The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Treading a dangerous path

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Tuesday, Jun 12, 2007
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Treading a dangerous path

BCCI seems to be ignorant of the fact that to achieve desired results it needs to have theories implemented professionally, writes Makarand Waingankar

The bigwigs of the BCCI meet on Tuesday in Delhi to discuss and decide the line of action on issues that will have financial implications if the game has to be marketed aggressively.

Different corporates have different management theories to expand their business. None of these theories are without studying the financial implications. The BCCI, however, with the huge profits that it earns is ignorant of the fact that to achieve desired results, it needs to have theories implemented in a professional way.

The `million dollar question' that will have to be answered in the Working Committee meeting is why was Zee allowed to wriggle out of the contractual obligation of Rs. 240 crores ($60 million) and why the BCCI didn't ask Zee to renew the bank guarantee.

It would have ensured that the BCCI got its money. It is a huge loss, and this is the same institution that was so keen to recover Rs. 40 crores from the former BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya.

Financial backing

No sports association can run its activities without financial backing, and the BCCI was doing an excellent job by tapping all the resources in enhancing its bank balance. But in the sheer enthusiasm to play off-shore matches at the cost of putting a lot of pressure on our cricketers, the focus was more on money than on improving the quality of cricket.

Had the Finance Committee of the BCCI concentrated on the deals that have been struck and not got into marketing, Rs. 240 crores wouldn't have been lost. Having lost that kind of money, the thrust may be on not permitting Zee to have its Indian Cricket League. Zee and BCCI have not yet met to discuss the issue of playing a cricket league and its impact on the domestic tournaments.

A tight international schedule and playing more than 500 domestic matches will keep not only the juniors and seniors busy but also the grounds would be occupied to take additional load.

No solution

Banning current or former players from dealing with the Indian Cricket League is not the solution. In the present scenario when the sponsors are running away from cricket, anyone with good intent must be welcomed. Zee's bank guarantee is an issue that needs to be dealt with separately.

The BCCI must remember the repercussions of the Packer circus that were responsible for changing the face of international cricket.

Weren't the top stars participating in the Packer circus banned? They were all taken back on their terms later, but during the period that they were not playing international cricket, it was international cricket that got diluted.

Assuming the senior Indian players opt for the Indian Cricket League, they will have choice between playing for India and the Indian Cricket League. No cricketer would want to miss international cricket, but if they can earn more money without disturbing the BCCI schedule, they shouldn't be penalised. The Packer circus proved that the people who were running the game had an attitude problem. The administrators were unwilling to accept that the concept could make a dent in international cricket.

Hopefully the bigwigs of the BCCI won't repeat the same blunder that all the cricketing countries committed during the Packer circus. It's a folly to think that only the BCCI can run the game and anyone competing with them should not expect permission to have their own league. This approach could be dangerous in terms of legal implications as it would then open the door for the legal process to decide what exactly is the right way.

The Supreme Court, in its landmark judgment in 1989 when Kapil Dev and six others had gone to the Unites States after the West Indies tour and were banned by the BCCI, had said that the BCCI had no authority to treat cricketers like bonded labour. The cricketers had won the case. This must be remembered when the members of the Working Committee meet.

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