CPL CEO Pete Russell on the possible danger posed by the IPL: “They need all these other cricket-playing nations to be successful.”

Big stars from all around the world go to the IPL and sign multimillion dollar contracts. Furthermore, it is the only competition in the ICC Future Tours Program with an exclusive window, meaning that no franchise league or foreign tour may take place during that time. Russell expressed doubts about the IPL’s capacity to transcend international borders, even if he acknowledged the tournament’s global influence.

Pete Russell, the chief executive officer of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), acknowledged the importance of the lucrative league while also discussing the risks that the Indian Premier League (IPL) would present.

Russell believes that the IPL, which is thought to be the most dominant T20 franchise league, may serve as a model for other cricket-playing countries like the West Indies.

“Although the BCCI clearly has a great deal of authority, it’s the mecca and powerhouse of cricket right now. However, you have to be careful not to kill the goose that lays the golden egg. They currently have a terrific tournament and a strong commercial base, but that isn’t how it works, so you don’t want to say, “We’re going to play this for nine months of the year,” and expect the same outcome, Russell told Jamaica Observer.

Furthermore, keep in mind that they depend on all these other cricket-playing countries for their prosperity, so there’s no use trying to choke Cricket. Which is how the international game develops, whether it’s the West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka, or these other guys. India manages to get by with what it already has quite effectively. I don’t see it; I believe that they will, at most, pressure some of their franchise owners to refrain from making investments in some of these other leagues, but the horse has already left the barn, so things will likely stay as they are,” he continued.

The BCCI retains control over its players, which is why their rights are valued: Russell

Unlike all other cricketing nations, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) prohibits its contracted players from playing in other franchise leagues. The Indian cricket board is conscious that they will lose the value of their league, which is why elite players like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja are only seen competing in the Indian Premier League. Regarding this, Russel had attempted in vain to reach an agreement with the best players in India.

“We have [speaked with BCCI], but naturally, if the embargo is broken and players are invited to the CPL, every league will want them to play for them. Since the BCCI is not a foolish organisation, the notion that they retain some control over its players explains why their rights are valued. Sharing players with other leagues is pointless since it would devalue what players like Kohli, Dhoni, and these others are doing in the IPL if they were to play all over the world. He went on, “It simply doesn’t make sense for them; there’s no benefit for them; the benefit is limited to the leagues they would be sending the players to.”