Trust the BCCI to come up with more initiatives in a bid to increase finances, theirs as well as the players.
The BCCI has decided to bring in corporate tournaments that would involves matches of a one day international and Twenty20 nature that would not only increase their revenue but also, ensure more players will find resonance with industries for employment.
BCCI’s joint secretary and former member of the national selection panel, Sanjay Jagdale, will look after the proposed inter corporate tournament with KS Viswanathan, Prof. RS Shetty, Chamundeshwaranath, Ranjib Biswal and Anirudh Choudhary. The prize money would be a whopping rupees 1 crore while runners up would be entitled to rupees 50 lakh while the losing semi finalist will walk away with rupees 25 lakhs.
Amongst other initiatives are also included building specialized cricket academics to cater to fast bowlers to be set up in Punjab, for batsmen in Mumbai and spinners in Tamil Nadu. Srinivasan would head this committee to monitor the three camps. Assisting him will be Jagdale, treasurer MP Pandove, National Cricket Academy’s director Dav Whatmore, Prof. RS Shetty and Anurag Thakur.
Additionally the BCCI also wants to make up for its losses since two one day internationals were cancelled against England in light of the terror strikes in Mumbai and now the cancelled tour to Pakistan. It has been estimated that the BCCI lost anywhere in the region of Rupees 120 crores, roughly translating in 25 million dollars. Not that BCCI has anything to be worried about, because with the success of the IPL amongst others, it will still have enough in its coffers to keep its activities busy.
With a proposed tour to Sri Lanka in the making, the BCCI will no doubt make up sooner than expected.
