THE MODERN SLAVE BAZAAR IPL SPINS MONEY, KILLS THE CRICKET SPIRIT

By Firoz.T.Totanawala

The Bangalore Metro Reporter

1st May 2011 issue-

                          THE MODERN SLAVE BAZAAR

     IPL SPINS MONEY, KILLS THE CRICKET SPIRIT

The BCCI which had raked thousands of crores by selling ‘Cricket Teams’ of Twenty 20 also created another notorious record by ‘auctioning’ the cricketers among those who purchased the IPL cricket teams. The auctioned players carried the price tag ranging from lakhs to crores. Players from India and other countries who signed for IPL were auctioned. Amidst this entire auction, the BCCI literally killed the cricket and the adjective ‘Gentleman Game’ for all times to come. And from the onset of IPL, cricket is never the same again . . .

THE BEGINNING

When Kapil Dev the former Cricket Captain and a legend, floated Indian Cricket League under the Zee banner few years back, he would not have even dreamt that he will be providing a golden opportunity to the BCCI to make thousands of crores in its attempts to neutralise his ICL. It may be recalled that Zee Company’s boss had floated the ICL to conduct league matches in different parts of the country to encourage the talented players who would not have stood a chance under the politically dominated BCCI.

To provide the necessary training and grooming, the ICL had signed up with experienced cricketers both from India and abroad. In fact, the ICL was a sort of replica of the County Clubs in England where they invite foreign players to play for their County. The ICL would have supplemented BCCI’s cricketing activities and would have produced talented cricketers for the Indian team.

But the BCCI thought otherwise. It considered the ICL as its rival and competitor and tried every trick in the trade to finish off the ICL. It refused to rent out the cricket stadiums it owns and threatened action against the players who would associate with ICL. It took up the matter with International Cricket Council complaining against the ICL and its attempts to encroach on the monopoly of BCCI on cricket in India. It prevailed upon the Cricket Boards of other countries to ban their players in signing and playing for ICL. Yet, despite the best efforts of the BCCI, it could not contain Kapil Dev’s ICL. Then, the BCCI in its attempts to teach a lesson to Kapil Dev stopped the pension to him. It may be recalled that the BCCI had introduced pension schemes to retired cricketers in recognition of their contribution and service to Indian cricket. Kapil Dev had earned the pension because of his cricketing years in the Indian team and not for his activities after retirement. Yet, when the board stopped his pension, the matter reached the courts.

BIRTH OF IPL

When all its attempts to finish off ICL failed, the BCCI hit upon a novel idea to counter ICL. Interestingly, the ICL had not yet started its tournaments. To nip the bud in the beginning, the BCCI floated Indian Premier League (IPL) to play Twenty 20 matches in major cities. The formation of IPL was also on the lines of the ICL.

After deciding to form the IPL, the BCCI then constituted IPL teams in the names of many cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Huderabad, Chennai, Mohali, Jaipur etc. The BCCI then did the most unthinkable. It wanted to privatise these IPL teams and called for bids. Needless to say that only rich and powerful could bid for getting the team they wanted. As expected, the filthy rich of the country participated in the tender. Mukesh Ambani, Vijay Mallya, Shahrukh Khan, Preeti Zeinta, Deccan Chronicle group, India Cements etc bid for the teams and grabbed it at a phenomenal prices ranging in hundred of crores. The rest is history. Nowhere in the world did a sports team command such an unbelievable amount. For the next three years, these purchasers were named the owners of the teams and they can damn well use the same for promotion of their business.

And then came the most disgraceful episode of purchasing the cricketers. It is a well known practice the world over for the sporting clubs to sign outstanding sportsmen by offering huge money for their contract. Even the cricket County Clubs offer big money to the players particularly the foreign ones. Also many players deem it as an honour to play in such Counties who normally prefer highly successful and experienced players to play for them. These players are usually on contract for a year or two and depending on their performance, their contract could be renewed. The contract money also depends on the experience and expertise of the players. The money spinning sports like Football, Tennis, Base ball, Rugby, Boxing, Car race brings millions of dollars to the players and the contract, the contract money etc are all decided by mutual discussions between the sporting clubs and the players.

THE BAZAAR

It was shocking and sickening to witness the auction of the players. Never in the history of sports, were the players auctioned among the team owners just like the public auction conducted by the auctioneers. All the purchasers of the IPL teams were allowed to bid for players who have signed up with BCCI for the IPL. Just like any public auction where each items are displayed and described before the commencement of the auction, the auctioneer started the auction of the players one by one. The players were described, their talents, expertise, performance over the years etc were detailed and a base bid amount was fixed. The owners of the IPL teams were allowed to bid for the players over the base rate of the players. In some cases, there were serious bidders and in few cases, players were not at all auctioned because none of the owners of IPL team bid for them even at the base price.

OWNERS MAKE THE RULE!

Apart from the humiliating sale of players, the way in which the owners of the teams purchased the players also strikes at the root of cricketing spirit. There seemed to be no standard yardstick in fixing the player’s rate and it clearly depended on the whims and fancies of the owners. Nobody can explain how highly successful and talented players from India and abroad were either quoted exorbitant high or terribly low rates. In a way, the likes and dislikes of the owners of the teams played havoc with the auction. As money had become the password cricket simply suffered. How one could expect the players of the IPL teams who were paid differently without any yardstick, to play pure and genuine cricket? Besides, whether they perform or not, they are assured of the money. In fact, there is no gradation of players.

Why go far? The BCCI had introduced the gradation based contract system few years back in which the players are graded into A, B and C groups. The A grade consist of experienced and senior players, B grade players are experienced and the C Grade players are new entrants or budding players. The contract rates too are different and there is a system to promote C grade players to B grade etc. This gradation of players had ensured respectable earnings to the players every year. At least, if the BCCI had graded all the players for the IPL, then, there would have been some sort of fair rates for the players.

SPIRIT AT STAKE!

Whatsoever, even though the IPL is in the 4^th year and a super hit in terms of money generation, glamour, popularity etc, the cricketing spirit has gone down the drain. Moreover, the IPL stretches for almost two months and such over exposure of Twenty20 matches will dampen the spirit of cricket fans who are the main say in gate collection. If cricket is over exposed, the fans may not throng the stadiums and gradually the cricket itself may lose the popularity. It can rightly be concluded that BCCI in its money making adventures has literally killed the spirit of cricket and the adjective ‘Gentleman’s Game’ forever. Howzzattt..