what is the purpose of timer_init() in board_init_r function in common/spl/spl.c?

Hello,

I can't figure out why timer_init() is needed in board_init_r function for spl. (common/spl/spl.c)

Why is it called there? I'm not sure if I have to provide a version for our board..

Any comment will be appreciated. Thank you.

Chan Kim