IPL 2020 in UAE will be less stressful for all

The Indian Premier League awaits final clearance from the government of India to hold its 2020 tournament in the United Arab Emirates. Given that the Covid19 pandemic is showing little signs of abating in India and international travel suspended, barring a few notable exceptions, the permission all but remains a formality.

There has been plenty of discussion on how different and safe would it be playing in the UAE. Or is the Board of Control for Cricket in India putting all concerned at risk just for the sake of making money? 

BCCI did not force the cancellation of the International Cricket Council's T20 World Cup scheduled to be played in Australia. Yes, it was quick to grab the window of opportunity and wisely chose UAE as the new venue when things appeared tough on home turf.

Franchisees when presented with the choice of no IPL or IPL abroad, without batting an eyelid, picked the latter since it meant the season would not be a complete wash-out. Players would be paid, may be a re-negotiated amount, given the higher costs involved in playing outside India. But one of the biggest savings for each franchise would be the complete absence of travel requirements since all three possible venues are within easy driving distance. 

Yes, the squad may have to be picked wisely since flying in replacements at short notice may not be possible with strict quarantine and isolation rules in force.

In fact, the Emirates Cricket Board appears quite upbeat ever since it was sounded out by BCCI of the intent to hold the IPL 2020 on its turf, subject of course to government permissions. And one of the most positive moves by the Emirates board is floating the idea of allowing spectators to attend the games, looking to fill anything between 30 and 50 per cent of the stadium capacity. 

Once again the UAE government will have the final say but the move is certainly praise-worthy since it could be the first sporting event not held behind closed doors since mid-March.

Great news for franchisees indeed since hospitality earnings would certainly help in balancing the books. 

Conditions for cricket in UAE are hardly likely to be very different from India. In fact there are more variations in temperature and ground conditions within India itself - Mohali and Delhi see dew by September-end, while rains could be a possibility in Bengaluru and Chennai by end-October.

Very little variations in weather conditions appear likely between September 19 and November 9, a usually dry period in most of West Asia.

Pitches, though, could be another story. For the IPL format of slam-bang cricket, it may not really count for much except that towards the business end of the tournament, pitches could be worn-out a fair bit thus making it tough to play strokes. But contests are more likely to be even rather than giving any side home advantage.

Airports at Dubai and Abu Dhabi provide for better connectivity for international stars that are eagerly looking forward to be being part of the nearly two-month jamboree, making it a win-win situation for all concerned.