Champions League Twenty20 and IPL Suspensions Have No Connection: Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar says he cannot understand why Champions League Twenty20 failed to generate interest but the former India captain is sure that its end had nothing to do with the controversies of Indian Premier League.
Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) was discontinued with immediate effect on Wednesday - a decision that left former India captain Sunil Gavaskar puzzled. The legendary batsman though says that he saw no hidden connection between the decision to scrap the world league and the ongoing storm in Indian Premier League (IPL).
The official reason given for scrapping Champions League Twenty20 was that the tournament was unable to generate interest among fans the world over. The move just a day after a three-member Supreme Court panel suspended IPL's Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals has led some to speculate a possible connection.
Gavaskar though sees absolutely no link between the two.
"There's no connection between CLT20 and IPL. They're completely different," he said. "I don't think there's anything to do with the IPL (that) would have had an effect on the Champions League." (Australia Unhappy)
IPL - both as a tournament and as a brand - has taken a massive beating following charges of spot-fixing and betting. The suspension of CSK and Royals has in fact put the future of the event in a limbo.
CLT20 on the other hand, although free of controversies, has just been rather unentertaining. Gavaskar however feels it was a platform for non-Indian clubs to showcase their skills and its end means a blow to these teams. Australia are already disappointed at the cancellation of Champions League Twenty20.
"They could have tried a different format as it is very difficult to point out just why it did not work as it was. It was a lucrative format for non-Indian teams but its end would diminish the teams a bit," said Gavaskar. (IPL Without MS Dhoni Will be Tough: Gavaskar)