‘Money grab’ IPL will only end up helping the country and players, states Arun Dhumal
BCCI Treasurer Arun Dhumal blasted the media for its portrayal of the IPL being a mere ‘money grab’ and stated that at the end of the day, the competition only will end up helping the players and the economy. Dhumal further said that IPL will only happen if and when it's completely safe.
Despite breaking new grounds and helping thousands of people - outside of cricket - make a living out of it, the Indian Premier League (IPL), due to its cash-rich nature, since its inception in 2008, has been seen by many as mere business; a money grab. And the tournament signing record sponsorship deals over the past few years coupled with players getting paid a hefty amount of money have not helped its cause for a good reputation either.
Thus, naturally, talks of the IPL, the 13th season of which currently stands indefinitely suspended, getting pushed to a September-October window have not been met with a great response by several people, with them suspecting personal financial gains for the BCCI to be the main motive behind hosting the tournament during a pandemic.
However, now in response to everyone branding the tournament a mere money grab, BCCI Treasurer Arun Dhumal has come up with a scathing response to the portrayal and has said that he couldn’t care less about the tournament being a ‘money grab’ for, as per his own words, the money, at the end of the day, only helps in rebuilding the country’s economy.
“This whole talk that IPL is a money-making machine, so be it. Who takes that money? That money goes to the players, that money doesn't go to any office bearers. That money goes to the welfare of the nation, the travel and tourism industry, in terms of industries being revived, in terms of taxes being paid. So why opposition for the money?,” Dhumal told Cricbuzz.
“Money is paid to the players and all those people who are there to organise the tournament. Media has to change the stance and tell about the benefit of this tournament that is happening. If BCCI is paying thousands of crores in taxes, it is going in nation-building, it is not going to Mr. Sourav Ganguly or Mr. Jay Shah or myself. Right? So you should be happy if money is being made rather than money being spent on sports.
“In case the money is being made, we should be happy about it because that money goes as taxes which helps the government come with welfare schemes. That money goes to the players who make their career with cricket. That money goes for the creation of infrastructure that will create jobs. You should be happy. If you want to be a global economy, you should be happy about making money through these tournaments. Why should we be sad about the money being made, right?,” Dhumal asked.
Straying along the same lines, Dhumal also added that the board will consider hosting the IPL this year if and only if the pandemic situation completely shimmers down. The BCCI treasurer assured that the board will never compromise on the health and safety of the players.
“We have always reiterated that if the conditions are safe enough for the players to go for the tournament, only then will the BCCI take a call. We haven't announced any tournament. As of now, the official statement from the BCCI is that it is indefinitely postponed.
“The only statement of the BCCI is that we will explore the possibility and safety of our players will be the prime concern. If it is safe for our players to go, only then we will go. We have never said that we can compromise on the safety and health of our players. The IPL will only happen if it is safe to play.”
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