“It’s About Business and Not Cricket”: Former Pakistan Captain On IPL Media Rights
The former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif makes a big statement criticizing the BCCI for the recently bought media rights and how it is about financial gains and not just quality of cricket. He expressed that mindset of BCCI is just to attract financial gains and compromising with the quality of cricket that needs to focussed upon.
Before getting into what and why he said, let understand for how much did the IPL Media rights was sold and bought for by the BCCI. The first thing to understand is that the entire deal took place in four packages. The entire bidding process was subjected under different category of packages from A, B, C, and D. Package A was won by the existing media rights partner Star Sports Network by 23,575 crores, whereas the Package B and C was won by Viacom18 at the whopping price tag of Rs 23,758 crores having 18 matches each season.
Times Internet secured package D for Rs.1058 crores comprising both TV and Digital rights.
With the revenue generated Mr. Ganguly assured to work it out in direction to develop the present infrastructure of the country for better fan experience. He said this while speaking to the sports news channel sportstar, stating,
“We will work on it for sure and develop overall infrastructure for a better fan experience. A lot of new stadiums have come up, and the infrastructure of cricket in this country is huge. We will redo a few stadiums a bit and bring back IPL with a completely different extravaganza and fandom next year,”
Now coming back to what Rashid Latif said,
“It’s about business and not cricket. This is not the ideal situation. If we have to give money, then many people earn money. This is not about quality at all, it is business totally,”
He further added by saying,
“Call Indians and ask them for how many hours did they watch the matches (in IPL). This is business. I have said nothing else. Give whatever name you might, value of the product etc. This is business. We have to see how much it sustains,”
This he all spoke on the YouTube channel named as “Caught Behind”
To remind you, it was first the PCB chief expressing his discomfort in taking the matter up to the ICC board of council feeling that BCCI’s plans to expansion of the IPL for two and half month’s window could set a negative impact. And now the second comes from Rashid Latif who displayed his displeasure over IPL media rights and how it is about money and not much about quality.
