‘everything is fair in love and war…’
If we change one word in this cliché saying, i.e. replace love and war with cricket, then in the Indian context, this saying will take a political colour like this…
‘Everything is fair in cricket and cricket…’
Cricket: A medium of religion and icebreaking too…
One thing is said about our country that if you want to understand the public, then you should have basic knowledge of cricket, Bollywood and politics. Wherever two strangers meet in a bus, train, ship, the medium of their icebreaking will be one of these three topics. Cricket is religion here. Sachin Tendulkar is God. Virat Kohli is its Maharaja. In this country, cricket is a guarantee of money-power-fame. And how can politicians stay away from a place where money-power-fame is fully guaranteed?
So this is the status of cricket in our country. And everyone is crazy to achieve this status. They seem to be doing manipulations. Wait a minute… you must have read the title. So, we will jump to our topic by taking the thread of our story from this point. Then why won’t politicians be seen jumping into this field of profit? Before taking the matter further, let us understand what is our status in cricket. How do we have the status to determine its condition and direction in the world of cricket. This will also make it easy to understand why politicians are so anxious to capture the country’s cricket…
We are Alexander here: Cricketing power of Team India…
The biggest cricket league in the world is IPL. IPL rights from 2023 to 2027 were sold for Rs 48,390 crore. BCCI gets around Rs 118 crore for one match. The world’s biggest sports league NFL gets Rs 133 crore for one match while one match of IPL costs Rs 118 crore. That is, IPL is the second biggest league in the world on a per match basis. From this you can guess how much money the board has. BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world. In the year 2022, BCCI got a surplus of Rs 2367 crore, which has increased by 116 percent in just one year. The total income from IPL 2023 was Rs 11,769 crore. This is an increase of 78 percent compared to last year. The organization governing cricket, ICC, earns the most from events in India. This is how much ICC earns from cricket in India. The Indian board will get $230 million every year from the ICC for the next four years. This is about 38.4 percent of their budget. This is six times more than the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which will get 6.89 percent i.e. $41 million and Cricket Australia (CA) will get $37.53 million (about 6.25 percent). According to this, England will be second in terms of earnings and Australia will be third. The BCCI has broadcast rights worth billions. Whenever a big cricket event takes place in India, the coffers of BCCI and ICC are filled to the brim. We have the biggest cricket stars. Virat Kohli is among the top ten players of the world like Ronaldo. The players have contacts worth crores. Their status in society is like that of a superstar. After Bollywood, the popularity of players touches the sky. Money pours in from all sides. There is a dazzling glamour. Any person’s popularity increases just by being seen with a player four times.
But where does the googly happen?
The players do not have much interference in the management of the organization that manages it. They may be in a decisive position on the field, but someone else has the right to take decisions about them. Initially, big businessmen or powerful people who loved this game used to manage it. Then gradually politicians started entering it seeing the power, money and fame in it. Then an alliance was formed. And a political model was born…
A strong model of Me, My Family and then My Dear Close Ones…
Many big politicians first entered this field directly and then started bringing in family members. The matter did not stop here…now close ones are being brought in through lateral entry. That is, intense nepotism in cricket…tremendous opportunism through lateral entry…close ones or special people dominate the battle for control of the richest BCCI…the objective is only one that cricket should be captured by hook or crook. And the game of money and power should have full interference. Even if no one has even lifted the bat in the name of ability, but who will swing the bat, who will bowl…we will decide this…we will tell where and how the money will be spent…the real players are from this field of us…we…
An example of familialism-lateralism…
Jay Shah will stand for the next ICC chairman election. If he stands for the election, there is a hundred percent chance of his being elected. Because he has the support of about 14 out of 16 permanent members of ICC. The talk of him going to ICC has sparked a discussion about who will take his place in BCCI? Now look at the initial names that have come out.
1. Ashish Shelar is the President of Mumbai BJP and Treasurer of BCCI.
2. Rohan Jaitley, Jaitley is the President of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). But his biggest identity is that he is the son of BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley. His name is at the forefront in the race for the post of BCCI Secretary.
3. Arun Dhumal, son of Himachal’s veteran BJP leader and former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and younger brother of former Union Minister and former BCCI President Anurag Thakur. Arun is also the chairman of the Indian Premier League IPL. And has also been the treasurer of BCCI.
4. Devjit Saikia, he is close to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He is the joint secretary of BCCI.
5. Rajeev Shukla, Congress leader and vice-president of the board. He has previously held many important positions in the board.
Just look at these names…who are they? Political sports administrators! Legends-sons-close friends!!
Nepotism-Lateralism!!! You are already beaten… what to do, the pitch is a little different. This ball also spins a little. So play each ball patiently on this spinning pitch…
First understand the bowling style…
As a first over, take a look at one state… No one is behind in washing hands in the flowing Ganga…
– Vaibhav Gehlot, son of former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, has been the president of RCA or Rajasthan Cricket Association. When the Congress government lost last year, he settled down as the treasurer of Rajsamand Cricket Association.
– Yash Jain, son of former Congress minister Pramod Jain Bhaya, became the president of Baran Cricket Association in November last year. He is still on this post.
– Dhananjay Singh Khinvsar, son of Medical and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar, is the President of Nagaur Cricket Association. Currently Dhananjay is the Executive President of RCA.
– Parakram Singh Rathore, son of senior BJP leader Rajendra Rathore, is the president of Churu Cricket Association. However, there is a dispute about the validity of the elections in Churu.
– Yash Jain, son of Pramod Jain Bhaya, who was a minister in the Congress government, became the president of Baran Cricket Association in November last year. He is currently also holding this post.
– Pawan Dilawar, son of Education Minister Madan Dilawar has been elected Treasurer of Baran District Cricket Association.
– Former Assembly Speaker CP Joshi is the President of Rajsamand Cricket Association. He has also been the patron of Rajasthan Cricket Association.
By the way, the result of this fluctuating match cannot be decided even by DRS method?
The gist of the whole story is that where there is money, politicians will definitely come to take control of it. When they come, they will try to retain control over such institutions. In this direction, first the family and then the close ones will be seen in these institutions. And in this way, after politics, you will see political nepotism…lateralism… in the cricket institutions of the country! So what was the result? For now, the match was a draw…
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)