Some quotes from the franchise owners

[The Outsider]

IPL franchises have been largely supportive of the decision to move the tournament out of India, particularly when the most likely alternative was to scrap the season altogether. However, though they have been sured by the IPL of their financial interests being fully protected, they have said it would be a huge disappointment to the Indian fans. "It is frustrating that it has taken so long," Manoj Badale, one of the owners of the Jaipur franchise, told Cricinfo. "But as I understand it, the government's position on the 'blackout dates' around the elections has only just been confirmed." Badale is based in the UK and he acknowledged that there was a silver lining in the form of tapping a new market. "It will have positives in terms of brand building but fundamentally it will be disappointing for the huge numbers of Indian fans who will miss out - not to mention the loss of income for the Indian economy." Nita Ambani, owner of the Mumbai Indians, said she was happy the tournament wasn't being called off and that the franchises' finances were being looked after by the IPL. "My first objective was that I did not want the IPL to be cancelled," she said. "Having the event in any country is good as long as it is during Indian television prime time (4 pm and 8 pm starts). The IPL has said we will not have a loss - they will bear the losses." Vijay Mallya, who owns the Bangalore Royal Challengers, said the IPL's decision to take care of the franchises' finances showed "true commitment on the part of the IPL and the BCCI". "The change in venue does not mean that the competitive spirit would change," he said. "Fans across the country should not really complain. They will be able to watch on television." Shah Rukh Khan, who co-owns the Kolkata Knight Riders, was pragmatic about the venue switch. "We have to respect the elections in the country. That is a bigger issue than our issue," he said. "By shifting the IPL abroad, we have tried to find a solution to the problem." It was a view that was echoed by fellow Bollywood actor and owner of Kings XI Punjab, Preity Zinta. Paul Marsh, the chief executive of the Australian Cricketers' Association, also welcomed the prospect of the tournament carrying on. "Our members want the IPL to proceed provided the safety of the teams is not compromised," he said. "Given the current situation in India, the decision to move this year's event is a sensible one and will likely maximise player participation." Former South African captain Shaun Pollock, who has an advisory role with Mumbai, said it was sad the IPL had to be moved out of India. "It is sad because I'm sure the Indian public would have loved to watch the IPL live," he told Cricinfo. "There was such a huge response to it last year, but I guess it is better that it's on TV and being played somewhere in the world than not at all." He said the terror attacks in Lahore had changed his view of the security situation in the subcontinent, and suggested the decision to move the IPL away from India would be welcomed by many contracted players. Kapil Dev, the former Indian allrounder and current chairman of the ICL, criticised the BCCI for not consulting players about the relocations of the IPL's second season. "I would first take the players into confidence and take their concerns first before deciding to shift any tournament that belonged to India," he said. "The tournament was intended to be held in India, therefore the administrators of the game should have first talked to the players before venturing to shift the tournament."

Yes, it's a business and these people have put in a lot of money into the venture, but surely taking the Indian out of the IPL has got to be worth something?

[graphic23]

**** Vijay Mallya. I shouldn't complain when you're playing the Indian Premier League outside of India and I just watch it on TV. Well guess what *******? I won't.

[cowboysfan]

**** Vijay Mallya. I shouldn't complain when you're playing the Indian Premier League outside of India and I just watch it on TV. Well guess what *******? I won't.

i sense a lot of anger in you.here's what a certain wise man said about that-"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering, suffering leads to Dark Side"

[graphic23]

i sense a lot of anger in you.here's what a certain wise man said about that-"Fear leads to anger' date=' anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering, suffering leads to Dark Side"[/quote'] Yoda. :adore: :adore: :adore: Its not anger, and its not being misdirected either. I think I am very very disappointed that not a single person has come out to say what has caused these things, and how disappointing it is for them to move it out of India. All they can speak about is money. Fine you've invested a helluva lot of money, and you have a right to make sure its not going to be lost. But at least 1% of you should've thought something about the cricket behind, isn't it? But NO ONE, not even BCCI, wants to say anything about that. All they're saying is how the Indian cricket fan can watch it on TV. When you say that I'm not supposed to complain, what sort of a message are you giving to me? That I'm just like Boxer from Orwell's Animal Farm. Let you take advantage of me, and then when you don't need me anymore, butcher me. But unlike Boxer, I realize what you're doing to me - I'm not naive.

[EnterTheVoid]

Graphic, If you were in Malaya's shoes, what would you have done ?

[cowboysfan]

Yoda. :adore: :adore: :adore: Its not anger, and its not being misdirected either. I think I am very very disappointed that not a single person has come out to say what has caused these things, and how disappointing it is for them to move it out of India. All they can speak about is money. Fine you've invested a helluva lot of money, and you have a right to make sure its not going to be lost. But at least 1% of you should've thought something about the cricket behind, isn't it? But NO ONE, not even BCCI, wants to say anything about that. All they're saying is how the Indian cricket fan can watch it on TV. When you say that I'm not supposed to complain, what sort of a message are you giving to me? That I'm just like Boxer from Orwell's Animal Farm. Let you take advantage of me, and then when you don't need me anymore, butcher me. But unlike Boxer, I realize what you're doing to me - I'm not naive.

like it or not the franchise system is al about money.these are no-nonsense investors invovled in the IPL and they want their investment back.some more sensitivity would have been nice but when can we really expect it from these big shots?.i can also sympathize with them when they are faced with such trying circumstances during the 2nd season of the IPL.

[ViruRulez]

I heard one of the franchise owners' interview on a news channel around an hour ago (he was not one of the famous IPL owners like SRK, Mallya or Preity) and he said that relocating the IPL might be a blessing in disguise for them because it might help their brand get international exposure .. lets wait and see what it turns out to be ... it is quite early still to predict .. anyways any board either England or SA who gets the opportunity to host it will give its best effort to make the tournament a success.. they know of the big moolah they will receive from BCCI if the tournament is a huge success .. BCCI had annonced a few weeks ago that they expected a revenue of 10000+ crore from the event this year .. even if BCCI make a few thousand crores now less as the tournament is relocated still they can pay around 1000 crore to the other board ... and any cricket board in the world will give its best to make the tournament a success in their country too given they have a chance of getting 1000 crore even :nice: .. so IPL might work out well this year too .. dont worry .. it is anyways an international event now and there might be good crowd abroad too .. moreover the franchise owners can hire the best of cheergirls from UK or US without worrying about Indian political parties playing politics over cheergirls .. the cheergirls would lead to the greater attendance in the stadium as well as greater television viewership too .. there are more chances of the tournament being a success and so let us not speculate about IPL season 2 failing :desiwoman:

[Chandan]

Its not anger, and its not being misdirected either. I think I am very very disappointed that not a single person has come out to say what has caused these things, and how disappointing it is for them to move it out of India. All they can speak about is money. Fine you've invested a helluva lot of money, and you have a right to make sure its not going to be lost. But at least 1% of you should've thought something about the cricket behind, isn't it? But NO ONE, not even BCCI, wants to say anything about that. All they're saying is how the Indian cricket fan can watch it on TV. When you say that I'm not supposed to complain, what sort of a message are you giving to me? That I'm just like Boxer from Orwell's Animal Farm. Let you take advantage of me, and then when you don't need me anymore, butcher me. But unlike Boxer, I realize what you're doing to me - I'm not naive.

Well, I suppose either you've not heard the news, the press conference where it was announced or you've not read about it later as well. Here it is for you: BCCI President’s statement WHAT’S IN STORE: BCCI President Shashank Manohar (left) and IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi address the media in Mumbai on Sunday. MUMBAI: The following is the full statement made by Mr. Shashank Manohar, President, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), at a press conference here on Sunday. “The IPL had declared its tournament schedule in India before the Lok Sabha election dates were announced. Thereafter, the home ministry asked the IPL to furnish fresh dates which would not coincide with the election dates. The IPL’s fresh dates were rejected by the home ministry. We, thereafter, submitted a revised schedule which was also rejected by the home ministry. Then we approached the respective State Governments. The Governments of Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh gave us the clearance. The Home Minister of Maharashtra gave us the clearance and the Andhra Pradesh Government also did the same. “Therefore, we submitted another schedule to the home ministry. Unfortunately for reasons best known to the State, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra passed an order yesterday (Saturday) saying that the IPL matches cannot be held in Maharashtra till May 13. The Andhra Pradesh Government revoked the earlier permission. We have received a letter from the Maharashtra Government that the IPL cannot hold matches in Maharashtra until May 13. Eighteen matches were scheduled in the State. In view of the stand taken by the two Governments, an emergency Working Committee meeting of the BCCI was called today. I am not at all upset with the decisions of the Governments. “At the Working Committee meeting, we considered all aspects of the IPL. We are aware that the people of India had loved this event and gave us great support last year and they are eagerly waiting for this event to happen again. We made the best endeavour to see that the IPL Season II takes place in India. However, because of the attitude of the Governments that they are not in a position to provide security, particularly by the States of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, we were forced to a decision to move the event out of India. We are in discussion with other Boards who have shown willingness to hold the IPL in their respective countries. “My apologies to the people of India that we are not able to hold this event in India. But we have taken into consideration the feelings of the Indian public and we are going ahead with the event so that they can at least watch it on television. Because of an extraordinary situation, the IPL Season II will be held overseas. I don’t think the franchisees would oppose the decision of the BCCI because they also want the event to happen.†------------------------------------------------------------------------------ They are as much disappointed as you are, but not because of cricket or IPL fans. They will be losing a huge chunk of money by staging it outside India. Staging IPL outside India was the last option and it finally came to that. I was disgusted at how the political parties were trying to use it for their election. Not only BJP but congress too. Today at 11.30 our Home Minister will give a press conference regarding IPL. Why? Why has it become suddenly so important to address it separately in a press conference. In that conference, I'm sure that he'll blame BCCI for breaking the negotiations or something of that sort just to drive his point home and get himself or his party free of all the blame!! I'm really glad that IPL was successful in breaking this circle of being tossed from one point to another.

[DomainK]

I get worried about my ICF$s.....they have invested real money.:((

[SachDan]

I get worried about my ICF.....they have invested real money.:((

:haha::haha:

[graphic23]

Chandan, that is not enough. The letter implies only Maharashtra and AP are unable to provide securities. If it was only those two states, I'm sure they could've adjusted. How does a board that has planned events for upto 10 years with billions of dollars at stake, not foresee one year in advance. This is the general elections period. It is frustrating. I still stand with my point that BCCI are taking advantage of the Indian public, and it is hightime that they show who's really the boss.

[The Outsider]

The Indian government had no problem in providing security for the England series right after the Bombay attacks - there were thousands of security personnel deployed for the tests. It's preposterous to accuse the Indian government of playing politics here - they are simply stretched and cannot do it. And these franchise owners tell the public that all is fine, they can follow it on TV at Mars - I say screw such a tournament.

[EnterTheVoid]

Kudos to the politicians for sticking to their guns and rightfully giving the elections greater priority Kudos to Modi / Manohar for not being pig headed and rightfully playing the tournament in a different country after being told of the vulnerable security situation cheers ! Anybody know Chidambaram's address? I want to send him some chocolate and a box of flowers

[Chandan]

Chandan' date=' that is not enough. The letter implies only Maharashtra and AP are unable to provide securities. If it was only those two states, I'm sure they could've adjusted. How does a board that has planned events for upto 10 years with billions of dollars at stake, not foresee one year in advance. This is the general elections period. It is frustrating. I still stand with my point that BCCI are taking advantage of the Indian public, and it is hightime that they show who's really the boss.[/quote'] No Graphics. I think this was enough! If you go deeper, you'll see that it was heavily politicised and the opposition was trying to use it as a weapon to show the Congress party, incidently our Central Govt, in bad light. The BCCI officials were trapped in a circle where one day the schedule was apporoved by a state govt, next day it was rejected by them. I've not gone that deep into plolitics but my husband was suggesting that Maharashtra home minister, a NCP leader, approved the schedule and the chief minister next day rejected it. I don't exactly know what the political coalition of Maharashtra is, but the same thing could easily have been happening in other states as well. Apart from all this, I agree with our HM that stretching the security forces to the limits during a delicate period is not good for anyone. I'm glad that BCCI realised this before the time completely ran out. I'm sure most of the players participating in the tournament, yes domestic players, would've heaved a sigh of relief just to know that the tounament was going ahead. And if you are irritated at BCCI taking advantage of Indian public who love cricket phenomenally, then you're a late joiner. I think most of us have been miffed at BCCI for this since more than decade! They have been doing it since eternity and will keep on doing it till the cows come home! IPL is no exception in that regard. The only consolation here is that the usually neglected domestic players are getting exposure as well as good money to earn. I'm quite happy with that.

The Indian government had no problem in providing security for the England series right after the Bombay attacks - there were thousands of security personnel deployed for the tests. It's preposterous to accuse the Indian government of playing politics here - they are simply stretched and cannot do it. And these franchise owners tell the public that all is fine' date=' they can follow it on TV at Mars - I say screw such a tournament.[/quote'] I agree with your entire post apart from the last line. Here is what our HM said, and I think he was 100% right in whatever he said apart from BCCI blaming the Central govt. I think BCCI blamed the state govt from whatever I heard from Maohar's press conference: Home minister hits opposition over cricket pullout Mon Mar 23, 2009 10:27am GMT By Matthias Williams NEW DELHI, March 23 (Reuters) - India's home minister told the Hindu-nationalist opposition to stop playing politics before elections after it criticised a decision to move a top cricket tournament abroad due to security concerns. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called a decision by the Indian cricket board (BCCI) to move the flagship Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL) out of India a "national shame", and said the government should have done more to provide security. The controversy over the fate of India's most popular sport comes only weeks before a general election in which the Congress-led government and the BJP are battling for power. "It appears that IPL is more than a game. It is a shrewd combination of sport and business. There is no reason to add politics to this combination," P. Chidambaram told a news conference in New Delhi on Monday. The IPL controversy comes after militants attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan this month. The IPL tournament, a huge cash cow seen by many as a symbol of the country's growing prowess on and off the pitch, may be hosted by either South Africa or England. Organisers say it will return to cricket-crazy India next year. The BCCI had already revised the match dates three times because of clashes with the country's general election. The BJP said the failure to provide adequate security sent a signal to the world that India was little safer than its insurgency-hit neighbour, Pakistan. The BJP chief minister of Gujarat state, Narendra Modi, called it a "national shame", according to the Press Trust of India (PTI), adding "it is a shame that a powerful nation like India can't secure the IPL". Security will likely play heavy on voters' minds as the country goes to the polls between April 16 and May 13, and the government has already warned of the threat of militant attacks to the world's largest democratic exercise. Chidambaram repeated Congress' line that public safety was paramount and said state governments had been slow to respond to the central government's attempts to reach a solution. He also criticised the BCCI for what he said was needless sniping at the central government, adding it was up to states to decide whether it was safe to play the tournament that attracts some of the biggest names in cricket. Both the Congress-led coalition and the BJP have touted their security credentials to a jittery nation after the Mumbai militant attacks that killed 166 people in November. "We used to hear about security threats to sporting events in Pakistan, but now this is happening in India. This will surely give wrong signals," said BJP's general secretary Arun Jaitley, according to the Press Trust of India. (Editing by Alistair Scrutton and Paul Tait)

[EnterTheVoid]

:haha: Chandan, Is there any international cricketer that cares about the petty political struggles between Congress and BJP regarding the relocation of the IPL ? They couldn't care less if it was played in India or the Larsen B ice shelf They just want to enjoy the hospitality, culture and take the paycheck home. Thats the bottom line Who cares which minister accepted the idea and which one rejected. For the average person who has no interest in the demographics of Indian politics, like me, we're just glad the tournament is going ahead

[Chandan]

:haha: Chandan, Is there any international cricketer that cares about the petty political struggles between Congress and BJP regarding the relocation of the IPL ? They couldn't care less if it was played in India or the Larsen B ice shelf They just want to enjoy the hospitality, culture and take the paycheck home. Thats the bottom line Who cares which minister accepted the idea and which one rejected. For the average person who has no interest in the demographics of Indian politics, like me, we're just glad the tournament is going ahead

Try understanding the plane of though here. No one is talking about international cricketer here. Graphic is miffed at BCCI taking advantage of public and punter wants it scrapped for this year. They've given their reasons for their thoughts and i wanted IPL to go ahead for our domestic cricketers whose only chance to earn decently or get a bit of exposure is through IPL. Wonder where the international cricketer or hospitality came from! You are glad that the tournament is going ahead. I'm also glad that the tournament is going ahead, though quite sad that it is not in India and other people working at ground level have lost an opportunity to earn.

[EnterTheVoid]

t ground level have lost an opportunity to earn.

In the given circumstances, the relocation of the league was the only realistic option available, that to an extent at least, satisfied all the major stake holders although some things were still left to be desired In such a situation, nobody listens to the little guy as everybody is too busy worrying about the bigger picture Thats the reality. Thats the bottom line.