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Rahul Dravid questions, “Can drought be as important as cricket?”
Another former Indian captain echoed Rahul Dravid's sentiments. Sunil Gavaskar feels that IPL s a soft target and has often been singled out. He believes such serious issues should not be mixed with cricket.
15 April 2016 • 12:34 PM
The Bombay High Court’s order to not host IPL matches in Maharashtra post the month of April has perplexed many. This means 13 IPL matches are set to be moved out of the drought-hit state of Maharashtra.
Rahul Dravid is one of the most respected voices in the game and he too could not help but express his disappointment on this issue.
Speaking to NDTV, the Delhi Daredevils (DD) mentor said, “It’s a serious issue and the fact that so many people are dying because of shortage of water is serious but linking it to IPL will trivialise it. How can a drought be as important as cricket? If not having IPL will solve the problem, then we should stop playing cricket.” READ MORE: Bombay High Court’s verdict on IPL 2016 matches in Maharashtra shows how tough life is for BCCI
Sunil Gavaskar speaks up
Another former Indian captain echoed Dravid’s sentiments. Sunil Gavaskar feels that IPL s a soft target and has often been singled out. He believes such serious issues should not be mixed with cricket.
“Farmers’ life has to be absolute priority. You cannot trivialise people who put bread on our table. That is an absolute priority. Is water being saved by not having IPL matches? If yes, how can it be done? The BCCI did guarantee that they will not use potable water. Franchises and BCCI, I believe, also offered to make donation. Those two were significant and good gestures,” said Gavaskar.
Expressing further disappointment, Gavaskar added that cricket should not be the only sport to be singled out and questioned, “What about gardening, swimming?”
“This is something that has to be done over a period of time. Last two-three years, there has been less and less rain. The national government has to think how to solve this problem. Everywhere there is this problem and with global warming, this will only increase. A policy has to be evolved so that we know that in case there is less rain, what is to be done. It can’t be done by not just playing some matches in the IPL,” he added.
Gavaskar was the interim IPL president in 2014 when the first half of the tournament was held in the UAE due to national elections in India.