Left Field: It's all or nothing in the money game
While top-notch squash events get the cold shoulder, cricket bosses in India shun the media - all for a bigger slice of the cash pie
A nonplussed reader wrote in a few days ago asking why we didn't mention a word about England's "historic victory" over India in the second test in Mumbai. It was because our hands were somewhat tied due to the news agencies - Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Associated Press and so on - boycotting the series after the Board of Control for Cricket in India barred entry to a couple of photo agencies from covering the action. The BCCI said it would provide its own images.
The deeper reasons might be copyright issues, but telling the media they will be given handouts, doctored according to the whims and fancies of the BCCI, was like waving a red flag to a bull. It was no surprise the wire agencies were united in condemning the move by world cricket's Big Brother and boycotted the series.
The BCCI's bullying tactic was not only limited to barring photographers. Sky TV, which owns the television rights for the tour in Britain, decided not to send its team of commentators after the BCCI demanded £500,000 (HK$6.2 million) for hosting them at the grounds. Sky refused to pay and set up their team, including the likes of former England team captains Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton, in London, where they commentated on a live television feed.
It is understood the BBC, which owns the rights for the audio coverage in Britain, had also been asked to cough up £50,000. It reached an agreement with the BCCI.
It's all about the money. And the BCCI is not ashamed to flaunt its power, which stems from the millions of cricket-crazy fans on the subcontinent. Some might say the British broadcasters are just getting a taste of their own medicine, but at the end of the day, it is the fans who suffer. It is also readers of this newspaper.
Put this side by side with the tribulations faced by squash as it hungers for Olympic recognition. The plight of this "poor" sport was clearly spelled out by the world's top-ranked player, James Willstrop, last week. The Yorkshireman pointed a finger at the media, especially in England, saying they were only interested in covering sports like soccer, rugby and cricket.