BCCI, corrupt as they are, are a very good controlling organization as far as the game of cricket is concerned. They have a very good structured administration, good negotiators, good marketing people, good lobbyists and a good bully to boot. Now that they are reforming themselves, the game of cricket is going to see better days in India.
AIFF on the other hand are myopic, lethargic, disorganized bunch of people who cannot pull themselves together for any purpose. All they were interested into were to siphon off various grants from FIFA. They did not have any capabilities to improve I-league or launch ISL by themselves, so sold themselves to the devil. And now they are marginalized in the sport they are supposed to control. Though I don't think they regret it as long as they keep on getting their share of the loot.
We need the prime minister to put someone of his trustee incharge of sports and sports federations like he has done for swachh Bharat. The sports bill was a great start by UPA govt but never got tabled. The reality is that when 40% of country is malnourished and doesn't have acccess to school and toilets...no govt wants to take up sports as an issue.....
However the sports industry if properly run can employ thousands like in usa (not only sportsmen but groundsmen,stadia management,logistics,service industry etc) but we are at least a decade away from it.......
China could do it faster as the govt realised the benefits of sportswhile our politicians prefer instant headlines....eg our prime minister should have asked for help from australia/japan/germany to help set up domestic and regional leagues modelled after their own leagues rather than the BRICS cup which I believe has little long term value....we need a healthy india/fitter india campaign
BCCI has been managing cricket encashing bigger then life image of big superstars of Indian Cricket in last 15 years or so. Now it is back to the Drawing Board. Hopefully new players will come and India will do well. Again success in T20 is not a parameter. Players like Axar Patel or Ravindra Jadeja will not go far in Test Cricket which is the real test. I know many plastic fans of Cricket who only wanted to see "Sachin ki Century" and nothing else.
The current situation of cricket is due to lack of good players like Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid, Kumble, laxman, etc. Most of the current crickets have a very limited quality and moreover a very small shelf life. Until and unless you have few icon players in any game, it will be difficult to generate revenue. Financially, Indian cricket is going to regress till some quality player emerges.
As is said "an army marches on its stomach", a sport thrives as long as the sponsors are willing to pour in. Cricket sponsorship, after getting overheated for few years and getting cooled down to some extent recently, is not showing any signs of stagnation, or reduction. Shirt sponsorship, telecasting deals, title sponsorship are still way over the top. India is firmly in grip of cricket madness (well, at least commercially) in the foreseeable future. Corporate world is not seeing any red signal over it, and they are not complaining.
Comments
AIFF on the other hand are myopic, lethargic, disorganized bunch of people who cannot pull themselves together for any purpose. All they were interested into were to siphon off various grants from FIFA. They did not have any capabilities to improve I-league or launch ISL by themselves, so sold themselves to the devil. And now they are marginalized in the sport they are supposed to control. Though I don't think they regret it as long as they keep on getting their share of the loot.
However the sports industry if properly run can employ thousands like in usa (not only sportsmen but groundsmen,stadia management,logistics,service industry etc) but we are at least a decade away from it.......
China could do it faster as the govt realised the benefits of sportswhile our politicians prefer instant headlines....eg our prime minister should have asked for help from australia/japan/germany to help set up domestic and regional leagues modelled after their own leagues rather than the BRICS cup which I believe has little long term value....we need a healthy india/fitter india campaign
But main thing is 1983 world cup turned cricket fortune in India..
Hope one day.. this happens to football.. all good days... at max expecting Champions tag in Asia..