The media is agog that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will hold talks with the country's unofficial league (ICL).
Though it is good to hear that the BCCI has climbed down, I frankly do not believe anything will come out of it.
My disbelief hinges on the fact that anything short of a complete merger will remain a divisive factor in world cricket. For example if we are to take the English Premier League as an example, there are no two such tournaments. Hence, there is no cannibalism or fight over TV rights or an exodus from one league to another, whereas with ICL and IPL poaching can happen and could lead to further rancour.
Another reason for my disbelief is that integrating the two rival leagues will mean one or the other giving up television broadcasting rights. Now that is an impossibility: as the whole Jing bang was set off due to an aggrieved Zee Broadcasting corporation setting off to do its own thing.
The only plausible and the right thing to do will be to lift the ban on ICL players. However, I am against it because it would very well mean the end of Test cricket.
Consider this, by 2011, most cricket playing nations barring Sri Lankan and Bangladesh will have their own IPL clones, if you add ICL to it, there will be no time for the players to play Test cricket.
That is something I do not want to imagine.
16 comments:
Otts... As I understood it, the ICC has directed the BCCI to get into meeting them. BCCI says it will meet but the outcome? I expect nothing serious will be done unless Subash makes considerable changes on the revenue sharing front.
And Yes, it makes no sense whatsover to have two different cricketing bodies... the ICL was a big mistake.
Scorpi,
I believe it is beyond a solution. There are overlapping interests and the money involved is gigantic.
It is just going to be a talk.
ott - small talk at that.
"Subhash, shakar kitna?"
then, what about the careers of all the affected players? i think the BCCI needs to be brought down from its high pedestal and for that ICL has to win.
NC,
Hope small talk does not end with pillow talk.(sleeping with the enemy.)
Philip,
The players are the most unfortunate. Time is not ripe to bring BCCI down on its knees.
may be a few booze shots and then usual comments out of the meeting...
i feel do whatever with ICL or IPL, maintain sancity of testcricket
Buzz,
Precisely, I too want the sanctity of Test cricket to be maintained.
That is why I want the ban on ICL to continue.
that'll be the Day, Doris!
Good one Ott!
Yeah, Ott. I felt the same way too. Nothing will happen in the meeting. I don't think anybody (read Cricket Board or ICC) has the tooth to do anything other than "wasteful talk" about saving Test Cricket. They need to have a very short window for IPL/ICL. Why do we need this many teams after all?
VMM,
I have another sickening thought. If ICL is recognised then we are in for all channels having their own Twenty20 tournament.
Ott,
The only way for a rapprochement is for the ICL to maintain itself as a separate entity under the aegis of the BCCI.
But there are enough mitigating factors for this to come to fruition.
All the same, it will be an interesting conversatioon between Mr Chandra and Mr Manohar.
Cheers,
Homer,
It should be one hell of a conversation.:)
It would be a loss of face for BCCI if they are forced to recognise ICL . ICC embarassed BCCI by throwing the ball in its court.
Other than the embarrassing BCCI, what else can the ICC do?
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