people like mr. srinivasan may come and go but ipl will continue to flourish' : business today

13/05/14 1:46 am'People like Mr. Srinivasan may come and go but IPL will continue to flourish' : Business Today

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'People like Mr. Srinivasan may come and gobut IPL will continue to flourish'Suveen Sinha May 6, 2014

In a day of swift action, the Rajasthan Cricket Association declared Lalit Modi the winnerin its elections on May 6. And the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspendedthe state body. Neither was a surprise.

Everyone knew Modi had won. The results, withheld because of the BCCI's opposition,were declared only after the Supreme Court intervened. However, the court had left theBCCI free to take action after the results were announced.

The position of the RCA president, if it finally comes through, will give Modi a way backinto Indian cricket, something he has never stopped craving. But it may still be a merefootnote to the bigger Modi story, which will always be the story of the Indian PremierLeague.

Modi had spoken at length to Suveen Sinha over email as part of the Business Todayspecial on the five best innovations in India this century, one of which is the IPL. But, ofcourse, no conversation with Modi can be only about the IPL, or cricket, or not mention N.Srinivasan. Edited excerpts: Q. You wouldn't remember this, but we met a few times in 2005, when I was withOutlook magazine. On one of those occasions, at Mohali, during the first Test of theIndia-Pakistan series, you spoke about BCCI's plans to start its own televisionchannel. You also spoke of your dream to organise a city-based limited-overscricket tournament, in the usual 50-overs-a-side format. Later you gave the worldthe Indian Premier League. How did the transition take place?

A. Yes, Suveen, I do remember meeting you - but a lot of time has elapsed since the timewe last met and spoke to each other. Actually, the dream to start a city-franchise-basedlimited-overs cricket tournament for me started way back in 1994, when I partnered withESPN to launch the ESPN channel in India. In 1994 I envisioned a world-class cricketing league India could call its own, somethingalong the lines of the NBA or the NFL in America or even the English Premier League forthat matter. The second idea I was toying with in my head was how sports and business

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could be merged for the greater good of the game. Lastly, some other critical aspects thatbegged to be answered were how one could further propagate the popularity of the sportand increase the fan base for cricket in India and boost the sport at the domestic level,while doing so to improve the level of the sport. Yes, there was a 50-over-a-side proposal, but I felt the proposal to start a T20 tournament,instead, contained the right dose of cricket and entertainment. It was a like a family goingout for an evening of entertainment, or for a Bollywood movie-all done and dusted in threehours.

Thus, the IPL, as we see it today, is a hybrid league designed after looking and studyingthe shortcomings of the various global leagues. The English Premier League was one ofthe models we studied. The others were the North American sporting leagues like theNational Football League, the National Hockey League, the National BasketballAssociation, and the two baseball leagues AL and NL. We took the best parts of theseleagues to arrive at our own hybrid model that would suit our requirements and the Indianeconomic and financial environment. The IPL was thus designed with due thought andconsideration to all the necessary safeguards. That is how the IPL evolved and finallycame into being.

Q. Can Mr. Subhash Chandra's Indian Cricket League be called the precursor to theIPL? Did it play a role in convincing you of the efficacy of 20-overs-a-side?

Quite frankly, though a lot people and global media have stated that the IPL was a knee-jerk reaction by the BCCI and the global cricket boards to the ICL, I personally never eversaw it as that, or, for that matter considered the league sponsored by Mr. SubhashChandra as competition. The ICL was an unrecognised and unauthorised league, whichhad no sanction from the BCCI or the International Cricket Council. Thus, my very basicobjection to the ICL was concerned with its very existence, which was questionable at theleast. More importantly, in my mind, it is important to compare two like entities; you cannotcompare two disparate events and draw parallels. The IPL was and will continue to be an attempt to further propagate the popularity of thesport in a country where the sport was already considered a religion. It was also a veryserious attempt to increase the fan base for cricket in India. Furthermore, Indian cricketneeded this boost at the domestic level to improve the level of cricket being played.Importantly, no one today can say that the IPL has not achieved those objectives-look atthe improvement in the quality of cricket being played due to the nurturing of talent by theIPL. I had faith, and believed that the IPL would turn into a global phenomenon and help takecricket to the next level. Coming to the format of Twenty20 cricket, I had heard about itssuccess in England and thought to myself that this format could work. But the day Indiawon the inaugural World T20 Cup in South Africa, all fears disappeared. On landing in

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India the reception that the players got was phenomenal and I knew that in the Twenty 20format we had a winner on our hands.

Q. In the early days of Twenty20, after it started in England, BCCI was extremelysceptical of the format. Its secretary Niranjan Shah openly denounced it in 2006.What made you believe in this format? How did you persuade the others in theBCCI to go for it? Did India's victory in the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africaswing it for you?

You are absolutely spot-on about the scepticism for the Twenty20 format within the BCCIduring the initial phase. But at that time it led me to think more about the game and howcricket as a sport more than two centuries old had maintained its relevance. The gamehas, through the years, adapted itself to the requirements of modern entertainment,television and advertising. But it was not as simple as that.

During the planning phase of the IPL everyone at the BCCI, including myself, took a'watch and learn' approach to see how the Twenty20 format developed. Many other short-form variations of the sport were proposed over the years and the BCCI wanted to becertain of the sustainability of this format. But sustainability aside, care had to be taken notto damage the existing formats of the game. When I first conceived the Indian Premier League in 1994 I was not fully convinced aboutthe format that we would adopt and, as I mentioned earlier, was contemplating a 50-overformat. But I was certain of one thing and that was the fact that India needed a sportingleague like the NBA and NFL of the US and the English Premier League in the UK. Thesecond idea that I was toying with in my head was how sports and business could bemerged for the greater good of the game. Finally, I looked at the Twenty20 format of thegame which was pioneered by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and wasconvinced that with a few changes this format would perhaps best suit Indian and globalaudiences if packaged attractively. And that is exactly what we set about doing for the IPL. The rest, as they say, is history.Obviously, India winning the inaugural ICC WorldT20 in South Africa gave a huge boost towhat we were trying to do. The effect of India's victory was that the format became thefavored format of the game among 76 per cent of the population, which was a verysignificant change. That was when I was finally satisfied that we had created a globalcricketing entertainment product, which would generate its strength from the millions offans and sponsors alike in the years to come. Q. The IPL introduced several new dimensions to cricket; two of them are playersauction and cheerleaders. In your view, which are the other path-breaking thingsthat the IPL did? How did you think of them and how critical do you think they wereto its success?



A. If memory serves me right, the Fast Company magazine named the IPL the mostinnovative company in India in 2010, ahead of the likes of Airtel and Infosys. Importantly,the reason why we were accorded this unique accolade was that in our very first seasonitself, the IPL had created what amounted to a new economy of cricket. In fact, the IPLwas ranked the most innovative company ahead of the likes of BMW, Frito-Lay andAlibaba.com in the overall list and that was a huge honor.

All of this was possible as everything we did or attempted to do was path-breaking andinnovative, to say the least. Consider this, even before a single ball was bowled, the IPL,with its broadcast deal with MSM, was a billion dollar baby.

The IPL is a hybrid league carefully crafted to change the face of cricket in India and helpimprove the domestic game at the grassroots level. It is designed to provide opportunitiesto upcoming cricketers to showcase their talents while sharing a platform with some of theworld's best cricketers. Not to mention the mentoring that this talent would receive fromthe best coaches and support staff to help them improve their game.

The IPL also marked the first time India adopted the Twenty20 format and propagated acity-versus-city fan rivalry. It also marked the first time international players of the statureof the Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mkhaya Ntini, Daniel Vettori,Andrew Symonds, all amongst the top 100 players in the world, played for a domesticleague outside their home countries.

The IPL also marked a unique amalgamation of the country's two biggest passions, cricketand Bollywood. It was the first time a domestic cricketing event was covered live (ordeferred Live) globally.

It ushered in an era of professional sport in which a sportsman could earn a living fromthat sport, which also spawned leagues in several other sports. It also revolutionisedIndian sport by way of franchisees and ROI (return on investment) in sport-concepts thatwere hitherto never spoken of in relation to any Indian sport.

The IPL also helped expand the size of the pond as I see it -by drawing in the uninitiatedand a whole new generation of fans, and thus changed the very marketing dynamics ofthe sport. All of this was critical and path-breaking in its own way.

Q. The involvement of movie stars helped the IPL capture public imagination. Wheredid that come from and how critical a role, in your view, did it play in IPL's success?

A. Intriguingly, a lot of people have asked me if the mix of franchisees was contrived. Theanswer, though, is that our mix of Bollywood celebrities and corporate India was derivedby default thanks to a very open and transparent bidding process. Frankly, I could nothave written a better script even if I had tried. Living in India, one simply cannot underestimate the effect Bollywood and cricket have on



the Indian masses. Amalgamate the two and you have all the essential ingredients of ablockbuster hit. I cannot deny that Bollywood franchise owners and team ambassadors didplay an integral role in adding the glitz and glamour required to attract cricket fans into thestadia. But, once inside the stadia, it is the international quality of competitive cricket that has keptthe fans coming in game after game. Thus, at the very core of the IPL offering is thecricket, while the cheerleaders, the Bollywood entertainment and everything else are theperipheral packaging that makes the IPL that much more attractive to its fans. Q. Were there other interesting, innovative ideas that you chose not to implement?

A. The IPL was all about experimenting and innovating to keep it fresh and relevant to ourfans. Thus, we attempted innovative ideas every time. What worked was initiated into theleague and what did not was left out.

To be honest, if we did not think of it, we did not do it. But in my mind ideas that were goodwere the mid-innings Time Outs that many puritans had issues against. Then there wasthe live commentary by a player or umpire from the field of play that was very unique andgave viewers an on-ground perspective. We also wanted players to wear heart-rate meters that would showcase their heart rateduring high-pressure situations, like a tight last-over finish, or while a bowler ran in tobowl, or when a fielder attempted a catch. We thought the heartbeat sound, along with theheart rates on the big screens, would give spectators a unique experience. But someplayers expressed their reluctance and we respected that. Allowing cameras to followplayers into the dressing rooms before and after matches was another idea that wasfloated. But Indian viewers' sensibilities weren't attuned to that, so I vetoed it.

There were also suggestions in favour of reducing the 30-yard circle to make the gamepacier and give batsmen and fielders something else to think about. Eventually, though,that idea was scrapped because I didn't want to tamper with the fabric of the sport. Thenthere was the idea of giving online viewers an option to choose from 12 different cameraangles on YouTube. I remember the meeting in San Francisco with YouTube's top bosses.They were nervous because until then they had just live-streamed an hour-long U2concert and wanted to have just the one extra camera view. Realising their apprehension,I acquiesced, but set up an entire production unit to create a consolidated feed forYouTube - the Fun Feed, which was a huge hit among online viewers.

Twitter approached me with the intention to be a part of the IPL. I suggested we do liveball-by-ball commentary with hyperlinks to every delivery in video. I even roped in asponsor, but Twitter wasn't ready to sign off on a two-year non-revenue sharing deal.



Q. Was the final product, the IPL, as you had visualised it? Were there surprises?Did you face obstacles? How did you overcome them?

A. I was, back then, like an expectant father optimistic and quietly confident that once mybaby took its first fledgling steps into the world, it would grow from strength to strength.But to say that the IPL turned out exactly as I had visualized, that would not be true,especially, given that the IPL has turned into a global phenomenon. I had no doubt that ifwe built on the IPL platform year-on-year, we would have a format that could revolutionisethe way cricket was played, watched and followed globally.

To say that there were no surprises and obstacles, again, would be inaccurate. Therewere many detractors even within the BCCI that thought that the IPL would neversucceed. There were question marks over the Twenty20 format and whether Indianswould like it or not. There were questions over whether the Top 100 cricketers wouldparticipate in what essentially was a domestic league. There were doubts about whetherthe on-field action would be as intense and passionate as a one-day international. Therewere question marks on whether Indian audiences, which do not turn out in large numbersto encourage a state side in domestic cricket, would turn out to cheer a city-basedfranchise to which they had no allegiance. These were obviously just a few of theobstacles we had to face head-on and surmount.

These internal questions aside, there were other obstacles, like the terrorist attacks inMumbai and bomb blasts outside the stadium in Bengaluru. Players and fans also neededto be assured of their safety and security. The move to South Africa in the face of theIndian general elections was par for the course, as we had set out to achieve an objectiveclosely linked to the larger good of the game in India. My simple formula was that I nevertook no for an answer. Sometimes believing in what you want actually pushes you to dothe impossible.

Q. What role did Steve Ross, Stefan Szymanski, and Ian Preston played in the IPL'sdevelopment? What made you choose to work with them?

A. I ended up brainstorming with many people and most of the league commissionersfrom across the world before developing the IPL concept. Q. Shifting the IPL to South Africa in the second season was a stupendous feat.How did you pull it off? I know it is not possible to capture it in an email like this,but can you please mention some critical issues that faced you and how youhandled them?

A. Conducting the second season of the IPL was a commitment that the BCCI had madeto our franchise owners, broadcast partners and sponsors, and fans of the IPL worldwide,especially since all of them had embraced and loved the IPL in its first season. SouthAfrica emerged as the favorite mainly due to its amazing weather, which was better



compared to England's.

Once the BCCI decided on South Africa, we set about roping in the finest strategicpartners there. Frankly, it was all about believing in the team we had. IMG was fantasticand all our strategic partners in South Africa hit the ground running from day one. CSA(South Africa's cricket board) was simply fantastic and with its help we were ready tostage Season 2009. I would not say that there were no hitches along the way, but all ourpreparation for Season 2009 in India did pay off immensely. We worked with the bestadvertising agency and the best event and entertainment agency to put on a cricketcarnival like never before. My team worked night and day to execute a near flawlessSeason 2.

More important was the manner in which the South African cricket fans embraced the IPLand let us into their hearts and homes, which was simply fantastic. It was heartwarming tosee young and old cricket fans flock to the stadia and cheer teams from India. All thiswhen the South African season was over, .the wickets were tired, and rain threatened us.But the South African fans we managed to attract to the stadia were second to none andtheir love for world-class cricket was unparalleled. Having said that, I must say that without the support and cooperation of the South AfricanGovernment nothing would have been possible. Q. Why did you take such stern action against Mr. Chandra's ICL? That promptedpeople to levy charges of being anti-competitive. Could both ICL and IPL haveexisted in harmony?

A. As I have said earlier, the ICL was an unrecognised and unauthorised league, whichhad no sanction either from the BCCI or the International Cricket Council. To put it simply,the ICL was illegal in every sense of the word. Furthermore, the ICL had players past theirprime playing in it and nowhere near the Top 100 cricketers of the world that graced theIPL stage. Thus, any comparisons are immaterial.

Q. A lot has happened in the last few years at the IPL. What are the things, which, inyour view, should not have happened? If you were still running it, how differentwould it be compared to the form it has today?

A. I feel very pained that Mr. N. Srinivasan has brought the BCCI to such a state that theapex court of India, namely the Supreme Court, had to step in and take decisions for andon behalf of the IPL. It is critical that the Supreme Court does everything in its power toclean up the mess that is Indian cricket today. This is something I would never have lethappen.Mr. N. Srinivasan has been running the Board as his own personal fiefdom and it is easyeven for a layperson to see just how power hungry he has become.



The Supreme Court has thankfully seen through the ugly faÃ§ade that was the new three-member committee put together by the BCCI at the Emergent Meeting held on Sunday -such is the rot that has set in within the BCCI.

I ask you, did you, during my tenure, hear even one single allegation of match fixingcoming to the fore?

If you have read the Justice Mudgal report you would clearly see what I am saying. All thiswhile I alone have been the voice of reason talking openly and publicly about things likeconflict of interest in terms of Mr. N. Srinivasan's ownership of CSK and him being anoffice bearer in the BCCI. I have also been rebuking the ludicrous theory of Mr. GurunathMeiyappan being simply a cricket enthusiast and not an owner. Who else has been talkingas openly and publicly about the malaise of spot-fixing and the cover-ups by players andadministrators to safeguard the interests of a few?

We need to understand the implications and ramifications of all of this, which are far-reaching indeed. It is critical that we now work hard to restore the faith of the Indian cricketfan in the sport, as that is currently, in my estimate, at an all-time low.

Q. What could have been done to keep the IPL clean and free of controversy?A. We have the benefit of hindsight now and so it would be easy to say what I would havedone had I been in the BCCI. But the real question is, now that we know what is wrong,what can we do to set things right? It is critical that we all do our utmost to purge Indiancricket of the malaise that ails it and all the rot that has set in. Once the cleaning is done, itwould be left to the cricketers to take the gentleman's game forward with the respect anddignity it deserves. Q. The IPL gets blamed for many things: too much money spoiling youngcricketers, an erosion of skill, etc. How do you react to this?

A. It is common for people to pull you down every time they get a chance, and so wheneveryone blames the IPL for all that is wrong, I simply stand up and say please also lookat what the IPL has helped achieve.I have always maintained that at the beginning when there were no takers for IPLfranchises I did seek out friends and asked them to invest in the concept. But it is onlynow that we have managed to make the IPL a global success the questions of makingmoney arise. What if the IPL had failed? Would you have raised the same question again?

Every international cricketer worth his salt today wants to play in the IPL-why? The IPL isalready a trend-setter for the game of cricket globally and a global brand that will neverdie. It has been built with a solid foundation and despite all the controversies it willcontinue to spread and hold its own. People like Mr. Srinivasan may come and go but thetournament will continue to flourish.



Proof of that is the fact that other cricket playing counties are trying hard to replicate themagic of the IPL without success. Thus, instead of looking at the negatives, it is criticalthat we look at the positives and what we have achieved with the IPL.

Q. Cricket seems to be becoming more and more reliant on money from television.Is that a healthy thing? What can be done about it? Should anything be done aboutit?

A. Why Cricket? Any sports administrator worth his salt will tell you that all sports arereliant on broadcaster monies for a solid foundation. Only then can that sport grow. It isthen up to the broadcaster and the association to work together to grow the popularity ofthe sport and attract new fans to the fold. The more the eyeballs, the more advertisingrevenues, all of which are intermeshed and critical for any sport worldwide to grow fromstrength to strength.

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people like mr. srinivasan may come and go but ipl will continue to flourish' : business today

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