Stanford shows the way
The Observer's Kevin Mitchell feels that the Stanford 20/20 is a tournament that the ICC can learn from.
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
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Tucked away from the tumult and discord in Dubai was the Stanford 20/20 in the West Indies. It was, by all accounts, a thrilling, packed tournament - a template the ICC could profitably borrow. Prices were reasonable, interest compacted and intense. Of course the founder, Allen Stanford, wanted to make money. 'He might have broken even, this time, maybe not,' said a source, 'but it's long-term, America, huge market there.'
It's what those Madison Avenue guys call 'the vision thing'. The Indians have it. Stanford has it. I'm not so sure the ICC have even heard of it.
But he is also worried about the effect that the opposing Twenty20 leagues would have on the game.
Intoxicated by the prospect of quite extraordinary wealth, the people running cricket in India are convenient villains. And there can be no doubt they are driven almost solely by self-interest. But India has a right to be the epicentre of the game. The frenzied love of the people ensures it.
The concern is that the speculators reshaping the game, while sounding calm and conciliatory now, might not be so accommodating of the views of the rest of cricket once their power is near absolute. It is then that anarchy will be unleashed.
Ashok Ganguly is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo