The Indian Premier League (IPL) is by far the most powerful cricketing league in the world. Ever since its inaugural edition, a lot of cricketing pundits have been critical of it since millions of dollars are invested into it and that the selection of the players in the national team is being done on the basis of performance in India’s biggest money spinner. 

Because of the IPL itself, the cricket boards of the other countries decided to conduct a similar league. Former cricketers believe that revolutionizing and promoting the shortest format of the game but also contributing to the demise of the longer format. For instance, the Big Bash League in Australia is one reason why their players are struggling to adapt when it comes to playing Test cricket.

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Former Indian skipper Bishan Singh Bedi has raised his voice again against the T20 extravaganza by calling it a “scam” and that the tournament is a means of money laundering. As quoted in India Today, Bedi said, “I don’t want to say anything about IPL. There’s no bigger scam in India than IPL. Nobody here knows where IPL’s money comes and goes. The second edition of the tournament happened in South Africa and millions of money were taken out of the country without the permission of the Finance Minister.”

Bedi feels that considering the performance in T20 extravaganza as the parameter for selecting a player in the national squad isn’t fair. 

The former skipper stressed, “IPL should not be the basis of Indian selection, local T20 tournaments should be. A team has players who are paid high and ones who get less money. The lower income player doesn’t have the skills, how does he catch up? The only way he sees is betting. I have a lot of experience in cricket, you can tell what is happening in the match. If we stay blind even while seeing, then it’s our choice.”