SYDNEY, March 27: Australia head coach Justin Langer feels the IPL is an excellent platform to prepare for the T20 World Cup but conceded that health is paramount as the league may become another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) was originally scheduled to start on March 29 in Mumbai but it was postponed to April 15 to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 24,000 people worldwide.
�Before this crisis started to unravel, we were absolutely determined for our guys to play the IPL,� Langer was quoted as saying by foxsports.co.au.
�Because with the T20 World Cup coming up, there�s no better grounding, no better practice, no better tournament for them to get ready for that,� he added.
However, keeping in view the fast increasing transmission of the deadly disease, the Indian government has called for a nationwide 21-day lockdown, which has cast serious doubts over the future of the cash-rich event�s 13th edition.
�But obviously things have changed a lot. The health of not only our individual players, but also our country and India as a whole is paramount here,� Langer said. � PTI
