Courtesy of Haresh Pandya Niranjan Rasiklal Shah.Niranjan Rasiklal Shah, 68, is one of the vice presidents of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, or B.C.C.I., which is among the world's richest sporting bodies. He has been associated with the cricketing body for well over 30 years, serving as the board's secretary for two terms.
Mr. Shah's ties to the sport go back to his younger days, when he represented his native team of Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy as a left-handed batsman. He has also managed the Indian cricket team on several tours.
Besides being one of the most experienced cricket administrators, he is a successful entrepreneur, with businesses in the printing industry, newspapers, real estate and stocks, among others.
Mr. Shah recently spoke to India Ink in Rajkot, in his home state of Gujarat, about the latest spot-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League, the national women's team and India's role in international cricket.
What do you have to say about the latest spot-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League involving three Rajasthan Royals players, including the former India fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth?
Whatever has happened is very unfortunate. It has come like bolt from the blue. On our part, we've immediately suspended the three players - Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan - from all cricket.
What would you attribute the recent scandal toâ€" the kind of money that is pumped into the game or the glamor?
I think it is the sheer greed for money that drives some players to indulge in such heinous activities. Cricketers today are earning handsomely, not only from the game but also from endorsements, media columns, etc. It's a pity that some players are never satisfied. They want to make fast bucks and are ready to earn it even illegally. The luster of the lucre is simply too tempting for them, it seems.
Graham Crouch/Getty Images India celebrating after the World Cup victory in Mumbai, Maharashtra, on April 2, 2011.What is being done by the authorities across the cricket world to check such malpractice in the game?
The game's supreme governing body, the International Cricket Council, already has an Anti-Corruption and Security Unit to look into such dirty games and check the malpractice. We, too, have our own Anti-Corruption Bureau for the same purpose. We have zero tolerance for such illegal practice, and we take stringent action against those found guilty of being involved with or being a part of it.
What do you think of the current state of cricket in India?
Cricket in India is in a very healthy state. It continues to thrive in every corner of the country. More and more talented young cricketers are coming forward. There is a stiff competition to find a place in the Indian team, which is a positive sign. For example, in the last series against Australia, Murali Vijay replaced the experienced Gautam Gambhir, who was not selected in any of the four tests, and scored plenty of runs. Similarly, when the selectors dropped the out-of-form Virender Sehwag after the first two tests, young Shikhar Dhawan stepped in and made a spectacular debut in the third test in Mohali, scoring a brilliant century, 187. The days are long gone when some senior players used to take their place in the Indian team for granted.
Mike Hutchings/Reuters Sachin Tendulkar playing in a test match in Pretoria, South Africa, against the host team, on Dec. 19, 2010.Why does Sachin Tendulkar continue to get selected for matches despite his poor performance lately?
Tendulkar is a legend. He continues to be a great crowd puller. There are people who go to the ground just to see him. His very presence on the field and in the dressing room lifts the morale of the Indian team. He is too rare a gem. He needs no advice. He knows how to play. I'm sure he will retire when he feels that it's time to call it a day.
Do you think India is now a superpower in the cricket world?
Yes, of course. No individual in his right senses can deny this. Even the other countries are accepting the fact that India is a superpower. Our national team has been performing consistently well in tests, One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 matches, both in India and overseas, since the beginning of the 21st century. We've won the World Cup in 1983 and 2011; we won the inaugural World Championship of Twenty20 cricket in 2007. We have some of the finest cricketers. Cricket is a religion in India, and we have the spectators and the largest number of television viewers. And we have the money.
But isn't there a growing feeling among certain nations that because the Board of Control for Cricket in India is one of the world's richest cricket bodies, it tends to influence the International Cricket Council to work in its favor?
It isn't true. If some countries have problem against India, it can't be helped. It's their problem. The fact is we've broken the monopoly of the white nations like England and Australia, both in cricket and in administration, and they're still not accepting the reality. Until the last century, the I.C.C. president was invariably a white man. But two Indians, Jagmohan Dalmiya and Sharad Pawar, and one Pakistani, Ehsan Mani, have graced the position in recent years and done a remarkable job, too. Some countries just don't want to believe that India is a major force in world cricket now.
Until 1990 there wasn't so much money in cricket, and the Indian cricket board wasn't a rich body either. How did the money start flowing in? And who should be credited for this metamorphosis?
Well, to be frank, the money started pouring in after we sold the media rights. Not only did it improve the quality of telecast but it changed the very face of Indian cricket. The 1996 World Cup on the subcontinent was a case in point. Though it's not fair to give all the credit to just one or two individuals for the huge money in Indian cricket today, but the names that deserve a mention are former B.C.C.I. presidents Inderjit Singh Bindra and Dalmiya, who did the sort of pioneering work.
What are your views on women's cricket in India?
It's in a much better condition since the B.C.C.I. took it under its wing in 2007. Female cricketers may not be at par with their male counterparts in terms of money that the B.C.C.I. pays them, but the situation is much better than what it was earlier.
Indian women have not been performing consistently well, compared to, say, their Australian and English counterparts. They performed poorly in the recent World Cup in India. What would you attribute that to?
Unfortunately, we just don't have many quality or talented players. The national team depends heavily on a couple of players. And when they fail to deliver, the entire team disappoints. The B.C.C.I. can lend all support, but unless more and more talented female players come forward, I don't think the situation can improve much. Another problem is that many players give up cricket, get married and settle down in life just when their talent appears to have fully blossomed. I think these are some of the problems that women's cricket in India has been facing.
Do you think offering higher remuneration to women players will keep some of them in the game?
It's not a question of higher remuneration. Remuneration has nothing to do with skills or game, or whether some of them will continue playing if paid better. How can money improve the game? How can better remuneration alone sustain them in the game? I think many of them have family or social reasons for leaving the game.
Danish Siddiqui/Reuters Cricket fans watching the semifinal match between India and Pakistan on a screen in Mumbai, Maharashtra, on March 30, 2011.As one of the most experienced sports administrators, don't you think cricket needs to expand itself, like football, beyond only a handful of countries?
We're keen to expand the game across the globe. In fact, many associate members of the I.C.C. are smaller nations, actually. Zimbabwe was made a full member of the I.C.C. in 1992 and Bangladesh in 2000. We're particularly keen to take cricket to the United States. Since there is a striking similarity between baseball and cricket, we feel that the Americans can learn to play cricket fairly easily.
But it's generally seen that only the expatriate Indians and Pakistanis play cricket in the United States. More and more natives should come forward and play it with interest. Another problem is there are no proper grounds in the United States to play cricket on. In the past, some international teams have played cricket in New York and other places, but in front of empty stands. The I.C.C. needs to aggressively publicize and market the game in the United States.
But I'm sure China will emerge as a strong cricket nation in a few years. The game is gaining in popularity there, and the Chinese give the impression that they have just as natural a talent for cricket as for many other sports they play and dominate.
(The interview has been lightly edited and condensed.)
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