The BCCI administrators are not losing sleep at the prospect of state associations demanding payments to host this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) matches and part with infrastructure. The Board's current caretakers are of the view that the Supreme Court will step in and issue clarifications if required.
TOI had reported on Tuesday that state associations were intending to convey to the SC-appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) that they will have to be paid a total of Rs60 lakh per game -Rs30 lakh from the franchise and Rs30 lakh from the BCCI, as per the rules laid down -to host matches and part with infrastructure.
Money would be the last of COA's headaches because the regulations clearly state that the franchises are expected to pay their share of the stipulated amount to their respective state association a day before the scheduled game while the BCCI makes the entire payment to the association two weeks after the conclu sion of the tournament.
“By then, the Supreme Court can clearly take a call on it, if the associations do make any such demands,“ an official tracking developments on part of the BCCI said.
However, it is not the money that is making the organisers of the money-spinning league sweat.Their worry is the thought that given the “ugly“ battle ensuing between the COA and the state associations, the latter may not hold back in going to lengths such as interfering with the IPL.
“If they even think of touching the IPL, it'll be a disaster. Consider this: Even for the sake of an argument, if the 2017 IPL is not held, BCCI will incur losses in excess of Rs2500 crore. It'll be bankrupt,“ is how the official put it. The current set of administrators find it hard to believe that an “association that has assets and fixed deposits to the tune of Rs250 crore are thinking of not hosting IPL games because it wants guarantee to a payment of just Rs4 crore“. State associations stand to earn Rs4.2 crore (Rs60 lakh per match) for all league matches scheduled to be hosted. Of that money , Rs2.1 crore (Rs30 lakh) is paid by the franchises and the remaining half by the BCCI.
“These are tactics which the COA understands very well now.Let's not forget that the SC is watching,“ the official added.
Given the nature of the beast that the IPL is, and given the machinery that works on it year after year, the COA too found it prudent to leave the property in the hands of professionals who've been running the tournament for years now. Sources informed TOI that the COA was, in fact, left “mighty impressed“ by certain individuals who are at the helm of affairs where the league is concerned and are convinced that they are best placed to carry on conducting the tournament.
Courtesy: The Times of India