PCB unhappy with IPL's 'two-and-a-half month window'? Discussion likely in ICC's board meeting

The IPL media rights auction was a huge hit as many had their eyes glued on how the proceedings would eventually end. After a three-day auction, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)laughed its way to the bank by earning a staggeringINR 48,390.52 crore from the media rights auction for IPL 2023-27, i.e.more thantwo and a half times the amount it earned for the previous cyclein 2018.

Thus, IPL continues to grow worldwide and is now also the second most lucrative sports league across the globe, only behind National Football League (NFL). After the auction, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah was elated with IPL's rising demand and revealed that from the next season, the cash-rich league's window will expand further, i.e. for a two-and-a-half-month period.

"From the next FTP cycle, IPL will have an official two-and-a-half-month window so that all the top international cricketers can participate. We have had discussions with various boards as well as the ICC," Shah had said in an interview with PTI. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) isn't happy with this development.

Reacting to Shah's revelation, PCB is now eyeing the ICC board meeting at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham to discuss the topic in length.

"The ICC board meeting will be held during the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July and this matter will probably be discussed there," a PCB source said, as per PTI. "Mr Jay Shah has said the BCCI is committed to international bilateral cricket but with so many leagues cropping up and the IPL planning expansion this has to be discussed among the cricket boards," the PCB official further added.

It will be interesting to see if the discussion is carried out at the next ICC board meeting, in Birmingham. If it does, its conclusion will be keenly awaited among all cricket fans.