The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has launched the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the lines of football’s English Premier League and the National Basketball League (NBA) of the U.S., with star Indian players—Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble, with legendary Australian duo of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne and former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming pledging support, they have also among their ranks stalwarts to bank on.In an apparent reaction to Zee Group’s, Mr. Shubhas Chandra Indian Cricket League (ICL) that has generated much debate, the BCCI paraded Australia bowling great Glenn McGrath and former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming in the Capital to support the IPL. India’s captain Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble were also part of the glittering launch attended by the President of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Ray Mali, and chiefs of various cricket boards.
Big prize money
On the occasion, the BCCI and the ICC also unveiled a $5 million prize money Champions Twenty20 League. The added incentive of being part of the IPL will be the chance to play in the Champions Twenty20 League to be organised by the ICC.
Just as in the UEFA Champions League, the winner and runner-up team of the IPL will qualify for the Champions League, to be played in October 2008. For a start, domestic Twenty20 leagues would be conducted by the cricket boards of Australia, South Africa and England, to have an eight-team Champions League.
The IPL, India’s domestic Twenty20 league will debut in April 2008 with 59 matches spread over 44 days. The IPL will primarily be played under lights with play beginning at 5 p.m. Two matches will be scheduled each day.
Masterstroke
The BCCI’s masterstroke was surely the presence of McGrath and Fleming, the two cricketers who had been rumoured to be in talks with the ICL. Also supporting the IPL was Aussie spin wizard Shane Warne, who sent a video message to express his willingness to be part of the initiative.
The IPL will initially start with eight teams and will offer $3 million in prize money, making it the richest tournament in domestic cricket.
The IPL will be a franchise-model wherein corporates and sponsors will be allowed to buy and run teams. Player buy-outs will be an added feature, something that cricket is not accustomed to.
Under the franchise model, a sponsor wanting to have its team will pay a stipulated fee to the BCCI to get ownership. The franchisee will also have to share revenues with the cricket board, details of which were still being worked out.
The franchisee will, however, collect the gate money and the income from in-stadia advertisements, and at a later stage can list the team on the stock exchange and trade.
The teams will comprise minimum 16 players, but the number of foreign players, titled designated players, is yet to be determined. There will, however, be no cap on the salary being offered to the designated players and the teams can make buy-outs of any player just like in the professional football.
“The revenue generated from the IPL will be pooled back into developing better infrastructure and facilities for cricket fans at the venues,” said BCCI President, Sharad Pawar.
Independent of BCCI
The BCCI, at its Working Committee meeting, set up a governing council to run the IPL as a virtual company. The IPL governing council will have five-year term and will run, operate and manage the league independently of the BCCI.
The council comprises former BCCI President I. S. Bindra, Vice-Presidents Rajiv Shukla, Chirayu Amin and Lalit Modi, Arun Jaitley, and former cricketers Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri. While the BCCI officials will be honorary members, Pataudi, Gavaskar and Shastri will be paid for their services.
Elaborating on the composition of the teams, Mr. Modi said that each team would have a minimum of 16 players with the condition that at least four players are from the region. Also four under-21 players will have to be included in the teams “to give fair chance to the youth to show their calibre”.
Dravid’s take
Welcoming the launch of IPL, Dravid said that if football had done well on such a platform, cricket would surely succeed. “Cricket has been crying out for something like this and I am sure this is just the beginning,” the Indian skipper said.
McGrath was also ecstatic saying “the concept of having franchise is potentially a mind-blowing idea.” At the end of the World Cup in the West Indies, McGrath said he never thought that he would be getting associated with such a venture when he announced his retirement.
“To me potential is huge and I am for it,” said McGrath. Kiwi Fleming also echoed the same sentiments and hoped to work closely with the IPL.
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