Cricket is far less popular around The World – both as a Sport and Commercially, and the entire framework of ICC is plagued with many-a-fault. Can it pick up a lesson or two from fifa’s book?
Trek along the plowed fields near the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda or rest under the tree shades of the Omo Valley of Southern Ethiopia, and you might just come across a small young group of an ancient African tribe, playing with a ball made of rags. Of course, the chances are one in many thousands, or even a million. But a sight such as this is possible. And why not? Rwanda – a nation talked about for being the land of genocide murders – was the proud host of the 2011 African under-17 Soccer championship. And Ethiopia – a country still under construction – on the other hand, has been a part of this lesser known soccer tournament ever since its inception in 1995. For once, put this chalk-talk aside and think of what made soccer a global game. Did FIFA pull off something spectacular? Or is it all a matter of natural progression – the “it just happened” school-of-thought? Actually, it is both. From the lesser-known nations, to the much developed city of London, which witnesses many incidents of violence whenever England performs poorly in the game (as was reported in June 2010, when moments after England’s exit from the FIFA 2010 World Cup edition, there were several incidents of violence reported in various parts of the city), around the world, the game of soccer is synonymous with the passion. It is different with cricket.
Due to limited efforts from the ICC, the game is still a buzzword across limited geographies. Even on the commercial front, cricket has a long way to go. Here are some numbers – the total viewership of the last edition of the FIFA World Cup stood at a staggering 27 billion, while that for the current ICC World Cup is forecasted to touch just 2 billion. While FIFA bagged $3.2 billion from the sale of broadcast rights to just the 2010 edition, ICC has earned just $1.2 billion in an eight-year deal – this includes three World Cups until 2015, five World T20s and three Champions Trophy tournaments. Worse, while FIFA pocketed $1.2 billion from sponsors by sale of marketing rights during 2010, ICC is taking home only 37.5% of that amount until 2015 (during the World Cups of 2011 & 2015). So where actually is ICC going wrong?
Some suggest that a calendar cluttered with tournaments and political involvement are two factors ailing ICC – something which FIFA is free of. “The overdose of cricket has definitely taken away much of the charm. Even this tournament (ICC World Cup 2011) is far too stretched,” says Dheeraj Mathur, Exec. Director, KPMG. Many argue that there are many soccer events organised around the year as well – but which of them, except the FIFA World Cup championship, gives any team a shot at becoming the world #1? None.
FIFA’s stand against political interference in football associations have also given the game a clean image – thereby making fans believe more in the game. This is unlike what is seen in cricket – what else do you expect when the very ICC Chief (Sharad Pawar, Chairman & President of ICC) is himself a known face in the Indian political space?
The current format of the ICC World Cup is also plagued by the inclusion of many undeserving & weak sides in the main schedule. This creates a hollow image of the tournament as far as competitiveness is concerned. The qualifier round (where teams fight it out to find a place in the main schedule) of the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw more than 200 teams in the arena. In stark contrast, the qualifiers of the 2011 edition of the ICC World Cup featured only 12 teams. The next edition (2015) will see a repeat.
Trek along the plowed fields near the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda or rest under the tree shades of the Omo Valley of Southern Ethiopia, and you might just come across a small young group of an ancient African tribe, playing with a ball made of rags. Of course, the chances are one in many thousands, or even a million. But a sight such as this is possible. And why not? Rwanda – a nation talked about for being the land of genocide murders – was the proud host of the 2011 African under-17 Soccer championship. And Ethiopia – a country still under construction – on the other hand, has been a part of this lesser known soccer tournament ever since its inception in 1995. For once, put this chalk-talk aside and think of what made soccer a global game. Did FIFA pull off something spectacular? Or is it all a matter of natural progression – the “it just happened” school-of-thought? Actually, it is both. From the lesser-known nations, to the much developed city of London, which witnesses many incidents of violence whenever England performs poorly in the game (as was reported in June 2010, when moments after England’s exit from the FIFA 2010 World Cup edition, there were several incidents of violence reported in various parts of the city), around the world, the game of soccer is synonymous with the passion. It is different with cricket.
Due to limited efforts from the ICC, the game is still a buzzword across limited geographies. Even on the commercial front, cricket has a long way to go. Here are some numbers – the total viewership of the last edition of the FIFA World Cup stood at a staggering 27 billion, while that for the current ICC World Cup is forecasted to touch just 2 billion. While FIFA bagged $3.2 billion from the sale of broadcast rights to just the 2010 edition, ICC has earned just $1.2 billion in an eight-year deal – this includes three World Cups until 2015, five World T20s and three Champions Trophy tournaments. Worse, while FIFA pocketed $1.2 billion from sponsors by sale of marketing rights during 2010, ICC is taking home only 37.5% of that amount until 2015 (during the World Cups of 2011 & 2015). So where actually is ICC going wrong?
Some suggest that a calendar cluttered with tournaments and political involvement are two factors ailing ICC – something which FIFA is free of. “The overdose of cricket has definitely taken away much of the charm. Even this tournament (ICC World Cup 2011) is far too stretched,” says Dheeraj Mathur, Exec. Director, KPMG. Many argue that there are many soccer events organised around the year as well – but which of them, except the FIFA World Cup championship, gives any team a shot at becoming the world #1? None.
FIFA’s stand against political interference in football associations have also given the game a clean image – thereby making fans believe more in the game. This is unlike what is seen in cricket – what else do you expect when the very ICC Chief (Sharad Pawar, Chairman & President of ICC) is himself a known face in the Indian political space?
The current format of the ICC World Cup is also plagued by the inclusion of many undeserving & weak sides in the main schedule. This creates a hollow image of the tournament as far as competitiveness is concerned. The qualifier round (where teams fight it out to find a place in the main schedule) of the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw more than 200 teams in the arena. In stark contrast, the qualifiers of the 2011 edition of the ICC World Cup featured only 12 teams. The next edition (2015) will see a repeat.
For more articles, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2011.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Best B School India
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
IIPM in sync with the best of the business world.......
IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism
Arindam Chaudhuri: We need Hazare's leadership
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
