IPL T-20 – Two, was scheduled to commence from 10th April 2009 in India but since the dates of the matches clashed with the Indian Elections it was decided to move the tournament outside India. Lalit Modi the Chairman of IPL T-20 flew to Johannesburg and it was announced there that the tournament will be held from 18th Apr 2009 at various venues in South Africa comprising of fifty six round robin matches , two semi-finals and the final.
Ha Ha. The world is enjoying this billion dollar extravaganza. The streets are half empty just before 4.00 PM every evening in India and people are glued to their TV sets impatiently waiting for the first ball to be bowled. I am sure the same would be happening in other parts of the world. How is all this managed? How did Lalit Modi achieve this?
Management has two main facets – one -‘Optimum utilization of all available resources and manpower’ – and two – ‘depute the right man for the right job’. Agreed, that South Africa is a cricket loving country – they have the stadia – the basic infrastructure – the lights for day- night matches – then boxes for the VIPs and the media and well laid pitches. But still there is a lot more to be done. Let us first look at the tasks involved.
In all there are eight teams comprising of 16 players plus one physio and one coach – that makes it eighteen in all. Now they have to be provided accommodation, food of their choice and transport from their hotel to the stadium and back after the match. So there are total of 144 team members to be looked after. If the match is in another city then proper flight arrangements are to be made and then hotel accommodation for all members has to be done also, before the team arrives there. And this occurrence arises every alternate day as each team has to play all the seven other teams in a round robin – two phased schedule.
Similarly there are two umpires on the ground and one upstairs with a match referee also who also have to be taken care of. These umpires have to be selected from the ICC approved panel of umpires. They have also to be changed in every game I wonder how many umpires are there to oversee the whole tournament. . I believe some help must have been obtained from WorldTel also, a consortium which has a number of approved commentators to facilitate proper ball by ball description of all matches.
Then each team has to be provided with uniforms. I think ‘ Nike’ would have arranged to design the dresses of all the teams. And then there are logos of various sponsors on the shirts of the players. Monograms of sponsors are also on the cricket bats. Which player is sponsoring which product is also to be seen. Don’t forget that dresses have to be provided to the umpires also.
Then we need at least eight to ten ‘official scorers’ to script the proceedings of each match ball by ball. And one out of these has to give out a press release to the media regarding the scores after the match is over. Then, gate passes have to be issued to VIPs, officials, scorers, media personnel and owners of the teams. No gate-keeper dare to stop Vijay Mallaya or Preity Zinta from entering the stadium.
Apart from the above – and beyond that also, Lalit Modi has to check all the spouts from which the money is pouring in. Firstly the TV rights allotted globally, then the stadium tickets sales, the indoor hoardings, the car parking’s, the small stalls that sprout here and there outside the stadium during matches selling ice creams, cold drinks and beer etc. So, one Lalit Modi cannot be everywhere and he has to distribute the various tasks to the ‘ right man for the right job’. The gate money and the resources generated from inside and outside are perhaps, looked after by the stadium in charge himself.
Alongside the income there are expenses also. Guarantee money must have been paid to Cricket Control Board of South Africa, then there are payments for utilizing the stadia, payments to hotels, airlines, food, catering and prize money to the winning team and the runner up as also the player who hit the highest number of sixes as well as MOM in each match and not forgetting the fair play awards constituted.. Then he has to pay the eight owners of their respective teams as the owners have already spent millions of dollars in buying the players and then he has to mint money for the BCCI.
Then, we have seen that Lalit Modi has also given donations to few schools to the tune of a hundred thousand Rands each for their welfare. He has to have a full fledged office and a team of management experts who ensure that the tournament passes off without a glitch. Did you ever see any match with only one umpire? Eh!
WOW! This is a job of gigantic proportions. Requires immense stamina, management skills and a keen eye for every detail.
All this is definitely not a one man’s job. His management team has to perform under his guidance. Hats off to you Lalit Modi – and I have to mention here that Late Shri Raj Kapoor was very very right when he said that “There is no business greater than show business“. I think that this quote is also relevant to the context.
I would also like to stress here that this massive logistic exercise makes a excellent case study for Business Management Schools all over the globe.
So my friends, please see and enjoy the matches on your TV – but also’ feel’ the amount of effort going on behind the scenes.
Ravi Matah