IPL hot but leaves CJI cold

NEW DELHI: The whole country may be going nuts over it but the IPL has left Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan cold. 

Heading a Bench also comprising Justice P Sathasivam, the CJI could not keep his smile off his face when an advocate petitioner argued that the country's image has taken a serious beating because of the forced shifting of Indian Premier League (IPL) to South Africa. 

The petitioner said that many state governments expressed their inability to provide adequate security on the ground that forces were deployed in sensitive areas for the smooth conduct of the general elections. This has led to India being branded as an unsafe destination in the world, he argued. 

The CJI tongue-in-cheek asked: "Is IPL a government controlled event? Is it not a purely private agency's tournament?" 

When this did not enlighten the advocate the futility of pursuing the PIL seeking a constitutional remedy from the apex court, the Bench bluntly put it across: "IPL is totally a private event over which the government has no control. The government has considered it and given its views on the holding of the tournament in the country." 

When the petitioner said that election was a bogey raised by the government to deprive millions of cricket fans the chance to see players from across the cricketing countries converge on Indian soil and play hard cricket, the Bench said: "Some people think elections are more important than IPL." 

But, the CJI appeared ignorant about the format of IPL when he responded to the petitioner's argument that the country's image has taken a beating because of the shifting of the IPL to South Africa. 

The CJI said: "The country's image would improve if the Indian team does well in the tournament by winning it." He probably thought IPL is like any other T20 tournament played among countries. The court posted the matter for regular hearing on April 20. 

Well, cricket is complicated these days and the CJI, burdened with huge pendency in the Supreme Court, must have lost track of the IPL being played between teams owned by Indian businessmen and showmen who have hired players from various cricketing countries, including India, and pooled them into teams to compete against each other.