Chennai: Mr. N. Srinivasan — the straight-talking BCCI secretary — shared his views with The Hindu in a free-wheeling interview here on Thursday. Importantly, he spoke on the security situation in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Lahore and the Indian Premier League.
We should not look at the whole area as a sub-continent but see each country separately. India is a safe country.
Given the constraints of the international calendar, there is no other window in the year for the IPL. We have drawn the schedule in a fashion that puts least strain on the security forces. We have forwarded a revised list of dates for the IPL. The matches do not clash with the polling dates. It is being examined by the government. In any case, we will strive to preserve the IPL this year.
When one player expresses concern, you cannot generalise. All teams have toured India. The cricketers realise that this is a safe place to play cricket.
The world has changed. Terrorism has struck all parts of the globe. There seems to be a risk everywhere and people in all walks of life feel threatened — particularly when they are travelling. Unless the cause of the extremism is dealt with, how can we expect the world to be safer? In these times, the issue of security requires greater attention.
Yet, in the case of specific events, we have seen that it is possible to hold an international cricketing event in India, even in a charged environment. The two-Test series against England was held in Chennai and Mohali soon after the terror strikes in Mumbai. The security provided to the cricketers was extensive and excellent. The series was conducted smoothly.
It appears that the route was changed on the basis of an anonymous call. And the attackers had very easy access to the team bus. This is shocking.
The Sri Lankan team went through a horrifying experience. It should not have happened to anyone, let alone sportspersons. The composure displayed by the Lankan team in these circumstances has to be admired.
Under the circumstances, the matches that were to be held in Pakistan will have to come to India.
Yes, there was no agreement on the way forward. BCCI’s position with regard to ICL has been clear.
So far, no. Most of the IPL rights have been sold. There is a lot of stability with regard to the IPL income.
Absence of bias will deliver results.
His focus.
In some countries like Australia and England, and in some centres in India, there is still interest in Test cricket. The in-stadia viewership for Test cricket differs from country to country. You also have to recognise that, today, fans can see cricket played all across the globe on television. Times have changed. I remember about 30 years ago, when me, my father, family and friends, would travel to the stadium in a large group to watch Test matches. There was invariably only one Test in your city in a year. Each Test was a social event. Those days are behind us now.
In some countries, such as Australia, there is good crowd for Test cricket but the spectator response for the ODIs is dipping. But if you look at the three forms of the game as a whole, both, the viewership and the revenue have gone up.
After the match-fixing scandal broke out, all boards are in concurrence on the question of access to the players. There are certain issues that take precedence.
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