BCCI and Indian cricket: Conflict of Interest

[Ultimate_Game]

Just read the news that indian team won't play any warmups prior to T20 world cup which was a trigger for the thread. Can you imagine aussies or saffers ever doing the same thing - go into an important tourney without playing even one single warm-up and without getting acclimatized to the pitches where the tourney is being held? We suffered the same fate in 2009 T20 world cup when Sehwag & Zaheer were injured during IPL and still picked for the tourney and we are repeating the same mistakes again. To me it seems BCCI can be least bothered about indian team's performance and that brings into question the conflict of interest at BCCI related to indian cricket. I mean what do you expect when custodians of indian cricket (ppl like Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar of BCCI) themselves are busy raking in money from IPL and give two hoots about the national team. This is a clear case of conflict of interest pure and simple. When key BCCI members such as Srinivasan (owner of CSK) and Shashank Manohar are key stakeholders in IPL and our chief selector (Srikanth) is brand ambassador for CSK you know where their priorities lie. They are least bothered about the performance of the national team and only care about their profits from IPL. Sometimes I really wish I were an Australian supporter - at least you would know that your board (Cricket Australia) and selectors would do whatever they can to ensure their team succeeds

[thevortex]

Yes indeed. And I would love to know the IPL fans' view on this as well. It is not about match practice but more specifically practice on the surfaces over there. And that is very crucial. And to my knowledge Shashank Manohar is not affiliated to any team in the IPL.

[fineleg]

Public need to vote out IPL with their feet. But since they are dancing on their feet, the circus of IPL rolls on.

[Roshanrocks]

Just read the news that indian team won't play any warmups prior to T20 world cup which was a trigger for the thread. Can you imagine aussies or saffers ever doing the same thing - go into an important tourney without playing even one single warm-up and without getting acclimatized to the pitches where the tourney is being held? We suffered the same fate in 2009 T20 world cup when Sehwag & Zaheer were injured during IPL and still picked for the tourney and we are repeating the same mistakes again. To me it seems BCCI can be least bothered about indian team's performance and that brings into question the conflict of interest at BCCI related to indian cricket. I mean what do you expect when custodians of indian cricket (ppl like Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar of BCCI) themselves are busy raking in money from IPL and give two hoots about the national team. This is a clear case of conflict of interest pure and simple. When key BCCI members such as Srinivasan (owner of CSK) and Shashank Manohar are key stakeholders in IPL and our chief selector (Srikanth) is brand ambassador for CSK you know where their priorities lie. They are least bothered about the performance of the national team and only care about their profits from IPL. Sometimes I really wish I were an Australian supporter - at least you would know that your board (Cricket Australia) and selectors would do whatever they can to ensure their team succeeds :(

nice post... how big is the gap between the finals of the IPL or the closing ceremony, whichever comes later, and India's first game, that could give us an idea of wether it would have been possible to stage a practice match

[SJS50]

nice post... how big is the gap between the finals of the IPL or the closing ceremony, whichever comes later, and India's first game, that could give us an idea of wether it would have been possible to stage a practice match

India play there first game(against Afghanistan) on 1st May. Australia and South Africa play theirs the next day. West Indies and Sri Lanka play even before India. Surely players from any of these countries could be involved in the IPL finals, no?

[Roshanrocks]

all the other countries are playing practise games? :hitler: then y are our players not?

[dev.goswami]

I like watching the IPL...but that does not make me a hardcore fan of the IPL...i completely agree ad share the concerns of the TS. I think that it can now be safely said IPL is a pure business venture and not a sporting venture. I read somewhere that in a few years the value of IPL will become greater than the EPL which i think is hilarious. Cz you can't compare EPL and IPL. EPL has sport as its base while IPL has money as its base. :hehe:

[mastana]

I like watching the IPL...but that does not make me a hardcore fan of the IPL...i completely agree ad share the concerns of the TS. I think that it can now be safely said IPL is a pure business venture and not a sporting venture. I read somewhere that in a few years the value of IPL will become greater than the EPL which i think is hilarious. Cz you can't compare EPL and IPL. EPL has sport as its base while IPL has money as its base. :hehe:

Is that a joke? :hehe:

[SJS50]

The big problem with IPL even as a business proposition is that the profits do not come from any money the business generates but from the valuation of the business. This is typiocal of businesses that survive on hype. It happens once a decade in the housing industry when prices continue to rise even after they have crossed their correct valuation (because of the greed of the speculative investor and the hype generated by the big builders who make everyone believe that prices are going to keep zooming). The same is also true in the stock market zooms in unregulated markets like India for example. This goes on until someone *****s the bubble or the investors want to get out for various reasons. Then suddenly there is no buyer. Since the business did not have any returns by way of rent (in the case of property) or dividends (in the case of stocks) that justify the very high valuation, the prices crash and the suckers are left holding duds. Everyone knows that the original eight Franchisees of IPL have yet to break even (let alone make a profit) even though their average purchase price was in the vicinity of 60-65 million dollars. Yet they are feeling elated that the price of their acquisition is now over 300 million (thanks to fresh sale at above that price). The new buyers have been taken in by the hype generated to believe that their investment will also multiply similarly and it will crash only when there are no more buyers at a higher valuation of who knows what level - a billion dollars maybe !! How are the Franchisees, investing 325 million, going to make money when those who spent one-sixth havent? No one wants to ask that question. Those who are in it are showing some initial signs of jitters where they cant afford it. Punjab owners have realised that with people who were not able to get a team in the last auction, are potential buyers and are already in talk with Videocon for selling the team in part or full. This is smart for even if they sell a quarter of their stake at say 80 million dollars, they have recovered their original cost. Then what next? All over the world their are ponzy schemes and newer ponzy schemes and yet their are enough greedy people, or as the cynics would say, enough people with ill-goten money, to keep investing in it. Why blame the Lalit Mody's and the Bernie Maydoff's for it. The suckers who fall for these schemes deserve it. The sad part, for the rest of it is just amusing, is that these schemes are being dished out in the garb of doing good for the game, and the public is gullible enough to swallow that blatant insult to its intelligence.

[Roshanrocks]

Everyone knows that the original eight Franchisees of IPL have yet to break even (let alone make a profit) even though their average purchase price was in the vicinity of 60-65 million dollars. Yet more they are feeling elated that the price of their acquisition is now over 300 million (thanks to fresh sale at above that price).

wow :hatsoff: i never saw it that way,

[mastana]

The big problem with IPL even as a business proposition is that the profits do not come from any money the business generates but from the valuation of the business. This is typiocal of businesses that survive on hype. It happens once a decade in the housing industry when prices continue to rise even after they have crossed their correct valuation (because of the greed of the speculative investor and the hype generated by the big builders who make everyone believe that prices are going to keep zooming). The same is also true in the stock market zooms in unregulated markets like India for example. This goes on until someone *****s the bubble or the investors want to get out for various reasons. Then suddenly there is no buyer. Since the business did not have any returns by way of rent (in the case of property) or dividends (in the case of stocks) that justify the very high valuation, the prices crash and the suckers are left holding duds. Everyone knows that the original eight Franchisees of IPL have yet to break even (let alone make a profit) even though their average purchase price was in the vicinity of 60-65 million dollars. Yet more they are feeling elated that the price of their acquisition is now over 300 million (thanks to fresh sale at above that price). The new buyers have been taken in by the hype generated to believe that their investment will also multiply similarly and it will crash only when there are no more buyers at a higher valuation of who knows what level - a billion dollars maybe !! How are the Franchisees investing 325 million going to make money when those who spent one-sixth havent? No one wants to ask that question. Those who are in it are showing signs of jitters where they cant afford it. Punjab owners have realised that with people who were not able to get a team in the last auction, are potential buyers and are already in talk with Videocon for selling the team in part or full. This is smart for even if they sell a quarter of their stake at say 80 million dollars, they have recovered their original cost. Then what next? All over the world their are ponzy schemes and newer ponzy schemes and yet their are enough greedy people, or as the cynics would say, enough people with ill-goten money, to keep investing in it. Why blame the Lalit Mody's and the Bernie Maydoff's for it. The suckers who fall for these schemes deserve it. The sad part, for the rest of it is just amusing, is that these schemes are being dished out in the garb of doing good for the game, and the public is gullible enough to swallow that blatant insult to its intelligence.

Good post. OT :- Is that you in the avatar? Uncle jee?

[SJS50]

Good post. OT :- Is that you in the avatar? Uncle jee?

yes beta ji

[mastana]

yes beta ji

peri pauna :bow:

[SJS50]

jeeunde raho :)

[SJS50]

When Modi was booked for robbery

That IPL commissioner Lalit Modi had a brush with the law as a student in the US has been widely reported. It's said he was booked under a drug charge. Modi himself hasn't quite denied it, saying those were indiscretions of youth and that he is a very different man today. But TOI discovered it wasn't a drug charge against Modi — it was something else. Here are two reports of March and April 1985 in a local paper, Times-News, Hendersonville, North Carolina, that gives the real story. The first report appeared on March 1, 1985, headlined 'Drug buyers robbed at gunpoint'. The report was filed by the Associated Press: Durham: Four Duke University students were arrested and a fifth was being sought in a bogus cocaine deal that left one student beaten after a group of would-be drug buyers was robbed at gunpoint of $10,000, law enforcement officers say. "There was a conspiracy to buy cocaine that was never there," said Paul J Dumas Jr, Duke's public safety director. "There was never any cocaine, and the guys who offered to sell it were in fact planing a robbery. And in fact they committed a robbery." Duke and law enforcement sources told the News and Observer of Raleigh that a group of people, most of them Duke students, met Saturday in a Durham motel room where they planned to exchange one-half kilogramme of cocaine for $10,000. The buyer had brought the money to the motel, but the purported sellers had not brought any drugs. A man brandishing a shotgun then took the $10,000 and fled, the sources said. Durham District Attorney Ronald Stephens said the people planning to buy drugs concluded they had been set up for the robbery. They blamed a Duke student, who was beaten by several people Sunday night, he said. The injured student, fearing for his safety, turned himself into authorities on Monday night, officials said. Court records show the student suffered broken facial bones and leg injuries. He was treated at Duke University Hospital and released. Charged were: Alexander Van Dyne of Dix Hills, NY, a Duke sophomore. He was charged with armed robbery after turning himself into officials. John El-Masry of Waltham, Mass, a lineman on the Duke football team. He was arrested Wednesday and charged with assaulting Van Dyne with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injuries. L

alit Kumar Modi of New Delhi, India, a Duke sophomore. He was arrested Tuesday night on charges of conspiracy to traffic cocaine and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

Alexander J McKinnon of Winston-Salem, A Duke junior. He turned himself into authorities Thursday afternoon and was charged with conspiracy to traffic cocaine. Shepherd R Small of Los Angeles, the only defendant who is not a Duke student. He was being held in the Los Angeles County jail on a North Carolina warrant. The second report, appearing on April 2, 1985, was on Modi's indictment: Durham: Three Duke University students and a Los Angeles man were indicted by a Durham County Superior Court grand jury on charges stemming from what police have described as a bogus cocaine deal. Police say a group of mostly Duke students met in a Durham motel February 23 to exchange a half kilogramme of cocaine for $10,000, but the buyers were robbed by the bogus sellers who didn't bring any drugs. Durham County District Attorney Ronald Stephens said the grand jury on Monday

indicted Duke sophomore Lalit Kumar Modi of New Delhi, India, on a charge of conspiracy to traffic more than 400 grams of cocaine.

Modi and Duke football player John El-Masry were indicted on second-degree kidnapping, a misdemeanour charge of assault inflicting serious injury and conspiracy to kidnap, Stephens said.

Duke sophomore Alexander Van Dyne of Dix Hills, New York, and Shepherd Small of Los Angeles, who isn't a student, were indicted on armed robbery charges and conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

[Sachinism]

Yup Modi has a very shifty past, maybe it'll be good to get the word out a bit more

[SJS50]

I read someone saying, here or on another forum, what's the point in getting rid of him, whosoever comes in his place will be equally corrupt. This is just the kind of cynical talk we give to tolerate corrupt politicians. Knowing that the next servant is also likely to be a thief is not reason enough for us not to sack the current one we have at home when we catch him red-handed. Japan has got rid of zillions of corrupt Prime Ministers in the last couple od decades with Governments lasting for months at times but they do not say, "enough is enough, the next time we find the incumbent corrupt, lets let him get on with his murky dealings, we cant be bothered with changing them everytime" It is this attitude towards our politicians and our bureaucrats that has bred the cancerous corruption in our part of the world.

[urbestfriend]

A very good article in Todays TOI which explains why IPL is bubble waiting to burst and how BCCI has compromised its no-profit position by promoting IPL business. Reposting.

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi is undoubtedly a financial wizard, but his latest exploit of bagging a staggering sum of Rs 3,250 crore from the two newly added franchisees has left almost all open-mouthed and some even deeply suspicious of the entire episode, especially after the recent controversies. After all, what is it that is driving the IPL brand to such dizzy heights, which is estimated today at a whopping $4.13 billion in less than three years? Some people believe that IPL will soon overtake the English Premier League (EPL), currently valued at around $12 billion. It sounds absurd to me because EPL is the world's most widely watched sporting league with a viewership of over 500 million, spread across over 200 countries. It not only rides on football's universal appeal, but also on the deep-rooted league culture of Europe. IPL neither has a world audience nor a genuine league culture. It is merely about owning teams on the strength of economic and not sporting power, and attracting crowds through a variety of sporting and non-sporting gimmicks, including foreign cheerleaders, and late night partying for those who can afford it. Even though IPL's brand valuers attribute its so-called success to what they call 'a huge amount of intellectual property being created by the complete IPL ecosystem', to me that appears nothing more than hollow jargon and outright hype aimed at vulnerable Indian cricket fans! The heady mix of glitz and glamour plus an insatiable craving for instant riches appear to have taken control of the wheels of the IPL juggernaut, which now perhaps is not even in BCCI's control. In such a situation, a big crash is surely imminent! In my view, IPL is long on showbiz and short on substance and, hence, it's unlikely to sustain beyond the initial euphoria. First, BCCI seems to have abandoned its not-for-profit character by directly promoting IPL business, which could endanger its own position. Second, BCCI is indulging in rent-seeking by exploiting its monopoly privileges, which is highly questionable. Third, excessive hype around IPL has artificially jacked up its 'brand value', which is extremely fragile. Fourth, there is little transparency on who the real owners of some IPL teams are and how all IPL franchisees are faring. Finally, many believe that gambling is the real driver behind the IPL dhamaka which, if true, cannot hoodwink law-enforcing agencies forever. By directly promoting IPL business, BCCI has seriously compromised with its regulatory role, now even more diluted with some IPL franchisees also being on the BCCI management. With such a permissive attitude, how can anyone expect BCCI to function objectively, especially when franchisees have coughed up such astronomical fees? Look at the relationship between the Football Association (FA), which governs football in England, and EPL. FA maintains arm's length distance from EPL and does not have any financial interest in it. But BCCI, IPL's promoter with deep revenue-sharing arrangements with its franchisees, is engaged in profit maximisation, which is certainly not what its constitution demands of it. The astronomical bids are nothing but the premium franchisees have paid to own teams and insulate themselves from outside competition. In fact, ICL, the pioneer of T20 league in India, was thrown out of business by BCCI because it saw a threat to its own monopoly. BCCI went to the extent of threatening its players with debarment from representing India if they played for ICL. What a pity even ICC took sides to strengthen the BCCI's hands. BCCI's action is not only bad for sports, but also a highly questionable business practice. And so is the case with the highly commercial use, in the garb of sports, of prime land given to BCCI and its affiliates by the government for promoting amateur sports. Some argue that IPL is neither about serious business nor about serious sports, but merely about high net worth individuals willing to dish out obscene sums of money to become celebrities overnight. For me, that does not cut much ice because today you can hog the limelight and even get paid for it by featuring on a TV reality show. Why should anyone then be willing to pay such obscene amounts as franchise fee? The problem is mainly that of poor disclosure and lack of transparency in the functioning of these entities, which can end up in a scam, especially since some franchisees are already posturing to go public shortly. Finally, on the possible role of gambling in IPL, in my opinion, the best option would be to make sports betting legal so that it is conducted in a fair and open way and the money is not used for nefarious activities. It will not only generate huge revenues for the government, but also help eradicate the possible nexus or cosy relationship that sometimes builds up between legal and illegal businesses. I too am a cricket fan and would welcome the emergence of league cricket in India provided it is clean and does not compromise the true spirit of sports which, to my mind, IPL certainly does not fulfil. I am open to a counterview, but it has to be more than just a bubble!

[Gunner_Mania]

To the OP. BCCI & Indian Cricket: Conflict of Interest is not the right term. the term is Apathy. BCCI doesn't gives a rat's ass about preparation for any Indian tour. Atleast with the Tontee Tontee world cup somebody could argue that the players will be match fit having played a lot of T20 - they are not acclimatised to the Caribbean weather and surface is another matter. We've picked Ravindra Jadeja who is going to go into this World cup without any cricket under his belt for the last couple of months.

[Sachinism]

Getting used to pitch conditions, is the biggest issues. Caribbean has some pacey wickets and some absolute dead tracks and some good for spin. Some of the guys in the squad will be traveling there for the 1st time. I swear this board is the most pathetic in world cricket.