"I feel the criticism is unwarranted and unfair"- Jay Shah on backlash for preferring IPL over domestic cricket

BCCI secretary Jay Shah feels the criticism from some fans and experts for preferring the IPL over domestic tournaments is unfair. In his opinion, fans should consider that the number of teams, players, officials and matches in domestic tournaments is more than the IPL.

Last year, the BCCI canceled the Ranji Trophy tournament and several age-group level competitions because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the board staged IPL 2020 in the UAE and then conducted the first half of IPL 2021 in India.

Some fans felt the BCCI did not prioritize domestic cricket because of the money involved in the IPL. Statements from a few domestic cricket stars claiming they had not received their compensation added fuel to the fire. However, Jay Shah has a different view on this matter.

"I feel the criticism is unwarranted and unfair. In 2020 as well, in the middle of the pandemic, we conducted Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, Vijay Hazare tournament and Senior Women’s One-day tournament taking all precautions. It won’t be a fair assessment if IPL is compared with other Indian domestic tournaments," Jay Shah told Gulf News.

There is a world of difference between organising 60 #IPL matches and 2000-plus domestic games, said #BCCI secretary Jay Shah as he rejected criticism that the Board prioritises the cash-rich event over other domestic tournaments.https://t.co/wcUONO8Gma

— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) July 20, 2021

The Indian domestic season has over 2000 games, whereas the IPL has 60 matches: Jay Shah

The BCCI secretary further pointed out that the domestic cricket season in India has more than 2000 matches, while only 60 games take place in an IPL season. Regarding the cancelation of the age-group level tournaments, Jay Shah said it was important to protect the safety of young cricketers in the country.

"The Indian domestic season has over 2000 games, whereas the IPL has 60 matches. With a cricketing set-up as big and as diverse as India’s, it is not easy to conduct a full season when so many states are grappling with COVID caseloads. It is not ideal to have age-group tournaments in such an environment and put careers of young cricketers at risk," Jay Shah added.

NEWS 🚨 : BCCI to conduct remaining matches of VIVO IPL in UAE. More details here - https://t.co/r7TSIKLUdM #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/q3hKsw0lkb

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 29, 2021

The Indian domestic season 2021-22 will most probably begin later this year. Meanwhile, BCCI has announced that IPL 2021 will resume in September-October, with the UAE playing the host to the matches.