The BCCI's ministry of truth
Sharda Ugra, writing for Economic and Political weekly, bemoans the BCCI's financial and political muscle that has helped the board secure an unfair control over the media
17-Sep-2013
Sharda Ugra, writing for Economic and Political weekly, bemoans the BCCI's financial and political muscle, and elaborates how it has helped the board secure an almost total control over the media at all levels.
In 2008, BCCI put Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri on its payroll with gargantuan price tags. "Sunny & Ravi" Inc became mandatory mascots, required to be on commentary duty wherever India played, regardless of who owned the TV rights. The two most influential Indian voices on cricket television were safely co-opted ... As revenues skyrocketed through the IPL, BCCI set up its own independent TV production unit. This new team (partly cannibalised from Neo Sports/Nimbus who owned the TV rights to cricket in India until 2012) even purchased its own outside broadcast vans. Ownership over Indian cricket was to be established at every level.