da mrbet： The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a netprofit of 37.99 crore during the financial year 2000-2001
Staff & Agencies16-Sep-2001* A good year for the BCCIThe Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a netprofit of 37.99 crore during the financial year 2000-2001.This despite the cancellation of tournaments in Sharjah andToronto and the heavy investments made to get the services ofGeoff Marsh and John Wright. Marsh was reportedly paid Rs 25lakh for the three brief visits he made to India during theperiod.The Press Trust of India which carries the report says thatthe huge profits were courtesy sale of television rights, teamsponsorship deals and also “professional marketing of the homeseries against Australia and Zimbabwe”. Strangely, despite the”professional marketing”, the Zimbabwean tour yielded morerevenue (Rs 6.1 crore) than the Australian tour (Rs 3.77crore).The BCCI’s income also tripled in the period from Rs 30.23 inthe last financial year to Rs 91 crore this year. The balancesheet as on March 31, 2001 shows total assets of Rs 201.84crore as against Rs 144.92 crore last year.The major expenses include the allocation of Rs 6 crore forinfrastructure development and Rs 1.92 crore to set up theNational Cricket Academy in Bangalore.Meanwhile, Rs 2.06 crore was spent on coaching camps of whichRs 83 lakh went to the foreign coach (name not mentioned) andRs 29 lakh to the physio.Ace leg-spinner Anil Kumble was given Rs 6,23,182 fortreatment of his shoulder injury while former wicket-keeperSaba Karim received Rs 1,69,261 for his eye operation, PTIadded.* Hey guys, we did a great jobThe BCCI feels that it has saved Indian cricket from beingdragged into the mire of match-fixing.”Far from descending into a slough of despair, the game hasemerged stronger from the crisis brought about by match-fixingand related malpractices. The alacrity with which the boardacted during the year may have helped save a crumbling image.It took great moral strength to condemn our very own,” saysthe BCCI’s annual report prepared by secretary Jaywant Leleand joint secretary Jyoti Bajpai.”But all of us know that welfare of the game and thepreservation of its fair name is greater than individuals.Suffice it to say, cricket in India is on a good wicket now,”says the report which will be tabled during the 72nd AnnualGeneral Body Meeting in Chennai on September 29.”To say the game is back on the rails after going through avery severe crisis of confidence would be most appropriate.Justice is truth in action, is a homily no one will disagreewith. Yet it is a secure future that we look to as we leavethe great scandal behind.”That will be a future free of the kind of disruptiveinfluence that bookmakers brought to bear on the game as theytoyed with the integrity of some of the players of the game.”The board had to take several difficult decisions during theyear. The hardest of all had to do with those of our playerswho may have at some time or the other compromised theintegrity of the game."”The board hopes that by virtue of the decisions of thedisciplinary committee and the punishment it meted out to someplayers, all cricketers will have received a stern warning ofwhat fate awaits them if they indulge in influencing thecourse of matches for a consideration. As Mark Twain said`truth is the most valuable thing we have’.”All this eloquence is followed by a a few words on currentBCCI president AC Muthiah, who is seeking a third term inoffice. “While he faced challenges in his first year that werenot quite cricket, in his second year, Muthiah had to takefirm action and tough decisions to save the fair name of thegame, when cricket was gripped by an unprecedented crisis.”The duo then point out the achievements of the BCCI – “theappointment of national and international consultants, theplacing of orders for video aided analysis for the nationalteam, the setting up of regional and national cricketacademies to give thrust to Indian cricket on par withinternational standards, were the success stories, besidesmany other matters like eradicating the overage problems ofcricketers in age group tournaments, improvement of pitchesand strict financial governance.”Did you say the BCCI can’t make the right pitch?