Journalism of Courage
Nearly three years ago,when the Indian cricket team was in Sri Lanka,stories surfaced of a middle-order batsman seen in the company of a woman with alleged links to bookies. The report first surfaced in the London-based Sunday Times on October 24,2010,and said that the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) of the International Cricket Council (ICC) is investigating why it was not promptly informed by the Indian Board of a report linking a current India Test player with an associate of an illegal bookmaker.
The BCCI,after an unofficial inquiry,dismissed the report in the foreign publication as rubbish because the woman in question,who was reportedly caught on the hotels CCTV camera with the batsman,turned out to be his agent. But this incident highlighted the fact that with no control and little verified information about a players agent,the BCCI had left open the door for those masquerading as agents to have direct access to a cricketers inner circle.
Stung by the spot-fixing scandal involving three Rajasthan Royals players,BCCI president N Srinivasan announced on Sunday that all player agents would require the boards accreditation,among other measures to prevent unscrupulous elements from influencing cricketers.
Recalling the incident in Sri Lanka,Bunty Sachdev,the chief operating officer of Cornerstone Sports and Entertainment Private Limited,says that streamlining of agents would prevent unnecessary misunderstandings.
Better monitoring
One of my employees who was managing that particular India batsman had travelled to Dambulla to finalise an endorsement deal. It was an unnecessary controversy, Sachdev says,adding that the agent-player relationship can be monitored better through accreditation.
All around the world in most sports only accredited agents are allowed to handle a players endorsement portfolio. That way the sports federation and the player knows the agents who can be trusted, says Sachdev,whose clients include Virat Kohli,Rohit Sharma,Yuvraj Singh and Shikhar Dhawan.
In a business that is about managing relationships as much as it about building brands,it helps if both parties know each other well.
It was Sachdevs long-standing relationship with Yuvraj,whom he counts among his closest friends,that clinched the deal when he floated his own company a few years ago.
It helps if you are friends with your client because there is greater trust. But that said I dont interfere in cricketing matters and am concerned only about enhancing the brand value of the player, Sachdev says.
The Sachdev-Yuvraj alliance is not the only case of old friendships helping forge professional bonds that are nurtured with contracts that run into crores.
Friends,managers
India skipper MS Dhoni is managed by his friend Arun Pandey,who played cricket for Dhonis home state Jharkhand. Pandey formed Rhiti Sports in 2007 and immediately signed up Dhoni. Rhiti also promotes the MSD Charitable Foundation and Mahi Racing,a team that competes in the FIM Supersport World Championship.
Gautam Gambhir is managed by Dinesh Chopra,who has been a friend of the opener for over a decade. Chopra was a cricket correspondent before taking up his current role. Nishant Arora,who knows Yuvraj Singh since the age of 13,also made a similar switch,and is now the all-rounders manager.
Players prefer friends as agents because of the comfort level. I have an emotional bond with Gautam and I know his likes and dislikes and that suits Gautam too, Chopra says,and adds that the BCCIs decision to accredit player agents is a good move as it will filter people that try to get close to players.
Nishant Dayal,director of Elite Sports Management,which has West Indian opener Chris Gayle and Indias Saurabh Tiwary on its rolls,says that it isnt ideal for players to get too close to their agents.
I dont want to take names but I know for a fact that a certain agent of an India player often checks into the same hotel as the player and also has access to his room. I hope that the BCCIs scrutiny of agents also limits their access to players,especially during a cricket tour or between matches, Dayal says.
India capped cricketers are not the only ones who bag lucrative contracts with a minimum guarantee clause. Medallin Sports clients include Under-19 World Cup-winning squad members including skipper Unmukt Chand,Manan Vohra,Kamal Passi and Vikas Mishra.
Shailendra Singh,joint managing director of Percept India and one of most prominent faces of sports marketing in India,believes that the board needs to look inwards if it is serious about non-conflict and good governance.
It has to start at the top. The BCCI president N Srinivsan is also the owner of an IPL team and the captain of that team MS Dhoni is also employed in the company of the BCCI president. By only tracking agents,the BCCI is not addressing all issues, Singh says.
