Indian Premier League is the richest T20 league in the world

MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council ( ICC ) is keen to have one foot inside the Indian Premier League ( IPL ).

The game’s global governing body is learnt to be making “serious efforts” to put in place a ‘watchdog’ to monitor all existing and upcoming private T20 leagues around the world — a move that could drive a further, wider wedge between India and the rest of the world.

Under the pretext of trying to bring about a uniform policy for all T20 leagues, the ICC — with Chief Operating Officer (COO) Iain Higgins and media rights head Aarti Singh Dabas at the helm — has pushed to put in place an ‘events sanctioning group’ that will work towards the following: A) Bring about more control on the many private T20 leagues sprouting around the world; B) Help draw up a uniform policy on how these leagues function; C) Have a say in the format and player policies; D) As a governing body, be seen as a policymaker for the many international cricket boards (full and associate members) who have T20 leagues or will have one soon.

Put the other way, the ICC wants to have a say in the running of the IPL too, an idea which has been categorically rejected by the BCCI for now.

The BCCI’s stand on the matter is clear: “The IPL is an Indian domestic tournament and just the way how the ICC has no locus standi in a tournament like the Ranji Trophy, it will have no say in the IPL as well”.

Should the ICC try and tinker with a property like IPL, those who understand how the industry functions say: “All hell will break lose”. The Indian cricket board — represented by CEO Rahul Johri at the recent ICC’s Chief Executives meeting in Dubai — has said a “no” to the setting up of an events sanctioning group and TOI understands that after some amount of “backroom lobbying”, the BCCI managed to explain the same to ICC chairman Shashank Manohar. The latter is learnt to be in agreement with the BCCI’s stand.

The question facing the BCCI, however, is how long can India keep the ICC from dictating terms, knowing that in the recent past they have been unequivocally voted out in matters of finances and governance? “It’s clear that there are forces that believe this Indian cricket administration is most vulnerable right now. The members are left without powers and it’s the right time to make inroads into a strong Indian market,” say sources tracking developments.

Even as BCCI has rejected the idea for now, there’s been no word from countries like Australia and West Indies that own established T20 leagues. “Big Bash too is Cricket Australia’s domestic tournament, just like the Sheffield Shield. But the thing is, one of their players takes a break right in the middle of a Big Bash season and decides to play the Bangladesh Premier League for a handsome salary and Cricket Australia can’t do anything about it. It’s not the same in IPL. When the IPL is played, cricket — globally — comes to a standstill,” say industry sources.

The ICC understands well that IPL, as a property, is cricket’s most valuable brand. For a body that hasn’t really wrapped its head around a tournament like the Ranji Trophy that’s been in place for more than 50 years now, it’s suddenly interested in IPL. “Why? Your guess is as good as mine. ICC’s global revenues don’t match the two-month IPL window. If they were really interested in curbing unregulated leagues, there are other ways to do that,” add industry executives.

Nevertheless, given how the ICC works — any decision worked upon by its strategy group — one that has Higgins, Dabas and BCCI CEO Johri among others — is put to vote when it comes up before the chief executives’ and board members. “And in recent months, majority of ICC members have chosen to vote against India. That’s where the worries lie,” sources add.

