After Sharad Pawar swept through to the BCCI presidency in Kolkata, he talked about his grand reform plans. However, most of the president8217;s men 8212; secretary Niranjan Shah, joint secretary MP Pandove and treasurer N. Srinivasan 8212; are BCCI veterans. Can these people implement all those fresh ideas?
A cynic would say no. But if Pawar places is pieces in the right squares he can surely expect to change the way the game is played and administered in the country.
Let us look at four critical aspects that need promotion, and the men who have the expertise and terrific past records.
INFRASTRUCTURE
An area high on Pawar8217;s priority list. 8216;8216;There is enough money in the BCCI coffers and we don8217;t want it to be stay unused. Our plan is to improve the stadiums across the country and build new ones in towns and villages,8217;8217; he said. While there has always been a debate over building new stadiums, updating of present international venues is certainly the need of the hour. If Pawar wants a blueprint for an ideal international venue, he doesn8217;t need to look beyond Mohali and the man responsible for it 8212; the Punjab Cricket Association president IS Bindra.
There is consensus in cricketing circles that Mohali is the most fan-friendly venue. The secret, according to PCA boss Bindra is 8217;8216;outsourcing8217;8217;. 8216;8216;We don8217;t want to take control of everything. By outsourcing, there is accountability and efficiency at the same time,8217;8217; he says. PCA treasurer Walia gives details of this policy.
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We don8217;t want to take control of everything. By outsourcing, there is accountability and efficiency at the same time
8212;IS Bindra
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8216;8216;Catering, gardening and general maintenance have all been handed over to private contractors. Every year the contracts are renewed,8217;8217; he says. Another way in which PCA has ensured smooth running of the Mohali stadium is the income from the club house.
8216;8216;The club house is a subsidiary of the PCA, and unlike the Wankhede it is not an independent entity,8217;8217; he says. He says income from the club house 8212; membership, income from restaurants and renting out to private parties 8212; makes it not just self-sustaining but also helps in cricket development. 8216;8216;Every month we need about Rs 5 lakh for the working for the club house, but we earn more than that. This helps in other cricket development activities,8217;8217; he stresses.
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MARKETING OF THE GAME
This was one area where Jagmohan Dalmiya didn8217;t have enough men to bank on, or rather wasn8217;t interested in banking on. Bindra is a past master, but it is BCCI8217;s new kid on the block Lalit Modi who gives a long list of ideas that Dalmiya never thought of.
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The previous regime concentrated on tv to get income, but with the changing world scenario one must move on. It is never a wise decision to just focus on one source of income. That could be dangerous in the long run
8212;Lalit Modi
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The Rajasthan Cricket Association president and the vice-president of the BCCI says that in opening new windows of opportunities there could be a 8216;8216;50 to 70 per cent rise in the annual income of the BCCI.8217;8217;
He gives a long, unexplored list. Mobile messaging, mobile television, FM and AM radio feeds in various languages, hospitality for corporates on match days, higher visibility to sponsors at venues, marketing the domestic cricket, having a BCCI channel and, over and above, merchandising. 8216;8216;The previous regime just concentrated on television to get income, but with the changing world scenario one must move on. It is never a wise business decision to just focus on one source of income. That could be dangerous in the long run,8217;8217; he says.
He talks about merchandise shops at venues. Event-related T-shirts like in the English Premier League, the National Hockey League and the National Basketball League.
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TELEVISION RIGHTS
Here too, it is the Bindra-Modi experience that could be a big help for Pawar. Bindra was the man 8212; along with Dalmiya 8212; who brought the big bucks in cricket in the late 80s, and Modi and his company had a big role to play in bringing cable television to India. The signs are already there. The television muddle that took years for the previous regime to sort out was finalised within hours with the change in leadership.
Modi gives the details. 8216;8216;It took less than 24 hours to finalise the rights issue from the time we invited the bids. There were a few legal issues to be settled and so maybe it took hours, or else it would have been a question of minutes,8217;8217; he says.
DOMESTIC LEAGUE
This is something down the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association lane. The new BCCI treasurer and president of the TNCA, N. Srinivasan, has ensured that Chennai has the best domestic league in the country. The total amount TNCA spends on the League is about Rs 3 crore. But with a massive corporate presence in the League, quality in ensured. Spic 8212; a company promoted by the TNCA patron and the former BCCI president AC Muthiah 8212; is the title sponsor of the League. The League has five divisions and they are further divided in sub-divisions.
While the first and second divisions have no sub-divisions, the third is divided into two and the fourth and fifth have three sub-divisions each. With each League having 12 teams, the TNCA has a massive pool of serious cricketers involved in an organised set-up.
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The top Division has the top corporate teams like Chemplast, India Cements, India Pistons, MRF and Spic. The incentive to do well for the corporate teams ensures high quality cricket and top players from other states figuring the local league. Domestic players are assured of jobs. The corporate presence does not interfere, with most former cricketers controlling cricketing matters.
VB Chandreshekhar is an important member of the TNCA and WV Raman is the head of the Tamil Nadu cricket academy.
JUNIOR CRICKET DEVELOPMENT
It8217;s Punjab again. With a perfect junior cricketing set-up the PCA is the constant assembly line for junior national sides. With Bindra concentrating on the administrative affair, secretary and former Ranji player MP Pandove 8212; who is now the joint secretary of the BCCI 8212; takes care of the cricketing affairs.
The junior league starts in mid-April, that also happens to be the end of academic session. District level tournaments for under-15, 19 and 22 take place on turf pitches, with Ranji level umpires and top quality SG balls.
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Unlike in other states there are no open trials for the selection of the state sides. Top 50 players from each age category are called for trials and later they are short-listed to 16. Former Ranji players act as coaches and selectors. In September the boys are called for camps. At these camps, just before the senior season starts, the junior teams8212; under-15, 19 and 22 8212; play practice matches. All that keep things in ship shape.
