When sponsors call the shots

Everyone knows there’s a lot of money being pumped into cricket. But now, with elaborate post-game ceremonies, the attention seems to be shifting from the players to the sponsors instead.

The Indian cricket board’s new policy of recognising the performance of players seems to be more of an exercise to indulge the sponsors. The Board of Control for Cricket in India, in the recent series against Australia, has introduced the new system of announcing two different awards i.e. Man of the Match and Best Player of the Day, and accordingly two different players are named the winners.

So, the winner of the 'Man of the Match award' at the end of the ODI need not necessarily be the ‘Best Player of the Day’.

The likes of Virat Kohli and K.L. Rahul burst into laughter as Axar Patel strolled in to collect the ‘Bankable Player of the Day’ in Nagpur after India clinched the ODI series 4-1 against Australia last Sunday.

But, it was actually Hardik Pandya who was entertaining Kohli and Co. in the team area, imitating Axar’s swinging walk when the left-arm spinner was collecting his cheque from the sponsor.  

Match awards are not exactly the Emmys or the Oscars. Tired teams can hardly stand the formalities as the sponsors and officials pile onto the dais. When Steve Smith was introspecting Australia’s mauling at the hands of the hosts, even his own players seemed inattentive, leave alone Kohli and Pandya who were giggling! The players can’t be blamed as they are expected to assemble after a gruelling day in the sun.

Keeping the post-game presentation interesting is a task. How then do they save a drab and dreary ritual apart from adding more awards, inviting on stage more stars to be honoured? So, this is how the marketing men want to sell the match instead.

As if the logo-plastered jerseys, trophy names, in-ground hoardings, advertisement breaks and numerous other innovative ways of branding are not enough, the sponsors have completely taken over the post-match ceremony these days. Like at various film awards nights, the BCCI has added more categories to please their sponsors — ‘Bankable Player of the Day’ and ‘Bankable Player of the Series’ named after a private financial institution, apart from the traditional ‘Man of the Match’ and ‘Player of the Series’ awards.

The move might have swelled BCCI’s coffers, but it left many a fan wondering who the real player of the day and series were. With a three-wicket haul, Axar won the ‘Bankable Player of the Day’, while centurion Rohit Sharma bagged the ‘Man of the Match’. Similarly, Aussie pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile was presented with the ‘Bankable Player of the Series’, while Hardik Pandya won the ‘Player of the Series.’

Not just the fans, even a BCCI official was left scratching his head.

“There is no difference between these two. It is nothing but stupidity. I am not sure why they are doing this apart from satisfying more sponsors. If they wanted to oblige them, they could have at least named the awards differently, like the MVP (Most Valuable Player of NBA), while spelling out reasons why the candidate was chosen,” the official added.

Sources revealed the BCCI vice-president T.C. Mathew, associated with the BCCI marketing department, was perhaps the man behind this move.

An official from South Zone said administrators are no longer allowed to hand over the awards and cheques to the players. “During bilateral matches, an official from the local hosting association is allowed to be on the dais, but he will remain a mute spectator!” he said. It is all a show for the sponsors then and you know they own the game.