Monday 20 April 2009

Lalit Modi is the Kerry Packer of our times

Lalit Modi is an innovator. I say this not because he is an original thinker. I'm not sure he is. I say this because he has an incredible talent for making it happen. Against the odds.

Think about IPL 1. Launched at short notice, as a knee-jerk reaction to the modest success of the ICL. No shortage of sceptics. Within weeks the tournament was launched amidst pyrotechnics before and during the first match. Within days, it was clear the tournament was a hit. And the end of the season confirmed just what a blockbuster it was.

Roll on IPL 2. When the credit crunch threatened funding, two debutant English stars were sold for record seven figure amounts. When the timing of the Indian general elections put a strain on security arrangements, lesser mortals might have buckled. Not Lalit. He stuck two fingers to the Indian authorities and used his powers of making it happen to show the South African authorities the riches in store in return for playing host.

Like most innovators, Lalit has his detractors. They abhor his brashness. They hate his lack of respect for the normal rules. And they cringe at the way he tinkers with the game. It's just not cricket, is it? Bollocks! Innovation costs money. Money makes money. And if a 450 second break in between a Twenty20 inning helps keep the game going, so be it.

Kerry Packer was a hated figure among the cricket establishment in the late 1970s. He bought out the national Australian team (and some West Indians and English), which led to the drought in talent that Australia faced through much of the 1980s. Which in turn led to the foundations laid for the Australian dominance we witnessed through the 1990s and that has continued till last year.

Kerry achieved his objective in the end. To secure TV rights for Australian cricket. I'm not sure what Lalit's end goal is. But I'm certain he will make it happen.

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