Money can't buy you love

The Indian board may be second to none when it comes to the business of generating money, but they still have a whole lot to learn about organising international events. Right from a farcical accreditation process that panders to local associations - every other country has a centralised system in place - to shambolic arrangements in the press box, the first day of the Delhi game highlighted everything that's wrong with an organisation  that loves the bottom line without caring less about attention to detail.

For over an hour, there was no TV in the press box to show replays, nor Internet cards to log in. Add in no water in the toilets, and you began to wonder just what sort of horrors the average punter had to cope with in the stands. The Pakistani contingent in the media box were understandably upset, and you couldn't blame them given how well things are generally organised across the border.

Cricket Australia was in the news recently for its attempt to extract a pound of flesh from news agencies. The BCCI appears determined to follow that lead, but without bothering to provide the facilities that CA does. With millions in the bank from TV deals, why bother about the fans and the media?

Comments

[Dileep]

Valid point. I wish I had an answer. The media is complicit in most of the ills of Indian cricket, whether that be regional lobbies or appalling facilities for fans. To be fair, a couple of publications have raised such issues before.

[ambik]

hi,

the bcci cares a damn for the 100 rupee spectator when they get 100 crores by clicking their fingers. and the media needs to share the blame. when the fawning arun lal interviews a dikshit or jaitley in delhi why doesnt he ask abt toilets instead of talking about the "brand new" stadium ? and why dont the real journos ask such tough questions when they get these guys on stage ?

[Dileep]

I actually think the IPL could be huge...The T20 format has really caught on in India, and the crowds will get to watch the very best. Provided there's a local element involved in all the teams, support shouldn't be a problem. The home-and-away format will build up a fan base in each city. I can really see it clicking in a big way, provided the top stars don't just turn up and go through the motions.

[Tarun Y]

Hi Dileep, Thanks for replying.

I've been a big fan of Indian cricket all my life. And I "rate" Indian cricket in terms of what I would "call in sick" for (office) or, in yesteryear, "bunk lectures" for.
India v Australia is top of the list, India v England in tests and I would include India v Pakistan c2004 (if not for the fact that this is the fourth time they're playing in as many years!).

Frankly, I can't see myself calling in sick for either competition ... but, with regards to the IPL: I dont see how anyone is going to get 'josh-ed' up for this? Have the BCCI forgotten what a H-U-G-E flop that ICC World XI v Australia was? The international stars already moan about their workloads - and other than a huge payday, what are they there for?? Is Andy Symonds suddenly going to become Mr Marathi - after the same crowds abused him so much? I have my doubts..
The ICL have done one thing correct, in that they've kept it approx 2/3rd Indian (and that too, on regional/linguistic lines). The playes will get big money (by domestic standards) but so many of them feel aggrieved with the BCCI that they'd play out of their skins so as to show up the BCCI.
But where, Im afraid, it falls down is that unfortunately they only have ONE ground. So other than the home team (Chandigarh), I cant see how the Tamil teams or Hyderabadi teams are gonna get enthusiastic for this?

[Dileep]

Actually, I saw quite a few journalists writing about it today. Whether they choose to publish it is another matter. Blogs are great that way. You can highlight something without someone shooting it down.

[Rajeev Mohan]

What happened to the PIL against the BCCI by a fan. I think courts are the only resort. If the courts can get the TV rights holder to share the feed with DD, they are very well capable of putting the BCCI in a spot. What a shambolic organization. Why cant they use a minuscule amount of their undeserving wealth to improve the lot of the fan.
And I dont think the media is doing enough to corner the BCCI over this issue.

[Dileep]

I can't see the ICL taking off at all, now that the board has trumped it with the IPL. I do hope though that the IPL means an improvement in existing facilities. Some of the grounds right now are just appalling, not even fit to compare with those in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

[Tarun Y]

If the ICL manages to get full houses in Panchkula (eg- give out freebies as advertising to a mix of Class X-XII students, college kids with nothing to do and office-types) -- do you think it will take off and look appealing?

[Dileep]

I doubt anyone will pay US$500 million to telecast matches played in front of two men and a dog. So they'd better start worrying about the kids.

[v]

Kids these days are more into F1 and English Premiership so it's not going to be easy for the BCCI in the future to rake in the same kind of moolah and i don't think empty grounds really matter that much as long as they get those television rights going.

[Dileep]

Well, I don't think people should take it in their stride. If the fans of the future - the kids - stay away because parents think it's too much of a hassle to bring them, we'll see how long the golden goose lays eggs. After all, I doubt if the advertisers will keep shelling out if the stands are empty.

[v]

Lmao no water in the toilets, dude if you plan on watching a match in India then you have to go easy on the liquids and frankly holding up your bladder is better off compared to using the restrooms in the stadiums, while some sections don't even have those namesake restrooms, nothing more disgusting than having ppl relieve themselves on the upper tier of the enclosures.

I've been to Cricket matches in England and let me put it straight i don't mind paying over there to watch the match but in India am better off watching it from the save haven of my house. They just don't seem to have any sort of respect to the paying public and it starts right from the point of trying to find a decent enough place to park your vehicle, which most of the times is like 1-2miles from the stadium and then the ever present serpentine lines that you have before getting in the stadium, heck i don't think i ever watched the first half hour of play in the 10-12 matches i watched while in Hyderabad and going by what my friends had to say, the new stadium that they built over there is no better off.

This rant can go on and on but what good is it going to do, so lets just take it into the stride and have those buggers fill in the coffers.