New Delhi, Sep 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) Indian Premier League founder Lalit Modi emphasised that the growth of state T20 leagues is a "positive development for Indian cricket" that can help identify talent at local levels, but cautioned that "very close monitoring" should be carried out by the state cricket associations to keep them free from any possible corrupt approaches.
The rise of state T20 leagues has helped unleash a new generation of cricketers, with several players making the most of the opportunities and attracting the attention of state associations and IPL franchises. IPL founder Lalit Modi heaped praise on the potential of those leagues to pave the way for players but cautioned to keep a close tab on them.
"I think state leagues are a positive development for Indian cricket. This was bound to happen as the IPL ecosystem grew, and if properly structured, these leagues can become an excellent pathway for young and undiscovered talent to perform under pressure, get noticed and potentially graduate to the IPL and higher levels," Modi told IANS.
"However, with the rapid growth of these leagues comes a serious responsibility. They must be professionally executed and very closely monitored by the respective state associations, with strong independent governance. My biggest concern would always be integrity," he added.
The IPL founder further stressed the need to monitor the leagues, highlighting the risk of exposure to potential corrupt approaches. "Smaller leagues can become particularly vulnerable to approaches from bookmakers, match-fixing, spot-fixing, player manipulation, conflicts of interest, questionable ownership or financial interests and other corrupt practices if adequate safeguards are not established from day one.
"Every league should therefore have robust anti-corruption protocols, player education, strict control over access to players and dressing rooms, proper scrutiny of owners and officials, transparent contracts and payments, independent audits, and active monitoring of suspicious betting patterns," the 62-year-old further said.
Modi also emphasised that there is a need to monitor the operations of state cricket associations, as they need to be clean and transparent for state leagues to remain in the same way.
"And this is precisely why the governance of the state association itself matters. You cannot expect a league to be clean, transparent and professionally run if the institution supervising it is facing serious questions about its own governance.
"UPCA is an example where, over the years, allegations and controversies concerning governance, transparency, conflicts and the influence exercised by powerful administrators have repeatedly been raised publicly. Rajiv Shukla has been a prominent figure associated with UPCA and Indian cricket administration. Rather than allowing such questions to linger, they should be independently examined and answered transparently," he said.
He further highlighted that the cricket administration in the state associations must not fall into the hands of individuals. "The lesson for every state association should therefore be simple: do not allow cricket administration to become a private club controlled by a handful of individuals," Modi said.
He emphasised the importance of "regulatory oversight, disclose conflicts of interest, scrutinise franchise ownership and funding, audit the money independently, and make administrators accountable for their decisions".
While the growth of T20 cricket has been a boon for Indian cricket, Modi said that "expansion without governance can very quickly become a liability."
The leagues present associations and Indian cricket as a whole, offering opportunities to young talent, with several players making their names in the local leagues. "The IPL demonstrated the enormous value that can be created when opportunity, talent and commercialisation come together. The next generation of leagues must make sure that integrity grows just as quickly as the money does. Protecting the integrity of the game must come before everything else," he said.
The IPL founder also shared an Instagram post in which he highlighted the importance of "institution building". "I built the IPL so it would never need me. Nearly two decades later, it keeps breaking records. That's not success. That's institution building," he wrote.
Source: IANS
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