Mumbai: Former India cricketer and commentator Akash Chopra has hit back at Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramis Raja’s announcement that he will make some key changes to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) to make it a league with the Indian Premier League (IPL). Chopra said that no matter what the innovations are, the teams in the Pakistan Super League will not be able to pay a player as much as Rs 16 crore as in the IPL. Last season, Rajasthan Royals brought in South African Chris Morris for Rs 16 crore. It is in this context that Chopra’s assessment is made.
Rameez Raja has announced changes to the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the richest league in the world. The first consideration in the list of changes is to make the IPL-style star auction to move players away from the current draft system. With the PSL becoming a cash-strapped league, Rameez Raja had challenged them to see who would go for the IPL by scrapping this league.
Chopra, however, pointed out that the value of a league is determined by the number of people who watch the game. Chopra also reminded Rameez Raja that it does not matter just because the players are overpaid.
‘There is a sum of money to be spent on selling the league’s broadcasting rights. Based on that, we measure the value of a league and the teams that play in it. It will be a matter of time before the players are recruited to the team through a star auction or a draft system, ”Chopra said.
‘According to Rameez Bhai (Rameez Raja), if the draft system in the PSL is replaced by a star auction, the cash limit will increase. But in the Pakistan Super League, a player can never be paid as much as Rs 16 crore. PSL’s marketing system does not have that power. In fact, the value of a single ball thrown by Chris Morris last season is more than the total salary of players in other leagues, including the PSL. “It is ridiculous to think that any league in the world can compete with the IPL,” Chopra said.
‘The situation in the Indian Premier League is different. There are millions of people in India who watch the game. They are the ones who make the IPL so valuable. Do not forget that there are 130 crore people in India. These people are the strength of the IPL ‘- Chopra pointed out.
‘There are not even 100 crore people in Pakistan. Suppose Rohit Sharma plays in the Pakistan Super League. Can we expect the TV broadcasting rights, which have been sold for Rs 7,000 crore so far, to rise to Rs 35,000 crore in one go? Will the arrival of Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli to play increase the number of people watching cricket in Pakistan? Never. There will be a 10 per cent increase in the number of spectators outside Pakistan. It will not double the value of the league, ”Chopra said.
‘The main difference is that there are more people watching the game in India. Besides, the value of the IPL is not just about the Indian players. It is not a matter of rewarding Indian players or getting them into the team through star auction. While the value of the league is determined by the number of people who watch it, no one seems to be able to beat the IPL. So, with all due respect to Rameez Bhai, the value of the league does not increase just by changing the draft system and bringing in star auction, ”said Chopra.
English Summary: ‘You won’t see player going for ₹16 crore in PSL’: Ex-IND opener reacts to Ramiz Raja’s statement comparing IPL, PSL
