The Pakistan episode of the IPL is turning out to be like a gripping murder mystery. The body is there for all to see; there are enough suspects, motives and witnesses too. But somehow we fail to zero in on the culprit, even though he is floating right in front of our eyes. The first clue behind the mystery surfaced on Friday afternoon. Even as Lalit Modi nudged her at the press conference, belatedly, Shilpa Shetty thundered: ‘‘Why should the Pakistan players’ security be our onus?’’ Then she said something-something about political parties and loony groups.

    The second part was important, but not critical; the first part was the real clue, the giveaway. A quick follow-up and a few calls later, the mystery solved itself: The government had refused to provide security for the players. For any player, not just Pakistan’s.

    The immediate thought was: Very good. Why should the government do anything? Isn’t this a commercial venture? If the IPL can pour out millions on players, and make billions in return, shouldn’t it take care of all aspects related to the tournament too, including security?

    Absolutely. Except that the motivation was not so straightforward. To unravel it, we need to go back a little, into the past: In the inaugural year, the government was like a silent partner; it turned almost every stone to make the ambitious project a runaway hit: visas, security, the IPL bosses simply had to name it, and they got them on a golden platter.

    The next year, however, the government became a hostile partner: it refused to play sweet ball, explaining that it could not guarantee foolproof security to the players, or to the tournament itself, owing to the General Elections. Instead of negotiating, or trying to convince the seat, Modi promptly whisked away the IPL to South Africa.

    Many in the Congress saw it as a slap on their face; more importantly, they were also worried that the backlash might hurl them into the wilderness again. Luckily, cricket proved to be a minor player, the mandate didn’t turn negative and it returned to power.

    But then, a hurt political party is more dangerous than a woman spurned: it was just a question of time before Modi would be made to pay for his audacity, for taking on the government itself. Is it a surprise, then, that the Congress mustered all its muscle in Rajasthan a few Read more...

Bobilli Vijay Kumar IPL, Pakistan Blogs.CMDN.com, Congress, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, IPL, Lalit Modi, Pakistan, Rajasthan, RCA, South Africa, Zimbabwe

The last few weeks have had some different characters making their way into the sports pages. Tiger Woods made himself a permanent resident, with one sordid tale after the other adding to his hassles. Virender Sehwag rattled off a string of scarcely believable performances and his photo kept appearing, thankfully for the right reasons.

But something else also happened. Indian cricket’s high-profile administrators, Lalit Modi and N Srinivasan, were in the news. First there were stories of how the two did not get along. Then there were flat denials of any such problem. Excerpts from a letter Modi sent to Srinivasan, however, showed just how obvious the problem was.

Why should any of this be on the sports pages, you might ask. Well, with administrators playing such a hands-on role in how the game is run, any change of policy, or even equation between members of a committee could directly affect fans. Also, it’s often necessary to see if those who run the game are accountable enough, and whether they’re transparent in their dealings.

Over the years, one of the strongest grouses against administrators in India has been that they do not care about the fan. The man, or woman, who pays hard-earned money to buy a ticket and sit in the stands to watch cricket in India is taken for granted on a routine basis. The seating is substandard, the facilities incredibly poor and the atmosphere one of hardship rather than fun. In places like New Zealand, England, Australia and South Africa, a trip tops the ground to watch cricket is a picnic, a party, a social occasion. But, to be fair, the basic standards of infrastructure in all walks of life - roads, public utilities, government organisatons - is generally much superior in these countries, so cricket could just be a reflection of this.

While some of this is on the mend, with new grounds in India trying to improve the spectator experience, we’ve never really addressed the reverse question.

As fans, do you actually care about what administrators are doing? Do you want to know if there’ a development that could affect you? Are you bored by what Modi, Srinivasan and others Read more…

Administrator Indian Cricket Australia, Blogs.CMDN.com, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, England, Lalit Modi, N. Srinivasan, New Zealand, South Africa

CRICKET supporters in Australia and England can easily get the wrong idea about the health of Test series. Demand for tickets for Ashes games is so high that the idea of staging the Sydney Test in a vast amphitheatre in the western suburbs has been mooted. Lord’s Tests are routinely played to full houses. Selections are hotly debated. Phillip Hughes or Shane Watson? Four speedsters or a slowie? People care.

Test series are followed on television, radio and the internet. Reports dominate the back pages. No one doubts that it is the most significant form of the game. The Ashes were paramount, the one-day internationals a consolation. Five-day encounters with India are often spellbinding.

Elsewhere, another story is told. In some countries, a Test match is staged and no one turns up. The Kiwis play on oddly shaped grounds before a smattering of spectators. Stands in Sri Lanka and Pakistan echo as a five-day match unfolds. South Africa offers free tickets to busloads of schoolchildren. Bear in mind that only nine supposedly cricket-mad nations play Test matches. Their teams contain all the dynamic and glamorous performers around and still the matches are played to almost empty houses. If they cannot hold an audience, what price the rising nations?

Concerned that Test cricket is dying a slow and painful death, and aware of its duty as a guardian of the game, the Marylebone Cricket Club asked a subcommittee of the great and good (mostly) to put on its thinking cap and recommend changes calculated to breathe fresh life into the format. Determined to rely on fact as opposed to supposition, the elders commissioned a report on the public’s view of Test cricket. Already they feared the worst but wanted to add weight to their argument. Otherwise they’d sound like a bunch of old fogeys.

Although the samples were small, the pollster’s conclusions ought to ring alarm bells. Alas, the situation is even worse than had been feared. Connoisseurs have long been convinced Read more…

Administrator Test Cricket Australia, Blogs.CMDN.com, Cricket Blogs, England, Kiwis, Kumar Sangakkara, Lalit Modi, Lord's, MCC, Sachin Tendulkar, South Africa, T20, Test Cricket, Test matches, Test series

Has the Indian Premier League (IPL) been a blessing for Indian cricket or the beginning of some of its most recent problems? That’s the key issue Karan Thapar explored on CNN-IBN’s Devil’s Advocate when he interviewed the chairperson of the IPL, Lalit Modi.

Karan Thapar: There is no denying the fact that the IPL has been a money-spinner for the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India). But how do you respond to the view that you have actually ended up damaging the quality of cricket in India and affecting to the detriment the attitude of young cricketers.

Lalit Modi: I have a totally different view to what people are saying currently. What we have done is bringing more people to cricket. What you are saying is by bringing more people we have spoilt the cricketers because they are being paid more, but on the other hand, a cricketer, or any other sportsman has a short life.

They were never paid according to what they were worth. Also, not many sportsmen were becoming cricketers and were going to other fields. But with T20 coming in, it has given them a livelihood.

Karan Thapar: You are saying that you have revived and rejuvenated cricket?

Lalit Modi: Without doubt. Absolutely.

Karan Thapar: Let me start with what critics say about you and the first point is the changing attitude of the young cricketers. The Chief Administrative Officer of the BCCI, Ratnakar Shetty says: ‘You can see the change in the attitude and focus, which seems to have gone to things other than cricket. They are attracted by the Bollywood style of entertainment that is now part of these events, which is worrisome.’ What do you say to him?

Lalit Modi: I think this is taken out of context. I have had a long conversation with everybody. People have just pulled out one of his sentences. But I will address that. At the end of the day, people who have played Test cricket over the years, those are the key cricketers and nobody can take their talent away.

Karan Thapar: But he (Shetty) is talking about the new people who have come in Read more…

Administrator Interview Interview, Lalit Modi

I sincerely believe that Lok Sabha debates can be livened up, made more entertaining and can even end up generating advertising revenue

My Diwali gift to the nation (which I have to keep under wraps pending government approval) is a unique scheme to bring colour and drama to parliamentary proceedings. I have already made a presentation to Sam Pitroda, the PM’s advisor on innovation. And he approves. Sam himself is working on a project that will reduce noise pollution during the festival of lights. His ultrasonic crackers can be burst freely since their ‘dhamaka’ is beyond the auditory range of humans. But the ‘soundless’ fireworks will only hit the market next year. So we can look forward to a quiet Diwali in 2010.

Anyway, coming to my proposal, I sincerely believe (given my T-20 experience) that Lok Sabha debates can be livened up, made more entertaining and can even end up generating advertising revenue. This will subsidise the cost of governance substantially and parliamentarians will not be accused of wasting public money. So, without much ado, here goes my plan of action:

Form teams: For starters, MPs should be grouped in teams and not political parties. This will give them a brand identity. For example, Congress netas could be part of Sonia’s Soldiers. And then you could have Advani’s Avengers, Laloo’s Yadavs, Mulayam’s Musclemen, Mayawati’s Sahibs and Memsahibs and Karat’s Cobras. Once the team names are finalised, my team of artists will design logos and other merchandise.

Better dress sense: Right now our parliamentarians (in their crumpled khadi whites) look like boring Test players. The new outfits will be bright, colourful, trendy and will look good on TV. Clothes, they say, maketh a man. It also maketh politicians. Incidentally, my dress code has the approval of ex-Rajasthan CM Vasundhararaje although she felt that I have to come up with something more imaginative than saffron bermudas for BJP MPs.

No more boring debates please: The essence of T20 is pacy entertainment. Lok Sabha speeches must be in the same vein, full of wit and not extending beyond three minutes. And the budget will have to be presented in 20 minutes flat. To add more zing to bhashans, it won’t be a bad idea to employ some Australian coaches (ex-cricketers known for sledging would be Read more…

Administrator Indian Cricket Blogs.CMDN.com, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, Lalit Modi

If Lalit Modi and Dean Kino had added the word “International” to the Champions League T20, the tournament that is currently taking place in India could have replaced the now defunct ICL. Players from the now dead-and-buried ICL have scattered to different teams. Some ICLers, like Shane Bond, are back playing for club and country.

Meanwhile, the tournament that has been christened CLT20 is up and running. After the first edition was scrapped in the wake of 26/11, the CLT20-2009 has been in progress for almost a week now. While the cricket has been ok, CLT20 has certainly been providing air time to Lalit Modi and Bollywood!

Never mind the absence of Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Preity Zinta, whose teams — respectively Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings — were not good enough to be featured in CLT20. This despite the largesse — out of the goodness of Lalit Modi’s heart — to accommodate a 3rd team from the Indian IPL in CLT20 (as opposed to only two teams from Australia and South Africa, the trinity of countries that co-started the CLT20 concept).

But no worries! This edition of CLT20 continues its links with Bollywood, thank you very much! I wouldn’t have known that this was a deliberate ploy till I watched an interview with Bipasha Basu who was at one of the early games; I forget which one! Was this yet another Bollywood Super Bod trying to buy a team, I wondered? Alas no! This was just another one of Lalit Modi’s plans to continue the link between Bollywood and masala cricket. What do they call it now? Co-branding?

T20 and Bollywood are made for each other. Each idiom features a lot of dancing, some colour, some great bodies, lots of song, a booty shake or two, celebreties coming out of your ears and nostrils, a few tears, skimpy-glitzy clothes, some acting, loads of emotion (throw in a slap or two!), plenty of rah-rah, LOADS of money and some talent on view — that is, if you can be bothered enough to pay close attention amidst the chaos, the din, the fake drama and the Read more…

Administrator Champions League T20 Australia, Bangalore Royal Challengers, Bollywood, Cape Cobras, Champions League T20, CLT20, Dean Kino, icl, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lalit Modi, Preity Zinta, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Shah Rukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty, South Africa

It’s a far cry from Taunton as county side seek solid start in India’s cash-crazy tournament against Chargers today.

The Champions League will turn the world of cricket upside down, so they say, but for Somerset things are already changing.

The West Country side become the first English team to play in this latest Twenty20 competition when they face Deccan Chargers in Hyderabad today and the atmosphere – if predictions of a 40,000 crowd are to be believed – should be somewhat different from that normally experienced at Taunton.

But while big crowds are thrilling (Somerset’s home support has never amounted to more than an fifth of that number, even if they are far from the meekest cricket-watchers on the circuit), the financial rewards on offer in India are rather more arresting. A combined pot of £3.7m means no side will go home unrewarded, but Somerset will have their eyes on the £1.6m winners’ purse. That may be relative peanuts in the world of Premier League football but, given the County Champions receive just £500,000, it is serious cash for the summer game.

Marcus Trescothick, who has travelled to India despite the stress-related illness that curtailed his last overseas tour with England, for the Ashes in 2006-07, will have much to do if Somerset are to succeed. Trescothick’s value to his side was amply illustrated during the Twenty20 Cup Finals day in August, when his 56 from 32 balls blew away Kent in the semi-finals. He showed then what uncommon timing and power he still possesses, but he couldn’t repeat it in the final and Somerset were overwhelmed by Sussex.

Trescothick won the Professional Cricketers’ Association Player of the Year award on Thursday night in his absence, having arrived in India in the early hours of the morning Read more…

Administrator Champions League T20 Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Bangalore Royal Challengers, Blogs.CMDN.com, Brett Lee, Champions League, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, Deccan Chargers, Delhi, Eagles, ECB, Giles Clarke, IPL, Lalit Modi, Marcus Trescothick, Mumbai, Phillip Hughes, Sharks, Simon Katich, Somerset, South Africa, Sussex, Twenty20

This is one power play that doesn’t end after five overs. The grip that leaders from across the political spectrum have gained over the country’s cricketing boards could be craftier than Shane Warne ever managed in the course of his career.

Be it the Congress, the BJP or their regional rivals, every political formation worth its salt has a finger in the cricketing pie. Most of them can’t tell a chinaman from a googly, yet they preside over state cricketing boards with aplomb.

Let’s take Sharad Pawar for example. The Maratha strongman is the face of the cricket- politics alliance.

While no one knows if he can bat or bowl, he did juggle his varied roles of Union agriculture minister and BCCI president with a lot of tact. “Even though he is a minister, his priority remains cricket,” says an associate.

“The BCCI position gave him national and international standing. And he is aiming big. It is no coincidence that he will be the ICC president by the time the 2011 World Cup is played in India.” Indeed, cricket and politics have gone hand-in-hand for Pawar. He became the chief minister of Maharashtra only after taking over the reins of the Garware Club House.

For old time’s sake, he remains the honorary president of the club. “It was his lucky charm,” adds his aide. One of Pawar’s trusted lieutenants, Lalit Modi, used his political links to graduate from the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) to the BCCI, then to IPL and ultimately to the world stage. His proximity to the then Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje is a well-known fact. Lalit Modi used the Raje card to bring a contentious ’sports ordinance’ in 2005, using which he bowled out Kishore Rungta in the RCA elections. But he didn’t account for the discontent this would cause not only in the association but also in the state government. An IAS officer, Sanjay Dixit, Read more…

Administrator Indian Cricket BCA, BCCI, Blogs.CMDN.com, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, Dalmiya, ICC, Kishore Rungta, Lalit Modi, Lalu Prasad, Narendra Modi, RCA, Sourav, World Cup

Narendra Modi has taken over the reins of the Gujarat Cricket Association and, in trademark fashion, hit the ground running.

“There is much to do in cricket world except playing the game by ball and bat in the field,” Modi said.

“I will sit with co-members of GCA to form a blueprint of development of cricket, how to give it a professional touch, development of cricket by an integrated approach and attracting youths towards sports by using the popularity of Cricket,” he further said.

Ho-kay! We are all agreed that this is a good thing.

“It is a very good development. The CM will now be closer to the issues of cricket in the state and will give impetus to cricketing activities. I congratulate him and wish him luck in his new endeavour,” said Chirayu Amin, BCCI vice-president and BCA president.

When asked how Modi as GCA president would help the game, Amin said, “Any issues involving state agencies will get quick clearance.”

The reporter left the logical next question unasked: Name one such issue, please, that currently does not get quick clearance?

Before you read into this another ‘anti-Modi rant’ from a ‘pseudo-secular pseudo-intellectual or pseudo-secular-intellectual’ or whatever, my grouse, and question, is this: have you ever wondered why every damned politician in the country is in recent years hell bent on improving the state of Indian cricket? [At this rate, pretty soon election manifestos of the various Read more…

Administrator Indian Cricket BCA, BCCI, Blogs.CMDN.com, CBCA, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, GCA, Gujarat, Lalit Modi, Mayawati, Narendra Modi

The NFL, MLB, NBA, English Premier League and the NHL, the world’s most lucrative sports leagues, centred in both the USA and Europe, could only provide a cue at the moment where our great old game of cricket will be heading in the near future after the advent of the IPL, the franchise based league form of the sport.

It was only last month that the New York City based ‘Forbes’ magazine, which is renowned for its billionaire lists, published a list of the World’s Top-Earning cricketers (fortunately, sans any Sri Lankan in that!).

“While cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world (it’s played competitively in more than 100 countries), before the IPL was launched last year, no domestic league was truly run as a business. But with IPL teams now paying top players as much as $1.55 million for just a five week season, versus $500,000 to $1 million, depending on the country, for an almost year-long slate of national team games, cricket is in the midst of a dramatic shift,” said Peter J. Schwartz and Chris Smith of ‘The Forbes’ on Aug. 27 under a sub-heading ‘The Indian Premier League has lured the world’s top players with big hype and bigger paychecks.’

Lalit Modi

During these days where politico-economic gurus and pundits talk about a possible Indo-China economic super power in future, it could be interesting to ponder why the said native place of cricket, England, didn’t come up with a so timely ploy of introducing an international cricket league before Lalit Modi of the BCCI got away with the copyright for such a path-breaking Read more…

Administrator Indian Cricket Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, BCCI, Blogs.CMDN.com, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, English Premier League, Europe, G. M. Rao, IMG, IPL, Judhi Chawla, Karan Paul, Lakshmi Mittal, Lalit Modi, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, MLB, Mukesh Ambani, N. Srinivasan, NBA, Ness Wadia, NFL, NHL, Rahul Dravid, Ryan Howard’s, Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Shahrukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty, USA, Venkat Ram Reddy, Vijay Mallya, Yuvraj Singh