HoneY
MaaPeya Da LaaDLa
The show will go on
5 May 2008,
In less than three years at the helm, he has built a world-class stadium and a state-of-the-art academy in Jaipur. Lalit Modi, president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association, has bigger dreams for his adopted city. Modi is, of course, the blue-eyed boy of Indian cricket thanks to his role as IPL commissioner. He is mighty pleased to see the league's success but he is not too happy with the way all the controversies - starting from the brouhaha over cheerleaders, the Harbhajan-Sreesanth spat and Shane Warne's scathing attack on Sourav Ganguly - have been blown out of proportion. According to him, this year's IPL is a first-hand experience for his team and from next year onwards, the event will be streamlined with the IPL governing body having complete control . In a freewheeling chat with the TOI , Modi spoke about his dream project. Excerpts:
Do you think the BCCI has been guilty of shielding a player like Harbhajan Singh in the past?
Not really. The incident which happened last year during the Australian tour cannot be compared with anything else. But that was the time when the Indian cricketers backed Harbhajan because he didn't make any racial abuse. The BCCI was correct in supporting the players and, of course, Harbhajan. That was the time when the board couldn't have kept quiet. But the moment that same cricketer was found guilty of slapping an Indian teammate, the IPL swung into action and within 48 hours took a decision. This is the highest penalty imposed on any cricketer in the world, thus sending a strong message that the Indian cricket board will support a player when necessary, but will deal harshly with the same player if he does something wrong.
After the Harbhajan-Sreesanth spat, the IPL banned umpire Saheba for speaking out of turn too. Why was Sreesanth spared?
Skirmishes happen on the field. These cricketers are aggressive and play for their teams with a lot of pride and at times, they do get carried away. From IPL's point of view, if we find that there is any evidence against that player, we are prompt in taking action. In Sreesanth's case, the match referee didn't find any visual evidence against the fast bowler to penalise him and so the IPL acted on Farokh Engineer's verdict by just reprimanding him. In future, if the BCCI finds some evidence against the same cricketer, he will be punished and we will not compromise on that.
Was there any pressure on Harbhajan Singh to plead guilty?
Not at all. He knew what he did on the field was wrong and accordingly pleaded guilty. But I am confident that he will be a different cricketer altogether when he makes a comeback to the IPL next season. He will come back strong and show the world what he is capable of.
Will BCCI be soft on Harbhajan when the disciplinary committee takes a call on his future?
I am not a part of the BCCI committee that will deal with the Harbhajan issue. But I am sure that the Indian cricket board will take into account the punishment doled out to him by the IPL.
Some of the icon players are not in the thick of things. How do you perceive it?
You can't really say that. In this kind of format, you cannot really be a champion performer all the time. Sourav has done well for his team, Rahul is doing his bit, Yuvraj is also scoring some runs for Punjab and even Sehwag is performing in almost every match. It is only Sachin Tendulkar who is out of action. In fact, I spoke to him the other day and he said that he would come and play in the IPL as soon as he can. We are all waiting for him to grace this event. Even his fans in Mumbai are getting impatient. I am sure the day he comes back to the field, we all are going to have a blast.
With some of the key players from Australia, New Zealand and West Indies leaving the scene, don't you think the IPL's popularity will take a beating?
I don't think so. The balance of the teams is changing, new strategies are being formulated, some of the big foreign players are competing with each other to make it to the final XI. So, this tournament is evolving with time and I am sure people are not going to get bored. It's just getting bigger every day.
If the Bollywood stars stay away from the IPL, do you think the event will lose its glamour?
Where is the question of these Bollywood stars leaving the event? They are here to stay. You have Shah Rukh Khan as one of the franchises and he is quite excited. It's all about bringing more glamour to the game. Look, if you see Shah Rukh standing up and cheering for every shot, the entire stadium will be up on its feet too. The atmosphere is electric during such moments. The fans wave with the stars and entire stadium is filled with passion.
Is the city-loyalty factor really working?
I think it will take years to do that. But to my surprise, the city loyalties are actually working very well. Can you imagine the crowd cheering the dismissal of an Indian cricketer by a foreigner? It's all happening in the IPL. With time, I am confident more and more people are going to get associated with their city teams. After all, it is a hit.
What is your take on the cheerleaders controversy?
Cheerleaders are here to stay. But if a franchisee decides to do away with them, I can't really say much. It's their prerogative. Even though, there was a condition to have cheerleaders in every match, some people with vested interests are trying to spoil the fun. But if you look at the history of cheerleaders, their presence adds glitter to the event. But the game of Twenty20 itself is so exciting I don't know how and why people try and focus on other things. I try and look at it with a positive mindset. There is no point blowing such things out of proportion.
Are you surprised that a city like Jaipur has not evoked much protest when compared to big cities like Mumbai and Delhi?
Yes, I am surprised. But let me tell you that Jaipur is one of the most happening places in India. It's close to the Capital and is one of the biggest tourist centres in the world. People are open-minded like in big cities and they like enjoying the game of cricket with a bit of dancing.
Going by IPL's initial success, do you think the franchises will break even in the first year?
No franchisee can break even in the first year. You have got to understand that this concept is a long-time property. Once you have bought a team, you own that team forever. This is how it works.
When are we going to see more teams in the IPL? And will there be any English players as well?
We are going to have eight teams for the next three years. But as far as English players' coming and playing in the IPL, I hope it happens. I sincerely hope they come and play the T20 league here.
What happened to the Champions League?
The Champions League is going to happen too. After this year's IPL, I am going to sit with all the cricket board representatives this October and decide on the Champions League format and see to it that we can host the event in a place conducive to all. It will be run by India and hopefully, we are going to get the same response as we are getting from the IPL. After all, it's not an easy job to get all elements together. Today, if people are talking about the IPL, it is because a lot of people are chipping in with some real hard work behind the scenes, which a layman won't notice. After every match, we are preparing a report card and keeping track on a daily basis. The moment this tournament gets over, we are going to sit together to streamline this event even more from next year and make sure that it is entirely controlled by the IPL. I have been hearing that there are too many people around and a lot of time is lost co-ordinating with them. In August, we are going to sit with all the organisers and franchises concerned to discuss the playing conditions, issues related to the players, logistics and ticket sales. We are all learning how to manage such a big event. There are a few members in my team who are not even getting enough sleep at night.
Can other countries host an event like the IPL?
Why not? I am sure that the other countries can host such a tournament. But it depends on how much television revenue can be generated and whether the league can sustain in the market.
Are you surprised that Team Jaipur has done well so far in the IPL?
Of course, I am surprised. When the auction took place, there was murmur in the hall that my city team was the weakest. Now, it seems they are one of the strongest contenders and I will not be surprised if this team goes on to win the IPL. Initially, they didn't have star players but now guys like Graeme Smith, Dimitri Mascarenhas and Shane Watson are doing exceedingly well. Leading from the front, Warne has been such a revelation and has set some good standards for himself and his team. So, as far as I am concerned, it's Jaipur all the way.
Did you talk to Warne and Ganguly after last week's incident?
Yes, I did. Both were disappointed when they heard about their fines, but they also admitted that they were wrong. Hopefully, this kind of incident will not happen again on the field.
5 May 2008,
In less than three years at the helm, he has built a world-class stadium and a state-of-the-art academy in Jaipur. Lalit Modi, president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association, has bigger dreams for his adopted city. Modi is, of course, the blue-eyed boy of Indian cricket thanks to his role as IPL commissioner. He is mighty pleased to see the league's success but he is not too happy with the way all the controversies - starting from the brouhaha over cheerleaders, the Harbhajan-Sreesanth spat and Shane Warne's scathing attack on Sourav Ganguly - have been blown out of proportion. According to him, this year's IPL is a first-hand experience for his team and from next year onwards, the event will be streamlined with the IPL governing body having complete control . In a freewheeling chat with the TOI , Modi spoke about his dream project. Excerpts:
Do you think the BCCI has been guilty of shielding a player like Harbhajan Singh in the past?
Not really. The incident which happened last year during the Australian tour cannot be compared with anything else. But that was the time when the Indian cricketers backed Harbhajan because he didn't make any racial abuse. The BCCI was correct in supporting the players and, of course, Harbhajan. That was the time when the board couldn't have kept quiet. But the moment that same cricketer was found guilty of slapping an Indian teammate, the IPL swung into action and within 48 hours took a decision. This is the highest penalty imposed on any cricketer in the world, thus sending a strong message that the Indian cricket board will support a player when necessary, but will deal harshly with the same player if he does something wrong.
After the Harbhajan-Sreesanth spat, the IPL banned umpire Saheba for speaking out of turn too. Why was Sreesanth spared?
Skirmishes happen on the field. These cricketers are aggressive and play for their teams with a lot of pride and at times, they do get carried away. From IPL's point of view, if we find that there is any evidence against that player, we are prompt in taking action. In Sreesanth's case, the match referee didn't find any visual evidence against the fast bowler to penalise him and so the IPL acted on Farokh Engineer's verdict by just reprimanding him. In future, if the BCCI finds some evidence against the same cricketer, he will be punished and we will not compromise on that.
Was there any pressure on Harbhajan Singh to plead guilty?
Not at all. He knew what he did on the field was wrong and accordingly pleaded guilty. But I am confident that he will be a different cricketer altogether when he makes a comeback to the IPL next season. He will come back strong and show the world what he is capable of.
Will BCCI be soft on Harbhajan when the disciplinary committee takes a call on his future?
I am not a part of the BCCI committee that will deal with the Harbhajan issue. But I am sure that the Indian cricket board will take into account the punishment doled out to him by the IPL.
Some of the icon players are not in the thick of things. How do you perceive it?
You can't really say that. In this kind of format, you cannot really be a champion performer all the time. Sourav has done well for his team, Rahul is doing his bit, Yuvraj is also scoring some runs for Punjab and even Sehwag is performing in almost every match. It is only Sachin Tendulkar who is out of action. In fact, I spoke to him the other day and he said that he would come and play in the IPL as soon as he can. We are all waiting for him to grace this event. Even his fans in Mumbai are getting impatient. I am sure the day he comes back to the field, we all are going to have a blast.
With some of the key players from Australia, New Zealand and West Indies leaving the scene, don't you think the IPL's popularity will take a beating?
I don't think so. The balance of the teams is changing, new strategies are being formulated, some of the big foreign players are competing with each other to make it to the final XI. So, this tournament is evolving with time and I am sure people are not going to get bored. It's just getting bigger every day.
If the Bollywood stars stay away from the IPL, do you think the event will lose its glamour?
Where is the question of these Bollywood stars leaving the event? They are here to stay. You have Shah Rukh Khan as one of the franchises and he is quite excited. It's all about bringing more glamour to the game. Look, if you see Shah Rukh standing up and cheering for every shot, the entire stadium will be up on its feet too. The atmosphere is electric during such moments. The fans wave with the stars and entire stadium is filled with passion.
Is the city-loyalty factor really working?
I think it will take years to do that. But to my surprise, the city loyalties are actually working very well. Can you imagine the crowd cheering the dismissal of an Indian cricketer by a foreigner? It's all happening in the IPL. With time, I am confident more and more people are going to get associated with their city teams. After all, it is a hit.
What is your take on the cheerleaders controversy?
Cheerleaders are here to stay. But if a franchisee decides to do away with them, I can't really say much. It's their prerogative. Even though, there was a condition to have cheerleaders in every match, some people with vested interests are trying to spoil the fun. But if you look at the history of cheerleaders, their presence adds glitter to the event. But the game of Twenty20 itself is so exciting I don't know how and why people try and focus on other things. I try and look at it with a positive mindset. There is no point blowing such things out of proportion.
Are you surprised that a city like Jaipur has not evoked much protest when compared to big cities like Mumbai and Delhi?
Yes, I am surprised. But let me tell you that Jaipur is one of the most happening places in India. It's close to the Capital and is one of the biggest tourist centres in the world. People are open-minded like in big cities and they like enjoying the game of cricket with a bit of dancing.
Going by IPL's initial success, do you think the franchises will break even in the first year?
No franchisee can break even in the first year. You have got to understand that this concept is a long-time property. Once you have bought a team, you own that team forever. This is how it works.
When are we going to see more teams in the IPL? And will there be any English players as well?
We are going to have eight teams for the next three years. But as far as English players' coming and playing in the IPL, I hope it happens. I sincerely hope they come and play the T20 league here.
What happened to the Champions League?
The Champions League is going to happen too. After this year's IPL, I am going to sit with all the cricket board representatives this October and decide on the Champions League format and see to it that we can host the event in a place conducive to all. It will be run by India and hopefully, we are going to get the same response as we are getting from the IPL. After all, it's not an easy job to get all elements together. Today, if people are talking about the IPL, it is because a lot of people are chipping in with some real hard work behind the scenes, which a layman won't notice. After every match, we are preparing a report card and keeping track on a daily basis. The moment this tournament gets over, we are going to sit together to streamline this event even more from next year and make sure that it is entirely controlled by the IPL. I have been hearing that there are too many people around and a lot of time is lost co-ordinating with them. In August, we are going to sit with all the organisers and franchises concerned to discuss the playing conditions, issues related to the players, logistics and ticket sales. We are all learning how to manage such a big event. There are a few members in my team who are not even getting enough sleep at night.
Can other countries host an event like the IPL?
Why not? I am sure that the other countries can host such a tournament. But it depends on how much television revenue can be generated and whether the league can sustain in the market.
Are you surprised that Team Jaipur has done well so far in the IPL?
Of course, I am surprised. When the auction took place, there was murmur in the hall that my city team was the weakest. Now, it seems they are one of the strongest contenders and I will not be surprised if this team goes on to win the IPL. Initially, they didn't have star players but now guys like Graeme Smith, Dimitri Mascarenhas and Shane Watson are doing exceedingly well. Leading from the front, Warne has been such a revelation and has set some good standards for himself and his team. So, as far as I am concerned, it's Jaipur all the way.
Did you talk to Warne and Ganguly after last week's incident?
Yes, I did. Both were disappointed when they heard about their fines, but they also admitted that they were wrong. Hopefully, this kind of incident will not happen again on the field.
