Greig tells India to put cricket before cash

[1983-2011]

LONDON Former England captain Tony Greig has urged India to accept the "spirit of cricket is more important than generating billions of dollars". India is cricket's economic powerhouse, driving the finance of the global game through the sponsorship and broadcast deals that derive from the sport's huge popularity in the world's second most populous nation. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also oversees the lucrative Twenty20 Indian Premier League franchise tournament. However, many observers believe the BCCI has used its huge influenc for its own interests rather than those of the global game and that, as a result, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is not functioning properly. They cite as evidence the BCCI's ongoing refusal to accept the television replay Decision Review System (DRS), despite repeated calls for its universal implementation by senior ICC committees. South Africa-born Greig, 65, giving the 2012 MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture, named after his late former England team-mate Colin Cowdrey, at Lord's on Tuesday, said: "Much of the game is controlled by the BCCI because it controls enough votes to block any proposal put forward at the ICC board meetings. "The reason for this is some countries would not survive without the financial opportunities India provides." Greig, who called for the IPL to be expanded into an Asian league, backed former Australia captain Steve Waugh's suggestion for players to take lie detector tests in a bid to root out corruption from cricket. But the thrust of his speech was aimed at the BCCI, with Greig saying India could solve most of the sport's existing problems "if it embraces the spirit of cricket and leads for world cricket, not just India". However, he also said the BCCI's financial focus had led to a lopsided international calendar. "The net result is Test cricket is suffering; some players appear not to have the same feeling for Test matches as their predecessors; there are more and more meaningless ODIs (one-day international matches)." The former all-rounder continued: "This situation can only be resolved by India accepting the spirit of cricket is more important than generating billions of dollars; it's more important than turning out multi-millionaire players; and it's more important than getting square with Australia and England for their bully-boy tactics towards India over the years." Greig was himself accused of denigrating Test cricket by acting as the 'recruiting sergeant' for Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket, which lured players away from official matches with improved salaries. Greig, explaining why he'd "sacrificed" the England captaincy to become involved with "an Australian television tycoon", pointed to quotes from a transcript of his meeting with Packer soon after he had led England in the Centenary Test against Australia in Melbourne in 1977. "Kerry, money is not my major concern. I'm nearly 31-years-old. I'm probably two or three Test failures from being dropped from the England team. "I don't want to finish up in a mundane job when they drop me. I'm not trained to do anything. "I am at the stage in my life where my family's future is more important than anything else. If you guarantee me a job for life working for your organisation I will sign." For the past 35 years Greig, as a World Series player and as a cricket commentator for Australia's Channel Nine television station, has worked for the Packer organisation. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iQGRKmwxol0Biqa3TkRNFs0UUuaA?docId=CNG.d3102693c6a7245984356b443160e963.591

[Zap_Brannigan]

Considering that EPL has been around longer, first make them let mohan begun into EPL, then we will talk. Or let Indians who want to work in England but are not highly skilled into England. What a fking hypocrite. The man who played for packer, the man who went with ICL, the man who played for england when they were ruling ICC and didn't do anything to help anyone else, now wants BCCI to act like a mahatma !!

[mastana]

In ICL he was like "put cash before cricket infront of me" Taklu salla.

[Desi Cartman]

Sala rebel from 80s giving bhashan

[Utalk]

Tony G where was this spirit when you sold yourself to Kerry Packer and deprived test cricket of all major super stars. This man was also at the forefront at ICL that took many top players despite knowing that it will damage cricket. Someone like Mohammad Yousaf was casualty of ICL. He went from being the best batsman in the world in 2006 to a confused soul who was never the same player again after the ICL saga.

[Clarke]

[superstar]

"Spirit of Cricket" is being over used. Having said that if Tony had embraced spirit of cricket and refused to play in Packer test cricket would have never lost relevancy and cricket would have been irrelevant.

[Precambrian]

lol, the same chap who ditched test kirkut to go play in Packer cricket in Aus - what a joker

[CoverDrive]

Racist who wanted team of black men to grovel has the gall to talk about martin luther king, mandela and gandhi

[MechEng]

I find English people very very very odd tbh...... That country loves EPL and Test Cricket, both the sports are 2 poles apart!!! Football is all about speed whereas Test matches is all about mental concentration which moves slowly for 5 days. The thing with England is, they don't like if some other country is dictating terms to them. India's refusal to DRS is an issue, but it has NOTHING to got to do with their interests in T20 cricket.

[Number]

MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture is a Joke. Last year it was given by someone who appeals for non-existing edges, claps after collecting blatant wides, tells his bowler to bowl a no-ball to deny batsman a milestone and then cheats at the toss of world cup final. Then this time someone who went on to play for Carry Packer, went with ICL gives a lecture on how BCCI is obsessed with money. Next time probably they'll call Shahid Afridi for this spirit of cricket lecture. :hysterical::hysterical:

[CoverDrive]

what next Stuart broad to talk about spirit of cricket....wait they already did that

Greig was then joined by his former England teammate Derek Underwood and current star Stuart Broad for an entertaining panel session, hosted by Mark Nicholas. The trio of players discussed topics which cropped up during the speech, with Broad supporting Greig's stance on lie detectors.

http://www.lords.org/latest-news/news-archive/greig-urges-india-leadership,2457,NS.html

[MCcricket]

This guy is a senile bitter old man , if you see his life he has been the biggest hypocrite.:finger:

[JaFanatic]

tony the selfish bug in england domination is the cricket saviour in india domination

[vvvslaxman]

He gotta tell that to players and see what their reaction is . Imagine him telling "KP should put cricket before cash" - :hysterical: He would have got nicely

[superstar]

He gotta tell that to players and see what their reaction is . Imagine him telling "KP should put cricket before cash" - :hysterical: He would have got nicely

He was contradicting himself in the speech. He said he did the right thing by joining Packer for his family. But was advising BCCI not to create millionaires :hitler:

[Ultimate_Game]

He was contradicting himself in the speech. He said he did the right thing by joining Packer for his family. But was advising BCCI not to create millionaires :hitler:

Greig falls in the category of folks who want you to "do as I say and not as I do"

[saneindian]

Haha, still bitter about BCCI ending his million dollars annual pay check from ICL. Anyone who misses out on 5-6 millions dollars due to an organization, will use every opportunity to bash that organization.

[Needforspeed]

Cant blame him IMO. BCCI scr***d him royally off the ICL first and last year they again SCR***d him (at least in his opinion) when he lost an opportunity to make millions in the SLPL. :cantstop:

[Crookbond]

Grieg's statement is NOT wrong. However, Grieg is.