IPL 6 shame gate – Do we need a cricket governance model with a bite?

The sixth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has fizzled out as fast as Pepsi’s new drink Atom (apparently it tastes like a mix of Chyavanprash and Jal Jeera with a shot of cola), thanks to the spot fixing scandal that has engulfed many IPL franchisees. This is the second time the league has been caught in such activity, the first being in 2010 that led to the ouster of Lalit Modi, then chairperson of the league. But we don’t seem to learn from the past, do we? As a nation we are used to reacting with shock/ anger at such incidents followed by apathy and amnesia. Sports governing bodies in India are no different.

(Image Courtesy - CNN IBN)

Post IPL gate (that is what the 2010 scandals were collectively referred to in the media), few provisions have been made to prevent issues like match fixing, money laundering and betting. At best, franchisees were asked to indicate their sources of funding. Knowing well that there is no mechanism to validate the information provided, it makes no sense to disclose this information. Complaints on team funding were taken up by the governing body only after court cases were filed and not suo motu.

Players are allowed to use their discretion outside of the game and one practically has no guidelines on how to conduct their lives off the field. The minute a player starts playing in a major league/ match, he leaves no stone unturned to get himself to endorse any brand that can pay him. I would assume sportspersons would like to endorse brands associated with sports like playing gear, cosmetics, shoes, permitted food supplements, apparel etc. But No. A couple of years ago four leading cricketers including the Indian’s team’s captain endorsed an alcohol brand. Is there any association between sports and alcohol? Ceiling fans, chocolates, cameras, pens, cars, fairness creams, men’s fashion, are all endorsed by sportsmen.

This brings me to a fundamental question – Do players today play for money or the love of the game? Looking at former tainted players like Ajay Jadeja and Mohammed Azharuddin, one cannot help but notice that their lifestyles today are reflective of the riches garnered during their playing days. Little wonder then that players want to grab endorsements because the money earned lets them tide through poor performance and/or scandals. They can perhaps use this money to buy a place in the team to sustain the pipeline of endorsement deals so that they have enough money to last a lifetime.

The very fact that none of this has been discussed so far is an indication that cricket’s governing body wields no real control on ethics and principles. This needs to be fixed so the game restores the dignity with which it started out in India. I feel the following measures can help.

1) Curbing the value of endorsements – Players as well as those associated with the game in any capacity (umpiring, commentary, administration etc) need to have their endorsements curbed to not exceed 20 percent of the salaries they earn from the Board. This measure would be effective in preventing gold diggers to seek places on the team. Consider this – Players over the age of 22 earn a minimum of USD 50,000 (around Rs 25 Lakh) per IPL season. Winning teams earn as much as Rs 7.5 Crore on an average and players in these teams get a minimum of Rs 15 Lakh. Add to this perks from sponsors like cars, lifetime membership/ supply of certain goods, gold etc, in recognition of performance. Most cricketers are employed by private and public sector enterprises and earn a salary, no matter how insignificant compared to the lakhs made on the field. A salary of Rs 40-50 Lakhs a year for a few months of performance is adequate to live a reasonably luxurious life by Indian standards, what with most players stretching their playing years to ten. (Marketers define luxury as having a family income upwards of Rs 20 Lakh a year).

2) Guidelines for conducting oneself off the field during a season – A night of post match partying and debauchery is a distraction from the game. It takes double the effort from the support staff to prep a player post such sessions. Little wonder then that leading sports clubs in countries like UK (football clubs Manchester United and Manchester City) and US have strict guidelines of what players can and cannot do during a game season. The list of banned activities includes partying, drugs, one night stands, wives and girlfriends, car racing/ speeding, meeting/ talking to persons not approved by the management, cell phones, and, food from unauthorized eateries, among others. Anyone caught indulging in such activity is usually not allowed to play and can be banned from the team. This is helpful for younger players who often grapple with new found fame and attention.

3) Compulsory listing for franchisees – IPL franchisees should be listed on Indian stock exchanges and 50 per cent of share holding must be with retail investors. This will accomplish two things: force franchisees to declare their funding and toe the guidelines set forth by various legislations and be governed by SEBI; create a sense of loyalty / community ownership among the public who move from being mere viewers to part owners of the franchisee. Football clubs in the UK follow this model where franchisees are usually homegrown and hence enjoy loyalty from the communities. Considering IPL does not endorse that model, there is less loyalty between franchisees and the crowd. What complicates matters is that in many cases neither players not franchisee owners belong to the cities where these franchisees are based.

Cricket in India has long been a club of sorts run by patrons. The BCCI follows this archaic model where members are often heirs of the erstwhile patrons or political appointees, aspiring for control. But today the game has outgrown itself and taking strong measures can help run it professionally with dignity.

Looking beyond celebrities in sports coverage

The media’s reportage of the drama involving the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and some prominent tennis players iterates two things – We are keen on reporting the doings of sports personalities with little analysis into the merit of carrying such news; and we don’t give much importance to reporting on sporting bodies and regulatory authorities.

When was the last time you read a news report on a sporting association or regulatory body in mainstream media? I can remember three instances in the last five years – The commonwealth games 2010 (pertaining to the various frauds that came to light), the IPL scam leading to Lalit Modi’s sacking and the fracas between actor Shah Rukh Khan and the Wankhede Stadium officials. 

(Image courtesy: http://sidhantapatnaik.blogspot.in/2011/07/websites-of-sports-bodies-indias.html)
After NDTV reported suspicions of fraud in procurement for the Commonwealth Games 2010, the media chased this and other similar issues such as poor quality housing right up to the submission of the VK. Shunglu Committee report on the alleged frauds. What was sorely missed was timely information on how the CWG committee was formed, its functioning, progress of the projects (not just those which lagged in delivery), bidding process and other decision making by the executive committee. Such reporting could have spotted irregularities in various aspects early on and enabled course correction minus the hype.

Compare this with the coverage of the London Olympics, My previous post indicates why the Indian media needs to look at holistically covering sports.

The IPL scam was focused largely on the then proposed Kochi team due to the indirect involvement of personalities such as Shashi Tharoor. It was brushed off as a blot on the otherwise blemishless IPL. No details other than the amounts of money recovered by the Income Tax department or the fact that NRI money was used to fund the teams were disclosed. As for the Shah Rukh Khan episode at Wankhede, after much noise was made by both parties, no action was taken against the actor. The media promptly presented both sides of the story and washed its hand off. Has MCA never banned anyone else in their history? Why is there no CCTV footage of this incident? How often are MCA rules/ privileges abused (considering the numerous celebrities who camp in the stadium during the IPL)?

In a country where sports is seen as entertainment perhaps many would justify that it is fair to cover only sports celebrities, as one does of TV/film celebrities. But in a country where sports is increasingly seen as the only option for success for many talented youngsters from under developed states/ underprivileged families, it is imperative to cover developments around sporting bodies. For a country that is now serious (supposedly) about grooming its sporting talent beyond cricket, it is necessary that sporting bodies face such scrutiny from the media to improve their functioning, boost sources of funding, bring more knowledgeable persons on the board and have meaningful outcomes.

A case in point is the kind of people who are heading most sporting bodies in India. A majority of them have never played or refereed a sport or had any prior specialized experience of working with a professional sporting organization. Many are politicians who claim to “follow the sport”. I am sure the media can at the very least question some of the decisions they make and thrust them upon players.

I can think of three simple ways in which reporters can improve their coverage of sporting bodies

1. Write about less popular sports and their governing bodies – Aside from BCCI, most other sporting bodies are pretty open to meeting reporters and explaining how they function.

2. Speak to the non-celebrities who form the ecosystem of the sport – Ball boys, pitch makers, umpires/ referees, cleaning staff and committee members who are not prominent – all of them can give nuggets of information that can help you understand how these bodies function.

3. Read about sporting body operations in developed countries – The Western media does a better job of reporting on developments around sporting bodies. These include reporting on committee elections. This sporting body for instance has its annual report, strategy plan and operational plan on its website.

Can you think of how else sports reporters can cover sports bodies better?