No sponsor in sight, BCCI extends Sahara contract

MUMBAI: Struggling to find a new sponsor for the Indian cricket team, the BCCI, on Wednesday, decided to extend its existing contract with Sahara by another six months.

After a meeting of the Marketing Committee presided over by president Shashank Manohar, BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said the board has decided to extend the team sponsorship contract of Sahara by six months on the existing terms and conditions.

"Before the expiry of the extension period, a fresh tender would be issued, inviting bids for the same," Srinivasan said.

He also announced that the title and ground rights for India's two Twenty20 International matches against Sri Lanka have been awarded to the World Sports Group at Rs. 3.15 crores per match.

With the existing contract coming to an end on December 31 and no other companies coming forward, the BCCI had to extend the contract by another six months by which they plan to rope in a new sponsor.

Sahara had signed a four-year-deal in 2006 for Rs 313.80 crores.

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Who's BCCI's official spokesman?

The BCCI has been caught on a sticky wicket as the Shiv Sena versus Sachin Tendulkar ‘war’ rages on needlessly.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India, seemingly a cohesive unit, looks to be a house divided on the Shiv Sena-Sachin Tendulkar issue. A BCCI e-mail sent to media organisations around 7 PM on Sunday probably indicates BCCI’s bigwigs are not always on the same page.

In a terse email, the BCCI said: “Mr Shashank Manohar, the President of the BCCI, has clarified that Mr Rajeev Shukla has reacted to the comments made by the Shiv Sena on Sachin Tendulkar, in his individual capacity, and not on behalf of the BCCI.”

In spite of being the BCCI boss, Manohar is probably the most inconspicuous personality in the current set of high-profile BCCI officials. He is the least seen ‘face’ of one of the world’s richest sports bodies. Thus, his unexpected e-mail indicates a serious “identity” crisis within the Board, or was it a “being politically correct” tactic?

As part of the media, we have almost always ‘ran’ to Rajeev Shukla for “quotes” on anything that vaguely associates with cricket. Shukla is normally media-savvy and hence is taken as the “voice” of the BCCI. On Sunday, when scribes were seeking reactions on Shiva Sena’s latest attack on Tendulkar, Shukla was obvioiusly the media’s first “target.”

True to his style, Shukla obliged. As the BCCI’s finance committee chairman, does Shukla have the authority to speak on issues apart from may be, finance? But in a scenario where the BCCI doesn’t have well-defined norms of venting its thoughts, the ever-hungry media has always seen Shukla as one of BCCI’s best “spokespersons” who gives “newsy” sound bytes.

Exactly a week ago, when the Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray criticized Tendulkar’s “Mumbai for all” comment, Shukla gave the “official” BCCI reaction saying: "It is completely uncalled for. They (Shiv Sena) have no business to talk like this. Tell me what crime Sachin has done? What is wrong in saying that 'I am an Indian and Mumbai belongs to all'... No Marathi will support Shiv Sena if they talk like this."

That day, there was no email from Manohar’s office. Given Sena’s (big) catlike instincts, is the Nagpur-based Manohar just playing safe from a political standpoint? Seems so.

Sunday’s reactions from Shukla, picked up by all and sundry, were on similar (anti-Shiv Sena) lines. Hence the BCCI mail rejecting Shukla’s reactions as “unofficial” is confounding.

The BCCI, unlike the cricket Boards of Australia, England or the ICC, lacks a professional unit that can handle the media. Any senior official is a “spokesperson” and there is just no control of who says what. Sunday’s email from the BCCI clearly exposes that.

In this vicious race for BREAKING NEWS and EXCLUSIVES, the media will obviously target “anyone who speaks”. It is not the reporter’s fault because it is his job to “hunt’ for stories and reactions. But organisations like the BCCI should know how to handle the media. A media cell’s job is much more than just spelling out “media accreditation” process, handing out team lists and team news.

Even in the days of Jagmohan Dalmiya and or AC Muthiah, both BCCI presidents not so long ago, there would never be “multiple” spokespersons. Shukla has been in the BCCI for long. He will know that. Today, it is a free-for-all and hence the serious identity crisis.

Tailpiece: Shiv Sena’s ploy to play-off Tendulkar with Gavaskar is interesting. Recently, the two Little Masters shared a stage with the Big B and Gundappa Viswanath. Since sports has mixed with politics, will Mr Gavaskar take the “war of words” to the Sena camp? We shall see!

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BCCI told to reschedule Services vs J-K tie

Jammu: Fresh dates should be fixed for the match in Srinagar that was cancelled after the Services team withdrew on grounds of security, Home Minister P Chidambaram said here on Wednesday.

He also said that the apology offered by the Services team, which represents the armed forces, to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), should be accepted.

Chidambaram, who is on a daylong visit to Jammu and Kashmir, said he had spoken to Defence Minister AK Antony after he learnt about the Services team backing out of Tuesday's Ranji Trophy match in Srinagar.

"Services have offered apology and I think this should be accepted and fresh dates should be picked up for the match," he said.

The BCCI has already thrown out the Services team from this year's Ranji Trophy championships.

In response to the ban on prepaid mobile services in the state, he said the media should not "hype... any of our decisions".

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PCB chief off to India to revive ties

LAHORE: PCB chief Ijaz Butt left for India on Wednesday to hold talks with his counterparts, apparently to revive bilateral ties snapped a year ago following the Mumbai terror attacks.

The Indian team refused to play a tour against Pakistan early this year amid heightened tension between Islamabad and New Delhi after the Mumbai attacks last year blamed on Pakistan-based militants which killed 166 people.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) had to re-draft the Future Tour Programme (FTP) after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) complained of being marginalised in the post-2012 schedule, having no series with India.

The FTP, introduced in 2006, aims to provide a structured schedule of cricket for the 10 member countries.

PCB chairman Butt refused to disclose the agenda of his tour.

"I am going to India, but at this point of time I am not going to make any comment and once things mature only then will I be able to speak," said Butt, whose tour is widely reported as an attempt to revive ties.

Butt last month said that the new FTP had Tests, one-dayers and Twenty20 matches with India.

"Not only Pakistan and India, but the ICC is also making efforts to revive bilateral ties between the two countries as it is imperative that we play against each other in the FTP and we will discuss the option of neutral venues," Butt said.

PCB chief operating officer Wasim Bari also reportedly hinted India was willing to talk on playing Pakistan at neutral venues.

Three months after India cancelled its tour, international cricket was dealt a near-fatal blow when the Sri Lankan team bus was attacked in Lahore.

The March 3 attacks, which killed eight people besides injuring seven Sri Lankan players and an official, ended any hopes of Pakistan staging top level cricket in the foreseeable future.

The ICC was forced to strip Pakistan of its share of 2011 World Cup matches.

Even before the attacks foreign teams had refused to tour Pakistan because of security fears.

In the last 12 months, Pakistan played one-dayers against the West Indies and Australia in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan will also play New Zealand in a limited over series in the UAE next month.

Pakistan were forced to move their home Test series to New Zealand late in November and will play two Tests against Australia in England next year.

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Kapil Dev lashes out at BCCI

Kapil Dev came down heavily on the BCCI for sacking bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad and fielding coach Robin Singh.

Former India captain on Monday said that the duo were sacked without looking into the good work they had done for the team.

Kapil said both Prasad and Robin were doing a good job for the team and if they were sacked for the poor performance of the team then the manager should also have been held responsible.

"Both of them (Prasad and Robin) have done a good job for the team. The Board should have removed manager of the team also holding him responsible for poor performance of the team in Champions Trophy," Kapil told PTI.

"The basis of removal from the post should be on performance criteria. Why there should be a sword hanging over those who are giving good result?" he asked.

He said Australia were no doubt the better side in the first one-dayer in Vadodara.

"I think the team which performed better won the match and the Australians were the better side that is why they won in Vadodara," he said.

"The team needs to concentrate in each department of the game to win the seven one-day series against Australia and emerge as a force to reckon with," he added.

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Indian cricket TV deal down Rs 800cr

MUMBAI: In the post-IPL environment, BCCI’s revenue from other cricket matches played in India is set to dip. Nimbus, which has again bagged the broadcast rights for cricket to be played in India over the next four years starting April 2010, is set to pay BCCI at least $187 million (Rs 800 crore) less than what it paid for the current deal.

Nimbus had bought the rights in 2005 for $612m (Rs 2,800 crore), but will pay $425m (Rs 2,000 crore) this time.

Nimbus was given the first right of refusal according to the contract signed in 2005, hence the renewed deal. By awarding Nimbus the contract, the board has ensured other players like ESPN-Star and Sony are not in contention.
The contract covers all domestic and international matches in India except IPL and the 2011 World Cup.

The BCCI is all set to give the TV rights to Nimbus for another four-year term starting April 2010. BCCI officials, though, wouldn’t comment on the renewed deal while Nimbus head Harish Thawani said, "It is premature and speculative to comment (on the intricacies of the deal) as of now."

It is learned that the BCCI has set a deadline of January 15, 2010 for Nimbus to pay around one-third of the total sum as guarantee money (Rs 600 crore) to seal the deal.

According to the new deal, it is learnt, Nimbus will have to pay BCCI Rs 31.5 crore for every international match (Test or ODI) to be played in India between 2010 to 2014.

Between 2005 and 2009, there were close to 16 Test matches and 52 ODIs which Nimbus could broadcast and until 2012 (after which a new Future Tours Program of the ICC comes in place) there are another seven Tests and 21 ODIs in the queue.

"The rights have been sold for a much lesser amount but that was expected. Today, IPL and newer events like Champions League have held spectator interest. All other ICC tournament rights are held by ESPN-Star (including the 2011 World Cup). No one wants to watch Ranji and Duleep trophies where the field is weak," said an industry insider.

A source said, "Looking at the pricing of the deal now, it is finally where Jagmohan Dalmiya, the then-BCCI president, had pegged it in 2004 before he was ousted."

The renewed contract will also allow Nimbus exclusive rights over Indian domestic tournaments including the Ranji, Duleep and Deodhar trophies, Challenger Series, the Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 Cup and the Corporate Trophy. BCCI, along with Nimbus, had tried to spice up the Indian domestic circuit a bit by introducing coloured clothing, day-night matches and live coverage to improve spectator interest, which had reached an all-time low.

However, in the last four years, tournaments like the Ranji and Duleep were still to find many takers. This, in turn, led to poor TRPs which affected Nimbus. There were delays in payments and stories about sponsors not paying in time did the rounds. Nimbus, in reply, argued that the board often didn’t honour the deal as far as exclusivity of events was concerned.

Against this backdrop, it is indeed surprising that the board has opted for Nimbus again. Lalit Modi, BCCI vice-president, wasn’t present at Tuesday’s all-important marketing committee meeting held in Mumbai.


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Nimbus retain rights for cricket in India - reports

The rights to India's home international games for four years from April 2010 have been provisionally awarded to Nimbus Communications for Rs. 2000 crore (US$431 million), according to media reports. The condition attached, the reports say, is that Nimbus must furnish a guarantee by January.

Till late on Tuesday evening the Indian board had not issued an official statement on the decision.

Nimbus, one of India's leading television marketing companies, holds the rights at present, for which it paid $612 million - subsequently renegotiated to $549 million - in February 2006 for a deal that ends next March.

Reports say the new deal, finalised by the BCCI's marketing committee, will see Nimbus paying Rs.31.5 crores (US$6.8 million) for each international match, including Tests, Twenty20 internationals and ODIs. However, it is not clear how many matches India will be playing in that period, given that the current Future Tours Programme ends in 2012 and the next one has not yet been made public.

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After selection, BCCI says nothing at all

New Delhi: Does India's cricket establishment really respect its most prized possessions, the players? At least in the way Rahul Dravid, Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh were shown the door, that doesn't seem to be the case. Once again, no explanations were offered, and little respect shown to the men discarded.

In a cruel twist, on the day he was dumped from the Indian one-day team, Dravid had to turn out for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Champions League, and did a great job of blocking the disappointment out, making 33 in 35 balls. And when in the field, he even allowed himself to be miked up and have a chat with the commentators.

The big question, of course, is was Dravid told beforehand that he was no longer needed in the one-day team, or did he too learn of his ouster from the media? As is the now established norm within the BCCI, the chairman of selectors ignored the media's pleas to explain the axing in this post-selection interaction.

Ironically, not just Dravid but the two other men sacked in the purge on Thursday had no inkling of what was to come. A one-line email was all the BCCI thought fit to send to announce the sacking of Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh as bowling and fielding coaches. A shell-shocked Prasad could only offer a feeble "I am hurt and disappointed" in response.

This isn't the first time that players or coaches have been sacked, but somehow the BCCI's method of doing this always leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Other cricket boards such as Australia and England always offer explanations to justify selections, leaving little room for the speculation and innuendo that has become so rampant in Indian cricket.

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BCCI sacks Prasad and Robin Singh

Bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad and fielding coach Robin Singh have been sacked by the BCCI, without giving any reason for the dumping.

"The BCCI has decided to discontinue the services of Bowling Coach Mr Venkatesh Prasad and Fielding Coach Mr Robin Singh with immediate effect," said a brief statement from Board secretary N Srinivasan.

Although the Board's decision to sack them came as a surprise, both Prasad and Singh were under the scanner after India's dismal show in the Twenty20 World Cup and last month's Champions Trophy.

Top Indian bowlers like Ishant Sharma and RP Singh have struggled for form for long spells with the latter being dropped from the ODI squad for the seven-match ODI series against Australia on Thursday.

Even a proven match-winner like off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was struggling in the Champions Trophy.

Despite being a top-notch fielder in his own playing days, Singh hasn't managed to raise the team's standard since taking over.

Barring exceptions like Yuvraj Singh, Indian players have been quite ordinary, inviting open criticism from captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on several occasions.

Several former players have also questioned Prasad and Singh's contribution to the team's cause, saying the standard has remained as bad as it was before their appointment.

The duo was appointed after India's 2007 one-day World Cup debacle and didn't have any contract with the Board.

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I want to know why I was sacked:Venkatesh Prasad

Sacked bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad said he would ask the BCCI to tell him why they terminated his service.

"I have been not been informed about this but if this is true, I am deeply disappointed and hurt," an upset Prasad said.

Insisting that he always gave 100 per cent to the job, the former pacer said, "I have no doubt that I have done my job for the Indian team to the best of my abilities."

"I will try to contact the BCCI and find out what I did wrong that has led them to take this decision," he told Cricinfo.

The BCCI today terminated the service of Prasad and fielding coach Robin Singh without citing reasons even though Indian team's poor display in the Twenty20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy seem to have cost them their jobs.

Neither of them, however, would remain jobless as Robin Singh has just signed up with Mumbai Indians, while Prasad is in the support staff of the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.

Robin Singh has been drawing flaks for the team's sloppy fielding in recent times, while former players like Manoj Prabhakar questioned Prasad's utility, other than carrying baggage.

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BCCI feeling the heat over IPL from within

Mumbai: So far it was said only in hushed tones, but now the BCCI has itself admitted it. In a shocking indictment of the IPL, the Board's chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty has stuck to his guns, questioning the attitude of the new age Indian cricketer.

It's the BCCI's billion dollar baby, the tournament that allows the Board to flex its financial muscle and virtually run world cricket. But now, voices within the same board are worried about its impact.

Ratnakar Shetty's comments came at a private gathering in Mumbai and were picked up by a news agency. "One of the senior players called up after the Champions Trophy and said youngsters did not feel the loss as much as him. He said there was no feeling whether we won or not. There is no sadness after losing," he was quoted as saying.

The comments quite expectedly raised a storm, forcing Shetty to offer this clarification, although he didn't really backtrack from his position.

"They have to take the hurt feeling when we don't do well in international tournaments," Shetty said. "Winning bilateral tournaments and having a ranking in the ODIs or Tests is one thing, but going on to win international tournaments is extremely important. That is where the focus and commitment would actually come into play."

This is not the first time that voices within the establishment have been critical of the IPL. Coach Gary Kirsten had blamed the league for India's early exit from the World T20 in England.

"A lot of those niggles were picked up during the IPL and we lose contact with our players during the IPL, because they are connected and responsible to their franchises. The players take a lot of pride in playing for their franchises as well," Kirsten had said.

Will this open a can of worms within the BCCI? Will these voices of dissent against the IPL only get louder if India continue to flounder?

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