Friday, April 23, 2010

The Power Equation of IPL

It is proven yet again that in India just everything is intertwined with politics, cricket for that matter was always known to be a sport in which the parliamentarians are deeply interested. Our old brigade of MLAs and MPs may not ever have played cricket but they hold the top offices. My theory on the IPL tries to establish a power equation that may satisfy the various constraints and conditions of the IPL Fiasco.

Equation 1

Money > Politics > Cricket

There is a lot of money in cricket in India, where there is none in any other sport. Money attracts the politicians who given a chance expand their wealth as much as possible. Therefore just about every state cricket association also is headed by chief ministers or MPs or their associates. Cricket is the pivot around which both these revolve, but cricket is the most inconsequential aspect of this equation. In this country of more than a billion the only sport followed like a religion is cricket, thus endorsements are plenty but market is common. Hence, all the money chases this game....the only other option for advertisers is Bollywood.

Equation 2

Pawar > Modi > IPL > Cricket

Mr. Pawar as everyone knows is one of the richet politicians and a sort of sugar baron on Maharashtra. With BCCIs chair under him he probably tried to use Mr. Modi to get back at Congress. Pawar seems to be a weaker member of the UPA, being the insider he knew about the "tale" of Tharoor and thought to use it against the Congress to probably put some pressure. But Modi didn't understand that he was the pawn..or probably he knew he was the pawn but given the circumstances he is empowered by Pawar to be the King. So leave aside IPL and Cricket there was whole lot about the team Rendezvous to talk about.

Equation 3

Opposition > Pawar > IPL > Cricket

Opposition was already houding the government with the Dantewada episode and the inflation issue. They latched onto the noise on IPL to create more troubles for the government in the Parliament. Pawar may have thought he would be off the whole IPL and the Tharoor mess, but he was wrong in thinking so. It was an open secret that the Chairman of BCCI, the richest cricket governing body in the World, would have vested interests. Layered transactions leading to investments into IPL and related parties.

Equation 4

Government > Opposition > Pawar > IPL > Cricket

No government will want to collapse dragged down by a controversy like this. As it would mean getting branded as "thugs" so in order to come clean the Congress led government is likely to please the general public and the opposition and also remain afloat.

Thus I arrive at the final equation as a summary to the theory

Politics => Money > Pawar > Modi > IPL > Cricket !!

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