India aim for cricket control
The International Cricket Council has been keen to play down its meeting being held in Dubai on Monday. It may have been the first official talks since the attacks on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, but it has been presented as dealing with fairly routine business - the decision to move the Champions Trophy from Sri Lanka to South Africa.
A decision taken, we are told, not on security grounds but on weather conditions. Sri Lanka at the time the tournament was due to be held often has very heavy rain, and it was rain after all that washed out a previous Champions Trophy final there.
Indeed Monday's conference was so low-key that apart from its president David Morgan, hardly anybody was present in Dubai with Giles Clarke, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, taking part in the teleconference from Trinidad, where he had witnessed England's latest defeat.
All very droll.
While the world waited to hear how the ICC would deal with the security threat posed by sport being targeted for the first time since the Munich Olympics in 1972, the ICC told us where the next Champions Trophy, a 50-over tournament that many feel has outlived its usefulness, will be held.
The problem is the ICC never has, and never will, have the powers to come up with a solution, let alone impose it.
Next month in Dubai the great and good of world cricket will gather as the ICC holds its quarterly board meeting. Giles Clarke and all the other cricketing heavyweights will be there, as will Chris Broad, the ICC match referee caught up in the Lahore attacks, who has raised some of the most potent questions about the security provided by Pakistan.
The ICC chiefs are keen to hear his first-hand account of that awful morning in Lahore. They would also like the Pakistan and Sri Lankan cricket captains to be there but cannot compel them to attend. The two captains can only attend if their two cricket boards allow them to. Nothing could be a better illustration of ICC being an organisation made up of autonomous cricket boards who do much as they please.
The ICC plays a peripheral part in their activities, such as providing match officials for international matches. However, it is the competing boards who decide where the matches are played, the match conditions including ground conditions - witness the farce over Antigua - and above all security.
Until recently this has not mattered. Ever since its inception international cricket has been run by an alliance between England and Australia, the reciprocal matches between the two every 18 months on a home-and-away basis being the only fixed points in the international calendar.
But John Bull senior and John Bull junior (as Australia was once known) are no longer the centre of world cricket. India is. Its economic clout provides most of world cricket's income, some 80%.
The Indians know they cannot play cricket on their own and they have worked hard to bring Australia in as their main partner. India and Australia now play each other once a year either in Tests or one-day matches. In the last year, following the successful launch of the Indian Premier League, South Africa has joined their ranks and this triple alliance now effectively runs cricket.
The Twenty 20 Champions League will see these three countries share the main money and it is not without significance that even Monday's decision of moving the Champions Trophy to South Africa was because Australia backed it.
The Indians have closely studied how England and Australia ran cricket when as founding nations they had the veto over all decisions. They quite like the limited powers of the ICC, have no desire to make ICC more powerful, and are keen to retain their ability to pull the strings as and when they want to.
The problem is the Indians often take so long to pull the strings that you are left wondering whether they know which string to pull.
The second edition of the IPL is a classic illustration. With little over three weeks to go there is no fixture list.
Security following the Lahore attacks is a huge issue and with India being a vast federal country, individual states have to sign off on security. But even before Lahore those involved in planning the IPL knew the dates of the Indian elections and that the arrangements for it would have an impact. So everything that was planned was tentative and subject to change.
It now seems likely that the match between Kevin Pietersen's Bangalore Royal Challengers and Andrew Flintoff's Chennai Super Kings will be held on 11 April in Nagpur, but that has changed many times already and could well do so again.
For a country that has a planning commission and talks endlessly of its five-year plans, India often doesn't take a decision until the last possible minute. In this regard Indians would easily win any gold going and teach the Greeks, who caused the Olympic movement such palpitations in the months leading up to Athens Olympics, a trick or two.
If cricket is to be properly run by its new world order, India needs to demonstrate it can exercise power when running tournaments which command worldwide interest far beyond its borders. It also needs to show it can live up to universally accepted international standards in terms of timing, location and security arrangements.
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“The problem is the ICC never has, and never will, have the powers to come up with a solution, let alone impose it.”
…which is a perfect encapsulation of one of the problems at the heart of cricket, the problem being that its lead organisational body is in fact as impotent as a male panda who has lost his Viagra prescription.
“The ICC chiefs are keen to hear his first-hand account of that awful morning in Lahore. They would also like the Pakistan and Sri Lankan cricket captains to be there but cannot compel them to attend. The two captains can only attend if their two cricket boards allow them to. Nothing could be a better illustration of ICC being an organisation made up of autonomous cricket boards who do much as they please.”
Uh-huh, which is why I’ve consistently said on your forums that the banning of ICL players is absolutely criminal as it’s one country’s cricketing board dictating terms to several other boards and thus affecting the composition of international cricket teams worldwide (hello Bangladesh, New Zealand and Pakistan especially). When a national board has power on an international level whilst the ICC sits there on its sorry behind, then you can only say that the ICC is clearly not fit for purpose.
The greatest fear I have for the ICC is that the Indian control renders it completely inert to the point where the BCCI takes over international cricket and runs it in the manner of Bernie Ecclestone. Most F1 fans know what has happened since Bernie got more and more power: new circuit designs that have zero spectator or driver impact, ever-changing rules and alterations, taking in new venues based on money alone and dropping superb circuits like that used for the Canadian Grand Prix… could that ever happen in cricket? Nobody would ever have thought that the EPL would become the premier league in Europe but it has, and I’d say that it hasn’t been to England’s benefit.
“If cricket is to be properly run by its new world order, India needs to demonstrate it can exercise power when running tournaments which command worldwide interest far beyond its borders. It also needs to show it can live up to universally accepted international standards in terms of timing, location and security arrangements.”
I’d also suggest that India would also need to demonstrate that they can also make decisions that benefit boards other than their own.
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Mihir, tell us something we don't already know. Why are you taking our taxpayers money for nothing. What value are you adding, what exclusives are you giving. To tell us, Indians take a long time to make a decision, is like saying, the pope is a catholic and fish swim in the water. Stop wasting our time with sensationlist headlines or go join the tabloid press.
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I disagree with the substance of your post.
Your comments "But even before Lahore those involved in planning the IPL knew the dates of the Indian elections and that the arrangements for it would have an impact. So everything that was planned was tentative and subject to change" may be true in terms of stats.
But, the exact dates and schedule of elections are things that IPL organisers did not know. Also, no one could have foreseen that 'Pawar' play that is happening in India. For the broader audience, the BCCI chief has recently been in the background a third front alternative to the ruling congress and opposing BJP. So, whatever the Centre does now (denying) the security forces or the states do (Rajasthan throwing Lalit Modi out after the change in Government there) has to be viewed in that perspective. No way anybody could have foreseen or anticipated it.
I also think dragging five year plans and planning commissions into this argument is absolutely irrelevant to this discussion and insulting to us Indians. What is the point of that?
I wish for some insight from Mihir but, cannot find any and have concluded that the very purpose of this blog is to rouse the masses into action. So, here goes.
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Why ?
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'While the world waited to hear how the ICC would deal with the security threat posed by sport being targeted for the first time since the Munich Olympics in 1972, the ICC told us where the next Champions Trophy, a 50-over tournament that many feel has outlived its usefulness, will be held.'
What are you on Mihir? Sport has been targeted by terrorists for some time, we have just been lucky nothing has gotten through. A bomb went off in Atlanta in 1996 but luckily no one was hurt, the Chinese put in anti missle system in the Beijing games complex because it was a terrorist target and a whole host of sporting event in the UK are aledgedly possible targets.
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"universally accepted international standards in terms of timing"
Universally accepted everywhere accept India! India has not merely it's own time zone, but it's own way of measuring time.
Things will either happen 'soon', 'maybe tomorrow', 'in the future', or if they're not sure you will just get someone wobbling their head left to right [If you've been to India, you understand].
Interesting to see how Delhi 2010 handles the Games, will give an indication of India's ability to stage major sprting events in the future [primarily Cricket and F1]
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I will refrain from taking Mr Bose to task about a number of his assertions and conclusions but to say that the recent attack on the Sri Lanka team is the first time that terrorists have targeted sport since 1972 is just too outrageously inaccurate to ignore.
Shall we then forget the Atlanta Olympics, the attacks in China in the run up to last years Olympic Games, the attack outside the NZ cricket team's hotel in 2002, the ETA car bomb outside the Bernabau a few years ago and last year's attack on the marathon in Sri Lanka which killed 12 and injured over 100. I could add the IRA targeting of the Grand National in 1997...etc. etc.
Poor, poor journalism.
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What if Sentanta starts a cricket league against ECB ?.
BCCI cannot have its policies based on sympathy for ICL or its players.BCCI is not a charity org.If BCCI is not there somebody will try to control ICC as ECB used to do with its veto power.Just live with it.
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Being opaque is the age-old Indian trend to run a business or government. You wouldn't see as clarity and timeliness at all. I wouldn't take that to mean that BCCI cannot manage to host IPL this year. BCCI Supremo Sharad Pawar being one of the strongest politico and the overall current political scenario just favourable for him, he's bound to 'pull a few right strings' off his sleeves for the IPL show.
[Mihir]
If cricket is to be properly run by its new world order, India needs to demonstrate it can exercise power when running tournaments which command worldwide interest far beyond its borders. It also needs to show it can live up to universally accepted international standards in terms of timing, location and security arrangements.
[/Mihir]
It’s just inappropriate to say this. India has already created far greater interest wrt IPL, ODI and test if all India series since last 2-3 years are anything to go by. Why to go that far - there's this pseudo phobia among most of English and Aussie fans even on BBC forums, its so evident just look at their exaggerated and impractical rants. Bet you if/when IPL starts these very IPL/India/BCCI haters will be glued to their seats. Inaugural IPL broke all records in terms of worldwide viewership and revenue take any sport when it started first with a new tournament. IPL2 is touted to be even bigger, rest assured it will be if its signed off by Indian govt. Would also be worth checking revenue earned in matches involving India in comparison to otherwise in the ICC T20 WC in England later this year.
As for the so called "universally accepted international standards in terms of timing, location and security arrangements.", what are those Mihir? After Pakistan, India is the most prominent target for violence, last year also it was similar situation, IPL and a few other series still happened and how! It’s easy to deem importance to conform to universally accepted security standards but actually managing it is far difficult in South Asian countries, consider the kind of security that was offered to English team last year, English players can tell that was as good as any player could get anywhere else, if not better. Any Indian can tell the sorry state of Indian state Police and private security agencies too and the way they are overtly stretched and yet trying to maintain the law and order and providing security. Perhaps, it’s about time the world cricket followers look at the bigger picture and appreciate where needed, not just to India and BCCI but to any other so called non-standard cricketing nation. For example, Pakistan - it was the Pakistani govt that failed the PCB and the Sri Lankan cricketers and the umpires. Many of us already jumped our guns to PCB and declared them incompetent. PCB chairman showed that he had writing from Pak govt to agree to provide the security needed. It’s not in PCB’s jurisdiction to manage and control that security but in Pak state/province jurisdiction. Another one that of Chris Broad. Responsible official like him declares that no one came to their rescue when the world saw that 7 policemen died in the combat. We heard the SL cricketers owing their lives to the bus driver. Did we hear any vote of thanks from Broad and co for the person they could pull in to get them to safer place? No one would disagree it was a huge blunder and lapse in security but its equally important to weigh things like PCB's role, Pak govt's role, overall situation there and most importantly role of SLCB and ICC - so dumb when the rest of world understood the situation there and decided to give Pakistan some time, SLCB pulled up such a shabby decision by sending their players. Why have SLCB and especially ICC not come out in open and give any rational views on their part post the attacks? I could merely hear from ICC that they have abandoned all matches in Pakistan until next news... Well, this one was a bit far off the original topic, long and short of it is that not always it’s right to label India only as a muscle power bully and ignorant of its responsibilities. Get the ‘standard’ cricketing nations to support in bringing in an India led ICC chief, give him his term to perform and then we can conclude if India is just a strapping money minded jerk or beyond that.
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I'm sorry but India is not the finacial power house of world cricket. The money generated in India, stays in India. Some might slip out in the pay packets of a few top players from the IPL, but the rest of the world & domestic cricket will hardly see any these Indian riches.
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You can't expect the ICC to announce plans for how to handle security just a few weeks after the attacks. Something like that requires time, to get it right and in the mean time there are no obvious threats out there. You have been quick to criticise the ICC a number of times but these problems with power exist in most sports.
As for India taking their time in decisions, there is only one decision to make at present, which is the schedule. That is a difficult matter which you can't expect to be sorted out so quickly. If you can find a solution then please let us know.
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I never cease to be amazed at the bitchy comments that follow Mihir Bose's rather interesting blogs. He is a first class journalist and does not deserve such spite. It would be difficult to disagree with the overall tone of his blog which sets out the current situation perfectly fairly. Instead of venom, how about some comments on how the present situation can be improved? The sub-continent seems to attract poison pen letters (I've lived and worked there and for 4 years did 80 flights a year all over South Asia) and the comments on any Mihir Bose blog seem to confirm this.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
what mihir means is that sportsmen themselves have not been targets since 1972. any attacks other than that have been either directed at spectators or been impersonal attacks that happened to occur near a sporting event.
i found the article interesting, informative and well-researched. i do wish people would stop nit-picking!
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"A bomb went off in Atlanta in 1996 but luckily no one was hurt"
IIRC there were a number of injuries and one death.
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I can't understand why they are arguing about security for the IPL.They want the overseas players to play,but the signs are not looking good.Don't they understand that they need to have dates,and security for those dates mapped out in enough time for the players to check it out?Instead of arguing between themselves,they need to be showing a united front,and saying that the security will be top notch.Times have changed,the BCCI needs to recognise this if they want teams to play in their country.Players will no longer accept"it'll be alright on the day"
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Cricket's 'New World Order' doesn't appear to be a vast improvement on the old world order. This rhetoric seems to be predicated entirely on the notion that cricket is a territory that needs to be dominated by a super-power. If the jostling cricket 'super-powers' then feel the desire to remake the sport as they see fit, I don't suppose there's much anyone else can do about it, but it seems a shame to me that the sport is descending into these tawdry power-struggles.
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I agree with the complaints aboout the people who just always seem to write in and slag off the journalists blogs. To those of you who do this you are really small minded people, the sort who always moan and come up with clever easy made comments but actually lack any talent of your own and take the easy option of shouting from the pack. That is easy to do. I'm not saying the "journo" is always right but why do you have to get so individually personal about it. Stop writing your response to the journalist personally thinking he will read your comment and personally react to it, just chill out and respond about the topic which fair enough you may not agree with but stop making vitriolic attacks on the people who write them. Remember this blog stuff is not their main job and they fit it in as and when they can. For the sad people who spend their entire days responding to blogs on the BBC you need to get a bit more of a life. I find this well written and very readable, creative and fills the gap while I eat a Sandwich at lunch. Dont look at the Blogs as the missing gap in your life, they arent meant to be as serious as you are taking them.
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Comment 20:
pot and kettle spring to mind. you're taking other people's comments much too seriously.
as for 'vitriolic attacks', you under estimate these moderators!
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Mihir:
The International Cricket Council has been keen to play down its meeting being held in Dubai on Monday. It may have been the first official talks since the attacks on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, but it has been presented as dealing with fairly routine business - the decision to move the Champions Trophy from Sri Lanka to South Africa.
A decision taken, we are told, not on security grounds but on weather conditions. Sri Lanka at the time the tournament was due to be held often has very heavy rain, and it was rain after all that washed out a previous Champions Trophy final there.
I think that there underlying reasons, for the moved from Sri Lanka to South Africa....I think it has some purpose....for the attacks in Sri Lanka is the grounds for the moving of the tourney....
~Dennis Junior~
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BCCI taking over cricket has already happened. ICC is just there for display. That is at least my view.
You can see that Indian teams fortunes has also risen in direct proportion to the BCCI gaining power and installing the IPL.
Pressure to create flat batting tracks is just one small example of how the BCCI is controlling the game.
The control i am sure also happens on a deeper level also.
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This blog is premoderated?
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First england players are not allowd to play in IPL( Last year), yeah to good to play there,but you would like to be the host country..ah interested in dosh Doh!Is good S.A got it ,at least their board r not hypocritssssssss,its theirs n they can take any amount of time to decide...n decide well
well done S.A
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Are you contractually obliged to post these blogs, they normally follow a typical dull pattern usually with over analysed content including unqualified references without much insight?
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