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Cricket: ‘It’s a missed opportunity’: Mark Butcher says ECB should have accepted BCCI's request

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, India Updated: May 28, 2021, 06:17 PM IST
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Mark Butcher felt the England Cricket Board ought to have consented to the BCCI's solicitation to change the India-England Test series plan for the request to set aside some space for the IPL.

Mark Butcher felt the England Cricket Board ought to have consented to the BCCI's solicitation to change the India-England Test series plan for the request to set aside some space for the IPL. He guaranteed the move would have given the ECB influence to get Indian players to take part in the "Hundred" competition. 

Already, the BCCI had mentioned for the five-match Test series between the different sides to be moved by seven days in order to fit in the 31 leftover IPL games. Be that as it may, there was no certain reaction from the England board. 

As indicated by Mark Butcher, this was a botched chance for the ECB. 

On Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast Mark Butcher said: 

"All things considered, tune in. I take a full breath here as does the country. I believe it's a huge botched freedom."
Mark Butcher said tolerating BCCI's solicitation would have allowed the ECB an opportunity to get top Indian cricketers, for example, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni for "The Hundred" competition. 

"The ECB is totally frantic to make this work. They must be, they have risked everything betting on The Hundred, and however every step of the way, it appears to be a more noteworthy force doesn't need it to happen."And so for me, this was the chance where you'll say 'Alright, we'll take care of business… We would do this for the BCCI on the stipulation that we get Kohli, Dhoni, whoever we like, pursued three years to play in The Hundred, beginning 2022" - he added.

The debut version of "The Hundred," a 100-ball competition including eight groups, was scheduled to occur in 2020, however, was deferred because of the pandemic. 

The situation being what it is, Mark Butcher accepts the ECB was in a superb situation to exploit being steering the ship. 

"Furthermore, you have influence unexpectedly: you have something that they need, that they need. Clearly, the BCCI will lose a ton of cash in the event that they don't get the IPL in the window" - he said. 

The IPL was inconclusively suspended recently after various COVID-19 cases were accounted for inside its profile bubble that saw players and faculty of numerous groups test positive. As reports suggest, the IPL will continue likely on September 18 or 19 in the UAE.