Lalit Modi slams IPL-14’s lack of sensitivity in face of Covid crisis

The voice comes down the phone line like it always hadmdashat warp speed Lalit Modi is in London and for the last three days he has not been able to watch the IPL the league he brought to life 14 seasons ago ldquoBecause I was so frustrated to see the players not even doing anything for the publicrdquoHe says ldquoLetrsquos not forget that history will document how the Indian cricketers reacted when a calamity of this magnitude stared India in the facerdquoModi was founder architect and engineer of the IPL which he still refers to in social media as his baby He has put a black ring around his social media handles as a mark of mourning as the pandemic rips through India in a brutal second coming Against this backdrop Modirsquos baby is something between a sullen 14yearold trundling into its fourth week and a botdriven pantomime on autopilotModi says he finds it ldquoquite shameful very very in factrdquo that the cricketers ldquohad not come out strongly on an every day basis Not to have worn black bands not to take a knee is something that baffles merdquoThe IPL he says ldquocould have done so much more I donrsquot know who is stopping them Every life matters every Indian matters this is a time for solidarity and coming togetherrdquoHow would IPL chairman and commissioner Modi have responded to the severity of the crisis ldquoI wouldrsquove done something very different but I wouldnrsquot have stopped the games at allrdquo The IPL he has said is an industry which gives a livelihood to thousands of people ldquoLetrsquos not snatch that away from them Letrsquos not deprive few more families of their daily bread Some domestic cricketers make major earning through the IPL in these sixeight weeks to take care of almost that entire yearrsquos earnings Letrsquos not take that awayrdquoLalit Modirsquos 2021 IPL would have gone on with several changes in plan approach and outreach After wersquove finished speaking on the phone Modi dashes off a quick summary of our conversation via a long message Itrsquos not surprising In his IPL honcho days he would give lengthy interviews via his Blackberry His 2021 IPL looks a thoughtful and engaged version than what we see on our televisions these daysBackup plans for venuesLetrsquos start with venues Modi thought the plan to hold matches in Mumbai and Pune alone was originally a good one but one that needed a rejigging as cases skyrocketed ldquoI donrsquot understand the plan to play these matches in heavilyaffected centresmdashit could have been avoided and still can be avoided itrsquos not that it canrsquot be moved to another centre To take even a small bit of relief or resource or staff away from the pandemic is something that I would have avoided at all costs I would not have allowed itrdquoIt required a nimbleness of thinking to move matches into their Plan B venues like Hyderabad and Indore as fixed earlier ldquoIf Plan B doesnrsquot work go to Plan C if that doesnrsquot work go to Plan D Thatrsquos what we were doingrdquo he says referring to 2009 when the IPL had to be moved out of India due to the impending electionsWhile the time required to create secure biobubblesmdasha minimum of two weeksmdashmay appear to be far too long to permit a quick change of venues during the pandemic the IPLrsquos decision makers had far more time than is imaginedOn March 15 24 days before the IPL a decision was taken to play the last six matches of the England tour of India minus crowds due to rising COVID19 cases in Ahmedabad and Pune More than three weeks is enough leadtime to work through the range of optionsModi not known for modesty calls himself ldquoa man of action and practicalityrdquo but had proved it by moving the IPL overseas in 2009 His blueprint on how to handle the IPL today demonstrates among other things his sensitivity towards the Indian cricket fan which runs far deeper than the lip service dished out from the BCCI high office todayAsked what would he do about how the IPL presents itself today Modi instantly rattled off ideas ldquoEvery IPL match should start with a minutersquos silence to pay homage to each life lost due to this pandemicrdquoThe players he says ldquocan also bend the knee they must pray for people lost And they must wear a black band in all the matches thatrsquos a must must mustrdquoTV he says can do away with the postmatch prize ceremony for individual performances ldquoJust have the captain interviews and thatrsquos it No extra show of huge cheques or money at the time of such despairrdquoCricketers he says ldquoare the sweethearts of this nation along with the Bollywood actors And it is time for them to give out the right messagerdquoTo uplift he says put a hand around the shoulder of the fans ldquoShow solidarity show support express concern money isnrsquot everything Even a kind word can heal a broken heart in these timesrdquoModi wants the IPLrsquos broadcasting messaging around safety and biosecurity to be ldquomore serious and more impactfulrdquo and move from the commentators to the players at the centre ldquoI would go as far as have the captains walk out for the toss with masks to put it across to the millions of youngsters watching to do the same when theyrsquore outdoorsrdquoHe wants players to carry badges or jerseys requesting people to get vaccinated to encourage them to take the jab and ldquoclear all myths and false propaganda against itrdquoIndian cricketrsquos financial outlay during the pandemic needed to go wide and deep ldquoAll cricketers should voluntarily give some portion of the IPL earnings for the victimsrdquolsquoBCCI should pledge 10 per centrsquoThe cashrich BCCIrsquos movement through the first three weeks have resembled those of apocalyptic zombies Enough of the homilies Modi wants cash down for those who need it most ldquoThe BCCI should pledge to give 10 per cent at least of its IPL earnings over the last two years for Covid victims and rehabilitation of the families who have lost their breadwinners It is the fans who have made the game of cricket so big in India This is the time to react and give back to the nationrdquoHe calculated that 10 per cent of the IPL 2020 and 2021 sponsorships would be something close to ldquoRs 700800 crores Imagine the difference that money can make for rehabilitation and treatment of patientsrdquoModirsquos mind is still whirring as we speak ldquoThere is so much you could have donehellipfinanced the vaccine oxygen respirators Build temporary hospitals use stadiums create that kind of infrastructurerdquo He wonrsquot speak of his own part in the relief work ldquoJoy they say is doing good on the sly I will leave it at thatrdquoHe chooses to not call names yet ldquoThis is the time for teamwork and focus and togetherness Letrsquos leave the blaming and shaming for after India comes out of this wholerdquoModi is not sounding like the man cast out into the wilderness by the BCCI he is sounding like the leader the IPL at the very least could do with today