realjackofall (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} realjackofall) wrote,@ 2007-08-21 14:20:00 |
|
ICL
The Indian Cricket League, touted by some as a rival to the BCCI has been in the news lately. I've found this whole thing to be very interesting for many reasons. It is a strong concoction of emotions, passion, business strategies and money.
They announced their first set of players (Indian and foreign) yesterday. The foreign players include some big names who have just retired or on the verge of retirement, but still have a couple of tricks up their sleeves. There has been some speculation/unconfirmed reports on how much some of these famous international cricketers are being paid and the figure is huge. The domestic players don't include any big names except for a few who have had brief stints in the Indian team.
I've been reading about this and have been watching a few debates/discussions on the news channels comprising of people from all walks of life - sportsmen, media professionals, marketing gurus, lawyers and just about everybody who have an opinion.
Whats in it for the Essel group which is backing this venture? They have admitted that they are into it for business reasons. But also claim it is a platform for the younger players to showcase their talent and also rub shoulders with some of the big names in International cricket. The business reasons apart, the objective largely is to end the monopoly of BCCI. Considering the way BCCI is managed, I too agree that they don't agree that they don't deserve the kind of money that they are raking in.
Anyway, I'm happy that this will give an opportunity for some of the domestic players to make a decent amount of money playing here. Considering that there so few people who make it to the Indian team (and thereby make big money), it is not fair that the rest are left to rot.
What I think will determine the success of this whole venture is-
The entertainment value that it will bring in terms of the quality of cricket that will be played.
The on field chemistry that would exist between the lesser known players from domestic cricket and the international stars.
All eyes are watching how this will turn out. They say we have to wait and watch.
There was a report yesterday that BCCI is already considering revising (increasing) the Match fees for Ranji players.
The Indian Cricket League, touted by some as a rival to the BCCI has been in the news lately. I've found this whole thing to be very interesting for many reasons. It is a strong concoction of emotions, passion, business strategies and money.
They announced their first set of players (Indian and foreign) yesterday. The foreign players include some big names who have just retired or on the verge of retirement, but still have a couple of tricks up their sleeves. There has been some speculation/unconfirmed reports on how much some of these famous international cricketers are being paid and the figure is huge. The domestic players don't include any big names except for a few who have had brief stints in the Indian team.
I've been reading about this and have been watching a few debates/discussions on the news channels comprising of people from all walks of life - sportsmen, media professionals, marketing gurus, lawyers and just about everybody who have an opinion.
Whats in it for the Essel group which is backing this venture? They have admitted that they are into it for business reasons. But also claim it is a platform for the younger players to showcase their talent and also rub shoulders with some of the big names in International cricket. The business reasons apart, the objective largely is to end the monopoly of BCCI. Considering the way BCCI is managed, I too agree that they don't agree that they don't deserve the kind of money that they are raking in.
Anyway, I'm happy that this will give an opportunity for some of the domestic players to make a decent amount of money playing here. Considering that there so few people who make it to the Indian team (and thereby make big money), it is not fair that the rest are left to rot.
What I think will determine the success of this whole venture is-
The entertainment value that it will bring in terms of the quality of cricket that will be played.
The on field chemistry that would exist between the lesser known players from domestic cricket and the international stars.
All eyes are watching how this will turn out. They say we have to wait and watch.
There was a report yesterday that BCCI is already considering revising (increasing) the Match fees for Ranji players.
