N Srinivasan speaks about the reception of TNPL 2016

In an interaction with select members of the media, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) President N Srinivasan shared his thoughts on the response to the inaugural edition of the India Cements TN Premier League as well as plans for future editions. Excerpts:

Do you think the tournament has exceeded expectations?
Star TV has told us they are very happy – a good thing considering that it is the first priority. When I spoke to Star, they were happy about the terrific response. I have watched games in Natham, Tirunelveli and Chennai, and have observed that there is a lot of enthusiasm. If you look at the board tournaments, we don’t get a big response despite the Team India guys playing. You should look at it in two different contexts.

Another context is that some of the outstation players - the ones working and domiciled – have a ration card and voter ID thanks to the fact that he was not born and was not allowed to play here. We have taken that in our stride and do hope that it can be changed. Even today, despite not having big stars, the tournament is a big success as we have successfully taken the sport to rural Tamil Nadu. Even in Chepauk (in the opener) we had 15,000 people attending matches despite the rain and the figure touched 8000 here; a stat which does not occur in Tests in India. You must be aware that cricket has been played around the world during this period in empty stands. If you compare this tournament to say the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament - a T20 league of the BCCI - which doesn’t have enough spectators, then I think it is a huge positive.

Secondly, the fact that only Tamil Nadu players are involved also thrills me. We were able to put on a show in a tournament with franchisees coming to support the league. Also, I am very glad that our Team India stars, be it R Ashwin, M Vijay, Dinesh Karthik or Abhinav Mukund, took part in the tournament and showed commitment. Twenty four out of twenty eight games are done and dusted and only one team has made it to the semi-finals. Also, the rest are in with a chance with a few more games to go. This is how a tournament should be - with tension, and we’ve also had two super-overs, a hundred and a hat-trick. Apart from the lush ground and excellent playing facilities, even the commentary has made a difference. I think Star has done a wonderful job in the production department and their outstanding presentation has also greatly helped in the tournament being what it is.

I think we should rejoice that the tournament has done well, all franchisees are happy, and it has become so competitive that every game is exciting. Even the drainage facilities here are exceptional and I presume that this kind of facility is not available anywhere in India. Also, the spectator is not put up to any difficulty because of this. Even the grounds at Natham and Tirunelvi are very good. Maybe the number of people who could come and attend was not 20,000, and there were a few thousand people waiting outside to come in, but there were no tickets. I’m very proud of the fact that we could put up to eight squads at least.

How do you plan to make next season more exciting?
It is very heartening to see that the response has been beyond expectations, and we will also bring in additional venues next year. The success also stems from the tremendous interest in districts, so we are planning to have a venue between Salem and Erode, and another one at Coimbatore. So, we will have four district venues next year and that will help us to spread the game through Tamil Nadu in better fashion. Also, a lot of district associations have contacted us and said that they will get ready, so hopefully those who are still interested will come back in the coming season. It will ensure that we have a choice of rotating between two venues.

What has been the toughest challenge this season from an administrative point of view?
The TNCA is very competent and once we decided that we didn’t have much time, they got everything organised. Right from negotiations with the broadcaster, calling for tenders to get franchisees in, getting venues ready, and the schedule, all of it was done very well. The only challenge was to get lights installed at Natham and Tirunelveli on time, and it was accomplished without any hassles. Also, approximately Rs.33 to 34 crores of franchise income was invested, and broadcast rights worth Rs.7 crores, and other sponsors, including India Cements was up to Rs.6.13 crores, so almost Rs.46 crores was the total income which has been well spent. We have spent money on infrastructure in these two places and next year we will look at other places as well. The interest in this year’s tournament has triggered interest in more than one district association, and it is possible that they will put up a ground, if not this year, then the next. I don’t think this sort of organisation could have taken place in such a short time in any other association, which makes the TNCA unique. And some more key facts: The Chennai Super Kings has made an impact across Tamil Nadu, and people want cricket, so if you go into the villages, the interest is very high. Among the commentators Matthew Hayden was very well-received, and also, a lot of experienced administrators are there in the TNCA as well as in the IPL, so overall it’s a team effort.

Do you think the league should have more national players?
That is what we wanted, but the BCCI didn’t allow it this year, so I am still hopeful that it will happen. We have 26 players - domiciled - thanks to the fact that they are not born here, and are not allowed to play. But, this is our first year, and there is no point in creating controversy with the BCCI, so we will continue our efforts to make them see reason. To attract an audience we don’t need players, as the people are just aiming for good quality cricket. Even in Natham and Tirunelveli, there is josh and the atmosphere is charged up. People are coming to watch the games in numbers, so all the stake holders involved need to think if they need anybody new for the next edition. At the end of the day it is an initiative for local players to come in front and show their talent on a big stage. Today, many unknown players have put their hands up, so will they have had the chance if all the Team India players had been here? I don’t know the answer to it but then we will discuss it though. Also, before the start of the tournament I felt that these people should play, but now I don’t know.

Are you open to the idea of bringing players from associate nations to play here?
First, I want that particular player – ignored for the Ranji Trophy despite years of experience in the first-division - to get a chance. We have a wealth of talent here and we will take the opinion of the franchisees and broadcaster, as this tournament has opened everybody’s eyes. Also, if you can make your domestic talent count, well and good. The public seems to be very happy with the performance put on by our domestic players.

Going forward how do we envisage this tournament?
This is a franchise-based league and it should gain popularity thanks to the competition between the cities. The people should get behind their team and their stars – a fact which will ultimately bring outstanding success to the tournament, over a period of time. We will have more venues in the districts as a lot of them are interested in cricket, but never had the opportunity to watch it live. We will also give opportunity for people to watch matches live. And whether outstation players are available or not is still debatable. For instance, will fans in Natham or Tirunelveli know the names of any of the outstation players? Success is when my city plays and I want to watch them play. Fans love cricket and they have come to watch it, it is simple as that. The quality of cricket was good and in the first few games, they were a little shy under lights, in front of the camera, and big crowds. But as the tournament progressed everything was fine. Also, you won’t think it is confined to just one state unless someone mentions it. So, I think it has delivered beyond expectations and the best is yet to come.

Has any cricketer in particular impressed you in this tournament?
I can’t name any one person as you shouldn’t take away the enthusiasm of the whole gang! I’m sure you have assessed where the potential lies and this will open the doors for some of these boys for the IPL next year. I don’t want to be unfair to them and name any names, so I request you to write who you think has done well. Talent will always show itself, you can never hide it.

Do you think that the fan-base will decrease once CSK returns?
On the other hand, I think it will increase. Here people are backing their cities and as a Tamilian I am proud of what has happened.

Any plans of increasing the franchisees and which areas do you think the league can improve upon?
We will conduct a review after the conclusion of the tournament and then summarise and see where we should improve for next year. We may increase the number of franchisees by two, in principal, but only after two years.

Do you think this sort of league will work in other states?
I will welcome it if they do it, but I’m sure you have seen the amount of organisation that has gone into this tournament. A state that has the wherewithal to do it can do it. I’m sure there will be success for many other associations, as there are many ingredients for it to be a success. For eight franchises we had eighteen people bidding that day, that itself was a great success. People from different parts of life came and from the corporate sector did not bid. Without it all, the others came forward and that is the success - firstly with Star and then with the number of franchises. For a franchise based tournament to be a success, you have to have the franchises putting enough money on the table to make it viable. If that is there and you have proper organisation, then it’s possible.

How is the relationship between the BCCI and TNCA after the tournament?
The BCCI and the TNCA have always had a good relationship. We haven’t fought with them and the TNCA is part of the BCCI. We are used to working with the BCCI and ultimately follow the decision. Members like the TNCA have to show the way.

Is there a chance of the tournament’s dates changing next year?
The timing of the tournament will depend on other factors and who else is playing. At the moment, we don’t have a definitive plan and there may be other tournaments too. Even this year there was a slight change as India was playing West Indies. I have to be flexible for the broadcaster. Now that they have seen the success, I am sure they would like to come at an ideal time when there is no other clutter. So we will work that out. The first year is a difficult year but now we can work everything out.