IPL 2025 May Resume Soon But End Of The Road For PSL | Opinion

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For those who have read George Orwell's 'War Minus Shooting' as well as others who chronicled cricket in the sub-continent like the Late Mike Marqusee, who wrote 'War Minus The Shooting' the Indian Premier League did not exist at that time.

Mike was no armchair writer. He had travelled through parts of the sub-continent during the 1996 ODI World Cup and wrote from a perspective that was not about cricket as a sport. He provided a deeper background to it, a sociological context.

What is on between India and Pakistan - WAR - over the last one week has left everyone numb. For those who think a ceasefire is normalcy, that is fooling yourself. Of course, for those who are obsessed with the IPL and the crap cricket in Pakistan called the PSL, there is a massive crisis.

The IPL could well resume next week in India and venues may not be more than three or four in South India plus Kolkata. The kind of money involved in the IPL with mega deals and contractual obligations, the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council will plead to the Indian Government asking for permission.

There is no way cricket can be played in North India, Rajasthan and even Mumbai or Ahmedabad. It is not about cities in these regions being hit by drones, it is about safety. Why will anyone risk it after the misadventure in Dharamsala where an IPL match had to be halted?

Pakistan can forget any sporting activity in their country in the next few years. For those who are unaware of how players from Australia and New Zealand fled Pakistan by sheer luck from the PSL, there are stories of trauma. It is not about who cried but English and Kiwi cricketers who fled Pakistan were sobbing for hours at the Dubai airport before being consoled. Most got their connecting flights but names are not clear. Aussie newspapers have reported it.

A war is the worst thing. You cannot face it unless you are a real warrior. A cricketer can talk of jingoism and nationalism, but why risk your life for club cricket and the lure of the lucre in Pakistan which the IPL and PSL is? The beggar state of Pakistan is broke. Don't trust it, for it's anarchy there. If their former Prime Minister Imran Khan is not safe in a jail in Pakistan and gets treated badly, imagine what happens with the common man.

Let's treat the PSL as history for the time being, since the United Arab Emirates is also not going to host it. Perhaps, that one last chance was given by ICC boss Jay Shah to Pakistan when Dubai hosted the Champions Trophy earlier this year. Cricket in Pakistan, forget it. It's smashed, just as the Indian Air Force destroyed their air force bases.

Back to the IPL, it's going to be a logistical challenge which will be addressed soon. Yes, India wants normalcy at home and watching IPL cricket gives them joy. But do spare a thought for the gamut of emotions of the cricketers, how they will deal with the trauma of seeing a war mentally.

It is nice to say battle it out on the field, which the contest is in the 22 yards in the middle. But look at how many overseas players will be ready. Some have even flown out of India is the news, though there is no verification. How can Sunrisers Hyderabad, whose campaign is over, expect Pat Cummins to deliver 100 per cent?

The overseas cricketers who are part of the IPL know that India is safe. But what happened in Dharmsala shocked one and all. If the IPL does resume next week, can players and teams be expected to perform the same way remains to be seen. It's about emotions and turmoil. It's not about form and fitness. Nobody is saying stop the IPL but is this the time for entertainment?