IPL thrives despite unruly administrators
It’s a wonder that the Indian Premier League (IPL) continues to be a huge success despite the governing body’s best efforts to besmirch the image of the event. Cricket fans haven’t yet lost faith in the event — as witnessed by the large turnout for matches as well as the increasing TV viewership but it remains to be seen as to how long these administrators can push their luck?
The massive revenue generated from IPL has also resulted in a number of evils creeping in. People, who should be safeguarding the interest of the event, are busy trying to pull each other down. Although the event has survived a deluge of match-fixing scandals, the aftershocks continue.
N. Srinivasan, who as India’s representative in the International Cricket Council went on to become its chairman, seems to be currently on a mission to oust the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Anurag Thakur. Efforts are on to show that Thakur is linked with bookies. While one group in the BCCI is busy planning to end Srinivasan’s term in the ICC by June this year, another group which includes the IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, wants to show that Thakur is clean.
Meanwhile, Srinivasan has undervalued the transfer price of the Chennai Super Kings team and got it transferred to a trust in which he is a member. How long will these kinds of dirty games be played, testing the patience of the fans? The fixing scandal had almost destroyed the event but thanks to the cricket-crazy Indian fans, the event survived the scare. Fortunately, the credibility of the contests does not seem to be doubted by fans now. At a time when BCCI board members should be joining hands to give the event a makeover, almost everyone, for the sheer lure of power, is busy trying to destroy each other. They are willing to publicly accuse each other too, hardly concerned about their image in the cricketing world as a sports governing body.
IPL brings together the world’s best cricketers and hence the organisers must maintain a decorum. It’s time these administrators took a leaf out of Cricket Australia. Their focus to develop the game never wavers and hence they are the best team in the world today.
The BCCI is hoping to appoint Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid as advisers to Indian cricket, but if some members continue to battle for power, throwing mud at each other, then these three greats will hardly be able to do anything.
Be it the Pawar group or Srinivasan group, they are gambling with the faith and love fans have for the game. One only hopes that they do not destroy the IPL, their goose that lays the golden eggs!