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Indian Cricket League

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Indian Cricket League
FormationApril 3 2007
HeadquartersMumbai
Executive Board President
Kapil Dev
Key people
Dean Jones, Kiran More, Tony Greig
Websitewww.indiancricketleague.in

The Indian Cricket League (ICL) is a proposed private cricket league that will run parallel to the existing cricket league managed by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The format of ICL will be Twenty20.

History

Zee Telefilms (part of Subhash Chandra promoted Essel Group) bid for the telecast rights of the biggest international cricket event - 2000 World Cup. It was the highest bid. Subhash Chandra again bid for telecast rights again in 2004 and ended up in an inconclusive court battle. Last March, he bid again for the 2006-10 rights and once again lost. His response: the ICL. “They denied us the cricket content,” says Himanshu Mody, business head of ICL and Zee’s sports channels. “So, we had to create our own content”.[1] On Zee Telefilms announced that it would be partner with infrastructure major IL&FS to create a new ambitious cricket league, Indian Cricket League (ICL).[2] This league will have a prize money of $ 1 million for the winner. ICL was set up with a Rs. 100 crore (Rs. 1 billion) corpus, and would initially comprise six teams to be expanded to 16 in three years. This will make ICL the richest professional league in the country with an annual prize of $1 million (Rs. 4.4 crore). ICL has already signed a number of major players but is yet to reveal their names. On July 24th, some great international names cropped up such as Brian Lara. The ICL has confirmed that Brian Lara and Inzaman-Ul-Haq has signed up and will be joining the league.[3] However, the Pakistan Cricket Board warned its players to stay away from the league. [4] Imran Farhat though chose to opt out of his Pakistan Central contract to sign with the Indian Cricket League. [5] Former captain of the Pakistan Cricket Team Javed Miandad said he is not able to understand why PCB is not allowing its players to play in the league and even threatened players with a lifetime ban.[6]

League structure

Each team will be coached by a former India player and will comprise four international, two Indian and eight budding domestic players. Essel Group is also planning to set up cricket academies all over the country. BCCI has been assured that it is free to draw from ICL's talent pool. The league will be functional by July-August 2007 and will start with Twenty20 format matches in the run-up to the Twenty20 World Cup in September 2007.

Only professional, paid and accountable people have been hired to run the ICL. There will be no "honorary-positions" such as unpaid selectors. Former international cricketers including Kapil Dev, Tony Greig, Dean Jones and Kiran More have been hired as board members of the Indian Cricket League.[7] The board positions will be paid positions.[8]

2007 season

The inaugural season for the Indian Cricket League will begin in October 2007 with six club teams.

Reasons for creation

Several factors have played a role in formulation of a cricket league which may run in parallel to the current official Indian cricket control body, BCCI.

The "Inverted Pyramid" cricket structure

There is wide disparity in facilities enjoyed by the national team and the several regional ones. This makes the regional players far from finished products when they get a chance to represent the country, hence preventing a huge country like India to have adequate bench strength when key players get injured or retire. Also, the regional cricket boards depend on the BCCI for hand-me-downs in terms of funds for infrastructure and grassroots development. The players who make it to the top have strong backing from sports management firms and also can afford top notch personal trainers, physiotherapists and technical consultants, hardly the preserve of the average-joe Ranji player.

India's poor performance in recent years

Essel group has sought to capitalise on the disappointment of Indian cricket fans with the poor performance of their cricket team in the World cup and the South African tour prior to that. Indian team's failure in World Cup has led to lower earnings to Cricket broadcasters, advertisers, cricket sponsors and travel & tour operators. These defeats also caused massive disappointment to India's millions of fanatical cricket fans.

The question of 'why can't a nation of 1 billion with millions of cricket players produce even a reasonably competent team' has been hotly debated across newspapers and news channels. One of the answers which has gained wide acceptance is that the BCCI, the cricket control body of India, has failed miserably in its job and needs a major overhaul in its working and organisation. Millions of Indian fans who hero-worshipped their cricket team are finding BCCI, with its image already mired with scandals, favouritism and political influence an easy target to blame for this debacle.

Zee Telefilms desire to create sports content

The league could help the country develop talent, as well as provide lucrative sports programming for Essel Group for Zee Telefilms, which lost out on the rights to broadcast all BCCI-sanctioned cricket matches in India until 2011.

In fact Essel Group had launched Zee Sports earlier with the anticipation of bagging the BCCI telecast rights in 2006. This was followed by Zee acquiring 50 percent in TEN Sports in November 2006 for Rs. 257 crore (Rs. 2.57 billion). This gave the company a few international cricket rights — West Indies, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. But these five-year rights were at their end.

Cricket played in India generates Rs. 1,000 crore (Rs. 10 billion) in advertising and subscription revenue and Subhash Chandra has been acutely aware of his company missing out on the lucrative cricket pie.

During his battle with BCCI and ESPN Star Sports for the five-year telecast rights in August-September 2004 in the Bombay High Court, Chandra was present every day for the hearings. Despite Zee bidding the highest at $307 million, BCCI and its then president Jagmohan Dalmiya denied him the rights.

The pain of denial has been with Chandra since 2000 when the ICC World Cup rights were sold to NewsCorp’s Global Cricket Corporation (GCC) for $550 million despite Zee bidding the highest at $650 million citing Zee's insufficient sports marketing experience.

In August 2005, Zee again emerged forerunner with a pitch of over $340 million while ESPN Star Sports, the other principal contender, is believed to have offered around $325 million. BCCI took the stance that Zee was not qualified as a specialist broadcaster and refused to consider Zee’s proposal. The matter expectedly went to court and Doordarshan emerged the beneficiary.

Chandra then tried the political route too and supported Sharad Pawar’s candidature as BCCI president against Dalmiya. Pawar emerged victorious but not Chandra. In the last round of bidding in February, last year, it was Nimbus who bagged BCCI’s telecast rights till 2011 for $613 million with Zee trailing at $513 million.

Since there was a Zee-Nimbus alliance before the bidding, media pundits thought Nimbus’ bid was a Zee front. But Nimbus chose to go its own way and launched its own sports network – Neo Sports.

BCCI's Response

The BCCI refused to recognise ICL as a cricket league, and criticised Kiran More and Kapil Dev for joining ICL.[9] Kapil Dev's association with ICL was seen as conflict of interest as he is the current chairman of National Cricket Academy, a BCCI owned cricket facility.[10]. As of August 21, 2007 Kapil Dev has been sacked from his NCA post.[11] Subhash Chandra had earlier stated that the ICL will go ahead regardless of the BCCI stance. The International Cricket Council gave a statement through its chief executive, Malcom Speed, that ICC won't recognize ICL unless BCCI recognizes it. ICC looks at ICL as an issue to be sorted out by BCCI.

Faced with the threat of young players joining the ICL, the BCCI jacked up prize money for winners, runner-up and losing semi-finalists across all tournaments. An average domestic cricketer can hope to make around Rs 35,000 per match day from the season of 2007-08: more than double the Rs 16,000 they got in 2005-06. The BCCI has also planned to do away with honorary selectors, who will be paid from September 2008 onwards. [12]

BCCI has started its own international Twenty20 league, with the help of Australian, England & South Africa boards. The league, which will start in October 2008, is called the Champions Twenty20 cricket. The league model is said to be a revolutionary one, on the model of NFL, MLB in USA[13].

ICL takes BCCI to court

In August 2007, ICL filed a petition against BCCI in the Delhi High Court accusing that BCCI is threatening and intimidating them as well as other state organsiations not affiliated to it and asked the court to stop BCCI from interfering with its attempts to sign up players for its tournaments[14]. It also petitions that the BCCI stop trying to "out-hire" many cricket stadiums in India that are owned by the state governments, in anti-competitive, anti-market behaviour to stop the ICL from using them to play matches.

On August 27, 2007, the Delhi High Court has ruled in favor of ICL. In its ruling, the Delhi High Court has said that players should not suffer in the battle between corporate giants. The court has issued notice to all corporate sponsors, the state cricket associations & the BCCI against terminating contracts of players joining the league[15].

The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) of India has asked its Director-General of Investigation to do an initial investigation into BCCI's action against players who have joined ICL. The investigation was based on media reports of BCCI giving an open statement that it will ban players who will join ICL. It was also reported in the media that all state associations, under BCCI, have removed cricket players from contracts. [16].

Support for the league

ICL has received support from unexpected quarters. There was a fear that lack of infrastructure, like the cricket stadiums, might limit the success of the operation of the league. But, support from various government bodies has boosted the league. It was reported that camps will be held at Mayajaal in Chennai, which is a private resort with good cricket facilities[17]. Indian Railways chief Lalu Prasad has shown his backing by opening all the cricket stadiums controlled by the Indian Railways to the league. Terming ICL as a “good initiative”, Mr. Lalu Prasad has given a statement saying that the BCCI and ICL should, each, come up with a cricket team and play against each other to show who's the best. [1] The state government of West Bengal has also agreed to rent its cricket grounds, notably the Eden Gardens, to the league and anybody else. [18].

Future of ICL

It has often been said that the ICL is a challange and/or a rival to the BCCI.[2] Furthermore, due to the corruption-free and professional nature of ICL, it is much more efficient with its money and resources than the BCCI. It is said that the ICL could overtake the BCCI in terms of revenue or influence within 5-10 years. Just as the ATP took over the ITF in tennis 35 years ago.

In a poll conducted by a leading online cricket website 68.9% of those voted said ICL will do better than BCCI in the coming years, 14.9% said they will work together with ICL having a supportive role, while 16.2% expressed concern that ICL will be a failure. [3]

Cricketers as officials and players for ICL

ICL has planned to involve many former cricket players to run the league. Since, one of the blames against traditional cricketing system, run by BCCI under ICC, is that some crucial official postions in running cricket are not occupied by cricketers, ICL seems to address this.

Former cricket players as officials (Alphabetical Order)

Executive Board

Coaches

Talent Scouts

Mentors

Signed up cricket players

ICL, in its quest to sign up about 90 players before the official start of the league in October 2007, has so far signed up many upcoming, current & former cricket players from India, Pakistan, South Africa, etc. There are rumors that other popular current & former players have been approached by the ICL.

Confirmed players (Alphabetical Order)

Australia (1)

England (1)


India (47)


New Zealand (4)


Pakistan (4)


South Africa (2)


West Indies (1)

Players rumoured to have been approached (Alphabetical Order)

Australia

Bangladesh

England

Ireland [19]

New Zealand

Pakistan

South Africa

Sri Lanka

Players who left ICL

In October 2007, Yousuf joined Indian Premier League just few days after canceling his contract with ICL.[20]

Other private cricket leagues

Most professional cricket around the world is run by the national cricket boards of the full members of the ICC, but there have been several previous attempts to create professional leagues outside the established system. Like the ICL, each of them came into conflict with the establishment:

References

  1. ^ Ekbaat staff (September 15 2007). "Why and how was ICL created". Ekbaat. Retrieved 2007-09-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  2. ^ Cricinfo staff (3 April 2007). "Business mogul announces new cricket league". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2007-06-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  3. ^ Cricinfo staff (July 26 2007). "Warne and McGrath set to join ICL: Kapil". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2007-07-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  4. ^ "PCB chief warns Pak players to stay away from ICL". AndhraNews.net.
  5. ^ Cricinfo staff (August 16 2007). "Farhat released from central contract". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2007-08-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  6. ^ "Miandad bats for Indian Cricket League".
  7. ^ Cricinfo staff (14 May 2007). "Zee Sports denies signing of stars". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2007-06-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ Khanna, Roma (14 May 2007). "BCCI's own now have a new job". CricketNext. Retrieved 2007-06-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ Press Trust of India (13 June 2007). "BCCI shoots down ICL". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2007-06-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Shanbhag, Sudhakar (13 June 2007). "BCCI Not To Recognise Zee-Promoted Indian Cricket League". Worldcuplatest.com. Retrieved 2007-06-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Press Trust of India (21 August 2007). "Kapil sacked as NCA Chairman". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2007-08-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Press Trust of India (21 June 2007). "BCCI hikes domestic match fees". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2007-08-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ Jamie Alter (13 September 2007). "International Twenty20 league launched". Cricinfo.com. Retrieved 2007-09-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "ICL takes BCCI to court".
  15. ^ "Delhi HC orders companies to let players join ICL".
  16. ^ "Cricket row under MRTPC scanner".
  17. ^ Vasu, Anand (22 August 2007). "ICL to hold camp at Mayajaal in Chennai". cricinfo.com. Retrieved 2007-08-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Press Trust of India (23 August 2007). "State minister allows ICL use of Eden Gardens". cricinfo.com. Retrieved 2007-08-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/ireland/6964568.stm
  20. ^ "Mohammad Yousuf joins Indian Premier League".
  21. ^ Giri, Nisha (5 August 2005). "The ICC Is Not Against Procricket". Little India. Retrieved 2007-06-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) 
*Indian Cricket League Fanclub
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