Sikandar bhi aaye Kalandar bhi aaye

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Several years ago, I read a tale that made my blood boil. It was about a 96 year old lady, whose palatial house was snatched away forcibly from her by greedy land grabbers and she was forced to stay in the servant quarters of her own prime property. She was no ordinary lady either. she was the first female IAS officer of India.

When media got wind of this fact, the people who had usurped her property hurriedly brought her back to the mansion to “prove” to the media that she was very much the “owner” of her property.

Law abiding people earn some amount for their living and then try to live within them. Then there are some ambitious people who work hard and improve their earning and rise in economic status. They still live within their earning.

Then there are people who do not have the capability to earn more from honest means but they would still want to get rich. The easiest way to get rich for them is to befriend a rich person and rob him/ her of her property once he/she gets weak due to age/ retirement/ sickness etc. That is what happened with Isha Basant Joshi.

This happens not only with individuals but can happen with organisations too. Take the current case of BCCI vis a vis ICC and other cricket boards.

BCCI (board of control for cricket in India), which was one of the junior partner of ICC before the liberalisation of Indian economy , is now the biggest contributor of revenue to ICC. One of the major sources of earning for ICC is by organising international tournament. Selling TV broadcast rights for these tournaments is the major source of earning for ICC.

TV broadcast company buys right to organise these tournaments hoping to earn good amount by selling ad space during telecast time. India, because of its vast population (a few times bigger than all other cricket playing and watching nations combined), is easily the biggest chunk of target audience for companies that want to buy ad space during the telecast of matches of these tournaments. It is estimated that TV broadcasters earn 70 % of their entire ad revenue for Indian TV audience.

And this Indian TV audience eagerly watches these matches because Indian team participates in these tournaments and more often than not still survives in the tournament there till the final few matches in the tournaments.

One can say that TV company bids for these telecast rights mainly because they have the assurance that this vast Indian cricket viewing public would watch the tournament matches and will bring them the bulk of their ad revenue.

Now suppose India decides not to participate in the tornament. Then what ! The TV broadcast right owner becomes jittery because they know that their revenue from that tournament would reduce drastically. Indian TV audiences would lose interest in watching cricket matches if Indian team is not participating in that tournament.

Put in simple terms, Indian cricket watching public contributes about 70 % of the entire revenue that ICC gets from TV rights. So if ICC were an organisation and its constituent bodies as its employees then BCCI is the employee that helps earn the highest percentage of revenue for its employee.

ICC then shares a part of this money received from the broadcaster among its constituent boards.

In the original “big three ” arrangement in 2014, BCCI, ECB and CA got higher share of the revenue while other board members got lower amount. The figures were based on what the respective board helped earn to the ICC, mainly through the TV rights.

Now, in the recent ICC meet in april 2017, BCCI were dealt an unexpected blow. The big three model was dismantled. Other two members of big three did not lose any amount, and the remaining boards got more money, while BCCI’s share was drastically reduced. From $ 440 millions in the 8 years cycle, their share was reduced drastically to $ 287 millions. Every one else profited at the cost of BCCI so others happily voted in favour of the proposal, with BCCI being the only one voting against it. In effect, everyone ganged up and robbed the one member that helped bring the maximum revenue to ICC.

When it comes to ICC sharing its ad revenue, one would expect the teams to share them in more or less in the same proportion in which they contribute in generating it. But no, not at all. Boards that do not contributeeven 1 % of total ad revenue want to get 4 % each from ICC. All these non performing boards ganged up together and voted to enhance their revenue and voted to reduce BCCI’s share. Boards that do not contribute even 1 % will get 4 %, whereas BCCI that helps contribute 70 % and which was assured of 22 % revenue just three years ago, had now been voted down 8-1 to receive just 11 %. In others words, eight boards ganged up to vote themselvs higher amount than what they were getting three years ago, while they voted down BCCI’s share to half. They also preached that it was BCCI’s reponsibility to help globalisation of cricket so the hefty $ 280 millions share of BCCI has been chopped off. But none of these boards themselves are prepared to take a cut of even one penny to help globalise cricket. So in effect, they are behaving like the land grabbers who want to rob a rich land owner of his property and make him their slave who would them be required to work hard so that these parasites could live off his labour. It is like that hapless lady whose estate was usurped by crooks.

It is like East India company. Not just England, even the likes of Zimbabwe, West Indies and Bangladesh become India’s rulers and start to live off India the way Brish Empire did for two centuries. India got free from them, and Britain ceased to be the most influential nation in the world.

How do we know which country’s market brings how much ad revenue to the TV rights holder (and therrefore to ICC) ? ICC should have commissioned a firm to carry out this study the way most countries commission some firms to carry out these studies. But then ICC are the last organisation that can be expected of operating in a transparant manner in a matter dealing with money.

I have thought of a way to assess the relative size of ad revenue accruing to the TV broadcaster. One can take the amount of advertisement money that the advertisers of a country spend in one year. I have taken the annual figures of ad spend of the four test playing south Asian countries, viz India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Since all four countries are similar in culture, cricket craze etc, I havbe assumed that a good portion of this ad spend goes to the coffers of the cricket broadcaster.

star sports are the cricket broadcaster of ICC for 18 ICC tournaments from 2015 to 2023. They have won this right for an amount of $ 2000 million. So they are required to pay ICC an amount of $ 2000 millions during this 8 year period. This amount will then be distributed among the test playing board members and associates.

ICC and other nine boards ganged up to rob a big chunk of money that BCCI was helping bring to ICC. We now know who is getting how much, but ICC is silent about how much each board is bringing to the table, so that one can find out whether there is any correlation between their pay and their contribution in ICC’s earning through them.

Since ICC would not do it, I have tried to find about the approximate amount of ad money that various cricket playing nations would bring to star sports for Champions trophy 2017.

First I have found out how much ad money the advertisers of various cricket playing countries of Indian sub continent as well as West Indies and Zimbabwe are spending this year.

Following are the figures:

I have excluded other countries because I feel that they are more or less getting what they deserve.

So, the relative market share of these countries as far as advertisers are concerned is

Note: The above figures are what I gleaned from various sources online. Figures are indicative and there may be some inaccuracies, though the overall picture is unlikely to change much despite any corrections that may get noticed/ get pointed out.
I have excluded the figures of other boards that I feel are getting what they contribute.

Let us assume that all these markets are cricket crazy markets and a good portion of their ad spend this year will go to pay star network, during their TV coverage of Chmapions Trophy.

Let us assume that an uniform portion of total ad spend of the year will be spent by advertisers during champions Trophy in all these countries. Let us assume it to be 10 % of total ad spend for the year.

So, following is what Star network will get from these countries

Star TV is required to give $ 2000 millions to ICC in eight years (2015 to 2017). They will earn half of that amount in this champions trophy itself, if only BCCI could be persuaded to sent its team. If BCCI backs out, Star sports will earn an ad revenue of less than $ 150 millions and at this rate it will never be able to see any profit. Mind you, Star have already staged one tournament, T20 world cup in 2016 after it earned the broadcast rights and it has already made a hefty profit because BCCI participated in that tournament. With BCCI participation in this tournament, Star would have already earned the amount of $ 2000 millions that it was supposed to have paid to ICC. These are still six years left and lots of more tournaments left where BCCI participation would have seen star network rolling in mind boggling profits.

So now, we know why Star network is worried at the prospects of BCCI contemplating to back out. All the looters (ICC and the other non BCCI boards) are now worried and are trying all the tricks in their books. Star network made some ex cricketers to speak in favour of BCCI participation. Most of these ex cricketers are employed as expert commentators with star as most of us are well aware. So they are serving their masters and indirectly serving the cause of the gang of looters rather than the cause of BCCI and Indian cricket fans who are their real paymasters. Gavaskar and Shashtri did not speak in that voice and so their opinions were very conveniently blacked out.

Then there are some “responsible” people who are talking about Indian cricketers missing out and Indian cricket dying out. They are either talking out of ignorance or they are in the employs of anti BCCI parties to utter such inanities. BCCI are well within their rights to back out. Clause 6.4 of Members Participation Agreement (MPA), a legally binding document between the ICC and its member boards gives BCCI this right.

If CoA is asking BCCI not to back out and participate, then it means that CoA are not aware of Clause 6.4 of Members Participation Agreement (MPA), which speaks very poorly of their knowledge of the subject on which they are administrating.

They are also not aware that BCCI is only backing out of ICC tournaments. It does not mean that they are walking out of ICC. They will continue to play bilateral series as before which include tests, ODIs and T20s. They will continue to organise IPLs as well. So, the people saying that all these will be in jeoparty need to first understand the subject before giving their opinion on the topic.

In other words, BCCI is only taking recourse to a remedy that its agreement with BCCI allows them to have.

Those who are telling us that BCCI will be a loser and that ICC should expel them, or that BCCI will find itself expelled are talking out of ignorance as pointed out earlier.

In this case, it is not BCCI but ICC that is on sticky grounds. It is ICC’s credibility and existence that is at stake. BCCI is helping them earn bulk of $ 2000 millions that they are to get from TV broadcaster. In addition BCCI is helping earn Star network many times more by participating in these tournaments. Such a valuable partner must be treated with respect and dignity. Here we find that ICC has ganged up with other boards to deprive BCCI of the money that BCCI is allowing ICC and other board members to gain.

It would be better for BCCI to organise international tournaments on its own without involving ICC. such precedents are there. the 1985 WCC tournament, where Ravi Shashti became Champions of Champion was one such example. Even at present, BCCI is dealing with star sports directly in organising TV coverage of domestic tournaments. BCCI is also organising TV coverage of IPL without involving ICC, and the profits of IPL are in billions. So, BCCI backing out of this ICC is not the end of the road for BCCI. Rather it is the end of the road for ICC. Even if ICC finally agrees to give BCCI a higher share that will still be a big deal less than what BCCI deserves. And the humiliating manner in which BCCI has been treated by ICC and other board members is something that most Indian cricket fans will never be able to forget and forgive.

I am as much a stake holder in Indian cricket as BCCI, CoA and others. I have been following Indian cricket from 1974 and I feel that it is high time BCCI asserts its right the way other assertive organisations in other parts of the world do. BCCI should form a rival organisation to ICC and invite other boards to join them. If some boards (there will be none) decide to stick with ICC, let them do that. ICC should cease to exist in near future. As Indians, let us learn to be assertive and ruthless in dealing with people who harm us and who seek to humiliate us. In this case, it is ICC. Let us finish ICC off once and for all.

I have not been able to concentrate on blogging for the last few days because of this matter. I hope to get this lead out of my chest by writing on this topic that I have been feeling very strongly about.

I, as well as many cricket loving Indians are feeling the way our forefathers felt when they were slaves of foreigners. Foreigners would loot us of our resources and get rich at our cost, whereas we would be subjected to humiliation, indignity, famine, death etc. That is what happened to Indians during British Rule. This is what also happened in Goa which remained under Potruguese rule till 1960s !

Here is a song from “Johar Mehmood in Goa”(1965) which expresses my strong feeling on the subject of BCCI and Indian cricket lovers suffering indignities at the hands of foreigners out to subjugate us. This song is sung by Mukesh and Usha Khanna. Qamar Jalalbadi is the lyricist. Music is composed by Kalyanji Anandji.

The song is picturised on I S Johar and Sonia Sahni (I guess).

With this song, “Johar Mehmood in Goa”(1965) joins the list of movies that have all their songs covered in the blog.

Song-Sikandar bhi aaye kalandar bhi aaye (Johar Mehmood in Goa)(1965) Singers-Mukesh, Usha Khanna, Lyrics-Qamar Jalalabadi, MD-Kalyanji Anandji

Lyrics

Sikandar bhi aaye
Kalandar bhi aaye
na koi raha hai
na koi rahegaaa

na koi raha hai
na koi rahega
na koi raha hai
na koi raha hai
na koi rahega
na koi raha hai
hai tere jaane ki baari videshi
hai tere jaane ki
hai tere jaane ki baari videshi
ye desh aazaad ho ke rahega
mera desh aazaad ho ke rahega
na koi raha hai
hai tere jaane ki baari videshi
hai tere jaane ki
hai tere jaane ki baari videshi
ye desh aazaad ho ke rahega
mera desh aazaad ho ke rahega
na koi raha hai

Sikandar ko Porus ki taaqat ne roka aa
Ghauri ko Prithvi ki himmat ne toka aa
jab khooni Naadar ne chhedi ladaai ee
ho o o
o o o o
jab khooni Naadar ne chhedi ladaai
to Dilli ki galiyon se aavaaz aayi ee
laga le tu kitna bhi zor ai sitamgar
ye desh aazaad ho ke rahega
mera desh aazaad ho ke rahega
na koi raha hai
na koi raha hai na koi rahega
na koi raha hai

Prataap ne jaan de di watan pe ae
Shivaaji ne bhagva udaaya gagan pe ae
mardon ne khaayi aazaadi ki kasmen aen
ho o o
o o o
mardon ne khaayi aazaadi ki kasmein
adaa auraton ne ki jauhar ki rasmen
kafan baandh kar raani Jhaansi pukaari
ye desh aazaad ho ke rahega
mera desh aazaad ho ke rahega
na koi raha hai
na koi raha hai na koi rahega
na koi raha hai

Siraaj aur Tipu
Zafar aur Nana aa
thha har ek inmein qaumi deevaana
yahaan le ke aaye bagaavat ki aandhi ee
Tilak, Nehru, Aazaad, Netaaji, Gaandhi ee
Bhagat Singh ki raakh ne ye pukaara
ye desh aazaad ho ke rahega
mera desh aazaad ho ke rahega
na koi raha hai
na koi raha hai na koi rahega
na koi raha hai

Halaaku raha hai na Hitler raha hai ae
Musolini kaa naa vo lashkar raha hai ae
nahin jab raha rus kaa Tzaar baaki ee
ho o o o
nahin jab raha roos kaa Tzaar baaki
to kaise rahega Saalaazaar baaki ee
Goa ka har bachcha bachcha pukaara
ye desh aazaad ho ke rahega
mera desh aazaad ho ke rahega
na koi raha hai
na koi raha hai na koi rahega
na koi raha hai

kal ko agar aaye Chaao yaa Maao o
laga denge ham zindagi kaa daanv
hamaara hai Kashmir
NEFA hamaara aa
o o o
o o o
hamaara hai Kashmir
NEFA hamaara
kabhi jhuk sakega na jhanda hamaara aa
zara desh ke dushmanon se ye keh do
ye desh aazaad ho ke rahega
mera desh aazaad ho ke rahega
na koi raha hai
na koi raha hai na koi rahega
na koi raha hai
hai tere jaane ki baari videshi
hai tere jaane ki
hai tere jaane ki baari videshi
ye desh aazaad ho ke rahega
mera desh aazaad ho ke rahega
na koi raha hai
na koi raha hai na koi rahega
na koi raha hai