The Zee Group will make an initial investment of around Rs100 crore, while IL&FS will partly fund the project.
NEW DELHI: In a move that could change the complexion of cricket in India, the Essel/Zee Group and Infrastructure Leasing & Finance Services Ltd have decided to launch an initiative called the Indian Cricket League. The plan is to create a talent reserve for Indian cricket.
The Indian Cricket League is likely to be launched later this year, Zee Group chairman Subhash Chandra told a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The Zee Group will make an initial investment of around Rs100 crore, while IL&FS will partly fund the project. The joint venture partners did not elaborate further on investments.
The idea of setting up the league is being seen as timely, since India recently returned from the World Cup without even reaching the Super 8 stage.
For 25 years, India has not won the World Cup, Chandra said while explaining why his company wants to start the league. “We are not trying to take on the Board of Control for Cricket in India,” he said. “Rather, it’s a complementary effort by the Zee Group. Any cricket association can draw from this pool.”
The Zee Group has already written to the BCCI, seeking its cooperation in getting cricketers and access to stadium rights for its league teams. The board is yet to reply. BCCI officials said they are studying the proposal.
Initially, six teams will take part in the league in a round-robin format, leading up to the semi-finals and final. By the third year, the league would be stepped up to include 16 teams, representing all of India. The matches would be conducted in both ODI and Twenty20 formats with teams playing each other at home and away. Each team would have a first and a second division side to maximise the use of talent.
Each team would include four international, two Indian, and eight “budding” cricketers, according to Chandra. No names have been revealed yet, but Chandra said the league would have big names.
The Indian Cricket League would be run by an executive board comprising top names in Indian and international cricket. It plans to give away over $1 million in prize money every year. As for team selection, there would be a system of public voting as well, just like in the case of musical talent hunt shows on TV. On who would have the telecast rights, Chandra replied, “Zee Sports will be our preferred partner, but we can sell to another broadcaster if the price is good.”
So, is it a cricket property or a talent hunt? Chandra said, “We must remember that we have to win the next World Cup.”
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