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The Rediff Interview/ Mark Mascarenhas

'Cricket doesn't need a policeman; it needs someone who feels inside for every player'

PART I: 'I have never got a cricket tournament for free from any friend. I have always paid the highest amount of money'

PART II: 'The prejudice of the white man against the Asian is staggering'

Take last year for example, have you, or anyone, from the Indian cricket team ever faced any problems with the ICC?

Of course! Just last year, during the World Cup in England, Sachin Tendulkar, of all the players, was victimised by the ICC. And threatened on the eve of the all-important tie between India and Australia. It happened like this: At around nine at night, the Indian team manager, Brijesh Patel, received a call from the ICC chief executive's office directing Tendulkar to reduce the size of the MRF logo on his bat, failing which he would face suspension for the next game, which happened to be the crucial India-Pak game. Now I rest my case before you.

Why was Sachin singled out? That too on the eve of a crucial game when most other players had larger logos on their bats. I have videotape evidence of that.

Further, what about the timing? Sachin had earlier, on two occasions, proved to be Australia's nemesis by single-handedly beating them in Sharjah and then in Dhaka. Sachin called me at 10 in the night. I was shocked and surprised. Sachin told me he was concerned because of the threat of suspension. That was probably the first time I spoke to Sachin on the eve of a game. I told him not to worry and do whatever he thought was necessary and get a good night's rest.

This was not the first time it happened. In 1996, David Richards allowed companies like Four Square and Wills to have logos on the bats but insisted with the then match referee, Ranjan Madugalle, during the Pepsi Cup in April 1996 at Sharjah, to warn Sachin Tendulkar from using the MRF logo on his bat or face suspension. Sachin was prevented from playing with his MRF bat till English lawyers pointed out the discriminatory policy to Richards, and Sachin was finally allowed to play with the logo in the second innings against England at Edgbaston. And guess what he replied with? He replied with a hundred, which Richie Benaud regarded as one of the finest knocks he ever witnessed.

David Richards failed to realise the contribution which MRF had made to cricket, not only in India but to world cricket as well.

How would you compare the two phases in world cricket -- before Mr Dalmiya took over, and after he was appointed ICC chief?

I think the game changed basically because the popularity of the sport is so huge. In England, it's still worth a lot of money, but it's on the way out. The game flourishes in Australia simply because they have such high quality sportsmen; simply because they have such a good team and, historically, they have had the greatest impact on the game, greater than the West Indies. The game is suffering badly in the West Indies; it's flourishing in the subcontinent. A little island of Sri Lanka wins the World Cup in '96; Pakistan wins it in '92. India has stars like Ganguly, Tendulkar and Dravid. It's booming here (Asia). Nowhere in the world is it flourishing like it is over here.

Then you have an intelligent cricket fan, an administrator from Calcutta who decides that he can be ICC president and becomes president. They don't like it! They don't want it. For them the axis is the Ashes as far as England is concerned. They can't see it anywhere else. The height of all their nonsense finally came down when England started asking India and Pakistan to come and play in England. I mean, can you believe that?

Talking of offshore venues, I mean, I want Lord MacLaurin to answer that. When he pooh-poohs offshore venues and betting, then why was the English cricket board pursuing the Indian and Pakistan cricket boards so desperately to come and play each other in England. Mind you, not play England, but play each other offshore.

Wouldn't that have been a feast for bookies? I mean, c'mon. What's going on? They can't accept the Asian phenomenon. Did you know that Pakistan was the only country in the world that launched some sort of investigation in match-fixing? I commend Imran Khan. I think there should be more people like Imran Khan involved in the game. Unfortunately, Imran is busy with his political career. He has greater aspirations for his country.

You are so passionate about cricket. Then, why is it that you have never thought of promoting the game in India and following it on the lines of the Premier League in England?

The idea has crossed my mind several times. It's a variety of circumstances. I think if cricket really has to become a professional sport then it has to go in that direction. It has to go in the direction of the Premier League and be backed up by international competitions like the European Championships and the World Cup. I don't see that happening. Because the administration in the Anglo-Saxon countries, or wherever, are in the dark ages.

I mean, Ali Bacher wanted to take cricket in America to Disneyworld. Now, Disneyworld is interested in selling rooms to affluent Indians and Pakistanis that live in the country who would bring their families and buy tickets to the theme parks. Disneyworld was willing to put zero in the development of cricket.

I fought bitterly because I am a supporter of US cricket and I have put money into US cricket to develop the game. Billy Packer, my partner, and I put $ 500,000 into cricket in America and have had no returns. Ali Bacher blocked us; David Richards blocked us. Why? Because we wouldn't go with the Disney plan. I said if cricket comes to America it needs to go to the communities; where the cricket communities are.

If you come to America you need to go to New York. That's where Indians, Pakistanis, West Indians and Lankans are in a majority. Then, the next one would be LA. No children are playing cricket in America. They are playing baseball and American football.

You want to go to Disneyworld? You will make it another Mickey Mouse experience. But this is the level and the mentality of the so-called top level administrators.

So, how do you envision cricket spreading in the US?

It can't happen currently because if cricket is to spread there, then India needs to come; Pakistan needs to come. Then it could become a television rights hoax again. It's spun in such a bad direction. Our intention was pure and now it's one guy pitching against each other.

I have spent a lot on promoting cricket in America. I have taken Michael Holding, Ravi Shastri, Ian Chappell, Barry Richards, Sanjay Manjrekar and people of that calibre to America. Sunil Gavaskar has been bringing teams to America since the early eighties. The NFL in America's television rights are worth $ 2 billion per season and it is only a 23 week season. But cricket ranks fought amongst each other. You had David Richards and Ali Bacher wanting to go to Disneyland and play Mickey Mouse there. That's where it will all end, because of the divide and the racism which is so deep.

Look at FIFA. Joe Havelange, a Brazilian, running the world's biggest and powerful sports body, managed by the most effective chief executive, and probably the most intelligent. He ran the FIFA for 20 long years. How many years has Samaranch run the IOC? You need leadership, continuity. Cricket, every two years, they will have a change. What a magnificent idea!

So what do you feel should be done?

In my view, the best thing that could have happened would have been Jagmohan Dalmiya at the top and someone like Greg Chappell as the chief executive. Chappell, the ultimate consummate cricketer who understands what the game needs; who understood what the players need. Allan Border or Sunil Gavaskar. Anyone of that calibre as chief executive, with the businessmen leading it through the ages; building up its coffers, generating money, getting tournaments done. That would have been the greatest thing for cricket. But, unfortunately, that ain't gonna happen.

You mean David Richards is not the right man for the job?

It's my opinion. He has his opinions about where cricket should happen in America and what should happen. I have my opinion on who the leaders should be. Cricket doesn't need a policeman; it needs someone who feels inside for every player who goes out, starting at a kindergarten. Someone like Greg Chappell or Allan Border comes to mind immediately.

What was your reaction to Hansie Cronje's involvement in the match-fixing scandal?

Shocked! I was shocked!

You mean to say you hadn't ever heard of any player being involved in match-fixing earlier?

You hear about it. I have never been involved; I have never been approached. You hear and then you put it down to rivalry between players. Imagine putting a team together with eleven top Bollywood stars, each guy with his own ego. It's not easy. The captain has a big role. You hear a lot, but unless you are involved with the bookies there is nothing you can find out. I have read excerpts from the Qayyum report, the Mark Waugh and Shane Warne incident. I would have never been able to point a finger at Hansie.

I met Hansie on and off during the tour. In fact, he came to our launch and he was very polished and respectable.

Do you ever bet on cricket?

Never bet on cricket.

Do you ever bet at all?

I like playing blackjack occasionally when I go to a casino or bet on a Super Bowl game. But I have never bet on cricket.

I am only interested in cricket involving India. After India, may be Pakistan, but that's it. My third interest would be Lanka and maybe Australia after that.

Why does the ICC have an account in the British Virgin Islands?

I understand the ICC decided to have a development fund sometime during Clyde Walcott's reign as president. Bob Cowper, a former Australian cricket player and adviser to the ICC, suggested they have this company in Monaco so the proceeds could come in and then go out to the various cricketing projects without being taxed. IDI is the ICC Development Company and it's a British Virgin Islands company.

Do you have any stake in that company?

(Laughs) No! It's owned by the nine Test-playing nations who form the body of the ICC. I have nothing to do with it.

What about Lancaster Holdings? The company where you allegedly have a stake in?

We wrote to the Sunday Telegraph about that and they published a retraction and an apology, and they are now convinced that we have nothing whatsoever to do with any ownership direct or indirect with Lancaster Holdings.

What's the idea behind Cricket Talk? What's the vision?

It's been on the anvil for a while. Ayaz Memon and I have been talking about it for a while over drinks in the evening. We reminisced about Sportsweek in the sixties, and my uncle used to send me the subscription from Bombay. The postman used to steal it most of the times.

That's where it started. I felt we could take a different approach, and instead of match reports we would have other things in it. Have good photographs and trendy stuff.

And what about total-cricket.com?

The real motivation was in total-cricket.com With all the stars and the dotcom business being phenomenal I thought that total-cricket.com would be able to address all those issues, and it i doing pretty well.

I live in a cricket-web world. I used to go to cricinfo and after going there every day I realised there were many weaknesses from a content point of view and network point of view. The quality of our content will make us the consummate cricket website in the world.

How successful has it been?

As far as hits are concerned we were doing eight million hits and some staggering page-views. We are making a contribution to cricket lovers all over the world.

Why did you choose to promote Sachin Tendulkar?

Ted Turner bought the MGM library really because he wanted to own Gone with the Wind. I chose to promote Sachin Tendulkar because I have never seen Bradman play; never saw Sobers play; I saw Viv, but he couldn't figure out Chandrashekhar on his debut. And then I saw Sachin. I had never seen anyone like this. So, I just wanted to have him and we've done very well for him.

Join Mark Mascarenhas on Rediff Chat on May 25, 1900 hrs IST

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