But for that to happen a franchisee must have more to do than a mere month and a half of 20 overs cricket. I believe the BCCI should begin a divestment process where all cricket is slowly moved towards private ownership. A Reliance or a Kingfisher should have three teams; a 20-over team, a 50-over team and a 4-day team. The top franchise of the year will be the one that produces the best results over all three forms. Two years is a good enough time to wait and see how the franchise model works and to iron out problems that will inevitably arise. Then we must go full hog.

We won’t because there are too many vested interests. Power without accountability is a potent drug and state associations who manage the dreaded vote will dig in their heels. But even here a solution can present itself. The experience with public sector units now managed by the private sector is that the moment there is a reward for performance everybody delivers. The person who wouldn’t look up as he sat on files gets a move on. Even state associations under private ownership will deliver.

The selectors will then only have to pick from the best that have already been picked. The job of finding talent will already have been effectively outsourced and we won’t need to have this stupid, self-defeating situation of 27 first class teams. Under a franchisee system where the best talent will be sourced wherever it is from, 15 teams will do just fine.

... contd.