'Everything is fair in love and war…'
Modify this clichéd saying by replacing 'love and war' with 'cricket', and in the Indian context, the saying would reflect a political tint...
'Everything fair in cricket and cricket… '
Cricket: A Religion and Icebreaker...
In our country, it's said that if you want to understand the general public, you need to have a basic understanding of cricket, Bollywood, and politics. Be it a bus, train, or ship – when two strangers meet, one of these topics will be the icebreaker. Cricket here is a religion. Sachin Tendulkar is God. Virat Kohli is the Emperor. In this country, cricket guarantees money, power, and fame. Where there's a full guarantee of money, power, and fame, how can politicians stay away?
So, cricket holds such a significant status in our country, and everyone's mad to achieve it, engaging in various manipulations. Hold a moment... You've read the title, right? So, let's dive into our topic from this point. Why wouldn't politicians jump into this advantageous ground? Before delving further, let's understand what cricket means to us, how we hold the status to determine its direction and course. This will also explain why politicians are so eager to gain control over the country's cricket...
We Are the Greats: Team India's Cricketing Power...
The biggest cricket league in the world is the IPL. IPL rights from 2023 to 2027 sold for ₹48,390 crore. BCCI earns around ₹118 crore per match. The world's largest sports league, NFL, earns ₹133 crore per match, while IPL earns ₹118 crore per match, making it the second largest league in the world on a per-match basis. This shows the level of money the board has. BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world. In 2022, BCCI had a surplus of ₹2367 crore, which grew by 116% in a year. From IPL 2023, the total income was ₹11,769 crore, a 78% increase compared to the previous year. ICC earns the most from events in India. The Indian board will receive $230 million annually from ICC for the next four years, about 38.4% of ICC's budget. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will receive $41 million (6.89%), and Cricket Australia (CA) will receive $37.53 million (6.25%). Hence, England will rank second in revenue, and Australia will rank third. BCCI has billion-dollar broadcast rights. Any major cricket event in India fills the coffers of both BCCI and ICC. We have the biggest cricket stars. Virat Kohli is among the world's top ten players, alongside Ronaldo. Players have contracts worth crores. In society, they have superstar status. After Bollywood, players' popularity is sky-high. Money pours in from all directions. Glamour shines brightly. Just being seen with a player four times can increase anyone's popularity.
Where Does It All Go Wrong?
Players don’t have as much influence in the management of the organization that manages cricket. They may hold decisive status on the field, but someone else has the authority to make decisions about them. Initially, powerful businessmen or cricket-loving powerful individuals managed it. Then, gradually, politicians entered, attracted by the power, money, and fame. Then it formed an alliance, and a political model was born...
Me, My Family, and Close Ones: The Strong Model...
Many prominent politicians initially entered this field directly, then started adding family members. It didn’t stop there... Now, close ones are being brought in through lateral entry. Hence, intense nepotism in cricket...strong opportunism through lateral entry... A fierce battle for control over the richest BCCI with close ones or special individuals in control... The objective is simple: to maintain control over cricket by any means necessary. And to dominate the game of money and power. They may not have even picked up a bat, but they'll decide who will bat, who will bowl...how money will be spent, we’ll decide...from this playground of 'we, we, we,' the real players are sidelined...
Source: aajtak
An Example of Family Nepotism...
Jay Shah could stand in the next ICC chairman election. If he stands, he is almost sure to be elected as he has the support of approximately 14 out of 16 ICC member countries. His potential entry into ICC sparked a debate about who will take his place in BCCI. The initial names surfaced are noteworthy...
1. Ashish Shelar, President of Mumbai BJP and Treasurer of BCCI.
2. Rohan Jaitley, President of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) and son of the late BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley. He is in the lead for the BCCI Secretary position.
3. Arun Dhumal, son of Himachal Pradesh’s veteran BJP leader and former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, and younger brother of former central minister and ex-BCCI President Anurag Thakur. Arun is also the IPL Chairman and former Treasurer of BCCI.
4. Devajit Saikia, close associate of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He is the Joint Secretary of BCCI.
5. Rajeev Shukla, Congress leader and Vice President of the board, having held several important positions in the board previously.
Look at these names... Who are they? Political sports administrators! Prominent figures-sons-close associates!! Nepotism-lateral nepotism!!! Got beaten, huh? What can you do, the pitch is slightly different. This ball also spins a bit. So play each ball carefully on this spin... First, understand the bowling style...
As a First Over, Take Stock of a State... No One Lags Behind in Taking a Dip in This Flowing Ganga...
- Vaibhav Gehlot, son of former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, was President of RCA (Rajasthan Cricket Association). Last year, after the Congress government lost, he settled as Treasurer of Rajsamand Cricket Association.
- Yash Jain, son of former Congress Minister Pramod Jain Bhaya, became President of Baran Cricket Association in November last year and remains in that position.
- Dhananjay Singh Khimsar, son of Health and Family Welfare Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar, is the President of the Nagaur Cricket Association. Currently, Dhananjay is the Executive President of RCA.
- Parakram Singh Rathore, son of senior BJP leader Rajendra Rathore, is the President of Churu Cricket Association, though there is a dispute over the validity of the election in Churu. Yash Jain, son of Congress Minister in the last government, Pramod Jain Bhaya, became President of Baran Cricket Association in November last year. He remains in the position today.
- Education Minister Madan Dilawar’s son Pawan Dilawar was elected Treasurer of the Baran District Cricket Association.
- Former Assembly Speaker CP Joshi is the President of Rajsamand Cricket Association and has been a patron of Rajasthan Cricket Association.
Can a DRS Method Also Not Resolve This Up-and-Down Match?
The crux of the story is that where there is money, politicians will definitely come to exert control over it. When they come, they will also try to maintain control over such institutions. In this direction, you will see, besides the politicians themselves, their family members and close associates in these institutions. Thus, after politics, you will see political familyism and lateralism in the country’s cricket institutions...! So, what’s the result? For now, the match is drawn...
