Indian Premier League is not Sports but a Reality Show
As we are getting ready to watch the Semi Final and Final of the much publicized Indian Premier League (IPL) we should ask ourselves a simple question. Are we watching a reality show where almost everything is fixed and controlled and well edited including the outcome or are we watching a cricket league that is operating under strict rules and regulations?
Many reality shows in the past have been accused of using paid actors, slick editing, scripting, staged events, voice over and acting coaches for the participants in order to create something for the viewing public which has nothing to do with reality. In many cases the final product that the people see on television has nothing to do with what really happened during taping. Many of these shows are no longer referred to as “reality shows” but as “unscripted drama”.
But sports leagues all over the world in general are different. People pay to see these events. The public generally believes that there is fair competition between the teams. They assume that the game and the league itself are governed by a transparent set of rules and regulations. It is also not unrealistic to expect that the teams that make up the league are themselves playing by the same set of rules that other businesses do.
The trust factor is not that important in entertainment which is one of the reasons we keep watching these television shows fully knowing that they are completely staged. But trust is extremely important in all sports including cricket. Cricket fans all over the world reacted angrily when they realized that many games in the past were rigged and the outcome predetermined.
Many prominent players from all over the cricketing world including former Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin, former South African captain Hansie Cronje and former Pakistan captain Salim Malik were banned for life from cricket for their involvement in match fixing. It is reasonable for a fan to assume that the International Cricket Council (ICC), the major cricketing boards (India, Pakistan, Australia, England, New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka and South Africa) would have put polices and other measures in place after the match fixing scandals to make sure that these types of issues do not happen again.
But we were completely wrong. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at every step made fundamental errors of judgment in setting up the Indian Premier League (IPL). The IPL is not just a domestic cricket league. It is the centerpiece of the world of cricket. Players from all over the world want to play for the IPL because of the money involved. Then there is the “glamour” factor because of IPL’s close association with Bollywood (many Bollywood celebrities are part owners of IPL teams).
How did the BCCI hand over the Chairmanship of the IPL to someone like Lalit Modi? An average person who applies for a job these days has to undergo extensive criminal background checks, credit checks and provide very good references to be even considered for the job. How did Lalit Modi with his criminal background and other controversies become the Vice President of the BCCI and also get the job of running one of the richest sporting leagues (IPL) in the world? The integrity of the commissioner of a major sports league should be beyond question which I am not sure is the case here.
His decision to ban players from Pakistan from participating in this years IPL almost compromised India’s relationship with Pakistan and clearly tarnished India’s image (the reasons he gave for the ban went from unavailability of the players initially to lack of visas and finally to security threat).
It is now being revealed that for the first time in history the BCCI and many different IPL franchises are being investigated by the Indian income tax department for tax evasion and money laundering. Allegation of sports betting and match fixing have already begun. The Karnataka state government is launching an investigation to find out whether the blasts in Bangalore yesterday was sports betting related.
The tax investigation has put many prominent Indians who have financial relationships with BCCI and IPL in a very difficult situation. Some believe that Modi’s turbulent relationship with the Home Minister of India (P Chidambaram) and the Minister of State for External Affairs (Shashi Tharoor) are reasons for the government’s tough stance.
A commissioner of a sports league is the representative of the owners of the league and is also responsible to protect the integrity and image of the league. The commissioner’s office is also responsible for the relationship with the players union (it is only a matter of time before the players who play for the IPL form their own unions). There are reports that indicate that Modi and/or his family members might have ownership stake in IPL teams. If true then it would be a severe blow to the integrity of the office of the commissioner.
But then who cares for integrity in this league. The IPL is really a gimmick isn’t it?
Related posts:
- Indian Premier League’s Credibility Tainted
- Indian Premier Stumbles & Fumbles
- What is Wrong With Indian Cricket?
- Why Did IPL Exclude Players from Pakistan?
- An Indian Who Loves American Football
Category: Sports & Entertainment
I got that thought in my head too…i.e. if the bomb scare was stage managed…nothing like Mumbai winning in Mumbai.
This I understand but I can’t understand how a match can be fixed…in all other games it’s possible but Cricket?
Nalini … I think it is not just the final outcome of the match that is “fixed”. These days you can bet on run rate, over rate, over-under on the number of runs or overs a player is involved in and so on.
Honestly the reality show has only gotten better for those involved! Now the IPL will be in the news, long before the on-field battle is over (and i hope mumbai indians wins!)
More eyeballs covering the IPL, more viewers, more interest, more advertisers next year. If cricket couldn’t make the league global yet, surely this scandal will :D
Welcome Nishant. I guess there is nothing called bad publicity. If things are not cleaned up the fans might stop showing up once the shine is gone.
Very informative post. Thank you. Couldn’t agree with you more.
Thank you and welcome Ramya.
Hi Hari,
Nice post! I fully agree with the fact that IPL is more like reality tv….especially when you have 4 teams tied on 14 points and the semifinal line up is decided in the penultimate league match!!
I mean isn’t this height of coincidence?
No, it isn’t it. Look closely at the IPL revenue model. Proceeds from TV Viewer ship revenue forms the biggest chunk of the total income these IPL team earns. Then there is a fixed amount that IPL pays from the title sponsor DLF, ticket sales of stadium, sponsorship and merchandise sales.
For people who don’t believe that its a coincidence, tell me if semifinal line up was decided lets say, on 10th April, why would people flock to their tv sets and stadium to cheer their teams? It will all be boring…and revenues will go down…Till the third edition, only tow of the eight teams have broken even…this tells you the story..
It’s business at the end of the day, which has to make profit…scripted or not, is left on our judgement…
keep blogging,
Sachin
Welcome Sachin,
Your point about how the semi finalists are selected is compelling. It is additional proof that this league is not playing by transparent and fair set of rules. The semi final was moved from Bangalore to Mumbai. How can you take away home field advantage like this? The government investigation will reveal more.
Well yes, Lalit Modi’s appointment was a shock for most of us…as far as match fixing is concerned..I wudnt agree that all matches are fixed. Big players wonjt allow such things to happen in their teams…I mean I cant believe Sachin wont get to know if any of his players are involved in fixing….
Plz dont say Sachin might b involved because he simply CANT b involved!
Vishal … right now I do not have confidence in the IPL. Trust and confidence should be earned and not given. I am not accusing any single player. But they are all part of a system and a league that is deeply flawed.
Even with all the flaws, corruption and money laundering, I’d still give the games and players the benefit of the doubt. Every single player, every single pitch, every single hit or catch across every single team can’t orchestrated.
Ram … I am not saying that every little thing is orchestrated. The league is not transparent. The rules are made up as situation arises, owners, their relatives and board members have stake in multiple teams. This is not how a league should be run.