Desh Gaurav Sekhri, sports lawyer and author of Not Out! The Incredible Story of the Indian Premier league, tells ANANYA BORGOHAIN the logistics that influence IPl and go far beyond cricket as a sport
Controversy has been associated with the IPl since its very first season. As you mention, each IPl year has had a scandal attached to it. Under such circumstances, for how many years more do you think the IPl can sustain itselfIJ
The IPl unfortunately is synonymous with scandal, and that to a great extent has detracted from its positive impact on sport in India. The accelerated rate at which the IPl finds itself in scandals is unprecedented globally and historically. With the Justice lodha Committee involved now, the IPl has very little leeway in deciding whether or not to fix its governance and prevent scandal. So, in the current scenario another scandal similar to the spot-fixing scandal or the conflict of interest controversy that isn’t addressed effectively and expeditiously by the IPl and the BCCI, could lead to severe sanctions and obstacles to its continuing in the future.
What is the criterion to own franchises in the IPlIJ
The criterion is quite unclear and fluid. There are certain basic entry level considerations such as minimum net-worth, structure guidelines (such as franchise ownership through a private limited company or consortium), and branding obligations. Owning a franchise doesn’t entail owning physical assets such as a stadium or playing field. Ownership criterion is mostly contractual and value is created through intellectual property rights, rather than tangible asset ownership. This is why temporary ownership of a franchise for a period of two seasons is actually feasible, as is the case for the Rising Pune Supergiants and the Gujarat lions. If a team owns tangible assets (for example in the English Premier league) an interim ownership model wouldn’t be fiscally or logistically possible.
Please explain the draft process you suggest in lieu of the auction system in the IPl.
A draft is a player allocation system commonly used in North American leagues. Its primary metric enables teams to decide on players basis merit rather than cost. Accordingly it helps enable parity across teams. The sequence of player choices by teams can be decided through a lottery system. Because teams choose players based on merit and not ‘price’, more balanced squads will be possible. Each team can fill its roster on the basis of its planned strategy and not as a knee-jerk reaction to having paid as much as 40 per cent of its budget on one player.
What are the problems posed by the player retention rightIJ
The biggest problem with the player retention right is that it creates and reinforces a lack of parity across teams. For the IPl, a lack of parity can be fatal, because the essence of its allure is excitement and competitive matches day in, day out. What a player retention right does is ensure that successful squads remain consistently strong while unsuccessful teams with roster gaps cannot turn things around.
Take the example of the Chennai Super Kings, which is one of the teams whose core had mostly remained unchanged due in large part to the player retention right. Most successful franchises retain their core performers, and the gap between the successful teams and the weaker teams continues to grow. IPl 9 has seen the reallocation of players from the two suspended franchises to other teams, already leading to a much more competitive and balanced season thus far.
You write, “The Justice (R M) lodha Committee’s recommendation was to exclude ministers and Government officials from the board’s administration. The current IPl chairman, Rajeev Shukla, is a politician. The secretary of the BCCI, Anurag Thakur, is a politician. A member of the present IPl governing council, Jyotiraditya Scindia, is a politician…” and so on. What needs to be done about the political nexusIJ
The duality of roles in cricket administration needs to be eliminated. Active politicians should not be office holders in cricket administration or the IPl. Cricket administration especially at the BCCI or the IPl, is a full-time requirement and conceivably cannot be handled by an individual who already has a demanding full-time position as a politician.
Politicians are also susceptible to skepticism with regard to their actual as opposed to perceived intent. For example, a politician who holds a post in the BCCI-IPl, may for perfectly logical reasons promote increased opportunities for cricket in his home State, perhaps at the expense of other upcoming States. The politician’s pushing his own State’s agenda could be seen as a violation of the conflict of interest parameters, and will appear to have been self-serving. If cricket’s reputation is ever to turn around, the first step may need to be the exclusion of active politicians from it. So, from the perception standpoint, and the conflict of interest standpoint, the politician-cricket official nexus is unviable.
What is the role of broadcasting rights in impacting the IPlIJ
The main revenue model for the IPl is through broadcasting rights. It is also intuitive that the IPl’s broadcasting rights should be highly coveted by most sports broadcasters, given that it provides a nearly two month window of conceivably competitive sport and entertainment daily, and attracts the target demographic for advertisers and sponsors.
With increasing scrutiny on over-advertising during the Indian teams’ matches by the Justice lodha Committee, a domestic professional league such as the IPl is likely to be the most lucrative target in the suite of cricket properties for cricket broadcasters, as it will fall outside the committee’s scope and scrutiny. We can expect next years’ broadcast rights arrangement to be significantly higher than the previous arrangement which in itself was just short of USD 2 billion. So, broadcasting rights are the lifeblood of the IPl.
How is interplay among BCCI-IPl-ICC affecting cricket as a sportIJ Could you please elaborate with examplesIJ
Indian cricket and the BCCI are the dominant force in world cricket, with estimates of nearly 80 per cent of global revenue from cricket emanating from India. This has created a bully pulpit perception of the BCCI, one that has been enhanced by the ill-fated Big Three alliance that I have alluded to in Not Out!
The current administration is working towards rectifying that image, but it will take time. What is interesting is that the IPl has not really received special treatment from the ICC, which hasn’t recognised it as an official fixture, nor has it allowed the BCCI additional or extended windows. This in fact has adversely impacted the IPl especially in election years. The BCCI-IPl-ICC nexus today is more of a perception issue than an indefensible alliance.
Former players and now TV commentators such as Gavaskar, Shastri, Kumble, and Ganguly etc play multiple roles such as franchise ambassador, team coaches, and selectors for the BCCI, and so on. Where does one draw the line here to avoid a conflict of interestIJ
No individual should hold a post which due to his position would lead him to directly or indirectly benefit a person or entity with whom he is associated via another role. With clarity on what entails conflict of interest, there are a few roles which simply should not be allowed. Team mentors or team coaches ought not to have a role as national squad coaches or selectors. TV commentators should no longer be contracted to the BCCI or its production units and should instead be contracted to independent broadcasters, so that objectivity and free speech thrive.
What are your observations about Harsha Bhogle’s recent discreet ouster from the current seasonIJ
The key takeaway from this is an aspect that needs to be considered and rectified in Indian cricket — rights for key personnel both contractually and ethically. The Justice lodha Committee recommendation addresses players’ associations and rights, but key personnel aren’t covered by it, remaining at risk. There needs to be an arms-length directive to ensure objectivity and creativity in running cricket, and the board should not be able to make unilateral decisions without due process.
How prepared is this season to avoid any further spot fixing scandalIJ
This is a difficult question to answer. Although measures to ramp up the anti-corruption units and to educate the players to ensure reporting of unethical activity have been incorporated, one gets the feeling that the freewheeling open entertainment nature of the IPl leaves it susceptible to approaches and temptation. We will only know for certain how well prepared the IPl is for preventing integrity lapses, if a major attempt to spot-fix or match-fix is made and hopefully, thwarted.
How long did it take you to write this book and what was your method of researchIJ
Given the topicality, the actual writing of this book took just about four months. Not out! is a culmination of research and material compiled over the years through my earlier columns on the IPl and sports in general. The objective of this book is to veer away from hearsay, gossip and rumours, and build a narrative that is situated firmly in and analyses facts that are in the public domain. The comparisons and recommendations I made such as the player draft, developmental leagues, governance measures, and international precedents are basis my overall domain knowledge/experience.
ananyapioneer@gmail.com Not Out!: The Incredible Story of the Indian Premier league is published by Penguin Random House, Rs499