giles Clarke, who witnessed the initial rounds of the IPL spectacle with his CEO David Collier, told the ECB's AGM at Lord's, in London, on Tuesday that his admiration for what has been achieved by the Sharad Pawar-headed BCCI is huge.
"You will be aware that in recent weeks David Collier, our outstanding Chief Executive, and I have been to India to witness, at first hand, the Indian Premier League. Our admiration for what has been achieved is immense," he said.
"It was, as the Indians say, a great tamasha. There was light, glitz, glamour and music. We must congratulate them on establishing a tournament which has the same scope and scale which can be compared to the Rugby World Cup", he told the members of the ECB, according to a media release.
"Those who were in Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai will talk of a great spectacle and a great show," he added.
Clarke also said that his trip to India has helped in "forging great personal relationships with our great friends from the BCCI".
These relationships, according to Clarke, had allowed him to return home with a clear mandate for the Champions League
"I am personally delighted that the excellent relations we have with the BCCI and Cricket Australia have made this possible," he explained.
Significantly ECB's response has come at a time when no top English player is playing in the IPL due to a clash with its own county cricket programme.
Chairman Giles Clarke, who witnessed the initial rounds of the IPL spectacle with his CEO David Collier, told the ECB's AGM at Lord's, in London, on Tuesday that his admiration for what has been achieved by the Sharad Pawar-headed BCCI is huge.
"You will be aware that in recent weeks David Collier, our outstanding Chief Executive, and I have been to India to witness, at first hand, the Indian Premier League. Our admiration for what has been achieved is immense," he said.
"It was, as the Indians say, a great tamasha. There was light, glitz, glamour and music. We must congratulate them on establishing a tournament which has the same scope and scale which can be compared to the Rugby World Cup", he told the members of the ECB, according to a media release.
"Those who were in Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai will talk of a great spectacle and a great show," he added.
Clarke also said that his trip to India has helped in "forging great personal relationships with our great friends from the BCCI".
These relationships, according to Clarke, had allowed him to return home with a clear mandate for the Champions League
"I am personally delighted that the excellent relations we have with the BCCI and Cricket Australia have made this possible," he explained.
Significantly ECB's response has come at a time when no top English player is playing in the IPL due to a clash with its own county cricket programme.
No comments:
Post a Comment