In what may prove to be a logistical nightmare for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the cricket board to shift all the Indian Premier league (IPl) matches scheduled to be played in Maharashtra after April 30 to another State in view of the severe drought condition prevailing in the State.
The HC directive, which sent the BCCI and various IPl franchisee owners into a tizzy, presented a major challenge for the cricket board, which will now have to look for new venues to stage 13 matches scheduled in Maharashtra after April 30, including the finals to be played in Mumbai on May 29, within a fortnight.
“Matches scheduled until 30 April can be held in Maharashtra...All matches to be held from April 30 onwards in Maharashtra will have to be shifted to another State. We are giving the authorities 15 days time to make all necessary arrangements,” Justice VM Kanade of a two-member Bench of the High Court said.
The BCCI’s determined efforts to save IPl matches scheduled in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur from being shifted out of Maharashtra — made by way of assurances to the court like it would use treated sewage water to maintain stadiums, that it would contribute Rs 5 crore to the Chief Minister’s drought relief fund and that it would supply over 60 lakh litres of non-potable water to drought-hit areas in Maharashtra free of cost — cut no ice with the High Court.
“We agree that merely shifting of IPl matches out of the State will not be a solution but this can be a beginning to address the drought situation in Maharashtra. Several people are dying because of water scarcity. This court cannot ignore the plight of such people,” a Division Bench of Justices Kanade and MS Karnik said.
Meanwhile, the BCCI said that the IPl is being targetted unfairly and it won’t be easy to move out games midway through the tournament.
“Organising the IPl is a gigantic work. It is not easy. All preparations had been done. Now shifting the matches will be a problem,” IPl Chairman Rajeev Shukla said. “So far, we have not got the written order, after we get that, we will study the order and work out an alternative plan. We always respect the court. We need to talk to other franchises,” he added.
Averring that several districts in Maharashtra were not even getting water for sanitation and other purposes, the HC said, “In such cases, one would have expected the BCCI and other respondents (Maharashtra Cricket Association and Bombay Cricket Association) to come forward on their own and shift the matches out of Maharashtra. However, unfortunately, nothing has been done. This court has now no other option than to direct BCCI to transfer matches out of Maharashtra.”.
After passing an interim order, the HC Bench posted the matter for next hearing on May 2.
Though there were indications within the BCCI that the cricket board might challenge the High Court’s verdict in the Supreme Court, there was no official confirmation from the board till the evening.
Earlier in the day, BCCI’s counsel Rafiq Dada had told the court that it would not be feasible to shift IPl matches out of Pune and that the franchisees of Mumbai and Pune teams were willing to contribute Rs 5 crore to the Chief Minister’s drought relief fund.
In his effort to impress upon the High Court against shifting of the IPl matches scheduled in Pune out of Maharashtra, Pune franchise’s senior counsel Janak Dwarkadas told the court, “We have already invested a lot of money. Shifting matches at this stage will not only affect the finances, but if the home team’s game is shifted to another state, it will lose support”.
Subscribing to the views expressed by Pune Franchise counsel, BCCI’s lawyer said that more than Rs 30 crore had been invested by the franchisees for holding the matches in their respective home cities.
Dada also argued that during the T20 World Cup played recently, nine qualifying matches were held in Nagpur “But at that time nobody raised a hue and cry about water wastage,” he told the court.
Pune franchise’s counsel Dwarkadas told the court that considering the drought situation in Maharashtra, his franchise had already given an undertaking to BCCI that it would lend monetary support to the CM’s drought relief fund and also help in supplying water to the drought-hit areas.
On his part, Maharashtra’s Acting Advocate General Rohit Deo told the court that the State Government had nothing against the IPl as long as drinking water was not misused. “The State Government’s stand is clear, the Government is not in favour (of IPl) if potable water is misused. If there is misuse of water, the Government would ensure that there is no match,” Deo said.
Deo also told the HC Bench that the State Government would not favour shifting of IPl matches out of Maharashtra, if non-potable water was being used to maintain the cricket pitches. “Is any sport so sinful or pernicious that it should be sent to another StateIJ” Deo asked.
One of the petitioner’s lawyer DH Mehta told the court the only way to prevent misuse of water was to shift IPl matches out of Maharashtra. “Paying compensation and supplying water is not a solution. In the past also, IPl tournament has been shifted out of India to South Africa...What is more important, commercial loss or human lossIJ” Mehta asked.
The twin posers to the BCCI from a HC bench of Justices V M Kanade and M S Karnik had come on a day when the cricket board assured the court that it would procure treated sewage water for maintenance of pitches in Mumbai and Pune.
“Can the matches of Pune be shifted elsewhereIJ ...Can you (BCCI) make a donation to the drought relief fund, and if yes then to what extent, and whether you are willing to donate lakhs of litres of non-potable water that you procure from private tankers and other sources for the maintenance of Wankhede stadium to some of the drought-affected villagesIJ,” the HC Bench had asked.