ChinmayC Blog

So IPL-2 is moved out of India to South Africa . Not that it had to be moved out. While clashing with elections in India the BCCI ( Board of Control for Cricket in India ) insisted on the same starting date that is April 10th and allowed only intermingling of other dates and venues. Now in South Africa the tournament is postponed to 18th April . Why? Apart from the big money of the franchisees and the consequent high stakes, the dates of the top international players there is in all probability another factor of ‘ego’ involved here. Rolling in millions the BCCI naturally is fast cultivating a zero tolerance to any kind of objections and criticisms. Else, why didn’t it agree to a delayed start in India, why it refused to recognize the security implications of the general elections, why India was compared to Pakistan, why can’t they see the risks involved in holding the tournament in the same time period with the elections and why they cannot rise above revenue considerations? Cricket...

Elections and cricket can no longer go hand in hand thanks to growing security requirements to prepare for sudden terror attacks. Terror had recently selected cricket too as a target, Lahore 03/03. Indian parliamentary elections are going to be held in five phases during April-May all over the country. This is the biggest democratic exercise of the largest democracy of the world and, to make it free and fair tremendous security arrangements are need of the troubled present day times. The second part of the high profile Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket tournament was also planned during the same period. This has led to a security dilemma and raging debate on priorities. IPL is big money no doubt, but whose money and what are the first priorities. Additional forces cannot be spared by the Indian Govt. and the states which is quite natural. IPL was rescheduled, but again the problem of making foolproof security arrangements was not solved. Now IPL hangs in the balance. We must...