Mushtaq Ali's family angered as domestic T20 trophy named after the legend is scrapped
Mushtaq Ali's family angered as domestic T20 trophy named after the legend is scrapped
THE Indian Premier League (IPL) has helped domestic cricketers immensely. But it has also resulted in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) being forced to almost scrap their inter-state domestic T20 tournament.
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The BCCI had hurriedly introduced the domestic T20 meet in 2007, five months before the inaugural World Twenty20, and titled the trophy in the memory of Syed Mushtaq Ali, the former India opener who was known for his ferocious hitting in the '30s.
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But with the advent of IPL, the BCCI did not slot the tournament in their 2007-08 calendar, promising that it was a one-off instance due to lack of time. And though they had slotted the tournament for 2008-09, they cancelled it for the same reason.
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While a Board insider said that the tournament is "as good as scrapped", secretary N Srinivasan was unavailable for a comment.
Not only has the BCCI deprived 300-odd domestic cricketers from competing for the prestigious inter-state title, but it has also insulted the family of the great Mushtaq.
"It is very disrespectful to my father," Gulrez Ali, son of Mushtaq, told MiD DAY from Indore.
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"Had it not been for my father and his contemporaries' contribution to the game in the British era, cricket in India wouldn't have flourished so much.
You name a tournament after a great cricketer to honour their contribution towards the game. So, it is very offending to see the tournament being discontinued after only one year."
When Gulrez was told about the crowded schedule, he said, "In that case, they should award the trophy to some other tournament. But they shouldn't scrap the trophy once they have instituted it."
Meanwhile, IPL vice-chairman Niranjan Shah, in whose tenure as secretary the BCCI introduced the Trophy, said the Board is evaluating options.
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"Whether the tournament can be slotted next year will be decided when the Programme and Fixtures Committee meets next month. If it can't be slotted, we will see what to do about it," Shah said from South Africa.
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