Sharjah, a haven for middlemen -- Agarwal

Sharjah, a haven for middlemen -- Agarwal
Express News Service

Bangalore, April 2: Terming Sharjah cricket a great rip-off of Indian money, Arun Agarwal, ex-financial expert of Prasar Bharati demanded that CBFS chief promoter, Abdul Rehman Bhukatir come clean about the financial break-up if he was keen on continuing the series with Indian participation.

‘‘Middlemen are heavily lining their pockets in this tournament,’’ alleged Agarwal whose Agarwal Report in April 1999 had caused a furore in India and led to the CBI lodging an FIR in November on alleged fixing of telecast rights.

Brandishing BCCI’s income and expenditure accounts for the Indian tour to Sharjah in April 1998 and November 1998, Agarwal drew attention to the pittance BCCI made by way of guarantee money. In April it made just Rs 51,44,100 and in November another paltry Rs 67,84,000.

‘‘Just contrast this with the recent India Vs Australia one-dayer at KSCA where, easily, at least Rs 4 crore would have been made by way of profit from gates, guarantee money and telecast. It would have been twice this amount at Eden Gardens. Against these, the Sharjah tournament is giving India chicken feed. So for whose benefit is this tournament?,’’ he asked.

Agarwal, whose assessment of the World Cup 99 revenues had led to Prasar Bharati making a further Rs 24 crore, stated that the BCCI members might not have a cricketing background, but most certainly have a background of finance.‘‘So why have they not been pro-active and got a better deal for BCCI?’’ he asked.

‘‘The fact that CBFS signed up India for three years and not Pakistan tells its own tale. Without India, Indian money and Indian television audiences, this tournament would be a big flop. The government’s decision of pulling out is right as it is not a team-specific decision but a venue-specific one,’’ the financial expert stated.

‘‘Sharjah is making Rs 40 crore from every tournament that India takes part in. The money pours in from gates, hoardings, advertisements, telecast rights and sponsorship rights. Eighty per cent of this revenue in from India. Yet the BCCI gets around a paltry Rs 50 lakh. Let CBFS come clean as to how much various people are making from the tournament.

‘‘India can host this tournament annually in India itself and have plenty of money to spare for beneficiaries. The fact that Sharjah roped in New Zealand at the 12th hour proves that if the money is right anybody would fly in to play a short tournament.

‘‘The Australians come a distant second to India where generating finance from telecast rights, etc is concerned. Yet year after year they have an excellent triangular tournament. Why has the BCCI never attempted at putting in place such an annual tournament here? Is it too convenient for some to have these tournaments elsewhere?

‘‘It is not without reason that Bhukatir has been camping in India and lobbying for Indian participation. The entire profitability of the tournament will otherwise be affected,’’ he said.

Agarwal expressed anguish that the media, electronic and print, were batting for the Sharjah organisers without grasping how Indian money was being squandered. ‘‘It is the duty of the BCCI to ensure that the cricket loving public gets to watch the best cricket year after year and the Board itself makes maximum money each time. I am afraid neither is being done now,’’ he said.