Welcome change in Cricket

The Subhash Chandra sponsored Indian Cricket League (ICL) has set the cat amongst the pigeons, and brought Indian cricket to a crossroads. And I will argue, for the good of Cricket. For a very closeted sport, confined to a miniscule number of nations, and run secretively and inefficiently like personal fiefdom by a cabal of mainly non-cricketers, cricket needs this wake-up call. More so Indian cricket.

The immediate trigger for the the formation of ICL can be traced back to the denial of exclusive telecast rights on international cricket matches in India to Zee TV. In teh seventies, Australian Kerry Packer had floated a rival cricket league after being denied telecast rights. Ditto with Subhash Chandra. It may also not be off the mark to claim that the main reason for the impulsive reaction by the BCCI stems from the fact that there is now a major threat to its monopoly over the biggest revenue stream into cricket, television rights. But there are other more important issues.

Competition in any major popular sport - football, hockey, rugby - involves international, domestic league and international club-level matches, and individual players represent both the national and club teams. But cricket lacks an international club level competition. In fact, even the domestic leagues in many countries like India, are dismally uncompetitive, as to often render such matches meaningless. This results in lack of depth in the game in these countries, reflecting in the poor bench strength of teams like India. Even where there are strong and competitive domestic leagues like in Australia, the absence of international competition and exposure leaves the players not fully prepared to face the challenges posed by international test and ODI matches.

Rebel leagues like the ICL and that floated by Adam Sanford in the Carribean, will undoubtedly provide a much needed stimulus to the weak and unprofessionally organized domestic leagues and also prepare players to face the rigours of international cricket. These developments also carry the seeds for the emergence of a full fledged international club-level competition. International cricket between nations will continue as the premier attraction in the sport, and no private league, however rich, can replace it.

There was a time when, like in cricket today, footballers were at the mercy of national football administrators. Thanks to the growth of competitive football leagues in every major footballing nation, this is no longer the case. The emergence of National Leagues in football and hockey in India, have increased incomes for football and hockey players and, given some of the recent football results, may also have improved playing standards. It is a testament to the vice-like grip BCCI has on Indian cricket that it has taken this time for a rival cricket league to be floated.

Given that cricket is as much a commercial activity as entertainment, the emergence of a break away league is not unexpected. The commercial objectives of the organizers of ICL can be achieved only by getting more people through the turnstiles and commanding very high premiums for match telecast rights. They know fully well that no amount of attractive packaging and scheduling can make up for lack of quality in the games. It is in their interest too that the game of cricket develop greater depth within countries and also cover more countries. This will attract entreprenuers and investors to leverage the enormous commercial possibilities for developing the game and then profiting from it.

This development is only the latest in a trend of more efficient commercial exploitation of Cricket. It is only a matter of time, before national cricket administrators step down from their high pedestals and acknowledge the reality of such renegade leagues. It is only a matter of time before the exclusive monopoly of these self-appointed guardians of the game comes to an end. The day is not far when, like football, cricket too will have its international club competition.

The inexorable logic of the market cannot be stopped from running its full steam, especially on an activity which competes with popular cinema, as the premier entertainment platform in India. Competitive domestic leagues will improve standards and make the game of cricket more attractive. It will also surely make cricket administration and organization much more efficient. The players will be better paid, more facilties will be developed and game will grow more evenly within and across countries. It will ensure that while cricketers provide entertainment to their audience, cricket itself will be administered professionally and efficiently as an economic enterprise.