A day after the suspension of the 2021 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar took to Twitter to share a snippet of one of his latest videos.
In the podcast, Akhtar can be seen backing the suspension of the T20 extravaganza since India is stranded in the coronavirus crisis and the death tolls are reaching an unprecedented number every day.
The 45-year-old shared that he had already speculated about cancelling the tournament nearly two weeks ago and knew that the Board of Cricket Control India (BCCI) would take such strict measures.
“IPL canceled. I saw it coming & suggested that two weeks ago. Nothing more important than saving human lives during current covid crisis in India,” Akhtar captioned the video.
IPL canceled. I saw it coming & suggested that two weeks ago. Nothing more important than saving human lives during current covid crisis in India.
Full video: https://t.co/pl0sRdIcSU#Ipl #IndianPremierLeague pic.twitter.com/MRrzacKuNX
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) May 4, 2021
A few days ago, in another video, the Rawalpindi Express had requested the BCCI to stonewall IPL 2021. Akhtar argued that the money spent on the league could save the lives of the citizens and further advocated honouring real-life heroes in such tough times.
Earlier, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021 had also been put off mid-way owing to the pandemic. While the PSL is set to resume from June with only Karachi as the venue, IPL chairman Brajesh Patel said that they are contemplating on resuming their tournament in September but will have to coordinate with ICC and other cricket boards.
“Now we have to look for a window. If we get one, we will explore holding it. We’ll have to see if it is possible in September. We need to examine the plans of the ICC and other boards,” Patel told Cricbuzz.