Hailing the success of money-spinning Indian Premier League, Cricket Board chief Sharad Pawar says the Twenty20 competition would not disturb the international calendar in any way. "The Indian Premier League (IPL) was indeed a great success and it has given a new direction not only to Indian cricket but also world cricket," Pawar has said in an interview to the BCCI's Quarterly Newsletter of July. "ICC (International Cricket Council) is the parent body for world cricket and the BCCI has an excellent relationship with every other sister board. The IPL as is played now will not disturb international cricket in any way. In fact, it will strengthen the relation and bonding between international cricketers and the Boards," the BCCI Chief has said. Lauding IPL's chairman-commissioner Lalit Modi for initiating the move to launch the League at one of the BCCI's meetings, Pawar has also admitted that very few in the Board would have thought it would become such a huge success story. "It was Lalit Modi, the vice-president of the BCCI, who first mooted the idea of starting the Indian Premier League in one of the Board meetings and he, along with his team, did a great job. "To be honest, very few people in the Board would have thought that the IPL would be such a success," he has said, adding that with the experience gained after its first year he was certain it will "only become stronger and better in the years to come", the BCCI chief has remarked. "The IPL has given Indian cricket some new heroes hitherto unheard (of) and also brought a new brand of spectators, which includes 30% women", he has declared.
